08 Jul 10 hot family board and tabletop games for holidays and cool weekends
Board games have had a glam-up in recent years, with many of the newest family favourites designed to be quick to learn, beautifully made and genuinely fun for both kids and adults. From cooperative mystery games to nature puzzles, racing challenges and fast card games, these current picks offer screen-free fun for a wide range of ages and budgets.
|
Game |
Best for |
Why it’s “hot” at the moment |
| Bomb Busters | Ages 10+ | This is probably the hottest family-friendly pick right now. It won Spiel des Jahres 2025, one of the world’s biggest board game awards, and has strong appeal because it is cooperative, tense and easy to explain: families work together to defuse bombs using logic and deduction. It also has 66 missions, so it keeps bringing families back. |
| Sky Team | Ages 10+; best for 2 players | Winner of Spiel des Jahres 2024, this is a clever cooperative game where two players try to land a plane together. The hook is that players must place dice without fully discussing their plan, making it funny, stressful and satisfying. Good for a parent and older child, or two siblings. |
| Dorfromantik: The Board Game | Ages 8+ | A gentle, cooperative tile-laying game based on the popular video game. It won Spiel des Jahres 2023 and suits families who want something peaceful rather than competitive. Players build landscapes together and unlock new content as they play. |
| Cascadia | Ages 10+ | Still one of the strongest modern family games. It won Spiel des Jahres 2022 and remains popular because it combines lovely wildlife artwork with simple tile-laying and enough strategy to keep adults interested. |
| Harmonies | Ages 10+ | A newer, visually beautiful habitat-building game that is often mentioned alongside Cascadia. It is “hot” because it gives families that same calm nature-puzzle feel, but with a fresh look and slightly different strategy. It has also picked up recent award attention, including the 2024 Swiss Gamers Award. |
| Flip 7 | Ages 8+ | A fast, inexpensive card game that was nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2025. It is hot because it works across generations: simple rules, lots of risk-taking, quick rounds and enough luck to let younger players beat adults. |
| Cascadia Junior | Ages 6+ | A smart pick for younger families. It brings the award-winning Cascadia idea down to younger children with pattern-building, animal spotting and simple scoring. It was also nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2025, the children’s game award. |
| Mysterium Kids: Captain Echo’s Treasure | Ages 6+ | Winner of Kinderspiel des Jahres 2023, this is a cooperative mystery game where children use sound clues from a tambourine to find treasure. It is hot because it feels different from a standard board game and supports imagination, listening and teamwork. |
| Captain Flip | Ages 8+ | A light pirate-themed family game that was nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2024 and later won the Family category in the Swiss Gamers Award. It is hot because it is quick, bright and easy to play, with enough luck and push-your-luck choices to keep everyone engaged. |
| Heat: Pedal to the Metal | Ages 10+ | A racing game that has stayed popular with families who want something a bit more exciting and strategic. It has a strong “one more race” feel, with cars pushing their luck around corners, and has been recommended in recent Australian board-game coverage. |
More information:
All games listed were available through Australian retailers or Australian online stores at the time of writing, but prices and stock can change quickly. Check age guidance, delivery times and stock before buying.
Prices range from around $15 for a quick card game to about $100 for a larger boxed strategy game, with most family-friendly new-release board games sitting between $40 and $70.
Bomb Busters, Sky Team, Dorfromantik, Cascadia/Cascadia Junior, and Flip cover the main current trends parents are looking for: cooperative play, short sessions, beautiful design, lower conflict and games that adults actually enjoy too.
Other great game ideas from Childmags:
- 7 of the best board games for the holidays plus their ages suitability
- Report finds the surprising resurgence of board games
- Family Board Games
- Board gaming can open up a whole new social experience for families
- Non-digital games are in for the family
Images: Top: Flip 7 (Vault Games) Bottom: Harmonies Board layout
