The World of Modern Board Games
In an earlier article, we already addressed the myth that children’s games are boring. One of the great benefits of the golden age of modern board gaming is that we can choose from an enormous variety of games. It’s easy to find titles that match our goals, our style, and our mood.
If we feel like we “don’t have time” to play, the answer is simple: look for shorter games and build your home game collection around them.
In a longer article we already covered short, text-based games worth checking out, but here are perhaps some of our personal favorites:
Many themes, simple, clever, with minimal yet engaging text.
Age, Playing Time, Players
Recommended for ages 7 and up, 10-15 min, 2-8 players
Similo includes 30 illustrated character cards and a rulebook.
The game enhances reading comprehension, inference skills, logical reasoning, and associative thinking.
One player gives clues using character cards, placing them vertically to indicate similarities or horizontally to show differences. The other players must eliminate characters based on these hints until only the correct one remains.
Simple rules, simple ideas, true Knizia ease.
Age, Playing Time, Players
Recommended for ages 8 and up, 20 min, 2-4 players
60 cards, 4 dice, 1 rulebook
Develops vocabulary and quick thinking skills.
We flip a card that has a word on it and an indication of how many dice letters need to be used. Then we roll the 4 dice, and the player who can quickly say an appropriate word wins the card.
Games play without anything
The topic of our most popular article also fits here: games with almost nothing.There are countless simple games that require only everyday objects around us—things you can grab in seconds.
Their big advantage is that they don’t really need preparation: you can play them anytime, anywhere, with anyone. They also tend to be short, since we’re talking about very simple structures.
There isn’t a single kids’ room where you couldn’t find 15 small items to quickly play a few rounds of Nim. And honestly, you can’t say you don’t have time for that.
We just need to change the image of board games in our heads—the idea that they always have to be multi-hour affairs with piles of components.
PlayWise Store
Print and play board games, downloadable coloring pages, educational materials
PlayWise Store
Print and play board games, downloadable coloring pages, educational materials
PlayWise Store
Print and play board games, downloadable coloring pages, educational materials
Board Game Education
If you're generally interested in reading about the educational impact of board games, then take a look around our site.
Board Game Education
If you're generally interested in reading about the educational impact of board games, then take a look around our site.
Preparation
In my experience, most of the time is lost because we don’t know what we want to play—so we spend ages choosing, then we don’t know how to play it, so we end up browsing through the rules, and so on. It helps to have a few current games selected that are “in rotation,” instead of always focusing on the entire collection. Learning the rules is always the parent’s responsibility, but ideally, everyone should feel confident about the game.
When we have little time, I always grab a familiar and quick game from the shelf. If I want to introduce something new, I read the rules in the evening, watch an explanation video if something isn’t clear, try it out with my wife, and then I can teach it quickly and efficiently when I bring it to the kids.
Rules Explanation
This is the foundation of everything. Without a good rules explanation, there is no good game. I find that many people find it difficult and are afraid of it, but if we pay attention to a few simple steps, we can easily get the hang of it.
Rules Explanation
This is the foundation of everything. Without a good rules explanation, there is no good game. I find that many people find it difficult and are afraid of it, but if we pay attention to a few simple steps, we can easily get the hang of it.
Rules Explanation
This is the foundation of everything. Without a good rules explanation, there is no good game. I find that many people find it difficult and are afraid of it, but if we pay attention to a few simple steps, we can easily get the hang of it.
Daily Routine
The key to regular board gaming is giving it a place in our daily routine. At our home, for example, part of the evening routine is a light, relaxing game before bedtime reading. The truth is, this isn’t just important for the kids—it’s also good for us to close the day, switch gears, and settle into rest. Board gaming is an excellent activity for that.
Similarly, on weekends, playing a game is part of our quiet time after lunch. Since the little one still naps for quite a while, we can even fit in a longer game. The point is that we don’t just decide on the spot and start searching the game shelf; we discuss it ahead of time and know exactly what we’ll play and when.
If we think it through carefully, we realize there are plenty of opportunities to make time for gaming:
You have to want it.
You need games that are quick to set up and play.
You have to prepare consciously: choose the game and learn the rules.
Make it part of the daily routine.
And most importantly: enjoy it.
Bison – Our Current Evening Routine
PlayWise Store
Print and play board games, downloadable coloring pages, educational materials
PlayWise Store
Print and play board games, downloadable coloring pages, educational materials
PlayWise Store
Print and play board games, downloadable coloring pages, educational materials
As both a game designer and a player, I’ve become increasingly interested in Print & Play games. I like them for their focus on sustainability, their instant accessibility, and also for the fact that they involve the joy of actually making something. The reason I’ve chosen to end this article with the topic is that Print & Play often feels like the kind of thing we definitely don’t have time for—because it’s not just about buying a game, you also have to print it, cut it, and so on. And yet, sometimes it’s worth slowing down a little.
As both a game designer and a player, I’ve become increasingly interested in Print & Play games. I like them for their focus on sustainability, their instant accessibility, and also for the fact that they involve the joy of actually making something. The reason I’ve chosen to end this article with the topic is that Print & Play often feels like the kind of thing we definitely don’t have time for—because it’s not just about buying a game, you also have to print it, cut it, and so on. And yet, sometimes it’s worth slowing down a little.
As both a game designer and a player, I’ve become increasingly interested in Print & Play games. I like them for their focus on sustainability, their instant accessibility, and also for the fact that they involve the joy of actually making something. The reason I’ve chosen to end this article with the topic is that Print & Play often feels like the kind of thing we definitely don’t have time for—because it’s not just about buying a game, you also have to print it, cut it, and so on. And yet, sometimes it’s worth slowing down a little.
Reviews
Explore print and play games on our site, offering reviews and showcases. From strategy to family games, our insights help you discover and enjoy DIY board gaming. Perfect for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
Reviews
Explore print and play games on our site, offering reviews and showcases. From strategy to family games, our insights help you discover and enjoy DIY board gaming. Perfect for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
Print & Play Program
If I choose to see something as a problem, I’ll probably succeed in doing so. But what if the fact that something takes more time and more effort isn’t a problem at all—what if it’s actually an advantage? I believe that browsing the internet together, choosing from among Print & Play games, then buying or downloading one, printing it, and assembling it as a family is a pretty great program in itself. The shared story begins not only with playing, but already during the selection and creation of the game, and it continues to grow with every play session.
So yes, we can find ways to squeeze tiny games into our tiny bits of free time—but maybe that’s not the only solution. Alongside sustainability, the idea of slow life fits beautifully, and board games—the flagships of analog entertainment—fit perfectly into this story, even in Print & Play form.
PlayWise Print And Play Board Games
These games have never been available to the general public—until now.
Máté previously distributed them only in Hungary, as part of an experiment in alternative publishing formats.
Now, they’ve been released as part of the PlayWise print and play collection.
Check them out, and if you like what you see, download, print, and start playing!
PlayWise Print And Play Board Games
These games have never been available to the general public—until now.
Máté previously distributed them only in Hungary, as part of an experiment in alternative publishing formats.
Now, they’ve been released as part of the PlayWise print and play collection.
Check them out, and if you like what you see, download, print, and start playing!
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PlayWise Print And Play Board Games
If you're interested in more of our print and play games, check them out in the Playwise Store. They’re not free, but they’re not expensive either—and they’re beautifully made (and hopefully fun too)!
PlayWise Print And Play Board Games
If you're interested in more of our print and play games, check them out in the Playwise Store. They’re not free, but they’re not expensive either—and they’re beautifully made (and hopefully fun too)!
CONTRAST
Print and play microgame from Máté Lencse.
CONTRAST
Print and play microgame from Máté Lencse.
MARK & PLAY
Print and play microgame from Máté Lencse.
MARK & PLAY
Print and play microgame from Máté Lencse.
NUM TAG
Print and play microgame from Máté Lencse.
NUM TAG
Print and play microgame from Máté Lencse.
