A few of us on the Keymaster team are dads. With Father's Day on the horizon, we thought it'd be fun to compile a list of games we love to play along with some that have been great with our kiddos. Our tastes are pretty different, so we've sorted the list based on "dad-interests" along with a dad-joke here and there. Can you who falls into each category?
Games for the Dad that Loves the Outdoors
Dad Joke - Why don’t mummies like to camp? They’re afraid to relax and unwind.
Telestrations
This is the outdoor camping game you insta-pack. Spiral dry erase notebooks and markers make Telestrations super easy to game outdoors with. And as soon as that first drawing passes around you’ll find it pretty hard to contain the laughter.
Wingspan
Wingspan has the kind of appeal that’ll get a lot of different people to the table. Beautiful bird illustrations, gameplay that makes you feel clever, and so many cards (especially with the expansions) might have you discovering a whole new love for birds and gameplay. Look, if they like birds—or even if they don’t—you should get them this game. It’s that good.
Cascadia
Cascadia is like a love letter to the Pacific Northwest, showcasing tons of outdoor nature and wildlife themes on a fun to play game. Cascadia is an habitat building, wildlife populating game with the tactile goodness we all love out of hexagonal components. Being part illustrator and part spatially minded, Kyle tends to dominate these style of games; whereas, Mattox’s reptile brain tends to break.
Games for the Dad that Loves Spreadsheets
Dad Joke - What did the F1 racer say to Luke Skywalker? “May the downforce be with you."
Downforce
Never tell us the odds! Except in Downforce. Please always tell us the odds! Downforce is kind of like spreadsheets in the sense that there’s how we're supposed to use spreadsheets and then there's how we actually use spreadsheets. Play it as a straight up racing game, or play the odds to maximize your money. Either way can be great for kids time or when things get serious after dark. It’s downright fun.
Beyond the Sun
We’re departing from kid friendly territory here for a bit and lifting off to realms of the cosmos. The ultimate if/then equation in board game form. Beyond the Sun celebrates the evolution of technology during the Spacefaring Age. Every decision you make is a fork in the road impacting how you’ll progress in a very literal way. Beyond the Sun is probably for after the kids are in bed. This is the future so buckle up and plant a tech tree.
Brass Birmingham
Can somebody make us an org chart for this game? We’d like to see amortization rates on coal. Brass Birmingham is another one of those games that will break you brain with some of the most interesting player decisions and interactions we’ve seen. There are some dense things to consider here and it’ll make your logistical heart swoon.
Games for the Dad that Loves Talking Loudly
Dad Joke - What did the art thieves say when they jumped in the getaway vehicle after a heist? Van Gogh
Wavelength
Wavelength asks players to relate to one another in teams and get on the same wavelength. Sounds so simple. Where does Star Wars land on a scale of sci-fi to fantasy? We all know where that goes right? Pair kids and parents together and you’ll be making game stories to talk about for years to come.
Monikers
Monikers is so easy to get to the table with friends because everyone already knows how to play it! It’s charades. Verbal charades, then single word description charades, and then really just charades. That familiarity breeds excitement and when you get to the nonverbal part, you’ll love watching loud talking dad struggle.
Two Rooms and a Boom
Two Rooms doubles as a sporting event. Pick teams — Red or Blue. Then, try to accomplish your team objectives over five rounds of mini pow-wows. The catch? You don’t know who’s on your team in your pow-wow. This party game will have you loud talking at each other for hours into the night and questioning how it all played out well after the game has been packed up.
Great Games to Play with Your Kids
Dad Joke - What did the astronaut say when he crashed into the moon? 🚀👩🚀 I Apollo-gize.
“Growing up we played our fair share of Guess Who? The deduction and eliminating of options was such a great challenge and skill to learn as a kid. It's no secret I’m a huge Haba fan (Looking at you Lady Glitterluck), and man, did they improved upon that deduction formula with Cloaked Cats. Ellie (8) asks to play all the time and I'm all whiskers.” - Mattox
“The latest game to hit the table with the kids is Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. The room is filled with lots of giggles and silliness and I’m pretty sure nobody cares who wins.” - Kyle
“Kingdomino is a hit with in our house. Easy to set up, easy to grasp how to win, and easy to scale complexity for different ages. Pro dad tip - mom will love that you helped them with their times tables during scoring.” - Matt
Keymaster games like Trails, Space Park, and Parks: Memories are also great Father's Day family game day options. They are easy to teach and snappy to play. You can pick up these titles this month for some of the best deals all year, including free shipping and 20% off for newsletter subscribers. It's all part of our School's Out Summer Sale.
