Great games for families and kids

On November 17,Brain Games will celebrate its 14th anniversary . Brain Games birthdays are traditionally celebrated with a day of shopping and big discounts. This year will not be an exception either, when the entire range of the online store will be offered a 25% discount! The Brain Games store offers excellent gifts for both families and children.

Games for families

Every year at Christmas you have to look for gifts both big and small. It is understandable that each of these groups will need drastically different surprises, which is why we have also divided this gift guide into two large parts, first looking at gift ideas for families, and then focusing on the little players.

Modern classics for the family

Not everyone navigated the board game world like a fish in water. If a person is not familiar with this hobby, then it is worth sticking to simple and proven values ​​when choosing one of the so-called "introductory games". Namely, games that are simple enough for anyone to learn without difficulty and that are fun to play over and over again.

For 25 years, families around the world have been enjoying the board game "Catan" . This is a game for three to four players where players take on the role of colonists rushing to populate the island of Catan. Build villages and pleats, get resources and try to outrun other islanders!

It's not for nothing that Catan is one of the best-selling board games of all time in the world.

The game "Carcassonne" is also an excellent alternative. In this game, players create a map of Carcassonne by placing the game squares together. At the same time, players can place their minions, scoring points; at the end of the game, the player with the most points wins. The rules of the game are very simple, and each move consists of four simple actions - take a square, place a square if you want, place a person of your color and add points, if any. Carcassonne is an excellent game for two or five players!

The game"Bohnanza" can also be considered a gaming classic, since it was released already in 1997. This shows that it is a valuable game, because more than 20 years later, the game is still as popular and being translated into more and more languages. In this card game, players grow beans. Sound a bit strange? But it is not at all! It's a fun strategy game with a lot of player interaction. Players plant beans, harvest and trade with each other. Swapping is especially important because you have to play the cards in the order they are taken, so being able to trade beans you don't want to keep to other players is often a lifesaver.

This year, family classics in the Latvian language were supplemented by "Splendor" , in which players collect gems, buy new cards and try to become the most influential merchants of the Renaissance. Simple and elegant gameplay with beautiful gem tokens!

A small box and a reasonable price often offers more than expected. The award-winning co-op game The Crew is a good example of how a good game doesn't always have to be expensive. Even a small card house can offer a game that makes the evening unforgettable. As astronauts, your adventurous journey through space takes place in 50 exciting missions. And with each mission, the game becomes more and more challenging!

"Next level" board games

If "Catan" or "Carcassonne" was your ultimate gift last Christmas, then this year it's worth considering one of the "next-level" games that are a little more complex and rich in strategy.

One of the best variants is the game "Wingspan " . A game with stunning visuals and a wonderful bird theme. Collect different bird cards, attract them to your nature reserve and create powerful combos.

On the biggest board game channel, Dice Tower, at the beginning of the year, it won the first place in the viewer's vote as the favorite game of all time. This was accomplished despite Wingspan only seeing the light of day in 2019.

Games for children

We've looked at several great games to give to parents or friends, but now it's time to turn to the youngest members of the family.

It is understandable that all children's games cannot be lumped together, as they vary greatly both in terms of subject matter and appropriate age. Therefore, in this blog we will try to look at different games for each situation.

Magnetic constructors for different ages

From the age of one, various magnetic "SMARTMAX" constructors are available for children. They are perfect for little hands. In addition, the magnets that hold the constructor together are strong enough to create a variety of architectural wonders, but weak enough that a child can easily disassemble and transform them to their heart's content.

Constructors are also available in themed forms with the "My First" series. Allows the child to assemble different farm animals, safari animals, dinosaurs or even self-made creatures by combining different animals into one.

"GEOSMART" constructors are also available for children from the age of five. The opportunity to create motorized space exploration vehicles and let your imagination run wild on your own lunar exploration missions!

Constructors are a great choice for youngsters as they help develop creativity and logical thinking.

Developing games

If you want a game that will be not only fun, but also a developing activity, then "Count with Bears" is your choice! It is an addition and subtraction board game that introduces little ones to the world of numbers in an interesting way. Players look for strawberries, spin them, learn to share, and most importantly, learn addition and subtraction, as well as the concepts of "right" and "left" sides.

"The Three Little Pigs" is not only a popular children's fairy tale, but also a developing brain teaser for children from the age of three. It includes 48 tasks of different difficulty based on the theme of the famous fairy tale. Place the piglets and the wolf on the playing field as indicated in the task book. Next, the task is to arrange the game pieces in the field so that the piglets play outside the houses when there is no wolf, but in the houses when the wolf is in the field.

"Smart Games" brain teasers are available not only with the theme of piglets, but also in many other variants. Each brainteaser will have new tasks and gameplay, and will be suitable for a specific age, starting from three years old and ending with adults.

It is possible to solve these problems of the mind both together and alone.

First board games for new players

Board games have a wide range of age restrictions, but even children can find exciting games to play with friends, siblings or the whole family. The game "Speedy Roll" by the Lithuanian author Urtas Šulinskas was recognized as the best children's game of 2020. In it, players roll a special hedgehog boom, collecting various autumn goodies and moving forward on the playing field. One of the biggest advantages of the game is that it can be played as a competition between several hedgehogs, or as a team game where everyone runs away from the fox with one hedgehog.

One of the most recognized children's games is "Outfoxed" . It is intended for children aged four and up, but it will be fun to play with the whole family. This is also a team game, which means no one will be upset if someone else outplays them. Put yourself in the role of a detective, collect clues and find the real thieving fox who stole the delicious pie. But hurry, because the fox will try to run away with the delicious catch!

In the gambling game "Coconuts", players use a special monkey catapult to throw coconuts into glasses and form a pyramid from them in front of them. The first player to build a pyramid of six cups wins the game. But you're never safe, because if another player throws a coconut into your glass, they'll take the glass for themselves! A fun game that can be played by both kids and adults!

Small card games

If you are looking for a small gift, then perhaps the small card games are the right choice. Nominated for the best board game of 2019 , Llama is a fun game where players try to get rid of their cards as quickly as possible. A fast and simple card game written by one of the most famous game writers of all time, Rainer Knicia.

If you are looking for a fun party game, then it is worth looking at "Yogi" . In this game, players test their body and concentration. On each turn, players pick up a card and complete the challenge on it. Each card must be completed until the end of the game. As the game progresses, it will become more and more difficult for players to complete the tasks on all their cards. The player who can complete all the tasks the longest wins the game! This game will be fun for both kids and adults.

All these and many other games for both young and old are available in the Brain Games online store. Don't put off buying Christmas gifts until the last minute and prepare for the holidays in time!