Top 10 NEW Family Games in 2023

Draft and Write Records is a game about building and managing a music band. Players draft cards and write on their band sheet, choosing crew, assets, and agendas. The game emphasizes creating harmonies between crew members, unlocking bonuses. It offers a busy and engaging experience, where players chain effects for various achievements. The game stands out for its detailed artwork and thematic depth, offering a unique experience in the roll-and-write genre. It's suitable for older kids and plays up to six players.

The Spill is a cooperative game where players work together to prevent and clean up an oil spill, saving wildlife. It shares mechanics similar to Pandemic, with players performing four actions per turn. The game's unique feature is the use of a dice tower to simulate oil spill propagation. Players gain powerful cards by achieving objectives, accelerating cleanup efforts. The Spill offers educational value and real-world environmental relevance, making it an engaging and instructive experience for families.

Heraldica is a tile-placement game focusing on pattern recognition and defensive strategy. Players aim to place tiles on a grid to match a given pattern, while also trying to thwart opponents. The game stands out for its emphasis on defense over offense, requiring players to anticipate and block opponents' moves. Heraldica's gameplay encourages strategic thinking and adaptability, making it engaging for various player groups. It's a rare find, originating from Serbia, adding to its uniqueness.

The Wandering Towers is a unique roll-and-move game where players move towers and wizards to achieve objectives. Players use cards with towers or wizards, deciding whether to move based on a fixed number or a dice roll. The goal is to navigate wizards into a dark tower and trap opponents' wizards using your towers. The game includes potion mechanics, adding strategic depth to movement decisions. It's particularly enjoyable with families, offering a blend of strategy, luck, and memory elements.

Scribbly Gum is a flip-and-write game with an unlimited player count, ideal for large families. Players take on the role of baby moths navigating a scribbly gum tree. Gameplay involves flipping over a card to determine movement direction, consuming food for points, and utilizing bonuses for extended paths. The game's simplicity and paper-based play allow for a large number of participants. It's designed by renowned game designer Phil Walker Harding, known for creating engaging family games.

Balloon Pop is a fast-paced, matching game reminiscent of mobile app games. Players arrange rows of blocks (balloons) on a grid, aiming to match colors or symbols to pop them. The game includes a unique bidding mechanism where players use cards to bid for balloon sets, influencing how balloons are placed. Strategic card play is crucial, as cards also determine balloon placement rules. The game offers a mix of quick decision-making and strategic planning, suitable for up to four players.

Farm Club is a concise, 9-turn game where players manage a farm. Each turn involves selecting an animal and an objective, aiming to earn victory points. The game challenges players to match animals with objectives that align or differ, adding strategic depth. Objectives can be immediate or tallied at the game's end. Farm Club's appeal lies in its combination of strategic depth and quick playtime, making it suitable for families, especially with younger children.

Castles by the Sea is a tactile, three-dimensional game set in a world inspired by The Secret World of Arrietty. Players, as tiny citizens, build sandcastles, fulfilling construction requirements using blocks of sand. The game includes various building and character cards, each with unique effects. Players face challenges from beach life, like a baby giant or a kite dragon. The game's objective is to build and maintain as many standing structures as possible, amidst the whimsical beach threats.

In Life of the Amazonia, players are tasked with building a rainforest ecosystem. This involves placing tiles and adding animals, each contributing to scoring based on varying objectives. The core mechanic is a bag builder, where players draw tokens to expand their forest or add animals. The game features extraordinary artistry, high-quality components, and colorful animal meeples. Gameplay emphasizes the need for a balanced ecosystem, reflecting the game's theme.

Creature Comforts is a family-friendly game centered around preparing your home for winter. Players gather resources and use dice for worker placement to build cards representing comforts. The game is notable for its tranquil and peaceful nature, with minimal player confrontation. Strategies revolve around probabilities and resource management. The game's appeal lies in its serene gameplay style, allowing players to play alongside each other in a zen-like atmosphere.