Game night has been a staple in families now for years. As much fun as it is playing your favorite games, after a while it might begin to get repetitive and boring, so we’ve e compiled a list of lesser-known games that will still be a blast for an inexpensive family-fun night.

Mouse Trap (4.5 Stars)

$20.84-$24.99

Hasbro’s Mouse Trap is by far the oldest and most classic game on this list. The random chance dice rolling game with 2-4 players is exciting for ages 6 and up. This timeless game has been forgotten about recently, and it is a good game to reminisce childhood memories while also playing with your own children. 

The game is very simple for anyone to understand, as there is one main goal: don’t get trapped. Build mouse traps while moving around the board, while also trying to avoid capture. The mouse that doesn’t get captured will be the one that comes out victorious.

Mouse Trap can be shipped from Amazon for $24.99 or can be found in stores such as Target or Walmart for under $21.

Telestrations (4.8 Stars)

$17.99-$39.99

USAopoly brings us Telestrations, the original 8 player drawing board game. Telestrations is a game that takes popular games pictionary and telephone and combines them into one. The way the game works is one person gets a word, draws it, then passes the drawing to the next person. The second person then interprets the drawing, figures out the word, draws a picture of their own, and passes it to the next person. This goes on until it gets to the last person, where they see if they can guess the original word.

While the game states it’s for ages 12 and up, most reviewers have played with children younger who still had a very good understanding of the game. The smaller 6 player version can be found cheapest at Target for $17.99, or if you have a bigger group you can get the 8 player version at Staples for $28.99 or the 12 player version at Puzzle Warehouse for $39.99. 

Spontuneous (4.8 Stars)

$18.99-$29.99 

Spontuneous: The Song Game is one of the newest and hottest games to hit the market. The game released in January 2022 can be easily mastered by anyone who is a fan of music or just knows a few good tunes! Spontuneous is a great game to break out with extended family or friends, and can give a good laugh to players and observers of all ages.

The rules are simple and all is takes is knowing a little music. Before the game starts, every player begins by writing trigger words on their hit list. When it comes to your turn, you announce one of your trigger words, then it’s a race between everyone else. The first player to sing 5 lyrics from any song that contains the trigger word gets to move forward on the board. The first player to reach the finish and complete the Spontuneous challenge wins the game.

The new hit game can be found cheapest at The Book Nook for $18.99.

Ticket to Ride (4 Stars)

$14.00-$39.99

If you’re looking for an easy-going, family fun board game, then Ticket to Ride is the perfect match. The family game that requires 2-5 players can be fun for anyone ages 8 and up. While at first glance the game board might look complicated for a child to understand, the rules to the game are quite simple.

Players of the game collect and play matching train cards to create railway routes that connect cities throughout the country being traveled. The longer the route is, the more points that player earns.

The standard version of the game can be found on Amazon for a bit of a high price at $43.99, however, there are other versions that can be found for cheaper. Versions such as Ticket to Ride Amsterdam, London, and New York can all be found, also on Amazon, for under $25.

Beat the Parents (4.3 Stars)

$5.00-$16.99

Beat the Parents is the perfect game for siblings to band together and take down their parents. The game is a trivia-based game for ages 6 and up. Adults are challenged to answer questions that their kids would definitely know the answer to, while their kids spend time answering questions their parents should hopefully know. The team to cross the entire board first will be the team crowned as the winners.

The game that requires at least 2 players is definitely the cheapest game on the list. It can be found on Macy’s, Amazon, and Walmart all for under $15.99. There is also a smaller version of the game that just uses trivia cards. This faster-paced version can be found at Five Below for only $5.

Catan Junior (4.7 Stars)

$16.60-$24.99

Are your kids too young to learn the hit game Settlers of Catan? If so, then Catan Junior is the perfect way to guide your children 6 and up into strategy based games. Catan Junior helps teach young children the world of Catan by playing in a ring of tropical islands.

In the game played with 2-4 players, you begin with 2 pirate liars. ou build ships to expand and build more liars. The more liars you collect, the more resources you can user to build more liars or ships and you can even  make trades with a nearby market. The first player to build 7 liars is crowned the junior champion.

Catan Junior is priced at fair and can be found at Walmart for $22.99 or the Board Game Company for a cheaper $16.60.

All these games are an absolute blast for the entire family and sure to make your kids want to come back for more. Don’t be surprised if you end up seeing these games on your countertop multiple times a week after introducing them to your youngsters.