When you’ve got a limited amount of time to play a game or two, such as a lunch break at work, or if you’re introducing friends to the tabletop gaming hobby, it can be useful to have some games on hand that are quick to teach and easy to learn. I’ve sorted this list into three sections, but the sections are not mutually exclusive, just a way to offer quick lists for specific situations – several of the games on this list fit into multiple sections.
- Teach/Learn and Play in 30 Minutes or Less
- Introduction to Tabletop Games
- Gaming with Kids
Teach/Learn and Play in 30 Minutes or Less
Game Details |
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Name | Between Two Cities (2015) |
Complexity | Medium Light [1.82] |
BGG Rank | 798 [6.98] |
Player Count (Recommended) | 1-7 (3-7) |
Mechanism(s) | Closed Drafting, Highest-Lowest Scoring, Neighbor Scope, Set Collection, Simultaneous Action Selection, Solo / Solitaire Game and Tile Placement |
Game Details |
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Name | Cat Lady (2017) |
Complexity | Light [1.39] |
BGG Rank | 1022 [7.02] |
Player Count | 2-4 |
Mechanism(s) | Open Drafting and Set Collection |
Game Details |
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Name | Hanabi (2010) |
Accessibility Report | Meeple Like Us |
Complexity | Medium Light [1.69] |
BGG Rank | 530 [7.04] |
Player Count | 2-5 |
Mechanism(s) | Communication Limits, Cooperative Game, Hand Management, Memory, Ordering and Set Collection |
Game Details |
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Name | Pixel Glory (2014) |
Complexity | Medium Light [1.85] |
BGG Rank | 7938 [6.61] |
Player Count | 2-4 |
Mechanism(s) | Auction/Bidding, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building and Rock-Paper-Scissors |
Game Details |
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Name | Santorini (2016) |
Accessibility Report | Meeple Like Us |
Complexity | Medium Light [1.73] |
BGG Rank | 265 [7.37] |
Player Count (Recommended) | 2-4 (2-3) |
Mechanism(s) | Grid Movement, Map Reduction, Race, Square Grid, Team-Based Game, Three Dimensional Movement and Variable Player Powers |
Introduction to Tabletop Games
Game Details |
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Name | Azul (2017) |
Accessibility Report | Meeple Like Us |
Complexity | Medium Light [1.76] |
BGG Rank | 74 [7.75] |
Player Count | 2-4 |
Mechanism(s) | End Game Bonuses, Open Drafting, Pattern Building, Set Collection, Tile Placement and Turn Order: Claim Action |
Notes from Rebecca | A great intoduction to puzzle board games. |
Game Details |
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Name | Lanterns: The Harvest Festival (2015) |
Accessibility Report | Meeple Like Us |
Complexity | Medium Light [1.55] |
BGG Rank | 971 [6.87] |
Player Count | 2-4 |
Mechanism(s) | Hand Management, Pattern Building, Set Collection and Tile Placement |
Notes from Rebecca | A great introduction to pattern building and set collection. |
Game Details |
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Name | Megaland (2018) |
Complexity | Medium Light [1.89] |
BGG Rank | 2582 [6.63] |
Player Count | 2-5 |
Mechanism(s) | Push Your Luck |
Notes from Rebecca | A great introduction to modern press-your-luck tabletop games. |
Game Details |
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Name | Paperback (2014) |
Accessibility Report | Meeple Like Us |
Complexity | Medium Light [2.00] |
BGG Rank | 628 [7.13] |
Player Count (Recommended) | 2-5 (2-4) |
Mechanism(s) | Cooperative Game, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Delayed Purchase, Open Drafting and Spelling |
Notes from Rebecca | A great introduction to deck building. |
Game Details |
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Name | Ticket to Ride (2004) |
Complexity | Medium Light [1.83] |
BGG Rank | 236 [7.39] |
Player Count | 2-5 |
Mechanism(s) | Connections, Contracts, End Game Bonuses, Hand Management, Network and Route Building, Open Drafting, Push Your Luck and Set Collection |
Notes from Rebecca | A great introduction to route building. There are several variations of Ticket to Ride, featuring many different maps. The original has a US map. |
Gaming with Kids
3+ years old:
Game Details |
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Name | Dragon Rapid Fire (2016) |
Complexity | Light [1.00] |
BGG Rank | 24544 [5.27] |
Player Count | 2-4 |
Mechanism(s) | Dice Rolling and Roll / Spin and Move |
Notes from Rebecca | This game of racing dragons is adorable and fun. It does contain some small pieces, so keep an eye on little ones who have a habit of sticking things in their mouths. |
Game Details |
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Name | Flashlights & Fireflies (2015) |
Complexity | Light [1.00] |
BGG Rank | 16663 [5.89] |
Player Count | 2-5 |
Mechanism(s) | Uncredited |
Notes from Rebecca | A fun game of hide and seek in the woods with firefly-powered flashlights! My 10-year-old niece still loves to play this one. |
Game Details |
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Name | Rhino Hero (2011) |
Accessibility Report | Meeple Like Us |
Complexity | Light [1.02] |
BGG Rank | 918 [6.91] |
Player Count | 2-5 |
Mechanism(s) | Hand Management, Lose a Turn, Score-and-Reset Game and Stacking and Balancing |
Notes from Rebecca | A great (and quieter) alternative to Jenga, you'll build a tower with sturdy cards as Super Rhino attempts to climb and jump his way to the top. Just don't be the one to knock the tower over! |
7+ years old:
Game Details |
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Name | ICECOOL (2016) |
Accessibility Report | Meeple Like Us |
Complexity | Light [1.04] |
BGG Rank | 1075 [6.79] |
Player Count (Recommended) | 2-4 (3-4) |
Mechanism(s) | Area Movement, Flicking and Take That |
Notes from Rebecca | Players are penguins racing around their school trying to catch fish and avoid the hall monitor. This game is fast and fun. Players flick penguins across the board and through doorways to maneuver around the school. |
Game Details |
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Name | King of Tokyo (2011) |
Accessibility Report | Meeple Like Us |
Complexity | Light [1.49] |
BGG Rank | 419 [7.13] |
Player Count (Recommended) | 2-6 (3-6) |
Mechanism(s) | Dice Rolling, Die Icon Resolution, King of the Hill, Open Drafting, Player Elimination, Push Your Luck, Re-rolling and Locking and Tags |
Notes from Rebecca | It's a battle of gigantic proportions as monsters, robots, and aliens try to take over Tokyo City! This is a fun, dice rolling, push-your-luck game. |
Game Details |
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Name | Roll For It! (2011) |
Complexity | Light [1.05] |
BGG Rank | 3774 [6.15] |
Player Count | 2-4 |
Mechanism(s) | Dice Rolling |
Notes from Rebecca | A family-friendly dice and card game. |
10+ years old:
Game Details |
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Name | Love Letter (2012) |
Complexity | Light [1.18] |
BGG Rank | 336 [7.23] |
Player Count (Recommended) | 2-4 (3-4) |
Mechanism(s) | Deduction, Hand Management, Player Elimination, Score-and-Reset Game and Take That |
Notes from Rebecca | A game of intrigue and deduction as players compete to get their declaration of love delivered to the Princess. There's also a Batman version! |
Game Details |
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Name | Munchkin (2001) |
Complexity | Medium Light [1.81] |
BGG Rank | 5776 [5.87] |
Player Count | 3-6 |
Mechanism(s) | Hand Management, Take That and Variable Player Powers |
Notes from Rebecca | Find a dungeon. Kick down the door. Defeat the monsters. Grab the loot. Thwart your opponents. |
Game Details |
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Name | Splendor (2014) |
Accessibility Report | Meeple Like Us |
Complexity | Medium Light [1.78] |
BGG Rank | 215 [7.42] |
Player Count | 2-4 |
Mechanism(s) | Contracts, Open Drafting, Race and Set Collection |
Notes from Rebecca | Splendor is loved by gamers of all ages. Players are gem merchants competing for wealth and visits from the nobles. Develop strategic thinking and planning skills with this beautiful game. |
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