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Best Thanksgiving Board Games

Best Thanksgiving Board Games

Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and friends. During the Thanksgiving holiday, we take time to remember and enjoy the people that make our lives special.

What better way to do that than with board games? We’ve compiled this list of the best Thanksgiving board games to play throughout Thanksgiving day, whether it’s waiting for the oven timer, a quick round with pre-dinner drinks, or a bigger game at the end of the feast, you’ll find something to play that’s guaranteed to please the whole family.

Top 10 picks for Thanksgiving Board Games

  1. Sheriff of Nottingham
  2. Splendor
  3. Codenames
  4. Sushi Go! Party
  5. Snake Oil
  6. Ticket to Ride
  7. One Night Ultimate Werewolf
  8. Decrypto
  9. Mysterium
  10. Small World

Sheriff of Nottingham

Sheriff of Nottingham board game box and components

Nothing says “Thanksgiving” like gathering around the dining room table and lying to each other’s faces.

Sheriff of Nottingham is a great party game and it’s even better when you get to vent out frustrations with family by tricking them into thinking you’re telling the truth.

Players take on the roles of merchants and take turns playing as the mean old Sheriff of Nottingham. The object is to get your perfectly normal (or illicit) goods through the city checkpoint. The fun part is that you do this through the old-fashioned gift of gab and if that doesn’t work, you can always bribe and bluff your way through the gate.

Sheriff of Nottingham (Second Edition)
$39.99 $23.99

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09/19/2023 11:00 am GMT

Splendor

Splendor Board Game Box and Card Setup

Splendor is an easy pick-up-and-play game that’s suitable for everyone in the family. At its core, it’s a very simple engine-building game. It’s easy to teach and fun to play while waiting for the oven timer to ding and quick enough that you won’t burn the gravy on the stove while playing. Well maybe not that quick, but you get the idea.

Splendor
$44.99 $35.99

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09/22/2023 02:30 am GMT

Codenames

Codenames 6-Player Board Game

A Thanksgiving dinner isn’t complete without one of the most popular party board games.

In Codenames, players split up into two teams, each with their own team leader. The leaders try to lead their team to find their agents in the field without hitting civilians, using simple words and phrases.

As players go on, they’ll need to be clever about their word choices and which cards they select. Codenames is always a hit at family gatherings. It’s easy enough to teach and learn and because of the social aspects and wordplay in the game, it plays perfectly with family and friends.

Codenames
$24.99 $12.39

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09/21/2023 06:10 pm GMT

Sushi Go! Party

Sushi Go Party Cheap Board Game

Okay, so maybe sushi isn’t traditionally served as part of the Thanksgiving meal, but it’s just too adorable to pass up.

Sushi Go! Party is the perfect appetizer for bigger games and a great way to spend some time with the whole family while cooking Thanksgiving.

It’s a rapid-fire game that can keep the little ones (or adults) entertained and out from underfoot.

Sushi Go Party!
$22.00 $19.99

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09/20/2023 04:30 am GMT

Snake Oil

Snake Oil Board Game Box and Cards

Snake Oil is a joke generator in which players take two cards and come up with a zany product to sell to unsuspecting customers. It’s the family-friendly and (honestly) more fun version than some of the other black box joke games (you know the one).

It’s a silly game that lets players come up with some fun little mashups. Rounds move quickly and are always followed by giggles.

Snake Oil
$24.99

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09/21/2023 12:00 pm GMT

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride: Anniversary Edition Board Game Box and Trains

The classic train route game is perfect for an after-dinner snack while everyone is digesting.

Ticket to Ride is family-friendly and competitive without being confrontational. Players compete to build train routes across the country. Each player has their own routes they’re trying to complete, and the longer the route the more points they’re worth.

Ticket to Ride

If you already have the original Ticket to Ride, be sure to check out the other thematic versions of Best Ticket to Ride Board Games and expansions!

One Night Ultimate Werewolf

One Night Ultimate Werewolf Board Game Card Setup

The One Night Ultimate edition of Werewolf is incredibly fast and perfect for big parties. It can play up to 10 players and rounds can be managed by the Werewolf App, making it easier to run the game.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf lasts only a single round and can be played rapid fire. It’s perfect for a quick break throughout the day to spice up your Thanksgiving.

This social deduction game gives every player a role and some kind of special ability. Villagers are trying to root out the werewolves, and the werewolves are trying to hide so that they can live to eat another villager.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf
$24.95 $15.99

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09/20/2023 01:00 pm GMT

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: 5 GAMES LIKE WEREWOLF

Decrypto

Decrypto Board Game Logo and Art

Word games are great for large groups and Decrypto changes up the format by making players guess at a sequence of words using a series of hidden words and numbers. You’ll need to have your thinking caps on to decrypt the hidden meanings and hints from the other players.

Coming up with ridiculous clues to find the patterns is a ton of fun for both children and adults. It takes a little bit more thought than some of the other games on the list, but that’s what makes it more rewarding when you manage to decipher the clues.

Decrypto
$27.99 $24.99

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09/22/2023 12:30 pm GMT

Mysterium

Mysterium 6-Player Board Game

Mysterium is a party game in which an amnesiac ghost has to lead mediums to find its killer.

It’s a colorful group game where players decipher the ghosts’ clues to choose the correct cards. If you’re familiar with Dixit, Mysterium uses a similar mechanic where players have a series of cards with various imagery on them. The ghost has to direct the other players to the correct card by giving 1-word responses.

Mysterium is another great game for playing while lounging around after stuffing yourselves with stuffing.

Mysterium
$54.99 $43.99

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09/18/2023 09:00 am GMT

Small World

Small World Board Game

Just like a real Thanksgiving, sometimes there are too many cooks in the kitchen. Small World throws players into a…well, a small world, and it’s definitely not big enough for everyone to live in peacefully.

Small World is a goofy fantasy area control game in which players mix and match fantasy races with oddball traits.

Flying Orcs? Boom, you got it.
Dragon-taming Hobbits? Why not?
Seafaring Dwarves? You know it.

Players battle it out for supremacy on the board where there will definitely be some scuffles. It’s a perfect way to ease any tension that may arise over the dinner table.

Small World

Have a Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for friendly gatherings and family bonding. There’s no better way to spend quality time with family and friends than around a fun or challenging board game. These are some of our favorites that don’t require too much time or explanation and are endlessly enjoyable for players of all ages.

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best board games to play at Thanksgiving! Have you tried any of these board games? Did we miss any of your Thanksgiving family favorites? We’d love to hear from you — so drop a comment below and let us know!

From all of us at Game Cows, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving!

Find more party board games below: