With a wall of game selections available, and possibly a few duds chosen in the past, it can seem like a gamble on which game to choose. Whether it’s for the next game night, a Christmas present for a family member, or a simple attempt to give games a try for the first time, doing a minute or two of research might be well worth your while.
So, what are 10 board games at Walmart that are actually fun?
- Codenames
- Wits and Wagers
- Chameleon
- Ticket to Ride
- Blokus
- Bananagrams
- Azul
- Dutch Blitz
- Tenzi
- Quiddler
The hard thing about board games is that each person’s interest varies, most games aren’t all things to all people. There is no one size fits all. Below I’ll explain each game in greater detail and who might enjoy them. Keep in mind that these aren’t empty recommendations. We really enjoy each of the games on this list. We hate seeing these types of lists with awful games sneaking on them for no real reason. So here we go.
1. Codenames
Game Type and Gameplay
This is a word game for 2-8 players, where players are split into 2 teams. The “board” is made up of 25 random cards laid out on the table. Each card as a word on the front and the back. Teams take turns—with one player on each team as the clue giver—attempting to get their team to successfully identify the words assigned to each respective team. The clue must be one word and the clue givers can’t use any of the words on the table. The first team to correctly identify the right words wins. But be careful, bad clues might lead your team to choose the wrong words, which gives the other team points. There is one “bomb” word, that if chosen, automatically loses the game.
Complexity
This is a great teach-as-you-play game because it’s really only got a few major rules to learn. Players that have never played before can pick it up in seconds with one quick example or simply by watching the first team to complete their turn.
My Take
I really like Codenames, and it is a great game that can be really fun for most ages. It probably shouldn’t be bought for people under the recommended age of 14 because of the abstract thinking required. Players not only need to understand what all of the words on the table mean, they need to be able to find commonalities between the words to come up with a one-word clue.
I do want to note that, while I really enjoy Codenames, my family REALLY loves Codenames. They always want to play it when we get together
2. Wits and Wagers
Type and Play
Wits and Wagers is a trivia game turned fun. It is a betting game for 3-7 players but can easily be played with more players on teams. Through 7 rounds, players write guesses down to random, off-the-wall questions and put them in the middle. The guesses are ordered from smallest to largest so the betting can begin. Players place bets on which question is closest to the right answer. The answer is revealed and bets closest get a payout depending on the riskiness of the bet. Whoever has the most money at the end of 7 rounds is the winner.
Complexity
Yet another very easy game to learn. Grandma can even be walked through the entire set of rules as she plays the first round—and that won’t take more than a minute or two. By the second, she will understand and be already beating you. But watch out, Grandma may just be hustling you.
My Take
Wits and Wagers is a massively popular game that so many have played before. I almost left it off the list for that very reason. But because I love playing Wits and Wagers with friends and family as a light fun game, I left it on this list. It isn’t a strategic or technically difficult game, (even though I love those games too) but it still keeps my interest everytime I play. It also seems to keep everyone laughing at the randomness of the questions and hugely varied answers that inevitably come up. You probably wouldn’t go wrong getting this game for your family!
3. Chameleon
Type and Play
This is a game for 3-8 players that really only takes about 10 minutes to play. It is a social-deduction type game where everyone knows the subject of the round and one person—the chameleon—doesn’t. At the beginning of the game each player quickly gives a clue about the subject, including the chameleon. The clever chameleon must blend in by giving a clue that flies under the radar to avoid suspicion of the group. However, once the group thinks they know who the chameleon is, they vote on a player, and his/her card is revealed. If that person is the chameleon, the group wins. If not, the chameleon wins.
Complexity
Yet another very easy game to play. The rules can be explained in almost less time than it takes to set the game up; which happens in seconds. The only “difficult” part is finding which concept is being played that round. Dice are rolled and players must find the right code on a grid that then shows which word is being used. It’s not complicated, but players sometimes look at the wrong word and it throws the game off. Aside from that, the game is a cinch.
My Take
I like Chameleon, but it certainly isn’t for everyone. Those that don’t like games where they have to lie throughout the game probably won’t enjoy this game. I normally don’t like these types of games, but chameleon is so simple and fast that I always find myself wanting to play another round. Plus, only one person is lying in any given round, so the pressure isn’t on your shoulders most of the time.
4. Ticket to Ride
Type and Play
This is probably most famous game on the list. And it deserves it because it’s awesome. It is a game for 3-5 players where players compete to build railroads across the United States (depending on the version) to earn points. The points they receive are linked with routes drawn from a pile. Players can choose as many routes as they want but if they can’t finish the routes, they lose those points. The player with the most points wins the game
Complexity
Ticket to Ride isn’t a complex game but it does have more rules than most of the games on this list. Those playing for the first time are either going to have to play with someone that has already played or read the rule book; the best option would probably be to watch a youtube video on it. After getting the gist of the game, the actual gameplay is pretty simple. There definitely is strategy so players will have to think their turns through.
My Take
I have played Ticket to Ride dozens of times and I enjoy it a lot! It is the perfect melding of strategy and simplicity and brings people who prefer one or the other together nicely. It is definitely fun to play on a board—and we do that occasionally—but I like playing it electronically as well. So if you’re looking to save room in your closet, look into the electronic version. Otherwise, move forward and buy this one. Also don’t block your friends’ routes or someone may just flip the table over.
5. Blokus
Type and Play
Note—Initially, I did NOT want to pay Blokus. It thought it looked dumb. But it’s on the list so I’ll let you make your own conclusions.
Blokus is hard to define. It is technically an abstract strategy and tile laying game, which basically means you’re trying to lay pieces on a board more efficiently than other people. It’s meant for 2-4 people but it’s definitely the best at 4. In this game, players take turns laying pieces of different sizes and shapes on a collective grid. As more tiles are laid, available space diminishes. When that happens, players look to exploit open areas on other players’ zones. More efficiently placed tiles reduces how much another player can encroach on another’s zone. When there are no more moves left to make, the player that has the least tiles remaining wins.
Complexity
As you probably guessed, this is another very easy game to learn as far as the rules go. But what isn’t as easy, is learning the strategy to this game. Players often take longer turns in this game than they do in any of the games we’ve previously talked about thus far because the best move isn’t always obvious. Players can get really good at this game and can easily outmaneuver new players.
My Take
As I mentioned above, when I first saw this game, I did not want to play it. It looked really dumb and extremely boring. But I ended up playing one because a group of people were looking for a fourth player and had nowhere else to turn. Once I understood how the game worked, I loved it. I went out the next week and bought it and have played many, many times since.
For those that don’t like strategic games, this game might not be the best choice. For the rest of us, it’s great
6. Bananagrams
Type and Play
Another word game but this time the game pieces are just a bunch of tiles with letters on them. This game is for 1-8 players—though you could theoretically have more if you combine two or more sets together—and only takes about 10-15 minutes to play. Players draw facedown tiles out of a communal pool. As they draw new letters, the players must build a web of connected words; each new tile must be worked into the already-built web of words.
Sometimes players must deconstruct the web and rebuild it to work in all their letters. Players that work all their letters in say “Peel” (or if you’re in our house you YELL peel), which makes everyone pick up another letter to add to their words. This continues until all letters are gone. When all of the letters are gone, the first player to have all letters used says “Bananagrams” and wins.
Complexity
As many of the games at the local store (like Walmart) are, this game is also extremely easy to learn. It is about as complex to learn as Wits and Wagers. Players can easily win their first round—as long as they are good at spelling. It could also be used with kids as a teaching tool for spelling. It has certainly helped my spelling—which is truly atroshous…
My Take
This was another game that I just DID NOT want to play. And there was really no reason for it. I just didn’t. However, I had many family members trying to get me to play this game one year during a Christmas break and I finally yielded. I couldn’t stop playing the rest of the vacation and still play it years later.
It’s a game that many of my friends and family will play that don’t normally like board games.
7. Azul
Type and Play
Perhaps the most out-of-place game on this list. Azul is a tile-based strategy game that won the game of the year award in 2018 and it is awesome! It is designed for 2-4 players and takes about 45 minutes to play. Basically, players are attempting to collect tiles of specific patterns and colors as effectively as they can. Depending on what they choose, each tile they acquire will be worth a specific point value at the end of the game. Players can use a number of different strategies to outpace their opponents and take the victory.
Complexity
Of the games discussed so far, this is easily the most complex game to learn and the most strategic in gameplay. Players are searching for the right tiles at the right time, and choosing unwisely can significantly harm their chances of winning. Players must understand how tiles are chosen and how those choices affect point values at the end of the game. Turns often require more than just a few seconds to evaluate the best option.The game recommends age 8+ but I think players should be a bit older to really get it and enjoy it.
My Take
This is one of my favorite games to play. It is the most complex game on the list, but that’s not to say that it’s too complicated for most people to enjoy. If you are someone that likes strategic games that aren’t overly complex, this is a great choice. It gets you thinking but doesn’t exhaust you in the process. If you don’t like strategic games at all, then this game probably shouldn’t be on your list.
8. Dutch Blitz
Type and Play
An oldie but a goodie, Dutch Blitz is a speed card game where players compete to get rid of the cards in front of them by building different colored stacks. Each stack consists of numbers counting from 1 to 10 in communal piles. Each player has three cards in front of them and a stack of ten cards on the side. The rest of the cards from the deck are in the hands of each player. The first to get rid of all their cards in the stack of ten cards wins. This game is really cool because pretty much as many players as you can fit around a circle can play—as long as you have enough decks for the players.
Complexity
This is a very easy game mechanically, but not as easy when the game is actually playing. Players are all rushing to get rid of their piles of ten cards into the same piles in the middle as fast as they can. So, arms are flying everywhere and opportunities are quickly squandered for those not watching carefully. It took me way too long to get good at this game. The first several times I played, I lost by a very wide margin. So it’s not hard to learn the mechanics, but it’s a bit harder to be competitive for some of us.
My Take
As the list explicitly mentions, I love all of these games. This game is certainly not an exception. I didn’t enjoy it as much initially. As I mentioned, I just didn’t compete very well at this game initially. I like the idea of it but didn’t play well. After playing several rounds, I started to get into a rhythm and really begin to enjoy it.
9. Tenzi
Type and Play
Tenzi is a dice-based game that can be played with as many players as you have sets of dice. In Tenzi, players roll their sets of dice to produce whatever result the card in the middle specifies. It comes with all kinds of variations to roll. For example, the card might say to roll all 5’s (with all ten dice) as fast as possible. The first player to do it wins that round. Players continue as many rounds as they desire. The player with the most points wins.
Complexity
The rules of Tenzi are to follow what is on each card in the middle for that round. That’s basically it. This might be the least complicated game on our list. People tend to add rules to this game to make it more challenging or fun, but that isn’t even required because often the card in the middle specifies specific challenges for that round. It is a very low-pressure (unless everyone really gets into it) game because a lot of it has to do with luck, not skill.
My Take
I really like Tenzi but in a very different way than I like Azul or some of the others. For my family, it tends to just be a game that we play when we want to have fun, but not have to think at all. We can get family members to play this game that won’t play some of the others because it really is a light-hearted, no-one-really-cares-who-wins kind of game. Everyone is usually just playing for the fun of participating and not to strategize or compete. For that reason, I like it because we can just enjoy the time together.
10. Quiddler
Type and Play
Quiddler makes up the last word game on our list. It is a card game designed for 2-8 players and is all about creating word combinations to make the most points. Players are initially handed 3 cards, each card has a letter on it. The number of cards goes up each round until the last round where players have 10 cards. If players can’t use all of their cards, they lose the points associated with the unused cards. Player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Complexity
Quiddler is a fairly simple game and can be learned very quickly. One aspect that may be difficult, though, stems from the randomness of which letters a player receives. Players can’t necessarily choose the letters they have to make words with and therefore are limited in the word combination options. So players need to get creative and reach way back to all those spelling tests they took growing up, in order to make the right word combinations.
The only other obstacle in this game is that players can receive bonuses through having the longest word during a round. They need to be able to identify long words from the set of cards they have in their hands, which can be difficult. However, they aren’t required to use longer words, so this can be avoided at the cost of the bonuses. There is also a “most words” bonus that they can pursue instead.
Other than that, pretty much anyone that can read, should be able to pick it up quickly.
My Take
Honestly, I was surprised that so many word games made it on my list because I don’t typically gravitate toward them. But when I look at it, these all deserve their place. I thought Quiddler initially looked boring, but like bananagrams, I gave it a try. I wasn’t disappointed and still play it after years of owning it.
What I really enjoy about it is that I have to think constantly to come up with better and better options for words to use. Even when I think I have the words I want, I keep looking to see if there’s a better combination that can earn me more points.
So if you hate words games, this isn’t the game for you. But, even if you’re like me, and don’t usually love them, this is still a game that’s worth trying. Odds are, you’ll probably like it.