Best Board Games to Learn English
Would you rather play a game, or learn some English grammar? Okay, it’s a pretty obvious answer. But, wouldn’t it be cool if you could have fun and increase your intelligence at the same time? For sure! Here is a list of our favorite games, so you can have fun and give your brain a mental workout simultaneously.
🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Board Games to Learn English
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Top 10 English Board Games
#1. Once Upon a Time
Players: 2–6
Playing time: 30 minutes
Once upon a time … there was an award-winning story-telling card game, which used elements of fairy-tales and children’s stories to create exciting and entertaining narratives, allowing players to enjoy hours of fun.
This world-building game can either be played individually or in a team, as the players took turns using their prompt cards to create tales that were magical and enthralling on each occasion the game was played.
The players could interrupt and take the stories in the direction that suited them best, as they tried to be the first to use all of their cards. And, in the end … they all lived happily ever after.
#2. Dixit
Players: 3-6
Playing time: 30 minutes
A creative guessing game, in which participants must creatively describe the images that are on their selected cards. The images on the cards depict fantastical scenes that have a dream-like quality (think Salvador Daliesque images), so players must think outside the box with the descriptions they offer.
You choose one of your cards, describe it to the other players, then each opponent chooses one of their own cards which has similar qualities. The cards are merged together, shuffled, and each player tries to select the original card that was being described.
Easy to pick up, but almost limitless possible outcomes. Dixit is a game that will expand your imagination.
#3. Funglish
Players: 3-99
Playing time: 15-90 minutes
Express it and guess it with piles of tiles — is the slogan on the box, and that is a great summary of the actions in Funglish.
Imagine playing charades, but without being able to act or mime, and you are getting close to this game. Players first select a clue card (nouns – elephant) and then choose from a pile of descriptive (adjective) cards — gray, big, living — as the other players shout out their guesses.
It is a great way to encourage better communication and expand vocabulary, whilst having a delightful time gaming with your loved ones.
Funglish#4. Stet! Dreyer’s English
Players: 1-12
Does, this sentence; — bug you! It should do, the grammar is terrible.
Stet! is a game in which players review the sentence cards, looking for grammatical errors. So, if you are looking to graduate your grammar or simply show off your superior syntactical sharpness, then this game will allow you to do just that.
There are 100 cards for you to play through, so perhaps not huge replayability. However, as well as finding the erroneous grammar, you can work to improve the style and syntax which adds another dimension of play.
Stet! Dreyer's English#5. Taboo
Players: 4-10
Playing time: 20 minutes
An absolutely classic game, Taboo continues to be played in millions of homes across the world. For the uninitiated, the game is played in teams of two (or more), and the purpose is for team members to take turns being the clue-giver and describe the word on the game card, without using the most obvious clues.
Opposing teams need to also pay attention, because if the rules are broken, then they get a point. Simple yet addictive, the game is a sure-fire way to get even the snooziest of relatives engaged and animated when a family gets together.
#6. Bananagrams
Players: 1-8
Playint time: 15 minutes
Bananagrams is an easy-to-pick-up game that requires no pencil, paper, or board, and it all fits neatly into the iconic banana-shaped case.
Each player begins with a selection of the letter tiles and must race to create a crossword-style grid, using all of their letters. Players take additional letter tiles from the ‘bunch’ and add them to their grid until all the letter tiles are used up.
A fast and dynamic way to expand your vocabulary and improve your spelling. Within a few rounds, you will be an expert and demand to play another round.
#7. Mojo English
Players: 1-6
Playing time: 10-15 minutes
Mojo English is a family-friendly game that encourages people to think about sentence construction and syntax, without even coming close to feeling like a grammar lesson. The game has a genuine educational aspect that could be used in a classroom or homeschooling environment.
But, even for people with a native level of understanding, there is still huge fun to be had simply from the joy of the gameplay itself. Bright and attractive playing cards add to the polished style of the game, and it offers an entertaining way to educate and compete at the same time.
#8. Quiddler
Players: 1-8
Playing time: 30 minutes
This ‘short word’ card game is suitable for anyone due to the fast-paced format using quick rounds. Each player is dealt a number of letter cards per round — starting with 2 and rising to 10 cards — and they must then use the cards to spell words and score points.
There are similarities to Scrabble, but the accessibility means you don’t have to be a word-lover to enjoy. With bonus and double letter cards, there is a strategic element to the gameplay. It’s a great way to get younger players learning without them realizing it.
#9. Q&A Card Game
Players: 2-6
Playing time: 20 minutes
A card game that is primarily focused on helping non-native English speakers to gain confidence with asking and answering questions in English.
There are 3 sets of 54 cards with question-and-answer prompts and instructions that allow participants to engage in a fun game, whilst using productive elements of learning new vocabulary skills. The cards are well-designed and durable, and because the design includes instructions, the game can be led by the players themselves (change the color, change direction, etc).
Q&A Card Game (Level 3)#10. Last Word
Players: 2-8
Playing time: 30 minutes
A hugely popular game that is ideal for a party situation and will be sure to get players engaged and excited from the first time they play.
Each round there is a subject and a chosen letter (things that are carried — S), and competitors must shout out an associated word, trying to be the last person to speak, before the buzzer sounds. You can challenge and add extra rules to add different dimensions to each round. But, whatever the topic, everyone will want to get the last word, and score the points.
Wrap-Up
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best board games to learn English! Instead of using flashcards for rote memorization, you can play board games to have tons of fun while learning new words. Whether you’re learning English as a second (or third) language or just improving your vocabulary, there is a board game for everyone.
Have you tried any of the games on this list? Are there any others that we might have missed? Drop a comment below and let us know! We’d love to hear from you.
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