As we approach vacation season and perhaps trips to the beach or a lakeside retreat, pulling out a board game for some evening (or rainy day) adult fun- or for some multigenerational gathering- is a common and enjoyable way to spend time together (and good for your brain!). Whether it’s letting the young ones win at Candyland or creating a super Monopoly competition, many of us truly enjoy the social and often intellectual pull of playing a board game.

And if you’re looking for some tried and true, or newly reviewed, recommendations, there are plenty out there to peruse. For example, Games Radar recently published its list of Board Games for Adults- the ones you need for 2023, which features games over a range of prices, topics, and strategies. Wired magazine also published a list of The Best Family Board Games, foregoing the classics (Scrabble anyone?) for more modern games, both simple and complex, for a wide range of ages. And then there’s the website Board Game Geek that’s sure to fill you in on everything you need to know about whatever game you may be contemplating.

But what’s really interesting is a recent survey found the Top Seven Game Night Hits Most Recommended By Experts. While the list includes many which are clearly modern favorites (Betrayal at House on the Hill and Pandemic Legacy, for example), it also makes note that one of the most popular games of all time- the aforementioned Monopoly- often leads to so much arguing and aggravation that for many, it’s no longer an option for game night!

So if that classic is “off the table,” what about some of the other essential options- like Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, or The Game of Life? Well, there’s good news on that front for those of you who enjoy those games but have a bit more difficulty reading the words or moving the pieces around the board. Hasbro, the manufacturer of these games, has just announced revamped and updated versions specifically to help older adults continue to enjoy them. What’s in store? The playing pieces will be larger and easier to grasp, the font on the boards will be easier to read and the content (for example, Trivial Pursuit questions) will be more “relatable” for older adults. These new versions of the “classics” will be available for purchase in June, and can be pre-ordered right now. So let the competition- and the summer games- begin!