problem solving board game

12 Board Games for Developing Thinking Abilities and Life Skills

Board games can build valuable life skills.

My sister works for—and is part owner of—a company that brings innovative teaching methods from around the world to Panama and licenses them to schools here. One of the programs that she promotes is called the Mind Lab Method. Here’s what the method is about :

“At the heart of the Mind Lab Method is the notion that the most effective way to learn is through an immediate and authentic experience that leaves one wanting more. Game-playing is the perfect example of such an experience – it is entertaining, engaging, and exciting, and therefore stimulates eager involvement. Game-playing also provides fertile ground for the training and application of thinking abilities and life skills.”

Reflective Thinking
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Logical Thinking
Emotional Intelligence
Cooperation
Competition
How to Deal with Mistakes
Deferring Gratification; and so on.

Of course, it’s not just children who can learn from playing board games, but adults as well.

In fact, in my blog post on becoming more resilient , I recommend playing board games as one of the strategies to follow in order to increase your resilience. After all, board games help to develop mental flexibility, and being mentally flexible will help you to bounce back quickly when adversity strikes.

I sat down and did some research in order to determine which board games would be helpful in developing thinking abilities and life skills, and here are the 12 that I came up with:

By playing Settler of Catan, you learn all of the following:

Resource management — Players have to choose how to best allocate the resources that they acquire.
Negotiation — Rarely can a player win a game of Settlers of Catan without negotiating with other players in order to trade for the resources that they need. Of course, many different aspects will impact the negotiations — the current value of each of the resources; you may not want to trade with someone if that ensures their victory, even if they have something you need; you may not want to trade with someone if they refused to trade with you when you needed a particular resource; and so on.
Analysis of the current environment and how that impacts your chances of winning the game — How have the other players established their settlements? What resources have lost value because they’re no longer needed? What resources have risen in demand? Given the current situation, are there certain resources you’ll want to hoard?

Playing chess promotes brain growth–specifically, it fuels dendrite growth–, and it exercises both sides of the brain. In addition, playing chess can increase IQ. A study conducted in Venezuela involving 4,000 students found that 4 months of chess instruction increased the students’ IQ scores.

In addition, chess teaches a plethora of valuable skills, including the following:

It teaches focus and concentration – In order to play chess well you have to focus completely on the board that’s in front of you. As you constantly visualize the board, its pieces, your moves, and your opponent’s possible counter-moves, your power of concentration grows.
It teaches planning and foresight – Chess teaches foresight by having to plan ahead.
It improves logical thinking – When you’re playing chess, you have to keep saying the following to yourself: “If I do this, then my opponent is likely to do that.” That’s logical thinking in action.

Here’s a quote from Benjamin Franklin about learning from chess: “We learn from chess the greatest maxim in life – that even when everything seems to be going badly for us we should not lose heart, but always hoping for a change for the better, steadfastly continue searching for the solutions to our problems.”

This game teaches all of the following:

It teaches you the difference between assets and liabilities.
It teaches you how to maintain a basic Income Statement so that you can get a clear picture of your cash-flow situation.
It teaches you how to create a balance sheet.
It teaches you basic cash management — how to budget and allocate your cash.
It teaches you how to evaluate financial opportunities to determine whether they’re good or bad deals.
It teaches you how to make money by purchasing real estate, businesses, shares and mutual funds.

That’s when Andrew decided to create a game that would replicate the way we learn our first language. He wanted to make learning languages easier, and fun. And that’s how Kloo was born. When Andrew tested his game he discovered that both kids and adults learn an average of 20 to 30 words in their target foreign language per game. And without even realizing it!

Kloo games are available to learn Spanish, French, Italian, and English. Here’s their suite of products (they have card games and board games):

KLOO’s Learn to Speak French Language Card Games Pack 1
KLOO’s Learn to Speak French Language Card Games Pack 2
KLOO’s Learn to Speak French Language Board Game – Race to Paris
KLOO’s Learn to Speak Spanish Language Card Games Pack 1
KLOO’s Learn to Speak Spanish Language Card Games Pack 2
KLOO’s Learn to Speak Spanish Language Board Game – Race to Madrid
KLOO’s Learn to Speak Italian Language Card Games Pack 1
KLOO’s Learn to Speak Italian Language Card Games Pack 2
KLOO’s Race to London – The Teach English as a Foreign Language Board Game

Here are some of the lessons in dealing with life’s challenges which you can learn from “Chutes and Ladders”:

The fist lesson is that you need to accept that chutes are just a part of the game of life. Even if you plan everything out very carefully, sooner or later you’ll slide down a chute (the chute can be short, medium-sized, or really long). That’s just the way it is.
The second lesson is that you can recover from sliding down a shoot. In fact, sliding down a chute may even be a good thing. After all, when you fall back to the beginning of the game, this gives you another chance to land on the longest ladder on the board, which shoots you right up to the top.
The third lesson is that, just as there are chutes everywhere, there are also ladders everywhere. When you least expect it, a great opportunity can present itself. Keep your eyes open for opportunities.

Mancala has been played for thousands of years in Africa and different parts of the Middle East. There are also versions in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Mancala can teach all of the following:

It teaches observation skills — Players need to distinguish good plays from bad ones.
It teaches how to think analytically – Players must learn to plan and develop strategies.
It teaches problem solving — Whenever there’s a gap between the way things are, and the way you want them to be, you have a problem. At the start of a game of Mancala, the Kahalas are empty, while the players want them to be full. Players have to move their pieces in a way that will allow them to get the greatest number of pieces into their Kahala, while trying to prevent the other player from doing the same.

Phlip E. Orbanes, author of Monopoly, Money, and You: How to Profit from the Game’s Secrets of Success , explains that playing Monopoly teaches the following life lessons:

“To ‘win’ in life, you need to think like a game player. Establish your goals and, before making any decision, ask the following question: Will it bring me closer to my goals, or will it cause me to veer off course?”
“Monopoly teaches the necessity to invest in order to grow your savings. And also to wisely spread your investments (diversification) in the event one choice does not turn out as you anticipated.”
“You must keep enough cash handy to pay for typical setbacks in the game, and in life.”

Set has won over 35 best game awards including MENSA Select.

Playing Set teaches pattern recognition. In turn, the ability to recognize patterns gives us the ability to predict what will happen next with some degree of accuracy. That is, predict what other people are likely to do, how circumstances are likely to play out, and what has a high probability of occurring next in your environment.

There are many people who think that the purpose of intelligence is prediction. After all, the better you are at predicting what will happen in the future, based on patterns that you’ve recognized in the past and in the present, the more likely it is that you’ll succeed in life.

By playing Prime Climb–which can be played by people who are “bad at math” and math whizzes alike–you’ll acquire deeper mathematical understanding. This game will turn everyone in your house into a lover of math.

Unlike most board games, Pandemic is cooperative, rather than competitive. The players, as a team, must coordinate their actions to stop a global pandemic. A game of Pandemic will have all the players discussing strategy and options together on almost every turn. If everyone does their part, the world is saved and all the players win.

As you can clearly see, Pandemic teaches teamwork and cooperation.

Mastermind can be used to teach, practice, and discuss scientific reasoning skills. Specifically, the game can be used to to teach topics such as sound experimental design, hypothesis-testing, careful interpretation of results, and the effective use of controls.

Playing Clue teaches deductive reasoning, which encourages critical thinking. As players move about the board making guesses as to where, who and what did the killing, they have to use deductive reasoning to narrow down the list of suspects, the possible murder locations, and the possible weapons.

Clue has been used to teach propositional logic and computer programming to college students.

Board games are fun, and they’re a great way to spend quality time with friends and family. However, board games can also teach us thinking skills, as well as life skills. Live your best life by playing board games–you can start by playing the 12 games described above.

What have you learned by playing board games? Please share on Twitter (I’m @Marelisa ).

16 Hobbies that Will Improve the Quality of Your Life
How to Be Well Read
50 Characteristics of An Educated Person
20 Ways to Become More Cultured

Next post: How to Read Hamlet

Previous post: How to Know When to Quit – The Knowing When to Quit Cheat-Sheet

GAMERS DECIDE

Search form.

[Top 15] Board Games That Improve Problem-Solving Skills

15. The Isle of Cats

How to play Isle of Cats

Oh no! The dread pirate Lord Vesh Darkhand is approaching your isle to plunder and destroy! You’ll only have a certain amount of time to get off the island before he arrives, but it being the Isle of Cats, you want to save as many as you can.

Your goal is to put as many cat tiles as possible onto your boat, which is also the board. There are shapes lined out inside the boat, almost similar to Tetris. The boat has rats inside, so you must use your cats (and the occasional treasure) to cover them up so you don’t lose points.

How many cats can you fit into your ship?

In the beginning, everyone starts with seven cards. You keep two cards and hand the rest to your neighbor. You repeat this until you have seven cards again in your hand. Depending on the selection, you may have the following: baskets, broken baskets, treasure cards, cards that let you grab a cat (regardless of color), and special ability cards.

You’ll start out with 20 fish that act as currency, and you’ll spend fish to play each card that you keep during the handout round. You’ll couple these with the basket cards to catch as many cats as you can. Certain colored cats earn you more points, but regardless of which cats you catch, you’ll need to carefully select where each cat will fit because if you mess up near the beginning, you’ll run out of space quickly and your points will be severely cut at the end. You can use treasure cards to fill up empty spaces if needed. After five rounds, the player with the most points wins.

With I first heard that there was a game out there that focuses on capturing cats and putting them onto a boat, I didn’t think that there couldn’t have been much strategy involved. But I was wrong! There is a lot of problem-solving because if you aren’t careful with placement from start to finish, you lose an opportunity for more points. So you have to choose your cards carefully, decide which ones are worth spending your fish on, and place the cat tiles accordingly.

Buy this game if:

You want a game with a solo mode as well as a cooperative mode.
You want a game with colorful artwork.

14. Picture Perfect

The Dice Tower's Review of Picture Perfect

Family pictures are always such a pain. Once Grandma calls everyone over for a photo, you know you are in for a few minutes of aggravation. You just pray that you don’t end up next to that one uncle that always smells like garlic or the little cousin who never stops sniffling. And in the end, you hope that everything looks good so you don’t have to do it again.

In Picture Perfect, you have to bring the pains of family photos to board game form.

You and up to three others will attempt to make fourteen characters in the game gather together for a photograph. Simple right? The problem is that each character will have preferences on where they want to be and who they want to be next to (or don’t want to be next to) and it is up to you to solve that.

These preferences that each character has will be given to them on cards that will be kept in their envelopes. Every player will keep one of these envelopes, so essentially you will know the preferences of one or two characters. In order to find out the others, you will need to communicate, because the more you know, the more points you earn in the end. Or to solve the problem of someone withholding information, you can use action cards to see other character preferences that other players are holding.

Once you believe you have everyone in their right positions, you take a picture with your mobile device to act as the “final answer” to the game. Then you will review the picture with the preferences to see how many points you earned. The player who meets the most preferences for the characters is the winner.

Randomization guarantees that no two games are ever alike, and because every character involved will never have the same preference, you always have to be mindful of all the information you have and come up with a solution on where everyone needs to go to rack in the most preferences.

Buy this game if:

You enjoy brain-teaser games and want to apply that to a board game.

13. Galaxy Trucker

How to play Galaxy Trucker

Listed in the Best Science Fiction Board Games previous, Galaxy Trucker once again makes an appearance as an effective problem-solving board game!

In Galaxy Trucker, your goal will be to make as much money as possible for delivering cargo. You will achieve that goal in two parts: building your spaceship/truck and then surviving the delivery route long enough to transport your said cargo in (hopefully) one piece.

In the building rounds, you start with your board that has your cabin in the center. You then grab from a pile of facedown tiles that have the cargo you want as well as other space truck essentials and flip them up to attach to the cabin to make your sweet ride. Of course, your truck needs to be functional, meaning that any thrusters you find MUST point to the back of the ship, with nothing blocking their path.

Build the best vehicle possible with what you've got!

You’ll also find lasers, engines, and cabins, which you’ll want to add as much to your vehicle as possible for later, but there should be nothing built in front of the lasers. More cabin space will also mean more crew for your ship. Meet special requirements, and you’ll also acquire alien crewmen, which will boost your truck’s laser/engine power.

After you make your truck, you shove off to make your delivery. Along the way, you’ll be pulling from a deck of cards that determine your next course of action. You may encounter planets where you can grab more cargo for your ship. You may run into an abandoned ship to grab more scrap. Or you may run into space pirates that will challenge the integrity of your truck and your crew, which is why having plenty of weapons and engine power is important for a safe voyage.

In the end, all you need is one point to win the game. That’s how much faith the game has in you completing your tasks successfully. The game is so maddening that it is confident that you will hit rock bottom every single time. But you’re a strong, independent galaxy trucker, so prove them wrong!

While part of the game relies on luck, there is much more to it than that. Part of the problem-solving process depends on how well you work with what you are given. Once you know how all of the pieces are supposed to fit in to make your space truck functional, it’s up to you to put it together and prepare for the worst. And what doesn’t work in one play, you’ll learn how to make it better in the next.

You want a challenge in creating the perfect truck/ship through luck-of-the-draw gameplay and trial-and-error.

12. Factory Funner

Learn to play Factory Funner

The title of this board game is going to offend every stickler of English Grammar that reads this list, myself included. That being said, Factory Funner will be a challenge to those looking for a challenging board game that also acts as a puzzle.

Similar to Galaxy Trucker, your goal is to create a machine to produce the raw materials that you want in the most efficient way possible. You’ll grab tiles and connect them properly so that they have inputs and outputs, which is simple at first, but then they will begin to twist and turn all across the board. It can start to look a little chaotic, but as long as you know where everything is going and you are confident you are going to get all of the different-colored goops you need to be produced, then you can move on to the bookkeeping phase. If you need to move any pieces at any time, that will cost you points.

Can you build the most efficient factory for the most points?

During the Bookkeeping phase, one player will tally up the potential money (points) your machine will produce. Tiles will tell you sometimes how much they can earn, so they’ll be tallied in minus the costs of adding new parts to a factory. The winner after eight rounds is the one that earned the most money.

Your brain will struggle to keep up if you are not being mindful of where all of your machine parts are going, as well as how much each tile is going to earn you in profit after it is all completed, or how it's going to cost you money.

You enjoyed Galaxy Trucker’s tile-laying gameplay, but want a different theme.

11. Overbooked

How to play Overbooked

Airlines can be such a pain. You buy the tickets, but you never know who is going to be surrounding you in the other seats. If only there was a way to let the airline know ahead of time what you prefer in terms of which strangers you are okay with sitting with and where. In Overbooked, you get to live out that fantasy.

Overbooked is a strategy game where you are an employee of an airline and you are tasked with booking flights and placing passengers inside the plane according to their needs. Couples must stick together, friends want to stick with groups, etc.

Use your problem-solving skills to win the game!

During your turn, you’ll draw a passenger tile and learn its identity. You’ll know beforehand what criteria the passenger has in order to be seated properly. There will be cases where a passenger will not be able to be seated depending on that criteria, so he is considered “overbooked” and can be put aside, for now, to wait for the next available flight. Other players can take these tiles for their own flights if needed when that happens.

The game is over once everyone has had a turn after the last child passenger tile is drawn.

Like Picture Perfect, there are preferences that your passengers want you to know, and it's up to you to figure out a way to make everyone happy. It’s a true puzzle game in that sense, and anyone that likes these kinds of brain teasers will enjoy this.

You have played Picture Perfect,
You are interested in Brain Teasers.

10. Tiny Towns

How to play Tiny Towns

Think you live in a small town? All across the US, there are many small, unincorporated towns that have less than 10 people living in their population. But we’re not talking about those types of towns right now, because we’re going to be busy making our own tiny town in this game.

In Tiny TownsEvery player has a 4x4 grid that represents their town. You’ll know which building to create through card drawing, and you’ll gather resources to build the tiny homes in your tiny town.

During each turn, a player will have a turn as a Master Builder. He or she will announce a resource that must be used. All other players will gather one cube of that resource and place it on an empty grid in their town. When a player decides what building they are constructing, they must announce it to the group. When you have enough resources for that building, you’ll remove the resource cubes from your board and add your brand-new building to an empty square.

Can you make the most of the tiny space you have to make a town?

Once you have no more empty squares you are done with your game, so you’ll tally your score. The whole game ends once everyone has no more squares to fill. The player with the most points from their tiny town is the winner.

In Tiny Towns, sometimes you just have to deal with the hand you have been dealt, so you have to be mindful ahead of time of what you can possibly build and what you cannot. Sometimes it isn’t about creating the biggest building to win but making the most of your Tiny Town. Mixing up how you play each time will help you better make your little town flourish.

You like games with high replayability.
You want a game that encourages different strategies in each playthrough.

9. Scooby-Doo Escape from the Haunted Mansion

Escape from the Haunted Mansion Playthrough

Ruh Roh! The gang is in trouble again and it's up to you to help them solve the mystery and escape from being trapped inside a haunted mansion! You and your friends take on the role of the Mystery, INC. gang and try to escape the mansion of Lady Fairmount. The game comes with narrative books instead of an app, and everything is written out for everyone playing to understand.

Without giving away any context/spoilers of the game, your goal is the solve the mystery of the ghost of Lady Fairmount and escape her mansion. Each character has their own ability that contributes to solving the mystery and escaping the mansion. Scooby-Doo can sniff, Velma researches, Daphne can use items, Fred investigates, and Shaggy eats (naturally). No one player takes on the role of any character solely; all players are working together to escape the mansion.

Use all of the Mystery Inc. gang characters correctly to escape!

You’ll follow the narrative of all of the character books to continue through the mansion. It will guide you on how to use coded numbers located in each room. Since each character can only do certain things such as smell and use items, you’ll need to move those said characters into a room to see if can provide you with context clues to progress.

If you get stuck on a puzzle, you’ll be encouraged to try three times before eating a Scooby Snack, which provides you with a clue. The more Scooby Snacks you eat, the lower your overall score will be after escaping the mansion.

While using the themes from a children’s tv show, this game’s puzzles can prove to be challenging since each character only has one ability to help solve them. This encourages you to pull each character to a spot to see if something different happens when you use those abilities or give you some idea of what needs to be done. Wisely using all of the Mystery Inc. members will guarantee your escape from the doomed mansion.

You love the Scooby-Doo franchise and want to feel like you are in one of their episodes.
You want a game where using the characters is all part of the escape room experience.

8. Pandemic

Learn to play Pandemic

A popular board game among enthusiasts, Pandemic throws players into the beginnings of a global-wide disaster where four horrible diseases threaten to take over. It’s up to you and your team to go around the world and research and find cures to put an end to the pandemic.

In Pandemic, you are tasked with saving the world from four different diseases. Sounds a little daunting, admittedly, but the gameplay is simple. Here is how it is played.

On your turn, you take up to four actions:

1. Drive/Ferry-move your character to a city that is connected by a white line to the location you are on.

2. Direct Flight-use a special card to go directly to the city that is named.

3. Charter Flight-use a card that has the city you are currently on and moves yourself to any other city.

4. Shuttle Flight-move to a city with a research station, but only if you are currently in a different city that also has a research station.

Travel around the world to find cures!

During these moves, you can also build a research station (if your location currently doesn’t have one), share knowledge, treat or cure diseases, etc. After this, you draw two cards and do any of the epidemic cards that you get. You can also get event cards which you can use when you feel it is best.

The game is over if all four diseases are eradicated (win) or if there are no more cards left to draw (lose)

For being a board game that hits a little too close to home with everything that has happened in the past few years, Pandemic still succeeds in being fun and enjoyable to play. Tasking you with the problem of how to save the world, you need to team up with your friends to come up with a strategy on how to build your research stations and find or treat those diseases before they have enough time to run rampant to the point of global devastation.

You are looking for a solid co-op board game.

7. Quoridor

Learn how to play Quoridor

When you first look at this game, you would think that you are going to observe a game of chess. But upon watching the gameplay, it is not as complicated-in fact, anyone could play it and be an expert after one try!

Your goal is to reach your opponent’s line at the opposite end of the board. Everyone’s pawns on the board can move one space at a time in any direction except diagonally. You and the other Players will place wooden blocks to hinder each other’s progress, so you will need to find ways around it.

Make your way to your opponent's end of the board to win!

Everything you do in this game will either earn you victory or give you a taste of defeat. When you can only do one thing at a time, you’ll need to solve the problem of how to win while anticipating what your opponent will do to try to hinder your progress.

You want a game you can play and enjoy with one other person.
You need a game that isn’t complicated to play or hard to teach.

6. Forbidden Island

How to play Forbidden Island

There’s a fortune to be had on a mysterious island, and it's up to you and your intrepid team to get it out! The island is sinking, however, so unless you want to swim home, you’ll need to get the treasure fast!

Your goal is to figure out how to keep the island from sinking for as long as possible while getting as much treasure as you can. You’ll each get an adventurer card to determine what you can and cannot do during a turn. Cooperation is key to solving how to best get the treasure.

Move through the island and gather the treasure before it's too late!

During your turn, you can take three of four actions which are: Move, Give a Treasure Card, Capture a Treasure, and Shore Up. Then you will draw two treasure cards and flood cards equal to the water level (which is measured with a water level marker).

The island is slowly sinking during the game, so you all must team up together to use sandbag cards to stem it up. It won’t hold forever though; it will only buy you time to get the rest of the treasure.

Teamwork is key for Forbidden Island. Your abilities in the game may be what makes the difference between sink and swim, so you’ll need to rely on your team a lot to solve the puzzle of this island. Forbidden Island is a tried-and-true game that has been played for years and still holds up for fun gameplay.

You need a game to build teamwork.
You want something that is popular in the gaming community.

5. Photosynthesis

Learn how to play Photosynthesis here!

Nature is beautiful. People have been expressing its beauty for years and years and years. Poems, songs, postcards; there hasn’t been a source of media that hasn’t been used for it. Until now at least. In the board game Photosynthesis, you’ll take charge of growing trees and preserving a forest.

Throughout the game, you’ll be planting seeds to grow trees to earn points. Sunlight is key to growing your trees, giving you light points to use for future rounds. You need to avoid any shade that can block the process of photosynthesis.

Everyone has their own set spot on the board, so there is a possibility that one of their trees will block out your spots, which you will not earn light points for, so you’ll need to plan ahead and plant carefully. If the tree is taller than the one casting the shadow though, light points will still be earned.

Grow and harvest your trees wisely to bring in more points!

Once everyone has earned their points for the round, it’s time to spend them. You can spend points to plant more seeds in your part of the board, or you can use them to make an already available tree to grow. And if a tree is large enough, you can spend those points to harvest it, thus giving you a scoring token and another opportunity to grow a new tree in its place.

After three rounds, the player with the most victory points earned from available light tokens and scoring tokens is the winner.

The main problem that you need to keep in is how your trees will be affected depending on where you plant them. Plant them a certain way, then they’ll get their potential sunlight blocked by opposing trees and they won’t grow to their full potential. Keep your trees tall for too long and you miss out on more points. There is a lot to consider, so you have to keep everything in mind and also know when to harvest for maximum points.

You are big on unique games. You don’t see many tree-growing games out there.
You want a game that raises awareness on topics like the ecosystem.

4. Tokyo Highway

How to play Tokyo Highway

In Tokyo Highway, Your goal is to create a highway efficient enough to have 10 cars run through without any complications. You will have three things that you need to accomplish before your turn is over. You’ll first a.) construct a pillar, which is the multiple gray tokens, and six yellow tokens.

You’ll make a base first with your road and gray token, and place a car on it. Every other player will do the same thing. You’ll have to work around the other players' roads and if you knock any of their roads, cards, or pillars, you must offer your materials (equal to the amount they lost) as a penalty.

If you lose all of your construction material before the game is over, you are out and the rest continue playing. But if you have constructed enough roads that can hold all 10 of your cars, you win!

Keep all 10 of your cars on your highway to win!

This is a fun game to play if you’re into puzzles that depend on balance and stability. Keeping track of where your strengths are on your personal highways and you’ll be able to succeed quickly get all of your 10 cars on and raring to go to wherever life takes them next.

You enjoy games with balance and stability.

3. Evolution

How to play Evolution

Your goal in Evolution is to adapt your species to survive in an “ever-changing environment” by gaining the most points in feeding it, increasing its population, and evolving it.

Each round will play out in four phases: Dealing with trait cards, selecting food, playing cards, and feeding. When it is your turn, you’ll be dealt your trait cards, which you’ll examine their food select one secretly, and put into the center of the table (the watering hole). This card will serve as food during the feeding phase.

After that, you’ll play as many of the trait cards as you’d like during the play phase, as long as your species doesn’t exceed three traits altogether, and there are no duplicates. And during the feeding phase, all the cards that each player added to the watering hole are revealed, and how much plant food is determined and given to players. If you have a non-carnivore species, this is fine, but if you have a carnivore though, you’ll need to find another way to feed.

Feed your creatures wisely so that they can survive their environment!

And that is by attacking other species. Depending on the size and traits of your carnivores, you can attack any other species that the other players have. If an attack is successful, you will take meat food from the food bank and place it on your carnivore’s board.

If the population of your species goes to zero, that means they are extinct and no longer available to be played. The game is over after the cards deck is shuffled once and played through twice. The player with the most food tokens at the end of that is the winner.

Giving your animals the best chance of surviving is a real challenge at times. You need to make them thrive in their environment, but if you are not going to make them into carnivores, you’ll also need to make them strong contenders. So finding the perfect balance with some of the luck mechanics in this game may be tough. But if you solve that problem, you are almost certainly guaranteed a win.

You want a game with beautiful illustrations.

2. Pelican Cove

Learn to play Pelican Cove here

The goal of Pelican Cove is to take eight magical birds from Australia and fulfill their deepest wishes. They are very particular about where they land to rest, so your task is to make sure that they land exactly where they need to be on the board.

Each player will refer to the eight randomly drawn cards that will point to how the different colored pelicans want to be in their final positions. Players will each try to match it as best as possible. Afterward, you’ll tally up points depending on how correct you are to how the drawn cards asked you to place the birds.

Much like in Picture Perfect and Overbooked, it’s all about finding out where everything goes in a timely fashion. The clues for each bird will cause you to pause and think carefully before putting them in their spot. There are varying levels of difficulty, so you can keep playing this for more challenging puzzles.

You can’t get enough of those brain teaser puzzles.
You need a game that doesn’t have over-complicated rules.

1. Wingspan

How to play Wingspan

A lot of puzzle-based board games have the theme of nature. Photosynthesis and Pelican Cove fit that theme. On the top of this list though is a game that has had a lot of positive feedback since it’s release, and we’re happy to have it on the top of our list. Here is Wingspan.

In Wingspan, your goal is the create an effective wildlife preserve for birds. In order to have a wildlife preserve for birds, you’ll need birds to put it in. In order to get birds, you’ll need food. Each player will receive five food tokens at the beginning but if you need more, you’ll need to take a roll with the birdfeeder (which is a dice tower).

Collect eggs to earn points. The rarer the bird, the better!

With birds that you collect, you may gain new abilities that are activated when you play the bird onto your board. Some can help you draw additional cards, which is helpful when trying to get the rarer birds for your preserve. Birds will also provide you with more eggs depending on which slot you put them in on the board.

Whoever has the most birds and eggs on their board at the end of four rounds is the winner.

A lot of games, in order to be effective in problem-solving, should have a lot of evolving, complex challenges. Wingspan does this well. This is a perfect game because you are trying to accumulate the most points possible with birds and eggs. The further slots you put birds in, the more eggs you accumulate, so you’ll probably want the rarest bird there, but if you are trying only for the rare birds, you’ll miss out on easy points. So you need to balance out your gameplay if you hope to become the winner.

You want a beautifully illustrated game with easy-to-learn rules.

Guide to the Best Problem-Solving Board Games

by playeditwell | Nov 21, 2023 | Games

Looking for a fun and challenging way to exercise your problem-solving skills? Look no further! In this article, we’ll guide you through the best problem-solving board games that are guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours. Whether you enjoy unraveling mysteries, strategizing your moves, or collaborating with friends to crack puzzles, these games have got you covered. From classic favorites like Clue and Scrabble to newer, innovative options like Pandemic and Codenames, you’ll discover a wide range of options to suit your taste. Get ready to roll the dice and put your critical thinking to the test as we explore the world of problem-solving board games!

Click to view the Guide to the Best Problem-Solving Board Games.

Table of Contents

Overview of Problem-Solving Board Games

Problem-solving board games are a fantastic way to exercise your brain, challenge your strategic thinking, and have fun with friends and family. These games are designed to promote critical thinking, logical reasoning, and creative problem-solving skills. Whether you enjoy traditional classics or more modern alternatives, there is a problem-solving board game out there for everyone.

Definition of problem-solving board games

Problem-solving board games, also known as strategy games, are tabletop games where players must navigate complex challenges, puzzles, and decisions in order to achieve a specific goal. These games often involve competitive or cooperative gameplay and require players to analyze situations, make strategic choices, and adapt their plans based on changing circumstances. From classic favorites to newer releases, problem-solving board games offer a wide variety of gameplay experiences that cater to different interests and skill levels.

Guide to the Best Problem-Solving Board Games

This image is property of images.pexels.com.

Check out the Guide to the Best Problem-Solving Board Games here.

Benefits of playing problem-solving board games

Playing problem-solving board games offers numerous benefits beyond sheer entertainment. These games provide a range of advantages for players of all ages, making them both enjoyable and educational. Some key benefits of playing problem-solving board games include:

Mental stimulation: Problem-solving board games engage your brain, promoting critical thinking, logical reasoning, and strategic planning. They challenge you to analyze options, weigh risks and rewards, and make decisions based on limited information.
Social interaction: Many problem-solving board games involve multiplayer gameplay, fostering social interaction, cooperation, and healthy competition. They provide opportunities to bond with friends and family, enhance communication skills, and build teamwork.
Creativity and imagination: Problem-solving board games often require players to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions to overcome obstacles. They encourage creativity, imagination, and lateral thinking, allowing players to explore new ideas and perspectives.
Problem-solving skills: As the name suggests, problem-solving board games help develop problem-solving skills. Players learn to identify problems, evaluate alternative solutions, and make informed choices to achieve their objectives.
Relaxation and stress relief: Engaging in a challenging problem-solving board game can serve as a fantastic way to unwind and relax. The immersive nature of these games, combined with the focus required, can help alleviate stress and provide a break from daily responsibilities.

Classic Problem-Solving Board Games

Classic problem-solving board games have been enjoyed by generations and continue to captivate players today. These timeless games have withstood the test of time and remain popular due to their engaging gameplay and strategic depth. Let’s explore a few of these classics:

Chess is a two-player game that embodies the epitome of strategic problem-solving. With a 2,000-year history, this ancient game requires players to anticipate their opponent’s moves, plan several steps ahead, and execute carefully calculated strategies. Chess develops critical thinking, concentration, and analytical skills, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a challenging problem-solving experience.

Scrabble is a beloved word game that challenges players to create words and strategically place them on a game board. By utilizing their vocabulary, spelling, and letter placement skills, players must maximize their points while strategically blocking opponents. Scrabble is an excellent choice for individuals who enjoy wordplay, strategy, and expanding their vocabulary.

Monopoly is a classic game of economics and strategy. Players take on the role of real estate moguls, buying, selling, and trading properties to accumulate wealth and bankrupt their opponents. Monopoly requires players to make strategic decisions regarding property purchases, rent prices, and investments, all while carefully managing their finances. This game promotes critical thinking, negotiation skills, and risk assessment.

Cluedo, known as Clue in North America, is a mystery-solving game that has players attempt to determine the killer, weapon, and location of a crime. By gathering clues, deducing information, and making logical deductions, players work to solve the murder mystery before their opponents. Clue encourages critical reasoning, deductive thinking, and attention to detail.

Whether you choose to engage in a battle of wits with chess, challenge your vocabulary with Scrabble, build your empire in Monopoly, or become a master detective in Clue, these classic problem-solving board games offer endless hours of entertainment and opportunities for strategic thinking.

To be continued…

Discover more about the Guide to the Best Problem-Solving Board Games.

Best Board Games That Aren't Luck-Based In 2024

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

6 Board Games To Play If You Like Clue

6 best board games of all time, magic: the gathering – the 10 best cards from modern horizons 2.

Board games that don't involve much luck, usually called skill-based games, are all about players' strategic thinking, planning, and decision-making skills, instead of relying on the randomness of rolling dice or flipping cards. In these games, you've got to outwit your opponents by carefully thinking through each move, making them a way better test of your brainpower and foresight than just sheer luck.

What's great about these skill-based games is that luck doesn't really decide who wins. Instead, it's all about making smart strategic moves, thinking on the fly, and maybe even charming or bluffing your way to victory. To really excel, you need to grasp the game mechanics thoroughly and anticipate your opponents' moves well in advance.

Terra Mystica

Puerto rico 1897, forbidden island, spirit island, sherlock holmes: consulting detective, twilight struggle.

Factions, Strategy, and Endless Possibilities

Terra Mystica is a highly strategic board game that focuses on planning, resource management, and smart tactical decisions. It's known for its complexity and depth, making it a great choice for players who enjoy a challenging game and want to give their brains a real workout.

Super replayable, since each game can feel different.
Involves a lot of complex strategy, which makes for pretty engaging gameplay.
There isn't too much direct interaction between players.

Players choose one of fourteen unique fantasy factions, each with their own special abilities and preferred types of terrain. The game board is made up of different terrain hexes, and a big part of the game is terraforming - basically changing the terrain to fit your faction's building needs. This is where you really gotta plan ahead and be strategic, because you need to manage your resources wisely to expand your territories.

There's not a lot of chance involved in Terra Mystica, which means it's way more about skill than luck. Players have to really carefully plan out their actions and try to predict what their opponents are gonna do. This game's strategic depth gets even crazier with its Power Point system. Power Points are used for casting spells and can be converted into resources. You've got to manage your power points across three bowls, which adds this whole other layer of strategic resource management.

Island Economics 101

Set in the year 1897, this game transports you back to the colonial times, where you'll take on the role of a governor managing your own plantations to build wealth and influence. You'll need to predict your opponents' choices and strategize your moves accordingly.

It has a lot of player interaction, since every decision affects all players.
There are multiple ways to win, which makes gameplay super interesting.
Gameplay can be pretty long.

Players choose from a set of roles that let them take different actions, like building, producing goods, shipping goods, or doing various other strategic moves. They also have to make tough calls on how to best use their colonists, when to shift gears from building to shipping, and how to make the most of the buildings available to them. The game just gets more and more complicated from the interactions between different roles and the timing of when you choose them, which can really shake up the game's outcome.

While you can learn the basic mechanics relatively quickly, this game offers a rewarding experience that just keeps getting better as you play. This balance makes Puerto Rico appealing to both newbies to strategy board games and seasoned players looking for a new obsession. To play effectively, you need to carefully observe your opponents' strategies and be ready to adapt to shifting circumstances within the game.

Sink or Swim: The Island's Choice

Forbidden Island is a cooperative board game that is completely focused on teamwork and problem-solving. In this game, players team up, each taking on a special role with unique abilities, to navigate the island, shore up sinking areas, and collect its treasures.

The rules are pretty straightforward, making it a fun game for all ages.
Encourages players to work together.
Might seem a bit simple, because of its tile-based format.

The island is made up of 24 tiles arranged in a grid , which can "sink" as the game goes on, adding a dynamic and visually engaging element to the gameplay. Players have to strategically manage their actions, which include moving around, shoring up tiles, sharing treasure cards, and capturing treasures. The game works on a turn-based system where, after taking their actions, players draw from two decks.

Forbidden Island is all about thinking ahead, prioritizing tasks, and tweaking your strategy based on how things unfold. Since it's a cooperative game, clear and effective communication is key as you and your teammates must coordinate to handle the island's many challenges. You can even choose to start at different water levels, which can really change up the game's pace and difficulty.

If you want more board games like Clue, check out these recommendations.

Spirits of the Carribean: Defend and Conquer

Spirit Island is a super strategic and skill-based cooperative board game which takes place on a fictional island, where players become powerful spirits defending their island home from invading colonizers. It challenges players to master a variety of strategies and work together to defend their island.

Encourages communication among players, because of its cooperative nature.
Unique theme.
Gameplay may be too long for beginners.

In Spirit Island, each player controls a unique spirit with its own distinct powers and abilities. The game board represents the island, divided into various territories like mountains, wetlands, and jungles. Players work together to repel invaders, who build settlements and cities that damage the island's natural environment. Each spirit also has a growth phase where they can gain new powers, spread their influence, and reclaim used cards, allowing for a variety of strategic paths.

Success in Spirit Island depends a lot on player skill and the ability to work as a team. The complexity of the game isn't just in the variety of choices available, but also in anticipating the invaders' actions and effectively using the island's native inhabitants, the Dahan, to assist in the defense. The game also includes different scenarios that can be used to adjust the difficulty level, ensuring high replayability.

Deduction, My Dear Watson.

In Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective, players play as detectives, often as part of the Baker Street Irregulars, and are given the task of solving complex mysteries in a Victorian London atmosphere. The game is a mix of a tabletop game and a gamebook hybrid, inspired by the fictional detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Gameplay is enhanced by components like newspaper cuttings, casebooks and maps.
Perfect for Whodunit enthusiats.
Can be frustrating because of how challenging it is.

The game is structured around a series of cases, each presented through detailed casebooks that guide players through the story. Players start by reading an introductory scene that sets up the mystery, and then they're free to investigate however they want. The game involves visiting various locations, interviewing suspects, and gathering clues.The gameplay is enhanced by full-motion video clips and mock London newspapers that help develop the plot and provide clues.

The game's design encourages players to think like detectives, since they need to think beyond just the facts that are presented to them. The ultimate goal is to solve the case more efficiently than Sherlock Holmes himself, which is a super tough task given how complex the cases are and how much the game relyes on the players' deduction skills. It's a game that challenges players to think critically and strategically with minimal reliance on luck.

Berlin Wall-to-Wall Strategy

Twilight Struggle is a card-driven game where you and your friends use event cards and strategic moves to sway global political scenarios. The game board represents various countries worldwide during the Cold War. You’ll compete for influence in these countries to rack up points and hit your military and political goals.

Aside from being super fun, it's also pretty educational.
Super high replayability.
Might take some time to figure out.

Players have to constantly assess the global political landscape and make decisions that have both immediate and long-term impacts. The strategic depth is further enhanced by the need to manage hand cards effectively, as playing a card can also benefit the opponent if it aligns with their ideology. Twilight Struggle's complexity lies in its strategic possibilities and the skill required to navigate its challenging gameplay.

The game is defined by its intricate web of decisions and consequences. The game also features a unique scoring system that adds to its strategic richness. Scoring is intermittent and based on control of key regions, which can change dynamically throughout the game. This requires players to balance their efforts across multiple regions, adding another extra layer of strategic decision-making.

What defines a board game as being "luck-free"?

A board game can be considered "not based on luck" if its outcomes are determined by the decisions made by the players or the strategies they use, as opposed to elements that are left to chance, like rolling dice or drawing cards.

What are the benefits of playing such board games?

Players are encouraged to make their own decisions, for starters. They might also have to learn to work with a team, like in Spirit Island, to win. Additionally, they can also be educational, like Twilight Struggle which is based on the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, and can help folks to learn about historical events in a pretty simple and straightforward way.

These are the best board games of all time - they just don't get old!

We hope you like the items we recommend and discuss! TheGamer has affiliate and sponsored partnerships, so we receive a share of the revenue from some of your purchases. This won’t affect the price you pay and helps us offer the best product recommendations.

10 Board Games to Stimulate Logical and Mathematical Thinking

Dec 20, 2023 | Education | 0 comments

As the holiday season approaches, and we anticipate spending many hours at home with family and friends, one of the best ways to have fun is by playing board games together. Board games not only provide entertainment but also serve as a valuable tool for developing cognitive skills, such as logical and mathematical thinking . These games present strategic challenges, force us to solve complex problems, and even demand mental calculations. This week, we suggest 10 board games that, besides being enjoyable, stimulate logical and mathematical thinking, helping keep your mind active.

Chess is an ancient strategy game that challenges the mind and promotes logical and mathematical thinking. Players must anticipate moves, plan strategies, and foresee the consequences of each move. The ability to calculate multiple moves ahead and evaluate possible opponent responses enhances analytical and problem-solving skills. Chess also stimulates mathematical skills, requiring the use of numerical concepts such as counting moves, evaluating patterns, and calculating positions. It’s a great option for two-player moments or even organizing a family tournament.

Catan is a strategic board game that demands good resource management and intelligent decision-making. Players must negotiate, trade, and build settlements while competing for control of lands. Probability calculation and strategic evaluation of actions are crucial elements for advancing in the game. Catan encourages long-term planning, strategic thinking, and the ability to adapt to changing situations.

Sudoku is a numerical puzzle that challenges logic and deductive reasoning. By completing a 9×9 grid with numbers 1 to 9 without repetition in rows, columns, and subgroups, it stimulates the ability to identify patterns, apply rules, and solve complex problems. It’s an individual game that promotes concentration, memory, and numerical understanding, contributing to the development of logical and mathematical thinking.

4. Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride is a game based on the strategic construction of railway routes. Players must plan and execute optimal routes while collecting train cards and connecting cities. Evaluating options, decision-making, and point calculation are fundamental aspects for success in this game. The need to manage resources and optimize strategies fosters logical thinking and basic mathematical skills, such as mental calculation and estimation.

5. Dominion

Dominion is a deck-building game where players compete to accumulate the most points. Strategy and resource optimization are essential to acquire cards and build an effective deck. Careful decision-making and evaluating available cards require analytical and strategic planning skills. Additionally, this game involves calculations to maximize moves and adapt to opponents’ strategies.

Qwirkle is a game that challenges logic and pattern recognition through the placement of pieces with different shapes and colors to achieve the highest score. Players must identify and create logical sequences based on similar colors or shapes. This game promotes spatial reasoning, strategic planning, and the ability to identify and apply patterns—crucial skills in logical and mathematical thinking.

7. Rummikub

The classic Rummikub is a strategy game based on forming numerical groups and sequences with numbered tiles. Players must use logical reasoning to get rid of their tiles while planning and adapting their strategy throughout the game. This game encourages quick mental calculations, pattern identification, and the ability to make numerical combinations.

8. Pandemic

Pandemic is a cooperative game where players take on roles to stop global disease outbreaks. Collaboration, strategic planning, and resource management are vital for success. This game stimulates logical thinking by requiring the identification of patterns in the progression of diseases and decision-making to counteract them. It also involves calculations related to resource management and probabilities.

9. Carcassonne

Carcassonne is a tile-placement game where players build medieval landscapes. Strategy to expand territories and decision-making on where to place tiles are essential aspects of the game. It requires spatial skills to evaluate the board layout and foresee future moves. This game promotes strategic thinking, planning, and point calculation.

Finally, we can’t forget another classic board game. Risk is a global conquest game where players aim to dominate the world. Strategy, decision-making, and risk assessment are crucial for success. Players must calculate probabilities and assess the balance between attacking and defending to achieve victory. Risk stimulates strategic thinking and the ability to evaluate multiple scenarios, improving logical and mathematical thinking skills.

In summary, what all these board games have in common is that they are not only fun but also a valuable tool for the development of logical and mathematical thinking. They require strategic planning, the use of problem-solving skills, and the ability to perform quick mental calculations, among other cognitive abilities. Each game offers the opportunity to strengthen different cognitive skills, and they all allow us to enjoy moments of entertainment, whether individually, in pairs, or with friends and family.

Problem Solving Games, Activities & Exercises for Adults

By: Angela Robinson | Updated: February 13, 2024

Here is our list of the best problem solving games, activities and exercises for adults.

Problem solving games are activities that require players to use critical thinking skills to solve puzzles. Example activities include escape rooms, Sudoku, and murder mysteries. The purpose of these exercises is to sharpen reasoning and decision-making skills in group settings and to do team building with employees.

These activities are a subset of remote team games , found in problem solving books , and are similar to team puzzles , team building brain teasers and team riddles .

This article contains:

team building problem solving activities for employees
free problem solving games for adults
virtual problem solving activities for students
group problem solving activities
problem solving team builders

Here we go!

List of problem solving games & activities

From word and number puzzles to role-playing games, here is a list of inexpensive and free problem solving team builders that help groups practice the art of critical thinking and compromise.

1. Espionage! (Team Favorite)

For an exciting game of social deduction, check out Espionage! This thrilling experience will put your team’s wits and instincts to the test.

Espionage! offers the following:

a 90-minute session led by an experienced host
undercover teams of agents and spies
challenging puzzles, tasks, and maneuvers
team conversations to help uncover secret identities

The best part is we will bring all the necessary game materials to your preferred location. If you are interested in boosting communication and critical-thinking skills within your team, then consider Espionage!

Learn more about Espionage!

2. Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh (Hosted)

You can turn your team into skilled detectives with Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh! In this captivating mystery, participants will locate the stolen artwork, The Bedroom .

Key features of this experience include:

a 90-minute adventure led by a world-class host
detailed puzzles, clues, and mysteries to unravel
trails of evidence and hidden secrets
group discussions to find the art

Additionally, you can include a cocktail kit to spice up your event. Through Art Heist, you will enhance your team’s ingenuity and problem-solving skills!

Learn more about Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh .

Get our free team building toolbox

icebreaker games
bingo cards

3. War of the Wizards (Popular)

With War of the Wizards, teams roleplay as minions of powerful wizards to vanquish forces of evil. Participants will play thrilling games and go on a quest to restore harmony to the realm!

War of the Wizards offers the following:

a 90-minute journey guided by a distinguished host
immersive storytelling that transports players into a magical realm
engaging activities like world-building, role-playing games, and storytelling
opportunities for forming alliances, facing challenges, and going on quests

Through the power of imagination and teamwork, your team can overcome tasks and participate in an epic fantasy battle. To improve communication and bonds, include War of the Wizards in your agenda!

Learn more about War of the Wizards .

Sudoku is one of the most popular free problem solving games for adults. The objective of this game is to fill each box of a 9×9 grid so that every row, column, and letter contains each number from one to nine. The puzzle makes a great team challenge. To play Sudoku on Zoom, screen share the game board. Then, turn on the annotation features. Using the add text functions, participants can fill in the numbers on the grid.

We made a starter puzzle you can use in your next meeting or virtual team bonding session:

Here are more online Sudoku puzzles .

5. Crossword puzzles

Crossword puzzles are word games that ask players to fill in words based on clues. Words interconnect, and players must think critically about the surrounding words to select the right phrase for the space.

You can use an online crossword puzzle maker to create a custom puzzle. Here are a few themes you may want to consider:

teammates’ tastes and interests
company knowledge and history
industry terms and trends

Or, create a miscellaneous puzzle just for fun.

We made a sample puzzle you can use for your game:

To complete puzzles during online meetings, you can use the share screen function and add text through annotations.

Or, subscribers can play the New York Times’ daily crossword puzzle virtually . Dictionary.com also offers a free daily online crossword puzzle .

Check out more vocabulary games .

6. Online Escape Rooms

Escape rooms are timed games that get groups working together to solve puzzles. Traditionally, players enter a locked room and must complete all puzzles in an hour or two to unlock the door. However, groups can also play escape rooms online.

Digital escape rooms typically come in one of two forms: in a Zoom room and led by a host, or in a choose-your-own adventure format via Google Forms or websites. To play escape rooms virtually, enter a video meeting and follow the prompts, or screen share the Google Form and work out the puzzles together.

Check out our full list of online escape rooms .

7. Murder Mysteries

Murder Mysteries are story-based games that ask players to take on the roles of suspects or detectives while trying to identify a killer. These games often involve reading lines from a script, searching for clues, and occasionally solving puzzles to get hints.

These games make participants pay attention to conversations, analyze other characters’ behavior, and search for hidden meaning in the script. Players must use their powers of observation and logic to unravel the mystery.

Check out our list of Zoom murder mystery games .

8. Treasure Hunts

Treasure hunts are scavenger hunts with intention. While virtual scavenger hunts often ask players to collect random items, treasure hunts require participants to locate clues that lead to other prompts and hints. The game typically ends with players finding a treasure or solving a mystery, sometimes both.

The treasure hunt can have a specific theme such as secret agent missions or a hunt for pirate treasure, or you can run a more general hunt. Teammates can either compete simultaneously via Zoom call, or can play the hunt on an app individually and compete to beat each other’s scores.

Check out our list of treasure hunt apps .

9. Poem or story challenge

Most team building problem solving activities for employees revolve around science, math, and logic. Poem/story challenges rely on writing skills and are sure to appeal to the language lovers on your team.

Each player receives a limited word bank to use to create a story or poem. Then, players have a few minutes to craft their pieces. Afterward, everyone reads out or screen shares their creations.

Here are a few word challenge activities you can do remotely:

Found poems or stories : Participants make poems or stories out of words they find by visiting websites, searching emails, glancing out the window, or taking a walk or drive around the neighborhood.
Random word generators : Teammates use a random word generator to populate a word bank, and must use each word in the poem or story.
Poetry magnets : Group members make poems using poetry magnets. You can send poetry magnet sets to employees and assemble the verses on a cookie pan during a Zoom call. Or, teammates can play with poetry magnets online .
Page poems: Participants receive one page of a book or magazine, and must make a poem or story by blocking out other words so only the chosen text remains visible. This activity is part storytelling, part art, since story crafters can illustrate the pages as part of the design.
Ransom note stories or poems : Players cut out letters from magazines and must form new words to make poems and stories. Or, players can receive a mix of random letters, form words, and run the text through a ransom note generator .

These activities are suitable for teams and individual players.

10. Moral challenge

Some problems are ethical rather than factual. Moral judgment plays just as important a role in the decision-making process as technical prowess. Players can flex their moral problem-solving skills by tackling ethical dilemmas or social puzzles.

Here are some social problem solving games online:

Moral machine
Scruples – the game of moral dilemmas
Morality play

To play these games, either download the apps, or pull up the website and then screen share the prompts. These games are best played when discussed as a group, because the more belief systems and opinions, the harder an issue is to resolve. These exercises provide practice for real-life conflict resolution.

You can find similar challenges on our list of online personality tests .

11. Frostbite

Frostbite is a group game that hones team leaders’ communication skills while sharpening teammates’ listening and cooperation skills. The premise behind the game is that a group of explorers gets caught in a snowstorm and must build a shelter. Frostbite has paralyzed the leaders’ hands and snow-blinded the rest of the team. The leader must give the team instructions to build a tent that can resist arctic winds.

To play Frostbite, each teammate wears a blindfold. Then, the leader gives directions. Once the structures are complete, players turn on a fan to test whether tents can withstand the wind.

Frostbite is usually an in-person game, however you can also play virtually. In the remote version of the game, teammates construct tents out of cards and tape, while the leader surveys the scene on screen.

This exercise demonstrates the challenges of leading remotely, as teams need to operate with minimal oversight or supervisor observation. Therefore, instructions need to be clear and direct to be effective.

Check out more team building games .

12. Virtual Hackathons

Hackathons are events where participants have a set amount of time to design and pitch a new product or solution. This type of event originated in the programming world and is often used to create new apps, however you can apply the game to any industry or school subject.

Virtual hackathons are online versions of the event. Teams enter the competition, then work with each other via virtual meeting software or remote work communication platforms to design the solution. At the end of the competition, teams pitch ideas to a panel of judges and a winner is decided.

To run a virtual hackathon, first announce the theme of the event and collect sign-ups. So that no teams work ahead, hint at the general idea of the issue, and only explain the precise problem when the event begins. Then, give teams anywhere from a few hours to a few days to complete the project.

Discover more virtual hackathon ideas .

13. Improv games

Improv games are excellent problem solving activities. These exercises force participants to think and respond quickly to keep scenes moving in a logical and entertaining way.

Here are some good problem solving improv games:

Banned words : Performers cannot say certain words. Scene partners will conceive of situations that encourage the actors to use those words, and the actors must find alternatives, such as using synonyms or taking the scene in a new direction.

Scenes from a chat : Audience gives a suggestion for a scene, and players act the scene out. Though it’s a fictional and often ridiculous scenario, actors must react to the situation and solve the problem in order for the scene to end.

Miracle cure : Miracle cure is a quick-moving exercise that follows a simple format. One player declares, “I have a problem.” Another player responds, “I have a….[random object.]” The first player then replies, “great! I can use the [random object] to….” and describes how they will solve the problem.

Check out more problem-solving improv games .

14. Spaghetti Tower

The spaghetti tower is a classic team building game. Participants gather uncooked spaghetti and marshmallows, and must construct the tallest freestanding tower.

During the in-person version, players must construct one tall freestanding tower. However, for the virtual version of the game, players construct individual towers. You can send groups to breakout rooms for the build, then reconvene in the main room for judging. Teams are judged on three main factors: number of towers, height, and uniformity.

This version of the game not only tests the structural integrity of the tower, but also consistency and quality control. This exercise teaches teams to align and collaborate remotely, and produce a consistent product even when far apart.

15. What Would You Do?

What Would You Do? is a simple situational game that challenges participants to react to different circumstances. To play this game, read prompts one by one, and then ask participants to respond with gameplans. You can use the polling or raise hand feature to vote for the best option.

Here are some problem solving scenarios for adults or kids to use in the game:

Zombies attack and you have to find a place to hide.
You are at the zoo and the animals escape. Which one do you try to corral back into the pen first?
After waiting in line for hours, someone cuts in front of you last minute. The person appears to be visually and hearing impaired, and doesn’t notice your protests. An official announces that due to diminishing supply, this individual will be the last in line to be served.
You are eating a meal with important clients and/or your partner’s parents, and you want to impress. The individuals make you a dish that does not fit within your dietary restrictions, but you do not speak the same language and cannot explain why you do not want to eat.
An imposter has infiltrated the organization, who looks, speaks, and behaves exactly like you. How do you convince your peers that you are the original?

For similar dilemmas, check out this list of Would You Rather? questions.

16. Desert Island Survival

Desert Island Survival is a game that challenges players to prioritize. The premise is that players have been stranded on an island, and must decide what order to perform survival steps.

Here are the possible actions:

Set up shelter
Explore the island
Try to signal for help
Make weapons for self-defense
Build a raft to escape the island
Start a fire
Choose a group leader
Search for other survivors

All group members must agree on the order of the steps. Players should explain the reasoning for the order of each step while ranking the actions.

Another version of the game involves players receiving a list of 15 to 20 items, and selecting five or so to bring to the island. You can also vary the location of the game, substituting remote islands for destinations like outer space or the distant past.

17. Choose Your Own Adventure

Choose Your Own Adventure stories enable readers to determine the outcome of the story by making decisions. Each action has a consequence that takes the tale in a different direction. Participants can try to guess how the story may unfold by talking through the different choices. When completing the activity in a group setting, the majority of the team must agree on an action before moving forward in the story.

There are a few ways to facilitate these activities online:

Play an online role playing video game
Watch an interactive movie like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Read from a Choose Your Own Adventure book on Zoom
Click through a Choose Your Own Adventure platform
Create your own story using a Google Form

Whichever way you choose to do the exercise, you can use the screen share feature in your virtual meeting software so that listeners can more easily follow along.

18. MacGyver

MacGyver is a show where the hero escapes sticky situations by improvising tools out of unlikely materials. For example, in one episode the hero makes a telescope out of a newspaper, magnifying lens, and a watch crystal.

To play MacGyver, you can either list three to five objects participants can use, or challenge players to use items that are within arms reach.

Simply state a desired end result, such as “a way to open a locked door,” or “a getaway vehicle,” and then ask teams to explain what they will build and how they will build it. To make the activity more collaborative, you can give teams five or ten minutes in breakout rooms to strategize and design a prototype.

19. Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a roleplaying game where players pretend to be magical figures and creatures. One player serves as the dungeon master, who guides the game, while the other players pick characters and make decisions to move the story forward. Upon choosing a course of action, players roll a twenty-sided die to determine whether or not the plan succeeds. The game is story-based, the possibilities are nearly limitless, and truly creative problem solving options arise. Also, since gameplay is mostly verbal, Dungeons & Dragons is an easy activity to do over Zoom.

Here are the basic rules for Dungeons & Dragons .

20. Pandemic

Pandemic is a game that pits players against the forces of nature in a race to contain and control disease outbreaks. At the beginning of the game, each player receives a role such as containment specialist or operations expert. Participants must carry out the duties of their roles by choosing appropriate actions. Pandemic is a great game for groups because each team member has a clear part to play, and players must collaborate and work together instead of competing against each other.

To play the game online, you can use a Pandemic game app , or talk through the exercise while one attendee moves and displays pieces on the board.

Note: The subject of this game might hit too close to home for some players, considering recent history. You can find games with similar mechanics that deal with different subject matter, such as Forbidden Island.

Check out more team building board games .

21. Model UN

Model UN is one of the best virtual problem solving activities for students. This exercise casts participants in the role of international diplomats who must negotiate to solve realistic problems. Each player assumes the role of a country ambassador and must form alliances and propose solutions to solve crises.

Here are some sample Model UN scenarios:

Human rights violation by powerful country
Food shortage
Disease epidemic
Technology privacy violations
Civil war branching into surrounding countries
Natural disasters

Depending on the size of the group, participants either take on the part of an entire government of a country, or play a certain role within the government. To carry out the activity on Zoom, players can take turns giving speeches, message other countries privately via the chat, meet in breakout rooms to form alliances or have more intimate discussions, and use the polling feature to vote on propositions.

If politics does not resonate with your group, then you can alter the exercise by applying the same activity structure to a different theme, such as the Justice League, movie characters, business board members, or reality TV stars.

The main purpose of the exercise is to research, talk through problems, and compromise. As long as these elements are present, then the specifics of the setup do not matter.

There are many types of problem solving activities for adults. You can do online problem solving games, which require a different skill set than in-person problem solving. For instance, communication must be much clearer and more abundant when group members are far apart and unable to demonstrate or pick up physical cues.

Though many problem solving games include props and in-person elements, there are many games you can play together online. These exercises work well as educational tools as well as team bonding accelerators. Upon completion, participants are likely to feel a sense of accomplishment and increased confidence. These games are also great practice for real life conflict resolution, creative thinking and team building.

Next check out this list of connection games , this collection of crime-solving games , and this post with conflict resolution games .

We also have a list of the best decision making books and a list of team building problems for work .

Book wildly fun team building events with expert hosts

FAQ: Problem solving activities

Here are common answers to questions about group problem solving activities.

What are problem solving games?

Problem solving games are challenges that ask players to think critically and use logic to overcome issues or answer riddles. Examples include sudoku, murder mysteries, and spaghetti towers. These games are also known as “problem solving exercises”, “problem and solution games” and “group problem solving activities.”

What are the best problem solving games for groups?

The best problem solving games for groups include online escape rooms, moral challenges, and improv games.

What are some good problem solving team building activities for students?

Some good problem solving activities for students include crossword puzzles, choose your own adventure stories, and model UN.

How do you play problem solving games online?

The best way to play problem solving games online is to join a video call meeting to talk through the issue. Using the screen sharing and digital whiteboard features helps participants visualize the problem more clearly. Breakout rooms give teams the chance to discuss the issue more intimately.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

You missed chess… Now that’s problematic!

Get our free team building tool box

$49 value at no cost..

May as well check it out?
100+ tested icebreaker questions
24+ themed Bingo generators
5+ PDFs (including the 8% Rule)
2024 team building calendar and more...

Enter your email for instant access

Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar

10 Problem Solving Games for Kids

Playing board games is one of the best ways to spend time with your children. Why? Board games offer ample ways for kids to build their brains. Not only does playing games with your children improve family relationships and give opportunities for caring adults to help nurture good sportsmanship but the best games build kids' critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Note: this post contains affiliate links that may earn commission.

We've composed a list of problem solving games for kids that help develop the following critical skills:

Advance planning - what steps do you need to make in order to reach your goal?
Decision making - evaluating the benefits of multiple choices
Drawing conclusions and inference - how will your opponent respond to your choice?
Reevaluation - how you respond when the result is unexpected

Games work on all these skills while also being fun. What could be better? Here are our favorite 10 problem solving games for kids and families!

A note regarding age recommendations. I've included the manufacturer's recommendation, but most games can be played with younger kids, provided an adult is at the ready to assist.

BATTLE SHEEP

Every time you play Battle Sheep the playing space is different! That's because players start with 4 pasture boards that they take turns placing down to create the playing field. Kids are using advance planning and reevaluation right off the bat! Each player begins with 16 sheep and aims towards occupying as many pastures as they can. Players must chose between placing sheep or strategically blocking their opponents. We love this game that engages players' abstract thinking, strategic, and visual perception skills. Ages 7 and up. 2-4 players.

Find it: Amazon

Tsuro game of the path board, box and pieces

The board changes every time you play, keeping players on their toes and constantly reassessing their strategy. Players use tiles to create paths along which they move their tokens. The objective is to create paths in such a way that keep you moving but force your opponents off the board. Players must anticipate other's moves and problem solve in order accomplish both goals. Tsuro is also surprisingly easy to learn! Ages 8 and up. 2-8 players.

MORE : Our favorite tile-based games

Labyrinth board game box with game boards and pieces

Players make their way through an ever-shifting maze in pursuit of treasure. Each player begins with a set number of treasure cards and the player who collects all their treasure first, wins. The board consists of moving panels and on their turn, a player shifts the panels in an effort to further their own progress or hinder that of others. Ages 7 and up. 2-4 players

Kingdomino is a tile placing game in which players must make choices regarding how to build their kingdom. The objective of the game is to score as many points as possible by matching tiles based on terrain. But some terrains score more than others. Players must decide if they want to build a lot of low scoring terrains, or fewer high-scoring terrains. Your tile choice also affects the order of play for the next round so it's important to be thoughtful. We've throughly enjoyed this game. An expansion pack is available. Ages 8 and up. 2-4 players

Find it: Kingdomino | Expansion pack | Queendomino

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Photosynthesis from Blue Orange Games has an environmental theme. Players focus on growing trees through their life cycle from seed to maturity. Players strategize to "plant" their seeds where they will receive the most light, without being blocked in the future by other, maturing, trees. Successful game play requires planning and analysis. The artwork is beautiful and adds to the unique game play. We have enjoyed playing this game! Ages 8 and up. 2-4 players.

Azul's stunningly colorful game design was inspired by azulejos , a type of decorated ceramic tile introduced to Spain by the Moors and made popular in Portugal by King Manuel I. Players transform into tile laying artists, and must strategize over three phases of game play: choosing tiles, laying them and prepping for the next round. The object is to collect the most points by creating lines of 5 consecutive tiles. Each line of tiles must contain only one of each type of tile. The game ends when one player has completed a row, but that player is not necessarily the winner. Strategic problem solving and planning are required because players can lose points in the wall-tiling phase for any remaining, unused tiles. Ages 8 and up. 2-4 players.

Gobblet looks like Tic Tac Toe but players have large, medium and small pieces that nestle inside each other like Russian dolls. Players attempt to get four in a row by "gobbling" up smaller pieces. The game relies on advance planning, anticipating your opponent's moves and memory skills since you have to remember which Gobblets have been gobbled without peeking! Ages 7 and up. 2 players. A version for ages 5 and up is available as Gobblet Gobblers.

Find it: Gobblet | Gobblet Gobblers

Cat Crimes single player game from ThinkFun

LOGIC GAMES

Logic games are the ultimate problem solving entertainment! We love single player logic games and probably own an unhealthy number of these brain boosting puzzle games.

The following are some of our top favorites:

Cat Crimes , ages 8 and up ( pictured above ) - see it as our game of the month feature
Code Master , ages 8 and up - see it as our game of the month feature
Castle Logix , ages 3 and up - see it as our game of the month feature

Mancala is a classic game every family should have. The board has two rows of depressions, plus end "home" bowls. The goal is to transfer the most stones from the rows into your home. A set of rules govern how you deposit and capture stones. You must use strategy to capture stones and ensure you do not leave them vulnerable to your opponent's greedy, greedy paws. Playing Mancala improves memory and observation skills. You must engage your strategic thinking skills to make sure you don't inadvertently give your opponent the opportunity to thwart you. Ages 8 and up. 2 players.

There's a reason the classic detective board game, Clue, remains so popular. I loved it when I was a kid and I bet you did, too. Players race to be the first person to solve the mystery of the who, what and where of a murder. Clue requires deductive reasoning and logic skills to narrow down the possibilities. Players must also vigilantly observe the actions of other players to help them make logical decisions. Ages 8 and up, 2-6 players ( much better with 3 or more players ).

6 games that improve visual perception
Best award-winning games for each ages
12 best family games for all ages and skill levels

Reader Interactions

MIND Education

Meet the Team
Our Research
Our Approach to STEM
Our Patents
Our Partners
Partner Stories
InsightMath

Subscribe Now

The big list of board games that inspire mathematical thinking.

When a board game is presented as a math game, I am always eager to try it out!

Unfortunately, in many cases I find the math in these games are too straightforward with cards of math problems for players to solve, or numbered spaces to count. These games are usually far from fun, only allowing kids to practice math facts or formulas. They lack the opportunity for the player to choose from different actions, strategize or even plan ahead.

The math in board games doesn't have to be so straightforward! Math is not just about numbers and formulas, and games is one way we can experience the beauty of math all around us.

There are many fun board games that integrate deeper mathematical thinking into the gameplay. These games help students develop skills such as multi-step problem-solving, spatial reasoning, pattern recognition, resource management and much more.

Here's my list of go-to board games for engaging students in math through games. I've arranged them loosely by recommend ages, but many of these games play great whether your students are six years old or seventeen years old (for example, Tsuro).

Math Board Games for Early Learners

Achi is a game played by the Asante people of Ghana that is similiar to tic-tac-toe. However, where tic-tac-toe ends when all the pieces have been placed, Achi continues as players move their pieces to adjacent spaces until a 3-in-a-row is formed. Download the free printable board game from MIND Research Institute! You can also find the storybook board game version with even more math in MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara .

Number of players : 2 Recommended ages : 6+ Time to play: Less than 5 minutes (but you'll want to play several games) Math connections : Achi is structured to naturally lead to questions that can be resolved through logic and deduction.

Explore the history of Achi and its math connections in MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara .

Robot Turtles

Robot Turtles is a quick, fun and fast game which teaches programming fundamentals. The older student, or adult, as the "turtle mover" provides informative feedback by moving the players' turtles according to the actions each player chose. Another neat thing about this game is that you can start very simple and in the next games add elements to make it more challenging.

Number of players : 2-5 Recommended ages : 4+ Time to play: 10+ minutes Math connections : rotation, multi-step problem solving, computational thinking.

Qwirkle is a sequence creation game. Players play a sequence of tiles that match in either shape or color to score points. This game is very quick to learn and play!

Number of players : 2-4 Recommended ages : 5+ Time to play: 15 minutes Math connections : Shape identification, counting, addition.

math board games for kindergartners qwirkle

Ice Cool combines two of my favorite things: penguins and geometry. Players flick their penguin piece across the board and through doorways to collect fish, or chase other players. Students develop fine motor skills as well as an understanding of angles as they maneuver their piece around the board.

Number of Players: 2-4 Recommended ages: 6+ Time to play: 20 minutes Math connections: geometry, measurement and estimation, counting.

Set is a time-based set collection card game. A set is a combination that is all alike or all different in all categories: shape, number, pattern/shading, and color. The game is very visual and language-free, which is great for English learners or other students with communication challenges. The flexibility in number of players and ways you can play make it great as a filler or early finisher activity. For younger ages and for travel, there is a mini-version of the game with only 3 categories.

Set cards can also be used to create math talks or puzzles for a quick warm-up activity.

Number of players: 1+ (recommend 2-6) Recommended ages: 6+ Time to play: 5-10 minutes Math connections: Pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, logic

Describe the card that could complete the set:

$set-math-board-game-puzzle$

Answer: Both cards are shaded, so the card must be shaded. One is a 1, and the other a 3, so the third card must be a 2. One card is a diamond, and the other an oval, so the final card must be a squiggle. Both cards are red, so the final card must also be red.

$set-math-puzzle$

Another fun warm-up puzzle is to put an image of an array of 12 cards on the screen/board, and ask students to find all possible sets:

$set-visual-math-card-game$

In Tsuro, players take turns placing tiles, which create paths for the player to follow, some of which may lead off of the board. The object of the game is to be the last player on the board. No two tiles are alike, which is in itself a great math question. "Place a tile and follow the path" is an easy enough concept for younger players to understand, and older players will be able to strategize about which card to play and where to move on the board to control more of the space.

Number of players : 2-8 Recommended ages : 6+ Time to play: 20 minutes Math connections : Multi-step problem solving, spatial reasoning, patterns, graph theory.

Tsuro is a tile-placement game in which players can develop spatial reasoning as they visualize how their piece will move along the paths.

Math board games for kids 8+.

This centuries-old game is traditionally played by the Dakarkari people in what is now the Sokota State region of Nigeria. Players take turns placing their pieces on the board, then move pieces in an attempt to form rows of three. When a player forms a row of three, they get to remove one of the opponent's pieces. Download the free printable board game from MIND Research Institute!

Number of players : 2 Recommended ages : 8+ Time to play: 20 minutes Math connections: Dara is an ancestor of chess, sharing a focus on deductive reasoning and multi-step problem solving.

Players add notched wire pieces to build a shifting sculpture that appears to always be just hanging in balance. There are multiple ways to play, making it great for a range of ages. This game is simple but exciting, because at any move the whole structure could collapse!

Number of players : 1+ Recommended ages : 8+ Time to play: 15+ minutes Math connections : Symmetry, equal parts, physics.

Ticket to Ride

Players build train tracks across the United States, attempting to complete their unique tasks for bonus points. The strategy is in choosing which routes to take, jugding which bonus cards to target and reacting to how your opponents place.

Number of players: 2-4 Recommended ages: 8+ Time to play: 60 minutes Math connections: Multi-step problem solving, resource management.

math board games for kids ticket to ride

Laser Khet 2.0

Khet is similiar to a laser version of chess, where players must rotate and move mirror pieces and blocking pieces to get their laser beam to hit the other player's pharoh while protecting their own pharoh. When players move or rotate a piece, they end their turn by pressing their laser beam. The informative feedback helps players determine their next moves.

Number of players : 2 Recommended ages : 8+ Time to play: 20+ minutes Math connections: Rotation, angles, reflection and refraction as well as multi-step problem solving.

Loony Quest

Available on eBay.

Loony Quest is a drawing game where players study the level card for a short time and draw a path on their own transparent sheet. After the time runs out, players take turns overlaying their transparent sheet onto the board to see how well they did. Players get bonuses (depending on the card) for things like grabbing coins and keys, and completing the objective, and lose points for hitting obstacles or enemies. The level cards look like video games, which is very appealing to kids.

Players have to use spatial reasoning to visualize the path and draw where they need to go on the board. The time forces players to estimate and move quickly, though for students with fine motor difficulties you could add time (two turns) or do away with the timer.

$loony-quest-math-board-game$

Ricochet Robots

In Ricochet Robots, players must figure out how to get the robot to a particular spot on the board in the lowest number of moves compared to your opponents. Once someone thinks they have a solution, they say the number of moves they will use. The timer starts for the rest of the players to say their number if they think they have a solution with fewer moves. There are multiple solutions to every problem, and every game is different. This game also helps build working memory, as you must visualize your solution and remember it even while others try out their own solutions. There's also an online version of Ricochet Robots , but it is a solo version.

Number of players : 2+ Recommended ages : 9+ Time to play: 3-5 minutes per round (you can limit the number of rounds) Math connections : Patterns, algorithms, working memory.

Math Board Games for Middle School and High School Students

Love letter.

This quick card game has limited rules: on your turn you draw a card and play a card. The goal is to get to the princess, but the deck is stacked with all kinds of other characters who can help and hinder you. Since there are only 16 cards, it is a great exercise in memory and deduction, as players try to eliminate other players and find the princess. There are also many different themed versions of the game, including Lovecraft, The Hobbit, Batman, etc, that you can find one that resonates with your students.

Number of players: 2-4 Recommended ages: 10+ Time to play: 20 minutes Math connections: logic and deduction, memory.

Escape From the Aliens in Outer Space

Not only is Escape From the Aliens in Outer Space a fun theme that students will enjoy, it really tests your students' abilities to think logically. Each player has their own map and dry erase marker, choosing where they will move on the map then drawing a card that determines if they state their location or lie about their location to the group.

Depending on if they are a human or alien, the player must escape or prevent escape to win. If students are listening and tracking, they can absolutely deduce where the other players are located on the map! A print and play version is available for a small fee.

Number of players: 2-8 Recommended ages: 12+ Time to play: 20-45 minutes Math connections: logic, pattern recognition, deduction.

Players hide their movements while trying to deduce and track where other players are moving.

Splendor is a turn-based strategy game. Players collect gems and cards each turn, generating combinations that garner them extra points. After one player hits a certain amount of points, the player with the most points at the end of the round wins.

Number of players: 2-4 Recommended ages: 12+ Time to play: 40-60 minutes Math connections: resource management, multi-step problem-solving.

Five Tribes

Five Tribes is an updated and expanded version of Mancala. Players move colored meeples (board game pieces) in a similar fashion to Mancala, picking up a group and dropping one meeple at a time as they move around the board, then performing an action on their final space. There are many ways to gain points in this game, including claiming spaces, gaining abilities, and collecting resources. Players also have an opportunity to bid to go first, which allows players to risk a certain amount of points to gain possibly more points.

Number of players: 3-4 Recommended ages: 12+ Time to play: 60-90 minutes Math connections: spatial reasoning, resource management, multi-step problem-solving.

Sagrada is a turn-based strategy game where you are building your stained glass mosaic using colored dice. However, you must follow certain rules for building (for each adjacent piece, the color and number must be different than those surrounding it) in addition to the rules on your individual building plans.

Depending on how and where you add your dice, you can make it easier or more difficult for yourself. This is where looking at probability comes into play, so you can make it more likely that you’ll be able to build each turn. In addition, there are bonus points from cards (they change each game) - so players need to weigh which dice and placement will net them more points.

It’s also a great game to build productive struggle and learning from mistakes, because you get much better the more you play. It’s competitive, but you can also play to beat your personal score each game.

Number of players: 1-4 players (up to 6 with expansion) Recommended ages: 14+ Time to play: 30-45 minutes Math connections: Multi-step thinking, pattern recognition, logic and deduction, number sense, probability.

Honorable Mentions

These games have been mentioned to have math connections, but I found that the math was not quite integrated well into the strategy and gameplay (for example, just practicing math facts), or the gameplay did not make enough deeper math connections for me to consider adding it to the list. Please note, this is just my opinion and that doesn’t mean that these games don’t have merit for educational play.

Prime Climb (math facts practice)

Telepathy (logic and deduction)

Settlers of Catan (resource management)

Straw ( math facts practice)

I hope this list helps you get started building your own library of math board games and help facilitate tons of interesting math discussions!

Looking for even more games? Check out the big list of STEM board games !

Did I miss any of your favorite board games? Please let me know on twitter !

Don't forget to check out our box of storybook board games, MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara!

Please note, some links direct the user to the product on Amazon Smile , where you can set your charity of choice to MIND Research Institute and support math education through your purchase. Thank you for joining us on our mission to ensure that all students are mathematically equipped to solve the world's biggest challenges.

Board game photography on this page by Unfiltered Gamer .

About the Author

Calli Wright was the Marketing Manager at MIND Research Institute. She loves playing and designing board games, which she often talks about on twitter @CalliWrights .

Milwaukee Public Schools Celebrates District-Wide Rollout of ST Math

Search result by:.

Rethinking Attendance in Edtech

LATEST PODCAST EPISODES

By mind research institute.

People, Process, and Penguins: Designing Math Experiences
Bridging STEM Gaps with STEMconnector CEO Jo Webber
The EdTech Genome Project: Talking Implementation with Elizabeth Birie
From Meeting the Moment to Foundational Change

See all podcasts

Interested in contributing.

Join Our Newsletter

Accessibility
MIND Marketplace

Best Critical Thinking Board Games for Adults

By: Author Cheryl Kochenderfer

Categories Board Games , 2 Player Board Games , Euro , Family Board Games , Round-Ups

Critical thinking skills are… critical! They help us think outside the box, analyze situations, and problem-solve effectively.

To keep those critical thinking skills sharp, you’ll need to use them! Our top picks for the best critical thinking board games for adults are here to help.

We’ve done the research. Now it’s your turn to decide which is for you. So put your critical thinking cap on, pick your favorite, and get ready to play!

Table of Contents

???? Our Top Picks for Best Critical Thinking Board Games for Adults

In a hurry? Take a quick peek before you go.

Five Tribes

Players: 2-4 Playing time: 40-80 minutes

The death of the sultan has brought about a great opportunity in Naqala. The seat of power is up for grabs, and it’s best to strike while the iron is hot! Can you use the region’s Five Tribes to your advantage and become ruler of this Arabian land?

Five Tribes is a set collection and bidding game played on a modular board. The rules seem straightforward, but you’ll need to use your best critical thinking and planning skills to achieve goals.

Turn-taking happens in steps and begins by bidding for turn order. In the movement phase, pick up meeples from any square on the board and move them Mancala-style. The meeples you pick up dictate what you do in the action phase. Ultimately, you’ll trade meeples to collect cards, which can be exchanged for coins. It’s about strategic placement and trading up.

The wealthiest player in Arabia is the winner, so go big or go home!

Players: 1-4 Playing time: 30-45 minutes

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest! The region of Cascadia is as diverse as it is beautiful . The terrain includes deserts, mountains, valleys, and rivers – and it’s your job to decide where they all go.

Played on individual modular boards, everyone begins with a starting tile with all 7 terrains represented. On your turn, add a terrain tile and animal token to your board. Place them strategically because adjacent terrains add up to points. End-game bonuses are also waiting for those with the most of each landscape.

But don’t forget about the wildlife in Cascadia! Wildlife tokens are played and scored according to different rules in each game. Maybe hawks prefer flying over deserts, or animals like to travel in pairs. Things to bear in mind!

Turns run out when the tiles do, so use your time – and tiles – wisely! Will you be a force of nature in Cascadia? Play to find out.

Players: 2-4 Playing time: 30-45 minutes

You’ve been tasked with tiling the beautiful walls of a mosaic-style building. But you can’t add tiles just anywhere! Tile placement and planning are critical in this game.

Azul is played in three rounds with three phases each. Players get their own personal walls. Purchase tiles from the community factory and think about which will fit best and how exactly you’ll lay them out. But don’t overstock – excess tiles count against you!

It’s time to tile! Organize your tiles row by row. But use some critical thinking here — certain patterns and orders will earn you more points!

Building up walls isn’t always a bad thing. May the most beautiful one win!

Players: 2-4 Playing time: 15 minutes

Quoridor is a quick-playing game requiring spatial awareness and logic .

It comes with a square playing board, wall-like blocks, and pawns. On your turn, choose to place a wall or move your pawn one space. The ultimate goal is to move all pawns to the other side – but that task is more challenging than first meets the eye! You’ll be balancing defense and offense as you make your way across.

Create corridors to block your opponent, but don’t neglect your pawns in the process. Will you get walled-in or race your pawns to victory?

Charterstone

Players: 1-6 Playing time: 45-75 minutes

Charterstone is a land-grabbing and city-building game. As a legacy game , the board will change along with your moves.

Players utilize two workers throughout the game. Start off small but create a bustling village by the end. Take an action on your turn – that might be placing a worker and buying a benefit or collecting your workers from the table . Ultimately, you need to use your workforce to create the most prosperous city in the land.

The game builds well — starting simple and becoming more complex. There are more and more choices and strategies as you progress. If you can predict your opponents’ future moves, you may even be able to use them to your benefit.

But don’t let analysis paralysis bring you down! Keep calm and build on.

Players: 2 Playing time: 20 minutes

This buzz-worthy game will have you exercising your analytical and abstract strategy skills.

Hive is a tile-placement game that requires zero setup and can be played almost anywhere. The opposing sides have either black or white tiles representing different insects – and your collection of creepy crawlies is itching to get out and play.

Each turn, players add an insect tile to the communal hive. The goal is to surround the opposing queen bee, taking her down. Creatures move differently – spiders crawl three tiles away, the elegant bee moves only one space, and the pesky mosquito takes on the abilities of those around it. Analyze the insects at play and decide which should hop, crawl, or soar to victory.

This two-player game has one clear winner and loser. Will you fly high or feel the sting of a loss? Head to the hive to find out!

Mandala is an aesthetically pleasing game involving colorful card collections.

The goal is to fill up your river with these cards. You can have up to 8 cards in your hand. When it’s your turn you can add cards to the mountains or fields to form mandalas or discard unwanted colors. There are rules for where and how to place each color though, so analyze your choices well.

Once a mandala is complete, players go back and forth choosing which color cards from the mandala to add to their rivers. You want your river to be overflowing. The extra cards get you points at the end so avoid a drought at all costs!.

It’s the type of game that’s easy to pick up once you see it and start playing. Get into the flow of things with Mandala!

Dinosaur Island

Players: 1-4 Playing time: 90-120 minutes

Head to Dinosaur Island! Here, you’ll be responsible for a Jurassic Park-themed operation. Your workers and scientists must collect DNA, analyze it, and produce the correct sequence to revive these extinct creatures.

Dinosaur Island gets you thinking critically by working out these equations and using business savvy. You must research and develop the busiest theme park to bring in those visitors – and profits.

If you can’t decode the DNA and build your business, your theme park will go extinct! How will you fare on the island? Will you dino- soar or sink?

Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig

Players: 2-7 Playing time: 45-60 minutes

If you like critical thinking games with a theme, you’ll enjoy Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig.

It’s the Post-Napoleonic era, and castles are in high demand. The Mad King Ludwig commissioned his finest architects to design a castle according to his demands. You’ll work with others, but only one architect will get the final say.

In Between Two Castles, you’ll work with the players on either side of you to create a castle. Cards represent different rooms. Pick up two at a time and decide which castle they will benefit most – the right or left. Add each card to the optimal blueprint. Room placement matters as you get extra points for satisfying the King’s wishes.

You’ll be collaborating and competing with others while creating designs. The mechanics are unique, but you’ll catch on quickly after a few rounds.

Decision-making is the key to the castle! So don’t get yourself between a rock and a hard place. Get between two high-scoring castles instead!

Chess and Go

Players: 2 Playing time: 10-60 minutes

Chess is a race to take down the opposing King. All the pieces move according to specific rules but work together. You’ll want to keep as many pieces as possible during your mission.

In Chess, there are many routes to choose from. Observe the board, think ahead, and consider your options. Devise the best plan of attack – or defense. You can slowly weaken the opposition or go straight for their King. But the first player to say “Checkmate” wins!

Go is the oldest critical thinking game still played – and it’s survived for a reason! It’s a simple concept but employs high-level thinking. Two players use either white or black tiles. Go back and forth, placing one of your tiles on the board each turn.

If you surround your opponent, you claim their tile. At the end of the game, count the open intersections and the seized tiles to determine the winner. It’s all about gaining territory. So strategize and go, go, go!

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best critical-thinking board games for adults! Playing these board games will help you improve your problem-solving, logic, and critical-thinking skills, all while having fun!

Have you tried any of the games on this list? Did we miss any of your favorites? Drop a comment below and let us know what you think! We’d love to hear from you.

You may also enjoy:

Best Logic Board Games for Adults
Best Logic Board Games for Kids
Best Strategy Board Games
Best Strategy Board Games for Kids
Best Strategy Card Games

Cheryl is a teacher, writer, and board game fan. She likes incorporating games into all areas of her life, from classrooms and family nights to lively parties with friends. While she’s played too many to count, her favorites have always been classics like Codenames and chess.

Good Parenting Brighter Children

Nurture Your Child's Wonder

in Good Ancestors/Traditions Brighter Children · Good Parenting Brighter Children

11 Best Brain-Building Board Games for Teens in the World!

Inside: If you want to build your teen’s sense of creativity and problem-solving skills, you need brain-building board games for teens. Playing the right games will exercise the brain and make teens smarter. These games require strategy, spatial organization, and visual perception. They are perfect for teens and tweens. Play games with your kids and watch their brains soar.

Board Games for Teens

Playing games with your kids will help develop their abilities to problem-solve and strategize. These are qualities they can use in later life

If you’re looking for the perfect activity to do with your teens or a gift to give your teens–try board games! The right board games for teens will exercise their brains in amazing ways and make them smarter kids. And I speak from experience.

Here is a list of 10 board games for teens plus a super bonus game that will get your tweens and teens thinking on all four cylinders. These are brain-building board games for teens that involve intricate strategy, spatial organization, and visual perception. Several of them are considered “oldies but goodies,” because they have stood the test of time and are loved and beloved by many.

Bottom line: For this age group, they are literally the best board games for teens in the world. Plus–check out the “review section” from people who play these games regularly.

Best Board Games for Teens & Tweens

#1 board games for teens: settlers of catan.

About the Game :

The goal is to build cities, settlements, roads and to collect development cards.

Each player uses various resources such as grain, ore, lumber, farm animals, or brick to sell or trade with other players. You get resources by rolling the dice and trading with other players. However, you must be on the lookout for someone trying to rob you or block your ability to trade.

Catan is a landmark game, and a modern classic of teaching social order wrapped up in play. It was awarded “Game of the Year,” in the United States and Germany and is considered an international favorite and an amazing board game for teens.

Ages: 10 and up

How it builds the brain:.

Players are required to think and both visually and mentally strategize their moves. This kind of play builds the spatial areas of the brain which in turn helps kids in math. It also teaches basic economics.

Review from Jason:

This is a must-have for any game-playing family. Strategic enough to entice adults yet simple to reel in young children. Warning: highly addictive!

Teens and tweens love to play board games–they build problem-solving skills, spatial intelligence, and team-building skills.

#2 Board Games for Teens: Hive

About the Game:

As more and more pieces are added; the game becomes a fight to see who can be the first to capture the opposing Queen Bee. Playing the game is easy and you can become quite proficient in a short amount of time.

Although not as intense as chess, it is more interesting than playing checkers. Unlike chess, the board is always changing (as you build the hive), and it’s easier than chess—even though you have to be on your toes thinking through each move.

Ages: 8 and up

How it builds the brain: .

It’s a game of strategy and perception, so each player must think and think again. Many board games just require shaking the dice and moving the pieces. Not this! You are thinking, strategizing and maneuvering the entire time. And, it also strengthens the spatial areas of the brain as you build your hive (which increases math understanding).

Review from Brandon:

Hive is a lot like chess. Lots of versatile pieces, two-player only, super addicting, and tons of strategy play. It brings out the best problem-solving skills you never thought you had.

#3 Board Games for Teens: Coup (The Dystopian Universe)

This is considered one of the “Resistance” games because Coup is all about deception and political intrigue.

Kids love to play board games–especially when their parents join in the fun!

The government is run for profit by the “royal class” of multinational CEOs. Because of their greed, most people live lives of poverty and desperation while the upper class lives, “high on the hog.”

Out of the depressed rises “The Resistance,” an underground organization bent on overthrowing the greedy rulers. They create discord and weakness in the political royal, almost bringing the government to collapse.

According to the cards you draw, you can manipulate, bribe, and bluff your way into absolute power. In order to win, you must destroy the influence of your rivals and send them to exile. Unfortunately, there is only room for one person to survive.

Ages: 12 and up

Another game about thinking and strategizing. Consider this: your teen must use his/her thinking hats when playing these games and in turn, he/she translates those same skills while doing schoolwork. Playing and strategizing using games is the best way to learn thinking skills.

Coup is a fun social game about honesty and deception. You can bluff your way into any action, but it’s never mandatory. Truth-telling can also be rewarded. You get to decide. The fun of the game is detecting the fibbers, calling them out, or perhaps even getting tempted yourself to spin a yarn. It’s a game that’s best elevated when you’re playing with people who can appreciate a good poker bluff and not mind being called out for it.

#4 Board Games for Teens: Dominion: 2 nd Edition

About the game:

Each player is a monarch and ruler of a small kingdom (just like your parents before you). But, you have bigger hopes and dreams than your parents and want a larger kingdom. You want a Dominion.

In all directions on the board are small pieces of land, controlled by petty lords; verging on anarchy. Your goal is to bring civilization and unite these people under your banner. However, other monarchs (players) have the same idea. The race is on and you must get as much unclaimed land as possible. To accomplish this, you hire minions, construct buildings, spruce up your castle, and fill the coffers of your treasury.

Ages: 14 and up

How it builds the brain :.

This game builds critical thinking skills because players analyze, synthesize and evaluate each move as they play.

Review from Melissa:

Though intimidating at first, quickly becomes addictive and exciting , to say the least. Don’t let the many decks of cards stress you out. Strategically placing a specific card may be the turning point in you winning or losing the game.

#5 Board Games for Teens: Blokus

The goal of this game is for the players to fit all of their pieces onto the board. As they place a piece, it cannot lie adjacent to the other player’s pieces. But it must be placed touching at least one corner of their pieces already on the board. The player who gets rid of all of their tiles first is the winner.

The game is easy to learn, takes about 30 minutes to play and can be repeated for more family fun.

Ages: 7 and up

Blokus is a fast-paced strategy game that defines “One Rule, Endless Possibilities.” It requires quick-thinking, considering all possibilities, and making careful calculations. This game strengthens the spatial areas of the brain which translates into better math skills.

This is a great game for budding engineers and anyone who is good at spatial games (think Tetris). Will also come in handy for later endeavors like packing suitcases in the car.

Games teach kids how to strategize and think–all important life-time skills!

#6 Board Games for Teens: Codenames

There are two rival spymasters who know the identity of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their codenames. Each team tries to make contact with all their agents first and win the game.

Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Teammates try to guess words while avoiding those belonging to the opposing team. There is also an assassin that everyone tries to avoid.

Helps your teen to strategize, analyze, and evaluate knowledge. In other words, it is building critical thinking skills. For your child to be successful in school and beyond, they must learn how to think critically. This game helps to develop those skills.

Review from Melissa:

A card game like no other. Having to think of one word to describe many things — It’s a fun way to stretch your brain and really see if you know the people you think you know.

#7 Board Games For Teens: Stratego

About the game :

Two armies clash and one is victorious. These are Napoleonic armies and each player must devise plans to deploy troops with strategic attacks and clever deception to break through the opponent’s line and capture the flag.

Ages : 8 and up

How it builds the brain :.

Another game of strategy, evaluation, and analyzation—the basis of critical thinking skills

Review from Jason :

A simple game that has stood the test of time. I loved it as a kid, and I love it as an adult. It combines the quintessential features of a quality game: enjoyable for all ages, and fun enough to keep coming back for more.

The ultimate game of strategy, careful evaluation and knowing your opponent’s next move

#8 Board Games for Teens: SET: The family game of visual perception

The object of the game is to find as many SETs as you can—the player with the most SETs at the end of the game wins. A set of cards consists of 3 cards that are either All Alike or All Different in each of 4 features: symbols, colors, numbers, and shadings. Twelve cards are displayed at once and everyone is racing to find sets and when a player finds a set, he/she must call it out and point it out.

Ages: 6 and up

As the game states, it’s about visual perception. Visual perception is extremely important for learning, reading, and writing. It’s the process of absorbing what you see, organizing it in the brain, and making sense of it.

Review from Yael:

I love SET because not only does it exercise your brain, but I love seeing how everyone’s minds work. Some people notice the simple sets, some only look for the complicated ones (that was me, sometimes I wouldn’t see a super easy one staring me in the face!), some people are methodical about searching…anyway, it is always a lot of fun and very rewarding to win!

#9 Board Games for Teens: Spontuneous : The Song Game

One player says a “trigger” word and the race is on for the others to sing a song containing that word. Each player tries to stump other players from singing a portion of any song containing the trigger word. The first person to reach the “Finish Line” of their song wins the game.

How it Builds the Brain:

I’m all for anything that has a musical component to it. As you “sing” your way through this game you are building the auditory areas of your brain which translates into better reading, writing and concentration skills.

Review from Sharlene:

Last year I didn’t know a whole lot about this game–got it, played it–and it’s fabulous! Because there is a listening component to it, it will help to develop the aural skills (or listening skills) of your children. This is a keeper!

#10 Board Games for Teens: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

When choosing board games for your tweens and teens, choose ones that require higher-order thinking skills such as having to analyze, synthesize and evaluate their moves

Okay, I’m not a fan of video games. I’ve seen too many kids stare comatose into a screen hour after hour and push buttons to maim or kill their opponents. Most video games are not educational (sorry). And all that staring at a 2-dimensional screen is anything BUT good for the brain.

However, my daughter-in-law encouraged me to include one video game that actually requires a lot of strategy and thinking. Hence: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Each player is exploring the wilds of Hyrule; climbing towers, mountain peaks and braving the wilderness. They battle enemies, wild beasts and gather ingredients for food and elixirs for the journey. Players discover 100 Shrines of Trials and solve puzzles inside that include physics, harnessing the power of nature, (including electricity, wind, and fire), and thinking outside the box.

Players must be prepared and equipped with different outfits and gears as they encounter varying temperatures and a need for clothes that can make you faster or stronger. And of course, battling enemies is part of the deal. And each enemy has its own attack method and weaponry—so you must put on your best thinking caps to defeat them.

After carefully reading dozens of reviews on this game, I’ve come to the conclusion that it really does require higher-level thinking skills and strategizing. I believe that kids develop these skills precisely through game playing and NOT through boring workbooks (that they are given in school). Hence, I think this sounds like a game that will definitely build critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills.

Breath of the Wild is not your average video game. It opens you to a massive, open universe and dares you to explore. It challenges you to problem solve in super creative ways. It tests your ability to analyze complex puzzles like no Zelda game has ever done before. You’re always learning how to best survive, forage for food and weapons, adapt to cold and hot climates, and how to best defeat your enemies. Best of all, this game allows you to discover all of this through experimentation. The level of freedom is incredible and super refreshing. You’d be hard-pressed to find a smarter, more rewarding video game experience.

#11 Board Games for Teens: Bonus Game: Dabble

You say “go” and the race to spell 5 words in 2 minutes using your 20 tiles is on! The first person to spell 5 words wins the round.

Ages: 8 and up. 2-4 players needed

How it builds the brain:.

Strong readers have strong spelling and vocabulary skills. This game builds both. Each player needs to think and work fast to spell 5 words correctly. Plus for older players, it acts as a brain-teaser and keeps the brain sharp!

Review by Max:

This game is amazing for kids as young as 8 and as old as 100. Why? Because it provides a great brain-teaser for people wanting to keep their minds in tip-top shape. At times it almost feels like a crossword puzzle—having to think of words and spell them correctly. Another advantage; it can be played solo.

So, there it is—11 of the “Best Brain-building Games in the World” for your tweens and teens.

Here is the “Teaching Tips for Parents” section. They include ideas for parents to help increase fun, learning, and interaction with your kids as you play the best board games for teens.

board games for teens, board games for kids, board games for families, sequence board games, family board games, best board games, best board games for adults.

Check out the 2-minute video here

If you have experience with any of these games—please comment below. Or, if your family plays other games that you love, and that build your kid’s brains, please let us know which games (so we can join in the fun).

Want to remember this post post these “ 11 best brain-building board games for teens in the world ” to your favorite pinterest board.

February 2, 2023 at 10:03 pm

My Daughter is 9. She struggles with dyslexia. She is in 3rd grade. During COVID I keep her home and tried to home school her. It was a major failure. So she pretty much didn’t go to 2nsd grade. Now she’s struggling. I want to find fun learning games and activities we can do to help her in school.

February 3, 2023 at 10:25 am

I had a son that was dyslexic. If possible, I would talk to an Occupational Therapist for ideas on how to help your daughter. It can be very frustrating for kids to learn when they have learning challenges. Have you had your daughter tested for auditory processing? There could be a connection. We played lots of games with my son–all of the ones I’ve listed here. It takes time to help learning-challenged kids. And reach out to her school and teachers–they may have ideas, too. Best of luck!

December 16, 2018 at 4:54 pm

I love your list. We are a HUGE board game family! Settlers of Catan is our second favorite game! One that didn’t hit your list but our house favorite is 7 Wonders. We are an extremely competitive family, and this is one where your play doesn’t negatively affect other players. So, nobody gets mad. It’s not a cooperative game, but your play affects only you, and it’s just a really fun game. Pandemic is another house favorite, a cooperative game… And for extended play, Pandemic Legacy.

December 16, 2018 at 6:58 pm

Stephanie! These are great suggestions! I’m going to check them out–before Christmas. We like to exchange board games (we used to exchange DVDs–a waste). These sound perfect for the gifts I still need to get. Thanks for your input & suggestions!

December 11, 2018 at 3:53 pm

What a great list of games for teens!!! I can honestly say I haven’t played a single one of this list. This excites me though because now I have 11 games to introduce in our house. First on my list, Spontuneous:The Song Game, for my music loving son.

December 11, 2018 at 5:01 pm

He will love Spontuneous! But–try Settlers of Catan–that one is amazing! Thanks for your input–always appreciate your support!

November 14, 2017 at 9:34 pm

Thanks for the info about these games. I’m always looking for new and GREAT games. My grandkids are getting older and several of these games sound perfect. They are smart kids who like a challenge!

[…] teens and older kids, some of the best brain-building board games to play during the pandemic include Settlers of Catan, […]

GPBC on Facebook

GPBC on Pinterest

Gpbc on instagram, goodparentingbc.

Kids Nutrition - exit

Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math

Helping families to learn and enjoy math together.

Build Problem-Solving Skills with Board Games

Board games are a celebration of problem solving, and problem solving is at the heart of a quality mathematics education… The mathematics might be hidden, but I guarantee you that it will be there. — Gordon Hamilton, MathPickle.com Commercial Games 8

Games for Ages 8+

Games for Ages 12+

5 thoughts on “ Build Problem-Solving Skills with Board Games ”

I love the 8+ video and recommendations but the 12+ has a link to the 8+ video.

Oops! Thank you for pointing that out. My internet connection was running so slow that I didn’t take time to double-check the post. I should have known better. Fixed now.

Any recommendations for the 6-8 age range please? cheers

We have found that most games that an 8 year old can play can also be played by my 6 year old. If you’re unsure, try playing on a team with your 6 year old and let them do as much on their own as they can – they may surprise you!

One game that is actually rated 6+ that we enjoy is Qwirkle.

Have used many games in the classroom. One worth your site mentioning is Mathopoly, which comes out of Canada. I ordered it online (mathopoly.ca) Amazing for ages 12 and up, some of my students parents are using it to brush up on their own skills too. Thanks for the great site.

Developing Thinking Skills Through Board Games

Despite the millions of apps and video games that invade our everyday lives, board games (also known as tabletop games) are making a comeback to the family table. If what comes to mind when you hear the phrase family board games is Monopoly or Scrabble , then think again, there are now a myriad of themes with enticing illustrations and complex mechanics to spice up your tabletop gaming experience. This new generation of games offers parents opportunities to bond with their children and reclaim time away from screens whilst building key 21 st century thinking skills in an entertaining way.

Board games offer multiple ways to develop a number of thinking skills . For example, problem solving , logical thinking and decision making are developed through:

planning within a restrictive amount of choice
management and prioritising of limited resources
thinking ahead of the current turn
predicting what others may do
evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of different moves
staying ahead while remembering and adhering to the rules of the game
flexibility in playing the same game differently each time.

Another important benefit derived from playing board games is the unique opportunity that they offer to process sets of information simultaneously . This creates regular practice in working memory and information processing . These cognitive skills have been shown to play a crucial role in academic performance as well as in the everyday life of all adults. They involve being able to remember key facts about the issue at hand, while mentally comparing and contrasting options or propositions, then organising or prioritising these key facts to produce a response, which may be verbal or by means of a chosen behaviour or action. The more variables the child can manipulate at once, the higher the probability that they will choose an optimal resolution.

Some introductory games that could be used by your family to develop these skills, include:

Alhambra – Create your own Alhambra complex, buying gardens, pavilions and other structures, while building the longest garden wall. The more of each structure you have compared to other players, the more points you get, and if you are efficient with the use of your money, you get rewarded with another turn.
Azul – Compete to get tiles from suppliers for your Portuguese mosaic grid. The order in which you complete it will determine your points, but wasted supplies will cost you, and you can’t repeat a pattern within a column or row. For an added level of complexity see Azul: Summer Pavilion .
Carcassonne, like Catan, has been around for a long time, but their simple rules make them good entry games for all ages. In Carcassonne, tiles are placed to create the board, and the player has to decide whether and which choice of worker to place; some will get you points for the tiles around it or the longest farm area. In Catan the player creates their own settlement, building houses and roads, for which resource cards (wood, grain, brick, sheep and stone) are needed.
Sagrada – Each player builds a stained-glass window by building up a grid of dice on their player board. Each board has some restrictions on which colour and die value can be placed, with same colour or value not being allowed next to each other. Special cards allow a player to break a rule, and individual goal cards give additional points for those who achieve them.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf – This is a fast-paced game of deceit, where the town people need to catch the werewolf. With each player having a hidden role, trying to discover who is the werewolf or trying to conceal that you are, takes wit and quick thinking.
7 Wonders – As the leader of one of the 7 great cities of the Ancient World, you need to gather basic resources to develop commercial routes and affirm military supremacy. A set of cards is dealt in each of the three rounds, the player takes one and passes the rest to an adjacent player. Then, players play their one card simultaneously, paying or taking resources to place them. This is repeated until all cards have been used. After each of the three rounds, players get points for their buildings and military strength as compared to immediate neighbours.
Between Cities – You work with the player on your left to design the heart of one city (playing a factory, shop, park, landmark or house), and with the player on your right to design the heart of another city. On each turn you select two tiles from a hand, reveal them, then work with your partners separately to place one of those tiles into each of your two cities before passing the remaining hand of tiles around the table. The tricky bit is that the winner is the player whose lowest scoring city has the higher score!
The Quacks of Quedlinburg – Be a quack doctor creating secret brews. Each player has a bag of ingredients chips and, during each round, they simultaneously draw chips to place in their pot. The higher the value of the chip, the further it can be placed and the more coins received for ingredients. However, if you push your luck and get too many cherry bombs, your pot will explode.

Other skills can also be developed through board games; for example, some games train social skills like theory of mind , as players learn to predict how others will react or have to consider another player’s interpretation of a given picture (e.g. Dixit, Mysterium or Codenames ). In other games, the whole family play as a team, developing team-working skills, effective communication and collaborative problem solving , as players present and discuss their ideas for best movement for the whole team (e.g. Forbidden Desert, Subterra, or Pandemic ). Yet other games are highly creative , they require players to imagine unique scenarios, characters or weapons and develop flexibility , as each game requires a novel way of thinking and making points (e.g. Dungeons & Dragons, D&D ; or Mice and Mystics ).

Card games often have easier instructions to follow and can be used to play when short of time, going on holiday (they are small and easy to pack) or when you want to start introducing these skills for the very first time. Some games include: Hanabi (a cooperative game where you can see everyone’s cards but yours!); For Sale (get into real estate by bidding for buildings to later sell at the best profit); Splendor (become a Renaissance merchant and collect gems to buy mines, factories and shops, if you get rich enough, a noble visitor will bring extra points); Love Letter (a game of deduction where you have to secretly deliver your letter to the princess while deflecting those of others); Bohnanza (earn money by planting fields of sets of beans and harvesting them. You will need to trade and make deals with your opponents to win the game, as you can’t rearrange your hand of cards and you only have a few fields); and Century: Spice Road (players are caravan leaders who travel the silk road to deliver spices to the far reaches of the continent for fame and glory).

Some games are highly thematic and immerse you in a theme of choice. These include Wingspan (create a beautifully illustrated bird wildlife reserve); Viticulture (wine making at its best); Photosynthesis (plant trees in the best spots to collect sunshine and create shadows to slow down your opponents); Takenoko (tend a bamboo garden for the royal panda by cultivating and irrigating a colourful garden); Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective (no board, this time a Victorian London map, newspaper cuttings, and interviews with suspects will have to be enough for you to solve the crime); and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle (a cooperative game set on JK Rowling’s wizardry world).

Board games can also be used with a subject-centred approach to increase your child’s ability and knowledge of numeracy (e.g. Times Square , Prime Climb ); vocabulary ( Taboo Kids vs Parents , Scattergories ); creative writing ( It’s Just a Theory, Snake Oil ); science ( Cytosis, Evolution ); coding ( RoboRally, CodingFarmers ); and the humanities ( Planet, Ticket to Ride, Nippon Rails, Medici , Teotihuacan, The Downfall of Pompeii, History of the World, Wars of the Roses: Lancaster vs. York, Battle of Britain ); and art ( Bruxelles 1893 , Tokaido , Kanagawa, The Gallerist ). Because young people are having fun, they learn faster and are willing to engage in the many repetitions that will allow information to stick. However, testing your child or forcing them to play a game would be counterproductive. For more games in these areas here are some of our favourite lists about maths, coding, science or history games:

https://thejohnfox.com/2017/01/15-boardgames-help-writers/
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/board-games-to-learn-english/
https://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/big-list-mathematical-board-games
https://www.codemom.ai/coding-board-games-for-kids/
https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/206920/favourite-accurate-science-games .

If you are not used to playing board games as a family, start with card games or games that involve nonverbal skills , such as Tsuro, Ingenious, Set Game, Swish, Qwirkle, Patchwork, Doodle Quest, Blokus or Tangoes. Some of these (e.g. Set, Swish ) have junior versions to include a very young member of the family. You should be prepared to scaffold* young children, however, and they may need to first play the game with everyone’s hand open to view by all players. Parents and older siblings can help by verbalising their thinking process in order to model for the younger members of the family how to go about considering options and alternative moves. Another helpful tip to support younger children is to give older players a handicap. Depending on the game this could be, for example, getting fewer cards or actions, or allowing the younger player to take more actions. If the child is very young, three years old or so, there are games designed just for them. These are basic and won’t keep them entertained for long but could help them engage with the first steps of playing a board game (e.g. Little Orchard and Outfoxed , for a longer list see https://boardgamegeek.com/childrensgames/browse/boardgame ).

For those who have children who hate losing, cooperative games can ease the frustration of losing against another player while simultaneously providing opportunities for the adults in the house to model a good sports attitude when losing in a game. Be aware that some people can take over cooperative games, repeatedly deciding moves for the whole team. To avoid this, allow each player to propose an idea to the active player, but leave it to the player taking the turn to decide the move, even if this means losing the game!

An excellent resource to accompany your gaming experience is the website Board Game Geek ( https://boardgamegeek.com/ ), where you can find complete details about any game, such as recommended by age; by members and manufacturer; ranking among all members; best number of players to play a game; print outs of rules in case you lose or damage yours; gaming aids (like action options or round stages); alternative instructions (for example, a cooperative way to play Carcassonne ); written and video reviews, ‘how to play’ videos and even full playthroughs. You can also keep track of your own collection there and, for adults, there is a forum to connect with the board game community. You can also look up your local Board Game Café and Tabletop group online, many of which are open to families.

If after reading this you are now thinking of throwing your traditional board games away, don’t! To name just a few: Scrabble builds vocabulary and teaches about spelling, Monopoly is great to teach children how to count money if they are allowed to be the bank, Uno has very simple rules that young children can learn and still be enjoyed by the whole family, and Yahtzee teaches about addition and decision making. So, even if you only have these in the house, it is still well worth getting the board out!

*Scaffolding is an education technique which enhances, encourages, and enables learning by starting with specific instructions, then gradually reducing support and using more open-ended questioning as prompts.

About the author: Andrea Anguera is the Potential Plus UK Senior Assessor and holds an MSc in the Psychology of Education and Child Development. She is the mother of two children with high learning potential.

skills builder aiming high, creativity, leadership, listening, problem solving, staying positive, teamwork

Share This Page

Finding Your Tribe at the Be Curious Weekend 2024

He’s Not a Bad Kid, Just Misunderstood: Ben’s Story

How to Survive a High Learning Potential Christmas

Christmas Gift Ideas the High Learning Potential Way

Summer Reading Challenge Reviews 2023

Privacy overview.

The Pathway 2 Success

Solutions for Social Emotional Learning & Executive Functioning

Using Games to Teach Social Emotional Skills

November 18, 2018 by pathway2success 6 Comments

Facebook 100

Games to teach social emotional learning skills, including social problem solving, communication, empathy, and more. Games are a fun and interactive way to teach kids and young adults SEL skills! Perfect for small groups, morning meeting, or break time. #socialskills #socialemotionallearning #pathway2success

Games can be the perfect tool to introduce and teach social emotional learning skills to kids and young adults. These are the skills that help kids become more self-aware, develop positive relationships, show empathy towards others, manage emotions, use self-control, resolve conflicts, and make positive decisions. If you need more background on SEL, make sure you read up on the basics of social emotional learning .

So often, educators are so busy teaching our curriculum and content that we sometimes leave these skills behind. It’s so important to make real time for them and incorporate them into many of the activities you already do! For kids who struggle with some of these skills, learning them can be real work. With that said, it’s important to make learning these skills meaningful, interactive, hands-on, and fun. That’s why teaching social emotional skills in the form of a game just makes so much sense!

Here are several games (some I’ve purchase and some I’ve developed myself) that target these critical social emotional learning skills:

1. Social Problem Solving Board Game

Why It’s Important: Social problem-solving is our ability to understand a social situation and use reasoning to deal with it in the most socially appropriate way. We really use these skills every single day. At school, kids might have to problem-solve what to do when someone isn’t nice to them or when they see someone else breaking a rule and aren’t sure what to do. At home, they might use them when an adult tells them to clean their room but they don’t feel like it at the moment.

How It Works: This game focuses on considering a social problem, thinking about what it matters, considering choices and consequences, and ultimately making a decision that is best in the moment. Kids will roll a dice and work through a game board, picking up a situation card for each spot they land on. My favorite part is that kids will also act out scenarios which can help them to generalize the social skills over time.

2. Team Pictionary

Why It’s Important: Teamwork is a critical skill for all ages. This is a skill kids and young adults use throughout the school day, but also outside of school, whether it is during a sports game or playing a game with friends at home. While learning to work together as a team, kids also learn other valuable skills including assertive communication, how to listen, turn-taking, doing a fair share of the work, and how to respectfully disagree with each other. These are not only school skills, but life skills.

How It Works: Split up into two teams. Let each team pick an artist who will draw for their team. Let the artists pick a card with a phrase they will have to illustrate on paper or on the board. Let both artists draw at the same time, while their team tries to guess the correct phrase they are drawing. The catch is that the artist can only draw images and not words, so team members must work together to come up with what the artist is drawing. The team that guesses the phrase first wins! The game can continue again and again, as different artists from the group should be chosen.

3. Social Communication Board Game

Why It’s Important: Simply put, kids need to be able to communicate well with others. That includes having small talk with a classmate in the hallway, understanding nonverbal cues, holding a full conversation with peers at lunch, and using our social filter before we speak. Our communication skills have a huge impact on how we get along with others and develop relationships over time.

How It Works: This game is ideal for all kids, but especially those with social language challenges. Depending on which space kids fall on, they will have to decipher social cues from a real life photo, discuss what they would do or say in a situation, identify how they should think before they speak, or say a specific phrase in a variety of different tones. Since there are over 150 unique cards, kids can just play again and again while practicing these skills.

4. Empathy Board Game

Why It’s Important: Considering and understanding the feelings of others is a foundational skill that supports social success. In order to know the “right” or socially appropriate response to situations, we must first really understand how others feel. Developing empathy isn’t easy for all kids, especially those with social challenges and autism. It’s important to highlight situations by stopping to think how someone else might feel or think. While thinking about how you might feel in a situation is a good start, t’s critical to target how someone else might feel. That’s because true empathy is really about understanding someone else’s thoughts and feelings, which can often be different from our own.

How It Works: Students will work in partners and small groups to get through an empathy game board. For a person’s turn, they will roll the dice and spin the spinner. Their spot on the game board and the spinner will tell them how to answer each card. For example, they might have to answer: Why does it matter? How might they feel? What might they be thinking? What might you do? Students might also have to act out what they would do in that situation. There are over 150 unique situations that help kids discuss and build empathy over real-life scenarios.

5. Social Charades

Why It’s Important: A huge component to social awareness is learning to identify and understand the social cues of others. These social cues, including our body language and facial expressions, often inform others how we’re feeling, what we’re thinking, and what our intentions are.

How It Works: Create a list of different actions or have the kids come up with them themselves. Any action will do! Some examples might be waiting at the bus stop, sharpening your pencil, listening to music, running in a race, taking notes in class, and so on. The idea is that kids will randomly choose one action and act it out for the others to guess. By acting out these scenarios, students will need to consider what social cues would be aligned with that activity. Best of all, this is a quick activity you can do with just a few minutes of class time left that kids will love.

6. Roll & Spin a Coping Strategy

Why It’s Important: Being able to manage our emotions is a critical skill. We all experience tough emotions, setbacks, or challenges along the way. It’s just a natural part of life. How we handle those difficulties can make a big impact on our success. That’s why it’s so important to explicitly teach coping strategies and skills to manage our feelings on the spot. Sometimes, kids cannot self-soothe without being explicitly taught these strategies. Kids and young adults need to learn they can take a quick walk, write in a journal, take deep breaths, and use positive self-talk to calm themselves and feel better in moments of difficulty. Additionally, it’s important that kids practice these strategies when they are already calm so that they can really use them when they are emotionally overwhelmed.

How It Works: Using a one-page board, students will take turns rolling and spinning. Depending on what they roll and spin, they will fall on a space with a coping strategy that they will have to practice. Once they practice that strategy, they can cover up the spot with a chip. Note that students can have their own boards or share if you have different colored chips. The first person to get one whole row across wins! Ultimately, the idea is that kids are practicing a wide variety of coping strategies, giving them access to more skills when they truly need them.

7. Feelings Uno

Why It’s Important: Self-awareness is a critical skill that helps individuals understand their own emotions. In this activity, students can improve their emotional vocabularies by discussing a variety of different feeling words and what they mean. It also helps to normalize talking about different emotions and being comfortable sharing how we are feeling in the moment. Getting kids talking about emotions is key.

How It Works: This game just adds a simple twist to your normal Uno game, which all kids absolutely LOVE! Using the Uno colors, discuss what each of the colors might mean. Blue can stand for feeling sad, tired, bored, or sick. Green stands for feeling happy, calm, focused, and in control. Yellow means feelings frustrated, worried, or nervous. Finally, red should stand for angry. Every time a student plays a color of a card, teach them to use an emotion word that matches the color, share a time they felt that way, or discuss when someone might feel that way.

8. Executive Functioning Challenge

Why It’s Important: Executive functioning skills are the processes in our brain that help us accomplish tasks. Sometimes we might think of these skills as only related to academics, but that’s actually not true. Our executive functioning skills help us use our self-control to stop and think before saying something inappropriate, our flexibility to consider different solutions for social problems, and our time management to make sure we meet a friend on time. When executive functioning skills are stronger, kids and young adults have greater chance for success in school and beyond.

How It Works: This game can actually be played two different ways: partners and small groups, or as a full class. The idea is that students work through a game board, answering a variety of executive functioning questions as they head towards the finish line. The game cards have students completing executive functioning challenges, acting out situations, naming executive functioning skills used in a situation, and proving their knowledge about the skills themselves. For the full class version, kids can work in teams, collaborating on the answers and getting “points” to win the challenge.

9. Guess Who?

Why It’s Important: This game builds on many different social skills. As kids find out more clues about the mystery person, they are learning skills for conversations, turn-taking, and problem-solving.

How It Works: Kids and teens can play the game just as it is intended. Each partner will have a mystery character. The idea is that the other partner will ask multiple questions in an effort to try and discover the character. For example, they might ask, “Does your person wear a hat?” and “Does your person have blue eyes?”. Students will take turns until one player is able to identify the correct mystery person.

10. Self-Control Speedway

Why It’s Important: Self-control is the skill that helps us stop, think, and make positive choices. Kids and teens need lots of practice with self-control in low-stress moments (like games and casual discussions) so that they can effectively use the skills when they need them the most.

How It Works: Students will play the game by taking turn rolling the dice and moving forward on the game board. When they land on a spot, they will use the picture to tell them which card to pick up and read. Students will read the card to discuss the question or act out the scenario. Practice involves reading through real-life scenarios, practicing calm-down strategies, and more.

11. Partner Scrabble

Why It’s Important: Learning to work with others is a critical skill. In this game, students will learn to work together in a collaborative way to build words for the game board.

How It Works: Have students get with a partner or small team to play Scrabble. Each team will start with 7 letters, working to build the highest-earning words on the board. This game also builds on turn-taking and cognitive flexibility.

If you love the games I’ve put together, you can save by getting them as a whole set! This Social Emotional Learning Games Bundle gives practice with empathy, perspective-taking, executive functioning skills, communication, and more.

Use these games during break times, small groups, as an end of the week reward, or just a fun brain break. Kids will have fun but you’ll know you’re working on serious SEL skills that make a difference!

Find It Fast

Privacy Policy
Join Pathway 2 Success
Social Emotional Learning Toolkit
Self-Control Resources

pathway2success1

⭐ Kristina 💖 SEL & Executive Functioning 💻 Blogger at www.thepathway2success.com 👩‍🏫 Special Educator turned Curriculum Specialist Links here 👇

23 Problem-solving games for busy work teams

Problem solving is a skill that can serve almost anyone, in any role, in any industry. The ability to think critically, and resolve issues is a welcome talent that is helpful for every organization. How can you encourage such thinking in your team? In this article, we are talking about our favorite problem-solving games, activities, and exercises for work. Use these activities to sharpen the reasoning and decision-making skills of your department or your entire company. Without further ado, let’s dive into the best problem solving games for getting the most of your next work event.

In-person problem solving games

If you have the opportunity to get your team together in person, that’s a gift! Perhaps you are planning a company retreat or a department-wide in-person meeting. Whatever the circumstances, in today’s more digital workspace, it’s not always easy to have everyone in the same room. When you actually do, make the most of it! These activities are set up for in-person groups. They are part team-building activity, part icebreaker, and all fun! All of these activities are guaranteed to get people thinking, communicating, and having fun. If you have a particularly big group, you may want to browse our article on large group games too.

1. Treasure hunt

Similar to a scavenger hunt, a treasure hunt is a lot of fun but with a bit more intention. Rather than collecting a random list of items, participants use clues to find more prompts and hints, until the group solves a mystery (or finds a treasure). You can also create a treasure map if you want to play into the “pirate” fantasy a little more. The important thing is that only clues point toward the next stop - areas of the map should not be spelled out, but involve some problem solving and critical thinking to figure out what the clue means.

2. Story challenge

For the language lovers on your team, try this version of an ongoing story icebreaker. To play, each person receives a number of words (a word bank) that they can use to create a story. Then, everyone reads their piece out loud or presents it to the group. To come up with the words available for each person, you can use a random word generator online, or get creative. For example, consider instructing participants that they can only use words from the company website, or from the emails they received in their inbox yesterday.

3. Moral dilemma

Similar to a “ would you rather ” game, this activity centers on ethical dilemmas. Players should try to flex their moral problem-solving muscles by tackling a social issue. For example, Scruples is a popular board game that can be played. Or, you can look online for versions of games like Dilemma or Quandary. This is a great way to learn more about your colleagues while getting a peek at the way they think.

4. Build a shelter

How would you survive if you were stranded in an isolated place with a blizzard coming? Use this activity to find out! As an added complication, you can pretend that everyone is blinded by frostbite (by using blindfolds). The team leader must give the group instructions for building a shelter that can withstand the arctic winds. To play, you need a large space and some supplies. Then, select a leader (who can see) and blindfold everyone else. You’ll also need a large fan. The leader guides everyone in putting together their shelter (remember, while blindfolded). When everyone feels confident that their shelter is up to the test, turn on the fan and see if the structure can withstand the wind! This game is sure to lead to a lot of laughs and you’ll be surprised at some of the clever ideas that people come up with. This is also a powerful exercise for effective leadership - it’s not easy to reach a goal with a group that is blindfolded! Check out our article on team activities especially for leadership as well.

5. Improv games

You may think of improv games as more of an icebreaker activity, but the truth is there is a lot of brain power that goes into well-done improv. Look for ways to add both logic and entertainment to your next improv effort. Consider scenarios like banned words, where people cannot use a certain list of words, or “miracle cure”, where one person shares a problem they’re having and the other person must come up with the solution on the spot. Both are fun and easy ideas that don’t require anything but willing participants! If you need some other quick and easy team building activities , make sure to follow our blog.

6. Spaghetti tower

In this classic team building game, users try to build a tower using uncooked pasta noodles and marshmallows. The instructions are simple: use the tools at your disposal to design and build the tallest tower in order to win the challenge. You can judge on height alone, or weigh other factors like innovation, number of towers, or stability. For more simple team building activities , make sure to follow our blog.

7. What would you do?

Another classic icebreaker, this game involves coming up with some scenarios that require brain power to address. Here are some prompts you can use with your group:

What would you do if you were at the zoo and all the animals escaped?
What would you do if you were the first person to find out about an upcoming zombie apocalypse?
What would you do if you were in line for a really important item, and a person cut in front of you, getting the last item?
What would you do if you were invited for dinner at the home of someone you really needed to impress, and the food was terrible?
What would you do if an imposter that looks and acts just like you infiltrated your organization? How can you convince everyone that you’re the “real” you?

8. “MacGyver” challenge

MacGyver is an older television program where the hero escaped sticky situations by improvising tools made of unlikely materials. You can recreate this set-up in your event space or office. To play, challenge participants to use 3-5 items to reach a desired end result. For example, something like “a way to pick the door lock” or “escape vehicle” are fun options. You can either set out some various equipment, or have people collect their own based on what they can find around the office. Note: if you are doing this in a conference room or other rented space, it makes sense to have a table set up with random odds and ends for people to pick from.

9. Egg drop challenge

This one will take you back to high school physics class! Break a larger group into smaller teams and challenge them to come up with a container that will protect an egg even when it’s dropped from up high. You can either let people know far enough in advance that they can discuss, design, and collect materials; or you can have supplies ready and have everyone build their creation on the spot. If you go that route, you’ll want to provide a variety of boxes, packing supplies, rubber bands, fabric, etc. Then set up a ladder and have each team drop their container and see if their egg remained intact.

10. Shrinking circle

Adaptability and flexibility are huge in the business world. One way to focus on both of those items is by playing this simple and silly game. Start out by using a rope to create a large circle that everyone can fit in. Then, every few minutes, make the circle a bit smaller. Depending on how large the circle is in the first place, you can take away an inch or a foot each round. The challenge is for everyone present to stay inside the circle. This will require some serious innovation once the circle gets small, and lots of laughs almost always ensue. Note: People are likely to end up touching each other in this exercise. It’s difficult not to once the space gets small, like a game of Twister. You know your colleagues best - if that level of closeness would make anyone uncomfortable, it’s probably best to try a different exercise.

Out-of-the-office problem-solving activities

Everyone once in a while, it can be really valuable to get out of your usual work environment and into a new mental space. If your team is planning a multi-day retreat, don’t be afraid to include an organized activity that will help everyone to think more critically. Most towns have at least one option for getting your group together and learning some new ways to problem solve. Do some research on what you have available locally, or work with an organization like Surf Office who can plan your next retreat - including the fun elements that your employees will be talking about for months to come! If you know that you can’t get out of the office right now, stick to this list of indoor team building activities .

11. Escape room

The goal of an escape room is to follow a series of clues and take on some challenges in order to unlock the space that everyone is locked in. There are usually 5 - 10 puzzles that teams will work together to figure out. Typically finishing one leads to another clue, so that participants can move onto the next phase. Only when they’ve successfully completed all of the tasks can they find the key and escape. While you can definitely set up an escape room on your own, we think it’s worth finding a local version in your town (or wherever your retreat is taking place). These are professionally set up and usually in really cool spaces like an underground bunker or a historic building. An escape room is a good excuse to get out of the office and spend time with coworkers in a new environment.

12. Murder mystery

These story-based games have people take on a role in a pretend scenario. They may take on a role like detective, dinner guest, or even killer in their dinner. Most of the time the games involve reading lines from a script, searching for clues, or even solving some simple challenges to move onto the next phase. Participants have to pay attention to conversations and context clues in order to get an understanding of who the killer might be. Observation and logic are key to catching the killer. Some murder mysteries involve getting dressed up and having a nice dinner, so if you’re looking for an idea for a big night out capping off your next retreat, this is perfect.

13. Ax throwing

What do axes have to do with problem solving? You might be surprised. This is definitely an activity you’ll want to go to a professional venue for. Ax throwing outfits have everything you need, plus the right safety precautions. They have everything set up with the proper distances, buffers between throwing stations, safe ax materials, etc. Plus, many of them offer food and drinks! Ax throwing can help with problem solving because most people don’t excel at it their first time. It takes some practice and careful consideration to figure out where to stand, the best stance, the force of the throw, etc. As you take turns, you’ll make adjustments and also consider new methods based on observing your teammates. The more you watch and the more you try, the better you’ll get. In fact, instead of having people compete against each other, we suggest having the team compete against themselves, aiming for a higher total score in their second or third consecutive game. This activity allows you to observe others and then optimize - essentially learning from each other.

14. Paper boat race

If you are able to visit a location by water, you can try this really fun activity. In this fun and creative exercise, participants build a small boat with paper (and other supplies) and then race them in a small body of water like a pond or stream. The boats are usually made by folding paper into a boat shape, but you can also try offering cardboard, balloons, popsicle sticks, or other crafty materials. You’ll also want to supply materials for decorating so that everyone can really have their creation stand out. Obviously the person who reaches the finish line first is the winner, but you can offer a few other prizes just for fun, like most beautiful boat or best effort. Make sure to check out our article on other creativity and innovation games , too.

Problem-solving puzzles

When it’s just not possible to get everyone together, you can still encourage your team to put on their thinking caps and hone their skills. There are tons of critical thinking games, puzzles , and even apps that people can use to practice problem solving. You can encourage your team members to play these games in their spare time, or even set up a competition where people log minutes playing such games or using the apps. If you’re feeling really generous, give everyone a small stiped to be used on a problem solving app of their choice. This special touch makes a nice addition to a holiday gift, too!

Sudoku has become one of the most popular problem solving games for adults. There are dozens of free app options, as well as paperback books that you can pick up. The goal of this game is to fill each box on a 9×9 grid so that every row, column, and letter contains each number from one to nine. It sounds tricky - and it is - but players tend to find it addicting and the game has grown a huge following in recent years. Encourage people to play on their own by downloading an app or purchasing a puzzle book, or as a team by having the puzzles available in your office or at your next event.

16. Crossword puzzles

These classic word games have players fill out words based on clues. Words interconnect, and people must think critically about the context clues of what they’ve filled out so far. These puzzles are super versatile and one of the best things about them is that you can make them yourself so they are themed. You can use an online crossword puzzle maker to create a custom puzzle with clues about your business or other relevant subjects. For your next event, it might be fun to have a custom crossword puzzle about your company history or trivia!

17. Tic-tac-toe tournament

It sounds a little silly, but tic-tac-toe requires more brain power than one might think. Set up an ongoing tic-tac-toe board in your office and encourage people to use it on their breaks or when they have a few minutes to kill. You can set up a scoreboard and keep track of the leader; it’s a lot of fun to see the rankings change and to challenge the top performers. If you need an even simpler version of the same concept, simply set up the Connect Four game board in your break room and let people have at it!

Problem-solving for virtual teams

If your team is a bit scattered, it doesn’t mean that you can’t practice solving challenges together. In our digital world, there are plenty of options for online activities that teams can work on either independently or as a group. In the section above, we shared some ideas for independent work. These ideas are designed to bring your team together, no matter where they are. Set a time and have everyone hop onto your preferred communication tool, and then work together tackling these challenges.

18. Virtual hackathon

A hackathon normally refers to an event where participants have a set amount of time to design and pitch a new product or solution. It’s normally used in the tech space for pitching things like new apps, but you can apply the concept in lots of other ways too. In this online version, teams work with each other using virtual meeting software and pitch ideas to a panel of judges. This type of event requires some advance notice for the participants, as they’ll want to collect a team and come up with some designs. If you want to raise the stakes, offer a prize for first place.

19. Online escape room

Just like an in-person escape room, in an online version people must solve a variety of puzzles in order to make it “out”. Digital escape rooms normally come in one of two ways: in a Zoom “room” led by a host, or in a choose-your-own-adventure style via Google Forms or other websites. To play virtually, staff will enter the meeting and follow the prompts they get, and it might involve screen sharing some Google tools to work on puzzles together. Because of the platforms and tools that may be involved, this activity is better for teams who are a bit more tech-savvy and comfortable with online meetings, apps, etc.

20. Survival plans

Prioritizing is an important mental exercise. You can work on this with a game about survival. Have everyone imagine they are stranded on a desert island, and they must decide the correct order to perform life-saving steps in. Have this list handy, and ask everyone to pair off or get in small groups and number the list according to the best likelihood of survival:

Set up shelter
Look around the island
Signal for help
Create weapons for self-defense
Build a raft for water
Start a fire
Select a group leader
Find other survivors
Anything else you think of!

The catch is that everyone must agree on the order of events! That will typically involve discussion and coming to some sort of consensus. Once everyone is done with the exercise, have them present to the larger group and explain their reasoning. This exercise is good for team-building, communication, and problem resolution. Plus, you will be better prepared if you ever get stuck on a deserted island!

21. Online role-playing games (like Dungeons and Dragons)

Seeing how people react in real-world situations is a really interesting way to get to know them better. Find an online game that has real-world actions and consequences, like Dungeons and Dragons. Or, you can make things even simpler by hopping on a Zoom together and reading a Choose Your Own Adventure book aloud, with the reader getting group consensus before making a decision. The important part is the discussion that will occur before choosing the next action. This is helpful for bonding and also helps you to see how your colleagues tick. These activities can be difficult to organize for big groups, so if you have a substantial team, try some of these team building activities for large groups instead.

22. Google Docs story

Similar to an ongoing story icebreaker, this game is easy to do online as people have time. You start by creating a Google Doc that everyone on the team has access to. Then, have people go into the Doc and add to the story that’s developing. If you want, you can pick a prompt to kick things off - or you can just let the first person get creative and go for it! The more specific or bizarre the scenario, the more creative and clever people will have to get to add their portion.

23. Model UN

Chances are you might be familiar with this concept from high school. Fortunately, adults can have a lot of fun with it too. You can play this virtually as long as everyone is a strong communicator. Each participant should take on the role of an international diplomat, and work together to form alliances and solve crises. Come up with a potential scenario that the UN must work through. Consider things like a global food shortage, natural disaster, or cyber-security threats. If your group is particularly large, you can have multiple people assigned to a country and they will have separate roles. If politics is a sensitive topic on your team, you might want to tweak this exercise to be focused on a business and treat participants like board members - or even a musical group!

Set the tone of your next company retreat

These problem solving games and activities are great virtually any time - there is something for everyone, whether you’re remote or in person, on a large team or a small one. One of the best ways to implement a problem solving exercise is at the beginning of a team retreat. If you have organized a large meeting or team building event, consider getting things started with such an activity. Many of these problem solving games will get everyone thinking and make people more comfortable, plus a lot of them also serve as a form of icebreaker.

The next time you plan a work retreat , consider including a few of these on the agenda to set the tone for a fun, energizing event. Need help ensuring that your retreat is, in fact, fun and energizing?

Let Surf Office help ! We can help with organizing your next team retreat or all-company meeting so that you can focus on the fun.

free course

How to plan your first company retreat

Retreat Budget Spreadsheet

Are you organising a company retreat and want to make sure you have all the costs under the control?

Get a copy of our free Budget Calculator spreadsheet.

Try these 20 games for corporate events

20 Team-building activities for unstoppable sales teams

Unlock fun with 25 work night out ideas

18 Benefits of team building in any working environment

Setting up virtual water cooler chat for your team

Organize your next company retreat with surf office, 💌 join 17,000+ managers receiving insights on building company culture that people love., stay in touch, work with us.

Social Problem Solving Board Game for Social Emotional Learning Skills

Google Apps™

What educators are saying

Also included in.

Description

Practice social skills and social problem solving with a board game! The game includes over 80 scenario cards focused on real life social situations at school, at home, with friends, and during activities. After reading the cards, kids will act the out the situation, discuss consequences, give three options, identify what they would do, and more.

This game is great for students with social difficulties and those who are rigid and might get "stuck" in their way of thinking. Use this game to allow students to discuss a variety of social situations and brainstorm for the best solutions to problems. This includes students with autism, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and more.

How to Play - PRINT

Students will roll a dice to advance on the board game. The image they land on will tell them what type of scenario card to pick up. As they pick up a card, they will also need to spin a spinner that tells them how to respond to the card: act it out, discuss why it matters, explain your choice, give three choices, or explain the consequences of your choice. The first to “finish” wins, but students can continue playing again and again!

How to Play - DIGITAL

Open the file with "digital directions" in the title. You will then click a link in a blue box to open the digital Google Slides version. Note that you will need a Google account (which you can get for free) to access the resource. You can assign to your students (if they have Google Accounts) or share your screen/project to play as a group. You will click the first video to "roll" the dice. Then, you will click the second video to get a random social scenario card.

Note that sometimes schools block videos from out of district. I've included two versions to assist with this (one includes videos from my Google Drive account and the other includes videos from YouTube). If videos are not working for you, please contact your tech team to allow access.

Encourage Making Positive Choices

As students discuss and answer the questions from the scenario cards, they will learn to make more positive social choices in real life situations. It is recommended to have some peer role-models in small groups or partners to play this to allow for positive model responses along the way.

Note that both black/white and color options are included. Blank cards are also included to make your own social situations, as needed.

{ Click here to follow my store! }

Tips for Customers:

If you have questions, please contact me through Q & A and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
Please consider leaving feedback on this resource to receive TpT credits! I always strive for 5 stars and love hearing your feedback.
Follow my store for notifications about new resources and freebies.

© Pathway 2 Success. One license is for the classroom/personal use for one educator and their students. Materials may not be shared with other educators without the purchase of extra licenses. Materials may not be posted on the Internet where they can be publicly accessed. Personal and classroom use only. Please see full terms of use for more information.

Disclaimer: These resources are for supplementary support/education purposes and are not a replacement for education or other necessary supports. Educators, parents, and others who utilize these materials are encouraged to seek out additional support, as needed.

Questions & Answers

Pathway 2 success.

We're hiring
Help & FAQ
Privacy policy
Student privacy
Terms of service
Tell us what you think

Board games help children improve their math skills

A recent study suggests that playing board games could be a fun way to boost math skills in children. The analysis, based on a review of 23 years of published research, points to games like Monopoly, Othello, and Chutes and Ladders as effective tools to improve math skills .

Board games are already known to boost a variety of learning and developmental skills, including reading and literacy. The new research highlights their specific impact on mathematical abilities.

Marked improvements

Published in the journal Early Years , the study reveals that number-based board games can markedly improve counting, addition, and number recognition skills among three to nine-year-olds.

The research team, led by Dr. Jaime Balladares from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, discovered that structured board game sessions under adult supervision resulted in significant benefits for children's mathematical development.

"Board games enhance mathematical abilities for young children," said Dr. Balladares. "Using board games can be considered a strategy with potential effects on basic and complex math skills. Board games can easily be adapted to include learning objectives related to mathematical skills or other domains."

The study distinguishes between games where players take turns moving pieces around a board and those involving specific skills or gambling. The fixed rules and the nature of moves determining the overall playing situation create a unique learning environment, noted the researchers. However, they also found that preschools rarely utilize this potential learning tool.

How the study was conducted

The study was designed to compile available evidence of the effects of physical board games on promoting learning in young children.

The team based their findings on a review of 19 studies published since 2000, involving children aged three to nine. The focus of nearly all of these studies was the relationship between board games and mathematical skills.

Children participating in these studies engaged in special sessions, on average twice a week for 20 minutes, over a span of one-and-a-half months. The sessions were led by adults, including teachers, therapists, or parents. The children were assessed on their math performance before and after the intervention, which aimed to encourage skills such as counting out loud.

The researchers gauged the success of these interventions according to four categories, which included basic numeric competency, such as the ability to name numbers, and basic number comprehension. They also examined number comprehension, where a child can accurately add and subtract.

What the researchers discovered

In more than half (52%) of the tasks analyzed, the researchers noted a significant improvement in math skills after the intervention sessions. In about a third (32%) of cases, children participating in the sessions outperformed those who did not.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that previous studies on the impact of board games on language or literacy areas lacked scientific evaluation methods to assess their efficacy.

Dr. Balladares emphasized the need for designing and implementing board games with rigorous scientific procedures to evaluate their efficacy, calling it an "urgent task to develop in the next few years."

The team is now looking ahead to their next project, exploring the potential wider effects of these games.

"Future studies should be designed to explore the effects that these games could have on other cognitive and developmental skills," said Dr. Balladares. "An interesting space for the development of intervention and assessment of board games should open up in the next few years, given the complexity of games and the need to design more and better games for educational purposes."

More about board games

Board games can be an excellent tool for learning, both for children and adults. They have several characteristics that make them ideal for educational purposes:

Cognitive skills

Games can significantly enhance cognitive skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision making. They often require players to strategize, plan ahead, and make choices that will affect future outcomes.

Social skills

Most board games are interactive and require some level of communication and cooperation between players. This can help improve social skills such as teamwork, negotiation, and conflict resolution.

Learning specific subjects

Some board games are designed to educate players on specific subjects. For instance, there are games that teach math, science, history, geography, and language skills, among others.

Patience and perseverance

Board games require a level of patience as players must wait their turn and also handle the ups and downs during the game. This can help inculcate a sense of perseverance, particularly in children.

Focus and attention

Playing board games often requires a great deal of focus and attention to detail. This can help improve concentration levels.

Check us out on EarthSnap , a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com .

Board games help children improve their math skills

Pawns look on the islands of ancient Britain in an Instagram post for Bretwalda

Filed under:

Tabletop Games

The most anticipated new board games of 2024

Plan your game nights accordingly

Share this story

Share this on Facebook
Share this on Reddit
Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: The most anticipated new board games of 2024

Throughout 2023 the overseas shipping crisis more or less resolved itself, allowing the busy board game release schedule to resume full-throttle. Consuming all of these titles, however, is like drinking from a fire hose, and 2024 looks to be just as splashy and bombastic as the year that came before. Here are eight promising new board games that have caught our eye.

Our list of the most anticipated board games of 2024 ranges all over the hobby. It includes novel experiences based on hugely popular video game franchises like Metal Gear Solid as well as historical titles that will focus on unique moments in human history. 2024 will also see the debut of the the first major board game based on the popular roguelite genre of video games. Of course, there’a also a decades-old classic board game returning with renewed vigor in a new format.

Here’s all the board games to keep an eye on in 2024.

A hand holding five cards, each with a crisp, almost cartoon-like art style. The top card shows armored warriors with blunderbusses behind shields.

Publisher: Mindclash Games

Two factions locked in eternal war over a chunk of land: a tale as old as humankind. In Ironwood , each player controls a highly asymmetric fantasy warband in a rules-light card-driven battle. It comes across as Unmatched , but with small armies instead of singular warriors and a trusty sidekick.

The Ironclad seek to lay down forges in the outer mountains, while the Woodwalkers attempt to locate their people’s lost totems. The factions are colorful and evocative, enhancing the rich sense of setting.

What’s interesting about Ironwood is that it’s coming from Mindclash Games, a design studio known for big experiences such as the time-traveling epic Anachrony and the complex tabletop 4X game Voidfall . Ironwood is much more restrained, promising an hourlong conflict with accessible rules, while still maintaining drama and depth.

Dead Cells: The Rogue-Lite Board Game

Publisher: le scorpion masqué.

Video-game-to-tabletop adaptations have been a noteworthy trend in recent years. 2024 will see several such big-name releases, including Call of Duty: The Board Game , Apex Legends: The Board Game , and yes, Dead Cells: The Rogue-Lite Board Game . After raising nearly $1.1 million on Kickstarter, this game is poised to emerge with much fanfare in 2024.

This cooperative dungeon crawler has been developed by Le Scorpion Masqué, the design group behind 2023 hit Sky Team . Players will explore an ever-changing castle while upgrading character powers, slaughtering enemies, and eventually dying. Death does not end the adventure; instead, it yields cells, which are spent to buy permanent mutations and attain greater power. Then the process repeats. It looks phenomenal and promises the first major roguelite board game experience.

Publisher: Phalanx

Bretwalda throws players into Britain in the Early Middle Ages, when the continent was under constant siege by Vikings and inner political turmoil was tearing the kingdom apart. This is a storied era of Britain’s history and was depicted in the underrated Netflix series The Last Kingdom . That show received its own similarly underrated board game in 2023, but this new asymmetric title from publisher Phalanx looks to be a more complex and riveting area-control game for up to four players.

Each participant takes command of one of the four kingdoms — Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, and East Anglia — and spends their limited actions to develop their territory, invade that of others, and accomplish secret objectives. It contains political as well as military strife, with a simple yet interesting economic system.

Publisher: Bitewing Games

It’s said that once per century, at the stroke of midnight on a Crimson Moon, the Spectral Manor materializes. Within this ghostly homestead lies unimaginable treasure waiting to be claimed. Unfortunately, it also houses deadly curses and horrific specters.

Spectral , from Bitewing Games, has players controlling competing bands of treasure hunters that enter the manor and race to uncover the spoils. Deduction, bidding, and bluffing will all be used to uncover and exploit the secrets within. This is a very attractive design with a sharp veneer and novel premise. Expected to clock in at a brief 30 minutes, this is the type of game that may find constant play.

Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game

Publisher: cmon.

While a large part of the appeal of Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game is the intellectual property, this design is particularly interesting due to the involvement of designer Emerson Matsuuchi. He has shown skill in nailing stealth-based gameplay with the exceptional Specter Ops , and it’s easy to imagine him accomplishing something special with this video game adaptation.

This fully cooperative miniatures board game follows the Metal Gear Solid storyline, ripped straight from the 1998 PlayStation game. Players take on the roles of Solid Snake, Meryl Silverburgh, Dr. Hal “Otacon” Emmerich, and the cyborg Gray Fox. You must sneak to avoid detection as you complete objectives and achieve progress in the multi-scenario campaign. Each mission allows for multiple approaches and creative problem solving, a quality that is greatly enhanced by the highly dynamic enemy AI. If this is half as good as it sounds, this game could be one of the best of the year.

Hunt for Blackbeard

Publisher: fort circle games.

Fort Circle Games released one of the best games of 2023 in Votes for Women . The publisher’s attention to detail and approach to capturing rich historical topics has me intensely interested in the upcoming Hunt for Blackbeard .

This two-player game captures the confrontation in 1718 between the legendary pirate Blackbeard and Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard. Players commit to actions behind their screen, selecting between options such as preparing defenses, sailing, scouting, and planning piracy. The hunter will try to discover Blackbeard’s trail and pursue their quarry, while the pirate seeks to evade their foes and pursue plunder. If the two collide, boarding ensues and the victor wins the game. Hunt for Blackbeard looks to be dramatic and memorable and a very playable historical simulation.

Crossbows & Catapults: Castle Battle

Publisher: restoration games.

While not quite as historical as Hunt for Blackbeard , Crossbows & Catapults does have a strong history. I still have a partially complete copy from the ’80s sitting in my parents’ basement, so I am excited for this reimagining of the classic game where you shoot physical projectiles at your opponent’s pieces.

This fresh reimagining is in the hands of Restoration Games, a group of developers that are responsible for the skilled reworks of Return to Dark Tower and Thunder Road: Vendetta . The one area of concern is that this idea has already been done. Catapult Kingdom released in 2021 and took inspiration from the classic Crossbows & Catapults . But it lacks the overall scope and vision of the newly launched Crossbows & Catapults: Castle Battle . The new Restoration Games entry features refined siege weapons, ditching rubber bands for pinch- and spring-fired components. It also boasts more brick options, allowing for more creative construction. Lastly, there is a bit more game here with a two-action system and dynamic card play. It will be interesting to see how this one shakes out and whether it lives up to the legendary name of the original.

Fateforge: Chronicles of Kaan

Publisher: mighty boards.

Fateforge: Chronicles of Kaan is a cooperative action-adventure fantasy game that looks rad as can be. It’s structured as a campaign storyline that is app-driven and feature-rich, but it’s also powered by an evolution of a fantastic dice-based combat system found in Mighty Boards’ previous title, Vengeance . Players roll dice and then spend combinations of rolled symbols to enact powerful actions.

This combination of a smooth and well-iterated combat engine with a sophisticated overarching story is the appeal of Fateforge . Designer Gordon Calleja has been refining this game and its concepts for years, and the hope is that it results in something truly magnificent.

Toppling towers in Beasts of Balance is a genius blend of old and new

Not sure what game to put on the table this weekend leave a comment below for advice, disney lorcana’s first tournament winner brought home a serialized gold mickey mouse, loading comments....

IMAGES

Problem Solving Game Board
Social Problem Solving Board Game
Board Game for Practical Problem Solving
[Top 15] Board Games That Improve Problem-Solving Skills
Smart Playings Problem Solving
Itrax Critical Thinking Problem Solving Board Game, by Learning

VIDEO

Amines Problem Solving| Board + Competition Level|
Problem 2
115/365 3 Board Games to Enhance Your Math Skills
Problem 13
Problem 16
Doppler Effect Physics

COMMENTS

12 Board Games for Developing Thinking Abilities and Life Skills
KLOO's Race to London - The Teach English as a Foreign Language Board Game. 5. Chutes and Ladders. Although Chutes and Ladders is a simple kids' game, it's filled with important life lessons. In fact, I wrote an entire blog post on this one: Dealing With Life's Challenges - Life is Like a Game of Chutes and Ladders.
5 Board Games to Develop Critical Thinking Skills
This board game develops problem-solving skills, cooperation, and teamwork. Pandemic is a great way to enhance your evaluation and explanation skills. Pandemic has several expansions and editions, including On the Brink, which includes a fifth player. 2. Chess. Lastly, no list about mind-enhancing board games will be complete without chess.
6 great board games to boost critical thinking in teens ...
Time's Up. This game is played in teams of two and is similar to charades. Each team has a deck of 40 cards that name famous people. One player gives clues to get his teammate to guess the person on the card. Here's where critical thinking comes in: In each round of play, there are increasingly tougher restrictions on the clues players can ...
25+ Best Logic Board Games for Kids of All Ages
It teaches strategic thinking and planning. 3. Dinosaur Escape. Ages 4 and up, 2-4 players, 10-minute playtime. Kids work together using memory and strategy to rescue the dinosaurs before the volcano erupts! This is a great logic board game for younger kids that incorporates team-building and shared decision making. 4.
The Genius Square
This table game is well-designed and includes grids, dice, blockers, and 9 different shapes with different colors. Easy to travel with and simply have fun; STEM board game that promotes problem solving, spatial awareness, and motor manipulation skill training; How to Play: Roll all seven dice together
[Top 15] Board Games That Improve Problem-Solving Skills
1. Wingspan. A lot of puzzle-based board games have the theme of nature. Photosynthesis and Pelican Cove fit that theme. On the top of this list though is a game that has had a lot of positive feedback since it's release, and we're happy to have it on the top of our list. Here is Wingspan.
Guide to the Best Problem-Solving Board Games
Problem-solving board games are a fantastic way to exercise your brain, challenge your strategic thinking, and have fun with friends and family. These games are designed to promote critical thinking, logical reasoning, and creative problem-solving skills. Whether you enjoy traditional classics or more modern alternatives, there is a problem ...
Best Skill Based Board Games
Forbidden Island is a cooperative board game that is completely focused on teamwork and problem-solving. In this game, players team up, each taking on a special role with unique abilities, to navigate the island, shore up sinking areas, and collect its treasures.
10 Board Games to Stimulate Logical and Mathematical Thinking
These games present strategic challenges, force us to solve complex problems, and even demand mental calculations. This week, we suggest 10 board games that, besides being enjoyable, stimulate logical and mathematical thinking, helping keep your mind active. 1. Chess. Chess is an ancient strategy game that challenges the mind and promotes ...
Best Problem-Solving Board Games for Kids & Adults
Playing time: 60-120 minutes. Catan is an all-time favorite problem-solving game. It's a game of card collection, resource management, and negotiation. Players build cities, structures, and armies across a modular map with hexagon tiles. The goal is to achieve ten points by getting a certain number of structures.
Problem Solving Games, Activities & Exercises for Adults
4. Sudoku. Sudoku is one of the most popular free problem solving games for adults. The objective of this game is to fill each box of a 9×9 grid so that every row, column, and letter contains each number from one to nine. The puzzle makes a great team challenge. To play Sudoku on Zoom, screen share the game board.
10 Problem Solving Games for Kids
We love single player logic games and probably own an unhealthy number of these brain boosting puzzle games. The following are some of our top favorites: Cat Crimes, ages 8 and up ( pictured above) - see it as our game of the month feature. Code Master, ages 8 and up - see it as our game of the month feature.
The Big List of Board Games that Inspire Mathematical Thinking
There are many fun board games that integrate deeper mathematical thinking into the gameplay. These games help students develop skills such as multi-step problem-solving, spatial reasoning, pattern recognition, resource management and much more. Here's my list of go-to board games for engaging students in math through games.
Best Critical Thinking Board Games for Adults Problem-Solving
Players: 2-7. Playing time: 45-60 minutes. If you like critical thinking games with a theme, you'll enjoy Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig. It's the Post-Napoleonic era, and castles are in high demand. The Mad King Ludwig commissioned his finest architects to design a castle according to his demands.
Amazon.com: The Game Plan Game: Life Skills for Kids, Board Game, Kids
This item: The Game Plan Game: Life Skills for Kids, Board Game, Kids Card Games Ages 4-10, Family Board Games, Problem-Solving, Feelings Management, Social Skills 2-8 Players . $29.95 $ 29. 95. Get it as soon as Thursday, May 23. In Stock. Sold by RUD Products and ships from Amazon Fulfillment. +
11 Best Brain-Building Board Games for Teens in the World!
Teens and tweens love to play board games-they build problem-solving skills, spatial intelligence, and team-building skills. #2 Board Games for Teens: Hive. Hive is considered a board game, except there is no board. As each player adds pieces, the board is created. Hive comes with an excellent rulebook and explains all the different things ...
Amazon.com: Foxmind Match Madness Board Game, Dual Mode Visual
Versatile Board Game: Our board game puzzle can also be played alone or up to 4 players - solve the puzzles of this strategy game for kids at your own pace or try to beat your fastest times and enhance your problem solving abilities ; Fun Game for Family: This ingenious board game is recommended for 1-4 players ages 7 and up; with an ...
Build Problem-Solving Skills with Board Games
Board games are a celebration of problem solving, and problem solving is at the heart of a quality mathematics education... The mathematics might be hidden, but I guarantee you that it will be there. --- Gordon Hamilton, MathPickle.com Commercial Games 8 Games for Ages 8+ Games for Ages 12+
Results for problem solving board game
This deck features a board game that contains a set of 31 common problems (with drawn visuals). The goal is to solve the problem together and come up with the best solution. The students must take turns rolling the virtual dice, clicking on the post their item landed on, and answering the situational question.Perfect for groups, you may use this deck to facilitate:1.
Problem Solving : Board Games : Target
Problem Solving : Board Games. Indoor gaming is a great way to unwind and have some quality time with friends and family. Stock up for those game nights with a bunch of fun board games. Be it family board games, card games, wargames, strategy games or video games, Target's board game collection has it all. Get together to have an intense ...
Developing Thinking Skills Through Board Games
Board games offer multiple ways to develop a number of thinking skills. For example, problem solving, logical thinking and decision making are developed through: planning within a restrictive amount of choice. management and prioritising of limited resources. thinking ahead of the current turn. predicting what others may do.
Using Games to Teach Social Emotional Skills
Here are several games (some I've purchase and some I've developed myself) that target these critical social emotional learning skills: 1. Social Problem Solving Board Game. Why It's Important: Social problem-solving is our ability to understand a social situation and use reasoning to deal with it in the most socially appropriate way. We ...
23 Problem-solving games for busy work teams
15. Sudoku. Sudoku has become one of the most popular problem solving games for adults. There are dozens of free app options, as well as paperback books that you can pick up. The goal of this game is to fill each box on a 9×9 grid so that every row, column, and letter contains each number from one to nine.
Social Problem Solving Board Game for Social Emotional Learning ...
Practice social skills and social problem solving with a board game! The game includes over 80 scenario cards focused on real life social situations at school, at home, with friends, and during activities. After reading the cards, kids will act the out the situation, discuss consequences, give three options, identify what they would do, and more.
Board games help children improve their math skills
A recent study suggests that playing board games could be a fun way to boost math skills in children. ... Games can significantly enhance cognitive skills like problem-solving, critical thinking ...
The most anticipated new board games of 2024
Publisher: Le Scorpion Masqué. Video-game-to-tabletop adaptations have been a noteworthy trend in recent years. 2024 will see several such big-name releases, including Call of Duty: The Board ...
Cheap Board Games You'll Love (2024)
Price: $24.95 (currently $21.00, 16% off) Players: 2-4. Ages: 13+. Play Time: 30 minutes. A personal favorite of mine, Boss Monster is a love-letter to a bygone era of early pixel art RPG video ...

12 Board Games for Developing Thinking Abilities and Life Skills

GAMERS DECIDE

[Top 15] Board Games That Improve Problem-Solving Skills

15. The Isle of Cats

14. Picture Perfect

13. Galaxy Trucker

12. Factory Funner

11. Overbooked

10. Tiny Towns

9. Scooby-Doo Escape from the Haunted Mansion

8. Pandemic

7. Quoridor

6. Forbidden Island

5. Photosynthesis

4. Tokyo Highway

3. Evolution

2. Pelican Cove

1. Wingspan

Guide to the Best Problem-Solving Board Games

Overview of Problem-Solving Board Games

Definition of problem-solving board games

Benefits of playing problem-solving board games

Popular themes in problem-solving board games

Classic Problem-Solving Board Games

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Best Board Games That Aren't Luck-Based In 2024

6 Board Games To Play If You Like Clue

Terra Mystica

What defines a board game as being "luck-free"?

What are the benefits of playing such board games?

10 Board Games to Stimulate Logical and Mathematical Thinking

4. Ticket to Ride

5. Dominion

7. Rummikub

8. Pandemic

9. Carcassonne

Recent posts

Problem Solving Games, Activities & Exercises for Adults

List of problem solving games & activities

1. Espionage! (Team Favorite)

2. Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh (Hosted)

Get our free team building toolbox

3. War of the Wizards (Popular)

5. Crossword puzzles

6. Online Escape Rooms

7. Murder Mysteries

8. Treasure Hunts

9. Poem or story challenge

10. Moral challenge

11. Frostbite

12. Virtual Hackathons

13. Improv games

14. Spaghetti Tower

15. What Would You Do?

16. Desert Island Survival

17. Choose Your Own Adventure

18. MacGyver

19. Dungeons & Dragons

20. Pandemic

21. Model UN

Book wildly fun team building events with expert hosts

FAQ: Problem solving activities

What are problem solving games?

What are the best problem solving games for groups?

What are some good problem solving team building activities for students?

How do you play problem solving games online?

Leave a Reply Cancel

Get our free team building tool box

10 Problem Solving Games for Kids

Reader Interactions

MIND Education

Subscribe Now

Math Board Games for Early Learners

Robot Turtles

Tsuro is a tile-placement game in which players can develop spatial reasoning as they visualize how their piece will move along the paths.

Ticket to Ride

Laser Khet 2.0

Loony Quest

Ricochet Robots