Before you choose

Teenagers play games differently from families. They want something quick to explain, loud enough for a crowd and funny when someone gets it wrong, and they will happily ignore a game that takes twenty minutes to set up. These eight are the kind of games that come out at sleepovers and on Boxing Day, sorted here by how many people are playing. All were checked with their makers on 24 October 2026.

Start with how many will play

The number of players matters more than the theme. A game that is brilliant with four can drag with nine, and a party game is flat with only two. Think about the usual group: a couple of close friends, a sleepover of six, or a whole family on Christmas afternoon.

  • Big groups of 8 or more: Herd Mentality, Sounds Fishy, Don't Fall For It! or Articulate! Under Pressure
  • Middle-sized groups: The Chameleon or the LOGO board game
  • Two to five players: Exploding Kittens or Ticket to Ride Europe

Party games for a crowd

Big Potato's games are made for exactly this. In Herd Mentality you score by matching your answer to the rest of the herd, which suits a group where not everyone likes quizzes. In Sounds Fishy you spot which players are faking their answers and which one has the real one. In Don't Fall For It! anyone fooled by a fake answer pulls a plank from a wooden tower, and the team with the fewest blocks left wins. The Chameleon Picture Edition gives everyone a secret picture except one player, who has to blend in; Big Potato marks it 14+, so it is for older teenagers.

Word and trivia games

Articulate! Under Pressure turns the classic describing game into three fast rounds against an electronic countdown timer, for three to ten players. The timer runs on three AA batteries, which are in the box. The LOGO board game is, in Drumond Park's words, a trivia game at heart, with Picture, Theme and Pot Luck cards, and it is pitched at ages 12 to adult, so teenagers can take on their parents.

For two to five players

Exploding Kittens is a short, chaotic card game for two to five. It is marked 7+, younger than most games here, but its humour and quick rounds keep it popular with teenagers, and its small box goes anywhere. Ticket to Ride Europe is the one proper strategy game on the list: players connect cities by claiming railway routes across a map of Europe, in games of 30 to 60 minutes.

How we chose them

Every game here is sold by a UK toy shop through our links, and its age, players and contents come from the maker's own website. We left out games that need a phone or a television to play, because those need extra checks first, and anything a maker marks 18+.

Manufacturer-checked facts

Product details

Eight games for teenagers, marked 7+ to 14+: four party games, two word and trivia games, a card game and a strategy board game. Listed by age marking, not ranked.

Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Game / card game

Exploding Kittens Original Edition Game

In the box: 56 cards; 2 to 5 players, about 15 minutes

Age guidance
7+
Brand
The Entertainer
Model / item
EKGORG1
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Hamleys through the Awin product feed.

Game / strategy board game

Ticket To Ride Europe

In the box: A board, 46 tickets, 225 plastic trains and 15 stations in five colours, 110 train cards, 5 wooden scoring markers, a longest-path bonus card and a rules booklet; 2 to 5 players, 30 to 60 minutes

Age guidance
8+
Brand
Hamleys
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Hamleys through the Awin product feed.

Game / party game

Herd Mentality

In the box: 200 questions, 62 cow tokens, 2 answer pads, a squishy cow, a cow paddock and a rules sheet; 4 to 20 players, about 20 minutes

Big Potato lists a newer barcode than the shop does, so the box may be an earlier edition of the same game.

Age guidance
10+
Brand
Hamleys
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Game / party game

Sounds Fishy Game

In the box: 9 fish, 80 point tokens, 100 questions and a card dispenser; 4 to 10 players, about 15 minutes

Age guidance
10+
Brand
The Entertainer
Model / item
922-146675
Facts checked
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Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Game / party game

Don't Fall For It! Game

In the box: 80 question cards, 21 wooden cubes, 11 wooden cylinders, 12 planks, a card dispenser and a tower; 2 to 10 players, about 20 minutes

Age guidance
10+
Brand
The Entertainer
Model / item
922-146677
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Game / party game

Articulate Under Pressure Game

In the box: An electronic countdown timer (3 AA batteries included), 250 cards with 1,000 categories and 5 playing pieces; 3 to 10 players

Age guidance
12+
Brand
The Entertainer
Model / item
T73768
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Hamleys through the Awin product feed.

Game / trivia board game

Logo Second Edition

In the box: A board game with Picture, Theme and Pot Luck cards and well over a thousand questions; 2 to 6 players or teams

Drumond Park gives the age as 12 to adult.

Age guidance
12+
Brand
Hamleys
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Hamleys through the Awin product feed.

Game / party game

Chameleon: Pictures Edition

In the box: Topic cards, code cards and two dice, as Big Potato lists them; 3 to 8 players, about 15 minutes

Age guidance
14+
Brand
Hamleys
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist

Questions

Common questions

What is a good board game for teenagers?
For a big group, a party game such as Herd Mentality or Sounds Fishy. For two to five players who want strategy, Ticket to Ride Europe. Match the game to how many people usually play.
Which games here suit a 13-year-old?
All except The Chameleon, which Big Potato marks 14+. The rest are marked 7+ to 12+ by their makers.
Do any of these games need a phone or batteries?
None needs a phone. Articulate! Under Pressure uses an electronic timer that runs on three AA batteries, which come in the box.

Research

Sources checked

We use official safety guidance and manufacturer sources for specific product claims. Retailer popularity can inform discovery but does not replace these checks.

Each pick's identity, age marking and contents were checked on its maker's own page: