Do you want to plan family game nights, but struggle to fit them into your schedule? Hectic family schedules can make it tough to sit down together for longer board games, no matter how enjoyable they are to play.

Long games can also be harder for young children. They may not be able to stay focused on playing a game from start to finish if it takes longer than 15 minutes. Often it is easier to engage my kids in playing a couple of quick games rather than one long one. It’s taken a few years for them to increase their gaming stamina, and now they can play longer games on occasion.

Here are a few fast board games you can play with your kids in those small pockets of time in your schedule.

FUSE (RENEGADE GAME STUDIOS)

Fuse, from Renegade Game Studios, is a real-time cooperative dice game in which players need to diffuse more than 20 bombs. Each bomb card requires a certain combination of dice in order to neutralize it. This game moves fast though because your team only has ten minutes to complete the task!

Ages: 13+
MSRP: $30
Buy It Now: Amazon


5 MINUTE DUNGEON (SPIN MASTER GAMES)

5-Minute Dungeon by Spin Master Games is a cooperative card game in which everyone plays their cards at the same time. Everyone works together and communicates about what cards they have to defeat the dungeon bosses.

The 5-minute timer per level keeps the game moving fast. If using the timer feels too stressful, you can also play without it. My kids love playing this one, and I like that we can stop after one or two dungeons if needed.

Ages: 8+
MSRP: $19.99
Buy It Now: Amazon


KLASK

Klask is an interesting two-player game that can be played in 10 minutes or less. The game board resembles a small air hockey table with a goal area on each end. Unlike air hockey, there are three white obstacle pieces in the middle that you do not want to attract. Using a magnet underneath the game board, you try to move your game piece around to hit the ball into the other player’s goal.

Ages: 8+
MSRP: $59.89
Buy It Now: Amazon


HEIST: ONE TEAM, ONE MISSION (UNIVERSITY GAMES)

Heist: One Team, One Mission by University Games is an electronic cooperative game. Each player has a designated role as the team tries to open an electronic safe. Everyone must listen closely to follow the instructions to progress through all five levels and grab $50 million in cash to win.

Ages: 7+
MSRP: $24.99
Buy It Now: Amazon


ESCAPE: THE CURSE OF THE TEMPLE (QUEEN GAMES)

Escape: The Curse of the Temple by Queen Games is a real-time cooperative game for 1-5 players. Players are adventurers exploring a cursed temple and trying to recover gems from within. The music soundtrack (which is also the timer) makes this already fast-paced game feel even more intense.

Everyone is working together to roll the correct dice combinations to discover new room tiles, collect gems, and remove curses. When you have enough gems, it’s time to escape the temple! You can watch us play through Escape: Curse of the Temple with our daughter.

Ages: 8+
MSRP: $59.99
Buy It Now: Amazon


MONZA (HABA)

Monza by HABA is a car racing game for young children. It helps them work on color recognition, subitizing, and counting. It also introduces strategic thinking as players can only move forward with the right color dice, watch out for obstacles, and change lanes to get ahead. It’s a short game that can easily be played in 10 minutes.

Ages: 5+
MSRP: $24.99
Buy It Now: Amazon


 

DUNGEON MAYHEM (WIZARDS OF THE WEST COAST)

Dungeon Mayhem is a Dungeons & Dragons card game by Wizards of the Coast. It comes in a tiny box, making it a great gift. Players use their cards to defend themselves and attack other players. It easily plays in about 10 minutes. You’ll be surprised by how fast it is over! We usually play this game two to three times back-to-back.

Ages: 8+
MSRP: $10.99
Buy It Now: Amazon


MATH MATCH (UNIVERSITY GAMES)

Scholastic Math Match from University Games is a dice game for 1-4 players. You layout number cards and roll the dice. Players then think of a math equation using the number cards that equal the sum of the dice (or come close). The first person to think of an equation says, “Math Match!” and explains their equation. The winner of the round keeps the number of cards they used. It’s a quick game played over five rounds and a great way to practice mental math.

Ages: 5+
MSRP: $14.99
Buy It Now: Amazon


RHINO HERO (HABA)

Rhino Hero (also known as Super Rhino!) by HABA is a card stacking game for two to five players. The box says it is for ages 5 and up, but don’t let that fool you. This dexterity game is just as fun for adults to play! Players take turns adding walls and roofs to the building, but some roof cards make players perform special actions, such as moving the rhino.

Ages: 5+
MSRP: $14.99
Buy It Now: Amazon


Looking for other games to play? Check out these posts for other game night games to play!

About the author

Darcy Zalewski

Darcy Zalewski

Darcy Zalewski is an avid gamer who believes gaming is an excellent family activity. Happily raising two little geeklings with her equally geeky husband in the land of cheese, aka Wisconsin. Darcy loves both video and board games, as they provide infinite family bonding opportunities. When she’s not gaming, she’s crafting, reading dystopian novels, or discussing one of her many fandoms. Her writing has also been featured on Babble, CafeMom, and Mom.me. Connect with her on Twitter at @darcyzalewski.

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