simple joys: my favorite games

19 games for 2 players, families, and groups, by the fire, on warm summer evenings, or tossed in a bag... let's play!

This winter game playing really ramped up for our family. The shift was a combination of finding a delightful game my husband and I became a bit addicted to (sharing below ofc!) and my eldest two boys emerging into the phase where we can play games that we adults also enjoy (no shade Memory but I’ve met my threshold). I treasure evenings spent with my husband lost in the fun of a good game as a record spins and conversation flows. And while winter is now behind us, I look forward to warm summer evenings playing on our deck under the glow of string lights or tossing a game in my bag to enjoy on a blanket over a picnic lunch with my children.

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." -George Bernard Shaw

I’m sharing our favorite two-player games, games we enjoy as a family, and games for a crowd. I hope you can find something here that enables you to step away from technology and spend time playing with another human or group of humans you cherish.

I encourage you to check your local toy stores, bookstores, or novelty stores for any of these— they likely have them in stock as most of them I have found through my own local spots.