Family game night has been a staple in many homes for ages. It’s a great opportunity for family and friends to come together around the table, enjoy each other’s company, and have a great time. If you’re looking for some inspiration for your next get-together, check out these suggestions below to spice up your next gathering. 

The Best Table-Top Sit Down Games

The most common types of sit-down games are played around a table, usually with a board or cards. Board games have existed since ancient times, being discovered in burial ruins dating back as far as 3200 BC. Card games come in a close second, dating back as early as the 9th century. This shows us that playing various sit-down games has been an enjoyable pastime since very early civilizations. While you don’t need to play these games on a table per se, it is usually more convenient to do so.

While there are many table-top games to choose from, here are some of the most popular games that are sure to please: 

• Classic Card Games (Poker, Gin, Canasta, Rummy, etc.) 

You can never go wrong with a classic, and many classic card games are perfect for a sit-down game. There are many choices, and you will surely find at least one game that players will know and enjoy. 

Card games offer a nice mix of randomness, strategy, and deception, where you need to play your opponents as much as the cards in your hand. This experience is part of the reason why card games continue to endure the test of time. 

• Classic Board Games (Monopoly, Sorry, Aggravation, Clue, etc.) 

Like the classic card games, classic board games still hold strong among those looking to gather around a table for some lighthearted fun. Classic board games can offer a great deal of variety. Some like Sorry offer simple luck-based play, while others such as Monopoly offer more strategy. 

Whatever style of play you prefer, there is a board game that will fit your inclination. Since these are classic games, most people are already familiar with them, so they offer quick pick-up-and-play fun. 

Sit-Down Games With Other Props

You don’t need a table to play some good sit down games. All it takes is some creativity, and you will find that there are many fun games at your fingertips. Here are some entertaining games you can play seated, sans table. 

• Hot Potato 

Hot potato is a childhood game that can be played easily. All you need is a timer and a ball. Play consists of each person sitting in a circular formation while the ball (or potato) gets tossed around. The potato gets passed back-and-forth until the timer runs out. Whoever is left holding the potato at that moment is out, and a new round starts. The last person remaining wins.

To make things more interesting, you could use more than one potato, which greatly increases the frenzy of the game. You can also replace the standard timer with music from a playlist. You are limited only by your imagination.

Hot potato is a great way to stay somewhat active while still being a sit-down game. If you are playing this game in the backyard, you can get even more devious by using a water balloon. 

• Name That Tune 

Speaking of music, much like the classic game show of the same name, Name That Tune can easily be played at home. All you need is any music player and a library of songs. You can set up multiple playlists and then have players roll a die to select which list a song is played from. Or you could even use radio stations for absolute randomness.

Whichever method you choose, playing Name That Tune is straightforward. Players take turns wagering how many notes of a song need to be played before they can name the song. Whoever can name the song in the least amount of notes, wins the round. It’s a very fun game that can create a lot of laughs and challenge your memory at the same time.

Another variation is Name That Movie, where players wager on how many seconds of a movie intro they need to guess what the movie is. 

To ensure fairness, you can also have each person bring some of their music so that the party host does not have an advantage. 

• Wild Story Time 

Everyone loves a good story, but this is a game where everyone is a part of the story! Players take turns telling one specific sentence in an ever-growing story. When it comes time to mention a verb or a noun, control passes to the next player who must continue the story. Creativity and imagination is the key to this game. And stories can often go in very unexpected directions resulting in a lot of hilarity!

For an extra twist, you can make use of a timer, or limit players to only words starting with a certain letter of the alphabet. You have a lot of room to get inventive with this one! 

• Taboo 

This is a game best played with teams. Taboo is another word game, and again, one that can create a lot of laughs. In Taboo, word cards are placed individually into a hat. One player from each team will draw a card from the hat, and that word becomes the “target word”. Cards should look something like this: 

[Car] 

• drive
• vehicle
• road 

The object of the game is to describe the target word “Car” to your teammates so that they guess the word. However, you need to do it without using any of the Taboo words – “drive,” “vehicle,” or “road” in this example.

A timer is used for each team, and if they guess the word within the time limit, you can draw another card until time expires. The team with the most guesses wins the game. 

• Video Games 

No discussion of sit down games would be complete without discussing video games. Once seen as the entertainment medium of social outcasts, video games have become much more mainstream in recent years. In 2006, video games reached new heights with the release of the Nintendo Wii and Wii Sports, which was enjoyed by the young and old alike.

While Wii Sports generally encourages players to move around, there is nothing stopping anyone from playing it seated. And the Wii has even been used as a rehabilitation aid for people with disabilities.

There are countless options to choose from in the video game space, and you’re sure to find something for everyone. What was once a refuge for geeks and nerds is now an open place for anyone to play. 

Everyone Can Share When the Game’s in a Chair

Just because the game is played sitting down, doesn’t mean it needs to be boring. We’ve seen today that there are plenty of exciting options to make your next game night a blast, even when seated. Even if your group is elderly or disabled, or recovering from injury, there is no reason for anyone to be left out.

With the games we’ve listed here, you can be sure that your game night will be a great success, and everyone will be included in the fun! Happy gaming!