The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Board Games For Middle Schoolers of 2023

Alexandra Hodge
  Jun 2, 2023 11:35 PM

Board games are a great way to add some fun to the lives of middle schoolers while also teaching important life skills. With so many options available, it can be difficult to decide which board game is best for your middle schooler. That's why we've put together this list of the Best Board Games For Middle Schoolers!

From strategy and social interaction to creativity and problem-solving, these board games offer an enjoyable yet enriching experience that will help your middle schooler discover their hidden talents. With well-known classics like Monopoly and Scrabble, as well as newer favorites such as Pandemic or Catan, there is something to please everyone in this selection of the Best Board Games For Middle Schoolers.

Not only do these games allow for hours of fun, but each one offers unique experiences that teach valuable skills like communication, negotiation, and creative thinking. Plus, many of these titles have expansions or alternate versions that allow for replayability and continued learning opportunities if you'd like something more engaging than the traditional ruleset.

So whether you're looking for a great way to bond with your son or daughter or just want to get them away from screens every once in a while, these board games are sure to provide an enjoyable experience while helping them grow in ways they never expected!

Exploding Kittens Original Edition - Card Games for Adults Teens & Kids - Fun Family Games - A Russian Roulette Card Game - 15 Min, Ages 7+, 2-5 Players

Our Pick: Carcassonne Board Game (BASE GAME) | Family Board Game |

Carcassonne is a paramount game for players of all ages, from families to roommates. With the initiative of a tile-laying ploy where each player organizes an edition of Provencal topography, there is no need for reading proficiency. Every tile may exhibit a hamlet, route, pasturage, and so forth and is joined to adjacent tiles to elaborate upon already existing thoroughfares, cities, and so on. After apportioning a tile, gamers can choose to become a knight, thief, or settler to advance the game. Once the last tile is distributed, the challenge ends. To establish if this is ideally suited for your youngster, regard this video. Driving demand through visibility.

  • Suitable for ages 8 and above.
  • Players: 2-5.
  • Playing duration: Half-hour to ninety minutes.
  • Conception: A sagacious, uncomplicated tile game

Top Choice: Rio Grande Games - Dominion: First Edition

In Dominion, an enthralling card game, you assume the part of Monarch with ambitions to cultivate a region of resplendent vistas of rivers and forests. With the goal to amplify your ground, you face off with other desiring Monarchs in an attempt to build a concrete Dominion. Offering delight for the entire family, this captivating game is a surefire hit.

  • Minimum age: 13
  • Exigency: 2-4 participants
  • Allotted duration: 30 minutes.

Great Choice: Exploding Kittens Original Edition - Card Games for Adults Teens

Exploding Kittens offers an electric twist on classic card games. By placing a deck of cards facedown, competitors draw cards to attempt to remain immune from the Exploding Kitten infliction, through the tactical usage of Defuse, Mitigate, or Move cards. This criterion together with the creative scene of the game is an arresting release from a prosaic board game lineup. For further information regarding the title, please view this critique. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

  • 2-5 participants (Up to 9 can compete with coalescent decks).
  • Maximal temporal allotment: 15 minutes
  • Designate: A convivial gamete for the whole clan.

 

Top Winners:

TOP Choice
1
Carcassonne Board Game (BASE GAME) | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Strategy Board Game | Medieval Adventure Board Game | Ages 7 and up | 2-5 Players | Made by Z-Man Games
Carcassonne Board Game (BASE GAME) | Family Board Game |
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  • AI Score

    AI Score is a ranking system developed by ChessElo.com. AI score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturers or sales agent websites. Learn more

    9.8
  • Brand
    Z-Man Games
  • STRATEGY GAME - PLAN YOUR WAY TO VICTORY: Develop the landscape of a medieval fortress city one tile at a time. Whether blocking a city's growth or connecting with your opponent’s road to share the points, Carcassonne provides plenty of ways to use your cunning and outsmart your opponents.
  • ONE STEP AT A TIME TILE-PLACEMENT GAME: Players fill in the countryside around the medieval fortified city, choosing from tiles that depict cities, roads, monasteries, and fields; each new tile creates an ever-expanding board on which players can then add their followers.  more
TOP Choice
2
Rio Grande Games - Dominion: First Edition
Rio Grande Games - Dominion: First Edition
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  • AI Score

    AI Score is a ranking system developed by ChessElo.com. AI score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturers or sales agent websites. Learn more

    9.7
  • Brand
    Rio Grande Games
  • Tactical Dominion card game
  • Play time is about 30 minutes  more
TOP Choice
3
Exploding Kittens Original Edition - Card Games for Adults Teens & Kids - Fun Family Games - A Russian Roulette Card Game - 15 Min, Ages 7+, 2-5 Players
Exploding Kittens Original Edition - Card Games for Adults Teens
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  • AI Score

    AI Score is a ranking system developed by ChessElo.com. AI score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturers or sales agent websites. Learn more

    9.7
  • Brand
    Exploding Kittens LLC
  • A Kitty-Powered Russian Roulette Card Game - The hit party game for family and friends who are into kittens and explosions and laser beams and sometimes goats.
  • A Simple Card Game for Kids and Adults - Perfect for all occasions, including a family game night, beach trip, road trip or drinking with friends!  more
4
Hedbanz, Quick Question Picture Guessing Family Game for Game Night Headbands Board Game, for Adults and Kids Ages 7 and up (Edition May Vary)
Hedbanz, Quick Question Picture Guessing Family Game for Game Night
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  • AI Score

    AI Score is a ranking system developed by ChessElo.com. AI score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturers or sales agent websites. Learn more

    9.5
  • Brand
    Spin Master Games
  • FUN FAMILY GUESSING GAME: Hedbanz is the fast-paced, easy to play question game of “What am I?” Ask “yes” or “no” questions before time runs out to figure out if the cartoon card on your headband is an animal; food or object Earn 3 scoring badges to win
  • The Hedbanz categories are simple (animal, food or object), allowing everyone, even young children to join in on the family fun! Racing against the timer, each round moves quickly, ramping up your energy and challenging your wit  more
5
Czech Games Codenames
Czech Games Codenames
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  • AI Score

    AI Score is a ranking system developed by ChessElo.com. AI score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturers or sales agent websites. Learn more

    9.5
  • Brand
    CGE Czech Games Edition
  • Work together to contact all of your agents before the other team!
  • A perfect party game experience for game nights  more
6
Star Wars Rebellion Board Game | Strategy Game for Adults and Teens | Ages 14+ | 2-4 Players | Average Playtime 3-4 Hours | Made by Fantasy Flight Games
Star Wars Rebellion Board Game | Strategy Game for Adults
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  • AI Score

    AI Score is a ranking system developed by ChessElo.com. AI score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturers or sales agent websites. Learn more

    9.5
  • Brand
    Fantasy Flight Games
  • EXPERIENCE THE GALACTIC CIVIL WAR LIKE NEVER BEFORE: In Star Wars Rebellion, you control the entire Galactic Empire or the fledgling Rebel Alliance. Command starships, account for troop movements and rally systems to your cause.
  • STRATEGY GAME: Players plot their turns secretly, carefully revealing their plans in turns as the galaxy’s narrative unfolds. Iconic characters undergo important missions as you assign them, attempting to bring down the Empire’s infrastructure or locate the hidden Rebel base.  more
7
Splendor Board Game (Base Game) | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Strategy Game | Ages 10+ | 2 to 4 players | Average Playtime 30 minutes | Made by Space Cowboys
Splendor Board Game (Base Game) | Family Board Game |
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  • AI Score

    AI Score is a ranking system developed by ChessElo.com. AI score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturers or sales agent websites. Learn more

    9.4
  • Brand
    Space Cowboys
  • STRATEGY GAME: Compete to build Renaissance Europe’s most lucrative and prestigious jewelry business. As a wealthy merchant, acquire mines and transportation, hire artisans and woo the nobility. Create the most fantastic jewelry to become the best-known merchant of them all!
  • FUN AND FRIENDLY COMPETITION: Players vie for control of gem mines, trade routes, and storefronts to master the gem trade and attract the attention of nobles. By accruing more ways to produce gems, players work to accumulate victory points in a race for prestige and power.  more
8
Pandemic Board Game (Base Game) | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Cooperative Board Game | Ages 8+ | 2 to 4 players | Average Playtime 45 minutes | Made by Z-Man Games
Pandemic Board Game (Base Game) | Family Board Game |
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  • AI Score

    AI Score is a ranking system developed by ChessElo.com. AI score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturers or sales agent websites. Learn more

    9.3
  • Brand
    Z-Man Games
  • STRATEGY GAME: Players must work together playing to their characters' strengths as they plan their strategy of eradicating the diseases before they overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks. A truly cooperative game where you win or lose together.
  • COOPERATIVE BOARD GAME: Only through teamwork will you keep the world safe from outbreaks and epidemics. Your team must work together and plan carefully to stem the tide of infection while working toward finding the cures.  more

Last update on 2023-06-02 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

Final Thought

Carcassonne Board Game (BASE GAME) | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Strategy Board Game | Medieval Adventure Board Game | Ages 7 and up | 2-5 Players | Made by Z-Man Games

In conclusion, Board games represent a great way to engage middle schoolers and help them develop important social and cognitive skills while having fun. They can also spur creativity, encourage teamwork and collaboration, boost problem-solving abilities, and create an opportunity for healthy competition among peers. The list of board games discussed in this article are an excellent place to start for anyone looking for the best board games for middle schoolers. From strategy-based classics like Chess to more modern titles like 7 Wonders, these games offer something for every taste and skill level. Additionally, many of them have expansions or additional components that can be added to further increase their educational value or complexity. With so many options available, there’s sure to be a board game out there that will keep your middle schooler engaged and entertained while helping them gain skills they’ll use in their academic career as well as throughout life.