The best children games for 12 years and older 2024
In 2024 looking for a good game for your child from 12 years? Our overview lists card, dice and board games that can be played by children (and adults) between the ages of 12 and 14.
It is important that the needs and abilities of the children are taken into account and considered - sensible encouragement & challenge is required here. We have paid close attention to what twelve, thirteen and fourteen year old children need and can do. The games listed here should neither under- nor overchallenge your kids.
The best board games for all ages
For those who have kids of a different age, we've created more lists with board games separated by age group.
A list of games for kids of all ages can be found here: The best children's games.
The best board games for kids 12 years and older:
But now for our overview of the best games for kids 12+ 2024:
MicroMacro: Crime City
MicroMacro: Crime City is a unique detective game that immerses players into a detailed and expansive cityscape to solve intriguing crimes. The game centers around a large, detailed map of a city where various crimes have occurred. Players become detectives tasked with unraveling these mysteries using the clues scattered across the city.
Nominated for 20 awards and won 11.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2021
More details for MicroMacro: Crime City- 1 - 4 Players
- 15 - 45 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Immediately playable
So Clover!
So Clover! is a cooperative word-association game that challenges players to think creatively and work together. The essence of the game is to generate and guess keywords based on shared features, aiming to achieve the highest possible team score.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 2.
More details for So Clover!- 3 - 6 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition
The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition revitalizes Stefan Feld's classic strategy game for 1-4 players, where participants embody aristocrats managing their princedoms. This special edition, a collaboration between Ravensburger and Awaken Realms, elevates the game with a full art redesign, premium materials, and enhanced components, offering a luxurious playing experience as players build their settlements, castles, and engage in trade.
Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.
More details for The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition- 1 - 4 Players
- 70 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Telestrations
Telestrations is a light-hearted and entertaining party game that blends drawing and word-guessing in a hilarious and often unpredictable way. The game is based on the classic concept of "telephone" but adds a visual twist.
Nominated for 9 awards and won 7.
⭐️ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2013
More details for Telestrations- 4 - 8 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Telestrations
Cascadia
Cascadia is a tile-laying and token-drafting board game that features the rich habitats and diverse wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. It combines strategic tile placement with wildlife conservation themes.
Nominated for 25 awards and won 14.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2022
More details for Cascadia- 1 - 4 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea is a cooperative trick-taking card game that embarks players on an underwater expedition to discover the lost continent of Mu. Building on the foundations of its predecessor, The Crew, this game combines the familiar mechanics of trick-taking with unique cooperative elements and a compelling thematic narrative.
Nominated for 4 awards and won 3.
More details for The Crew: Mission Deep Sea- 2 - 5 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*MicroMacro: Crime City – Full House
MicroMacro: Crime City – Full House is a captivating detective game that expands upon the original MicroMacro: Crime City. Players become sleuths, examining a giant city map (75 x 110 cm) filled with intricate details to solve various crimes. This edition includes 16 new cases, each offering a unique story and set of challenges that require players to scrutinize the map to uncover hidden information and trace suspects' movements.
Nominated for 4 awards.
More details for MicroMacro: Crime City – Full House- 1 - 4 Players
- 15 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Sky Team
- 2 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*7 Wonders Duel
7 Wonders Duel takes the essence of the classic 7 Wonders and refines it for an intense two-player experience. It retains the thematic elements of building a civilization through acquiring various types of cards, but it introduces unique mechanics suited for a duel.
Nominated for 16 awards and won 9.
More details for 7 Wonders Duel- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for 7 Wonders Duel
Jaipur
In the bustling city of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, you find yourself in a fierce competition as one of the two most powerful traders. However, being a prominent trader isn't enough; the ultimate goal is to earn two coveted "seals of excellence" to secure an invitation to the Maharaja's prestigious court. To outshine your direct competitor, you'll need to demonstrate superior trading skills by buying, exchanging, and selling goods at advantageous prices, all while carefully managing your valuable camel herds.
Nominated for 7 awards and won 4.
More details for Jaipur- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Codenames: Duet
Embark on a collaborative journey of espionage in Codenames Duet, where the familiar elements of Codenames persist – providing one-word clues to unveil your agents among those on the table. This time, however, you and your teammate work together to uncover all your agents, adding a thrilling cooperative dimension to the challenge. The mystery of not knowing your agents from the outset adds an intriguing layer to the mission, raising questions that even Congressional investigators might ponder later!
Nominated for 9 awards and won 4.
More details for Codenames: Duet- 2 Players
- 15 - 30 Minutes
- 11+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Codenames: Duet
Love Letter
In Love Letter, you must compete with other suitors to deliver a romantic letter to Princess Annette, who has secluded herself in the palace.
Nominated for 14 awards and won 7.
More details for Love Letter- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Love Letter
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 offers an extraordinary gaming experience as a cooperative campaign game, immersing players in an overarching story-arc that unfolds over 12-24 gripping sessions. The duration depends on your group's performance and the fate of the world. Here's an overview of this thrilling journey:
Nominated for 21 awards and won 12.
⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2016
More details for Pandemic Legacy: Season 1- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Decrypto
Engage in the riveting team-based challenge of Decrypto, where players strive to correctly interpret coded messages from their teammates while unraveling the intercepted codes of the opposing team.
Nominated for 14 awards and won 7.
More details for Decrypto- 3 - 8 Players
- 15 - 45 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for Decrypto
The Quacks of Quedlinburg
Become a cunning charlatan or a quack doctor in the whimsical world of The Quacks of Quedlinburg. In this quirky board game, each player concocts their own secret brew, one ingredient at a time. But beware, for a careless addition could spoil the entire mixture!
Nominated for 17 awards and won 12.
⭐️ Kennerspiel des Jahres 2018
More details for The Quacks of Quedlinburg- 2 - 4 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for The Quacks of Quedlinburg
Skull
Embark on a journey of bluffing and suspense with Skull & Roses. This game is the epitome of strategic cunning, where every move unfolds in the minds of the players. Each participant starts by placing a face-down card, gradually revealing them one by one. The thrill escalates as players confidently claim the ability to uncover cards adorned only with roses. But beware, as opponents can challenge and bid to reveal even more cards. The highest bidder must then courageously unveil the specified number, hoping for a bed of roses and not the dreaded skull. Successfully navigating this bluffing showdown requires a poker face and unwavering eye contact, with victory hinging on two successful challenges.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 2.
More details for Skull- 3 - 6 Players
- 15 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Skull
For Sale
For Sale is a fast-paced, engaging game about buying and selling real estate, involving strategic bidding and sales to maximize profits.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for For Sale- 3 - 6 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Heat: Pedal to the Metal
Heat: Pedal to the Metal is a dynamic and strategic racing board game that simulates the thrill and intricacies of car racing. It offers players a chance to experience the excitement of racing while managing crucial elements like speed, car upgrades, and varying track conditions.
Nominated for 16 awards and won 7.
More details for Heat: Pedal to the Metal- 1 - 6 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine is a cooperative trick-taking game that takes players on an adventurous space journey, filled with challenges and strategic gameplay.
Nominated for 26 awards and won 13.
⭐️ Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020
More details for The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine- 2 - 5 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
MicroMacro: Crime City – All In
More details for MicroMacro: Crime City – All InMicroMacro: Crime City – All In is the latest installment in the MicroMacro: Crime City series, offering players a new district of the black-and-white, crime-ridden metropolis known as Crime City to explore. This edition comes with a fresh, large city map that connects seamlessly with the maps from previous games, presenting 16 new and more complex crime cases for players to solve.
- 1 - 4 Players
- 15 - 45 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Harmonies
- 1 - 4 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Splendor Duel
Splendor Duel is an intriguing two-player game that builds upon the foundation of its predecessor, Splendor, enhancing it with new layers of strategy and competitiveness. Designed specifically for two players, this standalone game maintains the core elements of Splendor while introducing novel twists and mechanics, making it more dynamic and interactive.
Nominated for 11 awards and won 3.
More details for Splendor Duel- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Point Salad
Point Salad is a dynamic and engaging card drafting game that is suitable for players of all ages. It stands out for its simplicity and the vast array of scoring strategies it offers.
Nominated for 13 awards and won 3.
More details for Point Salad- 2 - 6 Players
- 15 - 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Point Salad
Smart10
Nominated for 4 awards and won 3.
More details for Smart10- 2 - 8 Players
- 20 - 120 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Codenames: Pictures
Uncover the mystery behind peculiar symbols on the map in Codenames: Pictures, where these enigmatic codes signify locations where spies connect with secret agents. In this clandestine world, two rival spymasters possess knowledge of the agents in each location, communicating coded messages to guide their field operatives to discreet meetings. Operatives must navigate these visual puzzles with utmost precision, as a decoding misstep might lead to an unfortunate encounter with an enemy agent – or worse, an encounter with the deadly assassin! The race is on for both teams to contact all their agents, but only one can emerge victorious.
Nominated for 3 awards and won 3.
More details for Codenames: Pictures- 2 - 8 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Codenames: Pictures
Time's Up!
Time's Up! is a lively and entertaining charades-based party game, ideal for playing in teams of two or more. It's particularly engaging when played with teams of two. The game revolves around guessing famous historical or fictional characters, with each player contributing to a communal deck of names used across three distinct rounds.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 2.
More details for Time's Up!- 4 - 18 Players
- 90 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Immediately playable
The Quest for El Dorado
The Quest for El Dorado is a strategic and adventurous board game that immerses players in the exciting journey of discovering the legendary city of gold, El Dorado. Set in the lush South American jungles, this game combines deck-building and racing elements, challenging players to be both cunning and quick.
Nominated for 13 awards and won 6.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2017
More details for The Quest for El Dorado- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for The Quest for El Dorado
Star Realms: Frontiers
Star Realms: Frontiers is a dynamic standalone game within the Star Realms series, offering fast-paced space combat with deckbuilding elements. Designed for 1-4 players, it can be enjoyed on its own or integrated with other Star Realms sets for expanded play.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Star Realms: Frontiers- 1 - 4 Players
- 20 - 45 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
The Resistance: Avalon
The Resistance: Avalon is a standalone game set in the legendary world of King Arthur, combining the mechanics of secret identities and deduction found in The Resistance with a thematic backdrop of Arthurian legend and the struggle between good and evil.
Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.
More details for The Resistance: Avalon- 5 - 10 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Easy to learn
Star Realms: Colony Wars
Colony Wars is an engaging standalone deckbuilding game in the Star Realms series, offering both an individual gaming experience for two players and an expansion to the original Star Realms for up to four players.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Star Realms: Colony Wars- 2 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
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