In the UK, we’re a nation of board game lovers. From Christmas Day to date night, board games are a great way of bringing entertainment to your day. The best classic board games have been around for years and years, making them household names across generations. Some have even existed for thousands of years, such as chess. The comfort of playing a game that you’re familiar with can take you back to your childhood years. This doesn’t mean they aren’t still some of the most entertaining games to play - they’ve withstood the test of time for a reason! 

Read our list of some of the most popular classic family board games. We challenge you to find one you haven’t played before!

1. Monopoly

Arguably the most popular board game in the UK, Monopoly remains a go-to choice for friends and families. This classic board game was first available to buy in 1935 and is now estimated to have sold over 250 million copies. As well as being printed in 37 different languages, the original game has been adapted and released in many different versions. You can now find versions of your Monopoly board for your favourite tv shows like Stranger Things, movies like Lord of the Rings, or games like Animal Crossing.

In this fast-paced property trading game, 2-6 players will buy, rent and sell houses and hotels with the aim of becoming the wealthiest player. Tensions rise as you force your competitors into bankruptcy and the player left at the end with money wins. In the 2022 refresh of Monopoly, you could move your way around the game board with the new penguin, tyrannosaurus rex, or rubber ducky tokens. The Monopoly board game is a firm favourite and shows no sign of losing popularity for generations to come.

2. Scrabble

Scrabble was originally created in the 1930s and was then named Criss Crosswords. Available to buy in 121 countries and found in more than 30 languages, it’s estimated that half of British households own a Scrabble board. 

In this classic word game, two to four players score points by placing tiles to create words that interlink to create a crossword. From a pool of letters, each player will have 7 tiles to use which are replenished after each turn. Every word created will add up to a certain amount of points as each letter equates to a number of points, and squares on the game board may help you to double or even triple points. 

There are also different editions of Scrabble, where you could gain points for using words specific to the Star Wars or Harry Potter universes. Additionally, there is a version created for younger players to put their spelling skills to the test in Junior Scrabble.  On this double-sided board, younger players can use letters already printed to create words, whereas older players can choose the advanced game board with the freedom to make their own words.

3. Connect 4

This timeless two player game is simple but effective. The Connect 4 game was first sold in 1974, and is almost instinctively known by everyone with how popular it is. You and your opponent will take turns to drop your own coloured discs into the plastic game grid. Red and yellow discs are dropped alternately, with the goal of achieving four discs of your colour in row either horizontally, vertically or diagonally. 

The original Connect 4 game board is 6 rows by 7 columns, meaning players must try to achieve four in a row until they run out of space for any more discs to be played.

4. Cluedo

In this infamous murder mystery game, 2 to 6 players must use their detective skills to determine who the murderer is. First manufactured in 1949 and still popular today, each player in Cluedo will take on the role of a suspect in a murder. Players will gather clues by travelling to different rooms on the board and making suggestions for who did it, where, and by what weapon. Other players can disprove this suggestion if they have one of the cards stated by showing the opponent. 

Once someone believes they know how the murder happened, they can call out an accusation. It might be Colonel Mustard with the revolver in the kitchen or Mrs Peacock with the rope in the ballroom. This player will check the envelope containing the murder information where they will either win or lose and the player is disqualified. This classic detective game never gets old and is an essential part of any board game fan’s collection.

For kids, Cluedo Junior offers all the fun mechanics of the original game but the aim is to deduce who took a piece of cake, when they took it and what was drunk with it.

5. Guess Who?

Guess Who? is a two player game first manufactured in 1979, where players must work strategically to uncover the identity of their competitor’s chosen character. Each player has their own board tray with cartoon images and names of 24 characters. These characters have distinctive features such as glasses, hats, and facial hair. The two players will pick a mystery card which the opponent is trying to guess. Through alternately asking yes or no questions, you will be able to narrow down options for which character you think is on your opponent’s card. Once you think you know the mystery character, you can use your turn to make a guess. If you’re right, you win, if you’re wrong, you lose!

This guessing game is loved by players of all ages and is an easy option to bring out as you know everyone will enjoy it. For people who enjoy travel board games, you can choose between a mini version of the original game called Guess Who Grab and Go or a card version in Guess Who: Classic Card Game.

6. Trivial Pursuit

Trivial Pursuit is a long-standing trivia board game which puts your general knowledge to the test. Players move around the board, where the squares they land on determine which trivia question they're asked.  In the game there’s 2,400 questions available from 6 categories: Geography, Entertainment, History, Art and Literature, Science and Nature, and Sports and Leisure. 

Since the game was first released in 1981, there have been themed editions created such as Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit. Considering the original game is designed for players 16 and over based on the difficulty of questions, there is also a Family Edition of Trivial Pursuit with cards for both kids and adults. 

We hope you enjoyed reading our blog of the most popular and best classic board games played in the UK by all age groups. Check out our blog to learn more about the different types of board games available, their rules, and how they are played.