Family-friendly games often conjure up images of weather-beaten copies of Monopoly long forgotten in a bedroom closet, but these days provide an opportunity to show Mom and Dad why board games are awesome. Here are some suggestions of games that seat a lot of people to pack up for Thanksgiving to play and, who knows, if they are a hit in November, they could end up wrapped as a gift in December!

For those who might be on the fence, all of the games listed below have appeared on Tabletop, in case you want to watch Wil and friends play it first.

Roll For It

Worker placement games are one of the most popular mechanics of many modern games. Roll For It combines worker placement with the dice management of the classic Yahtzee. Players roll their dice and place them in combinations on cards to score points. More sets open up more players for larger families and the Deluxe Edition makes a lovely gift with a tin and everything.

Formula D

Big games that play quickly are a very rare thing. Formula D lets up to 10 racers onto the track and a single lap race can be a great diversion between the end of football and the start of dinner. Players shift up and down to access different sized dice, but still have to stop in corners to stay on the track and in the race. The simple risk and reward gameplay makes it easy for anyone to jump behind the wheel. The complexity can also ramp up (sorry) for families that want to add a bit more strategy or character roles.

Citadels

Building a city has entertains Sim City fans for ages, but up to eight players can compete to build the best medieval city in Citadels. This game features an excellent draft mechanics where different roles allow players to take different actions at different times to pick the best or most useful buildings for their cities.. The latest edition contains extra roles from the expansions to offer a very customizable experience and the Classic Edition offers the original experience in a very portable and affordable form.

Tsuro

Up to ten dragons takes to the skies in this classic tile laying game. Players are eliminated as they are forced off the board by the way tiles are laid or if the pieces collide in mid-air. Player elimination can often be a bummer in games, but the speed of a game of Tsuro means that players aren’t sitting out for very long. Fans looking for a bit deeper style and strategy can also check out Tsuro of the Seas. A bit of Tsuro trivia: the rarest version of the game is a limited edition Star Wars themed version that appeared in Europe in prototype form!

What is your favorite game to play with your family? Let us know in the comments.

Featured image Asmodee