good travel board games

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The 40 Best Small Board & Card Games [Travel & Space-Saving Versions]

Amar Hussain

Senior Content Contributor

771 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 63 U.S. States Visited: 9

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

32 Published Articles 3106 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 45 U.S. States Visited: 28

1. Jax Sequence

2. scrabble deluxe travel edition, 3. connect 4 grab and go game — travel size, 4. take ‘n’ play anywhere — bingo, 5. quadpro magnetic travel checkers board  , 6. battleship grab and go game, 7. catan traveler, 8. monopoly grab and go game — travel size, 9. amazon exclusive pressman rummikub, 10. quadpro magnetic travel chess set, 11. yahtzee, 12. guess who board game  , 13. hasbro gaming jenga mini game , 14. blokus game, 15. smart zone games hive pocket, 16. take ‘n’ play anywhere — tic-tac-toe, 17. cinco linko, a strategy board game, 18. pressman mancala — real wood folding set, 19. sorry game, 20. pop-o-matic trouble grab and go game, 1. monopoly deal card game, 2. mattel games uno: classic tin box  , 3. taco vs. burrito — strategic card game created by a 7-year-old , 4. czech games codenames, 5. taco cat goat cheese pizza , 6. mattel games apples to apples party box, 7. family feud survey says card game, 8. magilano skyjo, 9. goat lords game, 10. kids against maturity , 11. punderdome: a card game for pun lovers, 12. playmonster 5 second rule game, 13. spot it, 14. unstable unicorns card game, 15. our moments kids: 100 thought-provoking conversation starters, 16. loaded questions on the go card game, 17. scattergories the card game, 18. oh fruck, 19. mattel games pictionary card game, 20. skip bo card game, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Taking part in a game of cards or breaking out a board game is a great way to pass the time both at home and away. Long journeys, travel delays, bad weather, and dark winter nights can all be improved with a bit of competitive fun between you and your travel companions.

Get your brain ticking as you devise strategies to beat your opponent, or celebrate your good fortune in games based on sheer chance and luck. If you are heading out on a trip, check out some of these awesome travel-friendly board games and card games to help make the most of your next adventure.

Note: We’ve included board and card game options for 2 people (or more), kids, and families!

The 20 Best Small Board Games

Players: 2 to 12

This fun and challenging game is perfect for families. Using a card from your hand and placing a chip on the corresponding space on the game board, the first player to achieve 5 in a row wins the game! Block your opponents or even remove their chips to make your sequence work out for you — but keep your eye out for the Jacks, as they can be wild!

Small enough to be portable, but offering huge amounts of fun both on the road and back at home, Jax Sequence is a game of strategy and luck that’s complete with a folding game board and travel-friendly pieces.

Players: 2 to 4

This classic word game comes in a finely crafted wooden case with a magnetic closure, making it perfect for game players on the go. With a raised letter tile grid, the board halves slide out easily to reveal a handy storage area underneath. Measuring just 9.8 x 9.2 x 1.2 inches when closed and 9.8 x 4.6 x 2.4 inches when open, this is an extremely compact version of one of the best-loved games of all time.

Beat your opponents by using the solid wood letters on your letter rack to make words with high scores. Classic and compact, this version is a winner wherever you are.

This simple but popular game has been scaled down into a convenient travel size, making it great for keeping you and your crew entertained on the move. Starting with 21 checkers each, you must outwit each other to be the first to get to 4 in a row. Block your opponent at every turn, and see if you can complete your connection before they block you.

This Grab and Go edition from the game experts at Hasbro has space to store the checkers in the columns and the trays fold up neatly for added portability.

For a modern and completely child-friendly twist on traditional bingo, this 6.75-inch square tin case holds everything young players need to enjoy a game of bingo on the go. Suitable for players from 4 years and up, the large magnetic playing pieces are easy for little hands to play with while big enough to not get lost.

Have your kids flick the spinner and place the magnetic markers on the corresponding animal as soon as they see it. When they get 5 in a row, it’s time to shout “bingo” and enjoy being the winner — until next time, of course.

Enjoy checkers anywhere in the world with this foldable plastic checkers set that’s durable yet lightweight. The 64-square board is complete with black and white magnetic pieces that can easily be moved around the board for the win. When you have finished the game, the same pieces can be stored away inside the checkerboard to keep them safe during transit.

Bottom Line: Perfect for bus, plane, or train journeys, camping trips, lunch breaks, and so much more, this compact, folding board game is easy to play and perfectly portable.

Sink your opponent’s battleship with this Grab and Go version of the ever-popular strategy game. Each of the portable game units opens upwards to block your opponent’s view while you track each other’s shots using the included red and white pegs. When you’re finished, fold them up again for easy storage.

With 2 carriers, destroyers, cruisers, submarines, and battleships included in this compact portable edition, you can get busy sinking battleships, even on the go.

With a space-saving box that unfolds to reveal the variable board, you and your fellow players can race each other to build your roads, cities, and settlements. This handy travel size edition of the popular Catan game can be set up in seconds, with 6 double-sided board pieces that can be assembled randomly to ensure that every game you play is completely different.

Designed with portability in mind, this handy travel edition even features cards that are held securely in holder trays and a hex-shaped dice shaker that can’t get dropped or lost as you play on the go.

Monopoly is one of the most popular and best-selling games in the world. This travel-size edition makes it more convenient for game fans on the go.

This set includes all of the classic properties, title deed cards, community chest cards, chance cards, get out of jail cards, houses, hotels, and the iconic Monopoly banknotes. There is still big fun to be had even with this smaller version.

Trade your way to success with this Grab and Go game that is perfect for budding capitalists of all ages.

This ever-popular tile-based game combines the very best elements of mahjong and rummy to produce a perfectly portable game of skill that is suitable for up to 4 players at a time. With a canvas bag for easy storage, each player starts with the same number of tiles and tries to put as many down into groups or runs as possible.

Fast-paced and easy to play, this game is not only a great way to pass the time, but it also helps to reinforce basic STEM skills, including sequencing, pattern recognition, and planning, making it a great choice for both older children and adults.

For chess lovers everywhere, this foldable plastic chess set allows you to practice your strategic skills on the go. The traditional 64-square playing field comes with all of the traditional chess pieces that glide effortlessly across the board when the time is right.

Perfect for playing at home or school, in transit, or virtually anywhere else you can think of, this compact chess set is designed to keep the pieces safe inside the case. You will have your opponent’s king in checkmate in no time.

The classic dice game Yahtzee takes a travel-sized twist in this portable version of an old favorite. You and your opponent get 13 rolls of the dice to find the best combinations of numbers to achieve different scores. Whether you decide to hustle for a full house or risk it all for a Yahtzee roll, you must fill in an empty box at the end of each turn.

Bottom Line: This game comes complete with 5 dice and a shaker that doubles up as easy and convenient storage for your tiles, making it a great choice for easy entertainment on the go.

This much-loved, classic 1980s guessing game is back, and this time it’s portable. While your opponent picks a mystery card, you must ask enough questions to be able to eliminate the sea of faces in front of you until you find their hidden identity. Is your opponent wearing a hat? Do they have blue eyes? A beard? Ask away until you can “Guess Who” they really are.

With 2 travel-size game units, 48 character cards, and built-in face frames for easy viewing, your kids will have hours of fun getting to guess each other’s new personas.

This pocket-size version of the popular balancing game offers gigantic amounts of fun. With 18 mini hardwood blocks, this portable classic takes skill and patience to ensure that you are the last person standing.

Simply stack the blocks as high as you can without causing the tower to crash to win the game. Compact enough to carry with you, this is a great game for sleepovers, camping, and travel.

This fun strategy game is perfect for the whole family to play both at home and away. The rules take less than a minute to learn, and you’ll quickly battle against each other for the win.

Each player takes turns to place their 21 pieces on the board, making sure that each piece touches another piece of the same color, but only at the corners. Protect your territory by strategically blocking your opponents at every turn to win the game.

Made from sturdy, wipeable materials, this game can easily be taken with you in its box to keep you amused on the go.

This highly addictive strategy game can be played on any flat surface. Complete with a travel bag, you and your opponent can break open the 22 pieces to form the patterns that become the playing surface. The object of the game is to surround your opponent’s queen while keeping your wits about you to ensure that they don’t do the same to you.

The first player to surround the queen wins in this bug-tastic travel game.

This super chunky edition of the timeless strategy game is perfect for playing tic-tac-toe on the go. The 6.75-inch tin is compact enough for carrying with you on long journeys, and the tin will keep everything safely stored when not in use. The magnetic board keeps your pieces in place and this compact version is complete with 6 magnets, 10 red markers, 10 blue markers, and a die.

Switch up your gameplay from pen and paper with this easy-to-use magnetic travel game.

This travel-size tile game is easy to learn and super fun to play, either back at home or on the move. Simply choose a color, grab your stack, and start laying down the tiles until someone achieves a line of 5 either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Completely designed for travel, the game comes in durable, waterproof travel-size stacks that can easily be clipped onto your bag.

Ready to play on any surface, Cinco Linko is the winner of multiple awards and a great little game for kids.

This simple but exciting game is one of the world’s oldest and best-loved strategy games. Players take turns to collect special stones and count them out 1 at a time into the pockets on the board. Drop a stone into an empty pocket and capture all the stones in the opposite pocket for the win.

Requiring plenty of skill and strategic planning, this game also helps to reinforce STEM skills for younger players. The wooden box folds up flat for easy gaming on the go.

Remember your manners as you beat your opponents in this classic game of sweet revenge! As each player picks 1 or 2 cards, get 1 of your 4 pawns out of the starting area and off around the game board. This super fun game calls on strategy, chance, and luck to see you or your opponents chase, race, bump, slide, and score your way around the board to be the first to get all 4 pawns to home base.

An updated version of the original Sorry! game, this is fun for the whole family on long journeys, campouts, picnics, sleepovers, and all kinds of adventures.

This compact and incredibly portable game is a reduced-size version of the Trouble game — small in stature but big on fun.

The all-in-1 game board is perfect for sleepovers, long journeys, camping trips, and much more and can be played by up to 4 players at a time. Complete with the famous Pop-O-Matic die roller and cover and 16 pegs, you can try and beat your opponent by being the first to get all your pegs across the finish line.

Bottom Line: Easy to play and full of excitement, this is a great game to play with the whole family both at home and away.

The 20 Best Small Card Games

Players: 2 to 5

This ultra-portable way to play the classic property-trading game will keep you entertained both at home and away. Be the first to collect 3 full property sets of different colors using the cards, and you’ll be the winner. Pick up extra properties along the way, charge your opponents rent, or even steal their cards when they slip up to show your ruthless side and become the next Monopoly property tycoon.

This card version of the world-famous and much-loved board game is perfect for playing on long journeys, sleepovers, camping trips, vacations, and virtually anywhere else, too.

Players: 2 to 10

This classic family card game is easy to learn and a ball to play. UNO has a huge following all over the world and is compact enough to take anywhere with you. Race against your opponents to rid yourself of your hand as you match cards on the deck by either color or number.

Take advantage of special cards such as skips, reverses, draw 2s, and even color-changing wild cards to increase your chances of standing victorious.

Perfect for the whole family to play, don’t forget to shout “UNO!” when you are down to your last card in this wild and noisy card game.

Created by a child and funded via Kickstarter, this crazy, fun strategic food fight is a smash hit with both adults and children alike.

If you and your opponents like card games and enjoy dreaming up weird food combos, this is just the game for you. Use the cards dealt to start making your crazy sandwich combinations, or switch up the game with action cards to gain the extra ingredients you need to win.

Don’t forget to keep a lookout for the health inspector or order envy that can spoil your meal, ruin your appetite, and eventually lose you the game.

Players: 2 to 8

This spy game sees teams compete to discover who can make contact with all of their agents first. Using 1-word clues, you and your teammates must try to guess the words of your team color while avoiding those that belong to the other team. Get your spy skills switched on and work together in this lively discussion game that can be played in groups.

Watch out for the double agents, though, as well as the assassin who is out to get you. Whether you win or lose, it’s still great fun to figure out all of the clues in this portable card game for older children and adults.

Players: 3 to 8

Perfect for hand-slapping fun wherever you are headed, this unique take on traditional snap-type card games is great fun for the whole family. Each player places a card from their hand face-up in a pile, while simply saying “taco/cat/goat/cheese/pizza” in player sequence. The magic is made when the card matches the mantra and players race to be the first to rid themselves of all their cards.

Bottom Line: For extra fun, throw a gorilla, narwhal, and groundhog into the mix in this travel-sized, super-fun, and addictive social card game.

Players: 4 to 8

This hilarious game is perfect for party play while away, and just as much fun at home, too. The aim of the game is to win the most rounds by playing a “red apple” card from your hand to best match that round’s communal “green apple” card, as chosen by that round’s judging player.

With 441 red apple cards and 63 green apple cards, there are plenty of crazy combinations to be found. As a former Mensa International “Mensa Select” game winner in 1999, and the “Party Game of the Year” in the same year, this is a great game that remains as popular as ever.

Players: 3 or more

If you love the game show, you will really enjoy this Family Feud Survey Says card game. Play alongside your friends or family as you work to find the top answers to a variety of topics. Download the Gamestar+ app and you can incorporate sound effects from the show into your game.

The pack includes 49 jumbo survey cards, 3 red strike cards, and 1 host cover card and are perfect for playing at parties, on vacation, or even at home.

All you need is a bit of space in front of you to enjoy this strategic card game. With 12 hidden cards and 2 faced up, each player takes a turn to take the top card from the discard or draw pile. Exchange 1 card from your 12 card display until your or your fellow player has only open cards. When the round ends, it’s time to add your cards for scoring, with the lowest number for the win.

Portable and easy to play, this addictive card game is perfect for playing around a table, on the floor, or anywhere you are all together on the move.

Players: 2 to 6

This fabulously fun card game features thieves, monsters, magic bombs, and lots, and lots of goats. Become the most successful Goat Lord by gathering the biggest goat herd simply by stacking pairs of goat cards in front of you and stealing your opponent’s goats right from under their nose.

Use your skill to attack other players, or hold your nerve as you keep your cards close to your chest. Whatever your strategy, this is a great party game for goat lovers of all ages.

Great fun is guaranteed and lots of laughter, too, as you strive to become Lord of the Goats with this crazy travel card game.

Players: 2 or more

Using the tried and tested fill-in-the-blank game method, Kids Against Maturity is a more family-friendly version of the more adult games usually found in this genre. While each player gets 10 white cards, they can make hysterical answers by turning over the blue cards to finish the sentence. Whoever manages to make the funniest answer will be declared the winner.

Bottom Line: Perfect for keeping the kids amused on the go, this multi-award-winning card game can be played virtually anywhere and is always guaranteed to bring smiles.

From the creators of the well-renowned game show, this travel version of Punderdome is part game, part conversation starter, and a whole lot of fun. The goal of the game is to make the worst bad pun jokes by drawing cards from the deck and reading the prompt to the rest of the players. The player who can create the most groan-worthy pun from the 2 prompts wins the round and the prompt cards.

Make your way to winning 10 pairs of cards to enjoy a glorious, fun-fueled victory over your opponents in this perfectly portable travel game for pun lovers everywhere.

This fast-paced and fun, travel-sized card game is perfect for players on the go. Simply pick a card, read out the topic, and set the timer. With just 5 seconds to go, you must name 3 things that fit in with the given topic before the timer runs out. It’s super easy to get tongue-tied when playing against the clock, so just say what comes to mind, no matter how ridiculous it might sound.

With a twisted timer that makes a fun zoooop sound when flipped over and balls that slide down to note the 5-second mark, it can be easy to get distracted. Try to stay focused and enjoy laugh-out-loud fun with this fast-moving card game.

This award-winning visual perception game will test your observational skills and help to hone your reflexes. With a sharp eye and a quick hand, you will need to find the single match between the symbol and the 2 cards, usually resulting in frenzied fun as you try to spot it fast.

To ensure even more fun on the go, this edition offers a combination of 5 different ways to play. Everything comes neatly packed away in a handy grab ‘n’ go tin.

Build yourself a unicorn army as the unicorns are your friends now! This strategic card game is great fun to play both at home and away. With over 20 magical unicorns to collect, you need to build your army as quickly as possible before getting destroyed by one of your so-called friends.

With twists and turns along the way that can lead to total destruction and utter madness, you need to outwit your opponents to be crowned The Righteous Ruler of All Things Magical.

Taking a slightly different approach to traditional card games, this innovative set of questions has been designed to lead to thought-provoking conversations with your child. Perfect for passing the time on long journeys, family bonding on vacation, or even just to help understand your child a little bit better, this is a card game that helps to build relationships.

In a fun game-style format, the cards ask a wide variety of leading questions that encourage children to talk about their thoughts and feelings without being pressured. Fun, upbeat, and simple — you can learn a lot from this game.

Rated one of the hottest card games by the likes of USA Today and Games Magazine, this simple but fun card game offers hours of family-friendly entertainment, both at home and away. With over 500 fun, personality-filled questions, can you be the first player to reach the WIN space by rolling high, matching players’ answers correctly on your turn, and writing the “favorite” answer on the starred space?

With no right or wrong answers, this is a great way to stay competitive while also getting to know a little bit more about your fellow players. Perfect for passing the time on long journeys or keeping away from the rain.

This fun and challenging game has been a family favorite since the 1980s, and this card game edition offers a twist on traditional gameplay. With 2 card decks, players need to name something beginning with the letter on the card in a certain situation to win the game. The player with the most cards at the end is the winner overall.

Easy to play wherever you are, this fun and fast-paced retro game will get your brain in gear as you try to beat your opponents.

If you feel too old for a game of Old Maid, but not quite ready for Texas Hold ‘Em, this crowdfunded game could be just right for you. By turning over the top 3 cards of the red deck, you and your fellow players discover the special rules that will disrupt your gameplay. If you can’t play a card, you’ll be the player that gets “frucked” as you get 1 card closer to losing the game.

Bottom Line: This is a raucous card game for more grown-up players that combines strategy with special rules.

Players: 2 teams

This clever travel game uses ready-made pictures instead of relying on the player’s artistic ability. In a cross between Pictionary and charades, you and your team will need to act out clues against the clock using nothing but the picture on the card. You can build scenes or use props, and the first team to guess the correct answers wins the point.

Crazy team fun comes standard in this fast-paced guessing game where silence is golden.

From the makers of UNO, this sequencing card game is great for playing while you’re on the move.

Use your skills to create stacks of sequentially numbered, ascending cards, until there are no more left to play. Break up a static situation with the Skip-Bo wild cards that can be played as any number, and put your strategic thinking cap on to help smash your opponents and win the game.

Brightly colored and easy to play, the winner is the first player to deplete all of his or her Skip-Bo stockpiles. Then you can shuffle, deal, and start from the beginning again.

Put down your devices and enjoy some good old-fashioned family fun with compact, travel-size board games or card games next time you hit the road. Long journeys will fly by, and bad weather will never spoil your fun. From traditional card games to fast-paced, super-fun board games, there is something to suit players of all ages.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most popular board games right now.

Some of the best-selling and reviewed board games on Amazon are Connect 4, Sequence, Battleship, Sorry!, Monopoly, Checkers, and Uno.

What are the most popular board games ever sold?

While it can be challenging to get exact sales figures for board games that are sold, it is generally agreed that classic board games such as Scrabble, Monopoly, Chess, and Clue are the most popular board games of all time.

Do people still buy board games?

People still buy board games, and they are as popular as they ever were. For example, in the toys and games category of Amazon’s bestseller list, 5 out of the top 25 are board or card games.

What is the best card game for travel?

One of the best-selling card games on Amazon is UNO, where you race against your opponents to rid yourself of your hand as you match cards on the deck by either color or number. UNO is compact enough to take anywhere with you and can be a wild and noisy card game as you shout “UNO!” to win.

What is the best board game for young children?

Guess Who is a popular travel board game that is suitable for children ages 6+. With 2 travel-size game units, 48 character cards, and built-in face frames for easy viewing, kids will have hours of fun getting to guess each other’s new personas.

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About Amar Hussain

Amar is an avid traveler and tester of products. He has spent the last 13 years traveling all 7 continents and has put the products to the test on each of them. He has contributed to publications including Forbes, the Huffington Post, and more.

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5 best travel board games to take on holiday this summer

Carry-on cardboard.

With vaccines rolling out it’s hopefully not long until we can once again shove ourselves into tiny airplane seats and lose our luggage on the way to stunning destinations around the world.

Whether you’re cruising around the Caribbean, sightseeing in San Marino or surfing off the coasts of South America, it’s always worth bringing a travel board game or two for those warm nights in the hotel.

Best travel board games

• Railroad Ink Challenge
• Tiny Epic series
• Welcome to the Dungeon
• Dice Academy

If you are taking cardboard abroad, you’re going to need portable board games that fit in your luggage alongside the rest of your holiday essentials.

1. Railroad Ink Challenge

Roll, write and ride your way across this travel-themed dice game

With travel on the mind it seems fitting that we start this list with a game all about train lines and roads - and thanks to a brand new entry in the series it also happens to be the newest board game of the bunch.

Railroad Ink, along with its new advanced version Railroad Ink Challenge, is a roll-and-write puzzler that can be enjoyed solo or with up to three other players. In the game you’ll spend a number of turns rolling picture dice and drawing whatever shapes and routes come up onto your wipe-clean board.

Each player board has the same arrangement of open train tracks and roads along each side of its 7x7 square grid. Your job is to draw the routes that pop up in each roll of the dice to try and connect those open paths together, with each connection worth more and more points if you can connect them all to the same route. You’ll also score points for filling in the centre squares of your board and for the longest unbroken railway and highway on your board at the end of the game.

Railroad Ink is a delightfully simple game that can be picked up in a matter of minutes, hiding most of its complexities in the moment-to-moment decisions of each turn. You’ll need to gamble on certain dice rolls coming up in the future if you decide to strike out into new paths, as unfinished routes will lose you points in the final tally. Knowing where to put when and what will be the difference between victory and defeat - and as every player around the table is drawing from the same dice results, you’ll only have yourself to blame.

To step things up a notch, Railroad Ink Challenge adds some new scoring opportunities as well as an extra dose of complexity to the mix. Brand new buildings on the board can be connected to your routes in exchange for a special reward, while objective cards will have you racing against the clock or your competitors to fulfill them first in exchange for more points. Railroad Ink Challenge doesn’t necessarily reinvent the (train) wheel but it introduces a few new mechanics and concepts to give veteran players a fresh experience.

There’s a lot to love about Railroad Ink and it’s packed with plenty of replay value if you’re limited in the amount of games you can bring on your travels. While it’s probably the largest box in this list, it has a very small footprint on the table during plays. With just a handful of dice, a board and pen each you could very easily play this on a train table or flip-out airplane table without too much fuss. It's odd that there are so many great board games about trains , but this is the world we live in.

Buy Railroad Ink Challenge on Amazon US and Amazon UK .

2. Tiny Epic series

Tiny by name, Epic by nature

We’d be remiss to write up an entire list of tiny games and not mention at least one of the Tiny Epic series from Gamelyn Games. As you can probably guess from the name, each of the Tiny Epic games takes a popular genre or theme and condenses it all into the smallest possible package. There’s Tiny Epic Zombies, Tiny Epic Quest, Tiny Epic Galaxies, Tactics, Western, Kingdoms... The series already has a massive list of titles, and designer Scott Almes doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon with more already on the way thanks to Kickstarter.

What exactly is a Tiny Epic Game? Well, it depends on which one you pick up. While there are similarities between some of the titles, each is its own take on a different grander experience. Tiny Epic Zombies, for example, sees your players fighting off hordes of the undead in a bid for survival amongst the fluorescent lights and broken window panes of an abandoned shopping mall. Tiny Epic Quest follows your band of adventurers as they travel across a fantasy kingdom to fight goblins, delve into dungeons and source legendary items and spells. Zombies plays like a tabletop tower-defence game, while Quest is more like a movement puzzle with push-your-luck dice throwing.

The important thing is that all of these games, despite their absolutely miniscule packaging, can easily go toe-to-toe with games that far outweigh them in size and footprint. One of the most impressive aspects about the Tiny Epic series is the way Gamelyn Games is able to squeeze such big ideas into such small boxes. The components and solutions might get smaller and smaller, but their ideas never seem to shrink as a result.

One problem you may run into with the Tiny Epic series is that the small box size doesn’t always mean that the game itself won’t take up much room when you start setting it up. Tiny Epic Quest sprawls across the table once it’s fully prepared for play - which is impressive if you’ve got the space for it, but pretty useless if you’re trying to squeeze the game onto an equally miniature playspace. Maybe avoid it if you’re looking for something to play on the train or in an airplane.

If you plan on picking up one game from the Tiny Epic series for your travels, go with Tiny Epic Galaxies, a dice-rolling strategy game in which you must seize control of planets to harvest their resources and grow your empire. As it’s mostly dice and cards it doesn’t eat up your entire table, making it an ideal travel space-based board game .

Buy Tiny Epic Galaxies on Amazon US and Amazon UK .

3. Welcome to the Dungeon

Dungeon-crawling in a travel-friendly package

Welcome to the Dungeon, we most certainly do not have fun and games. Instead we’ve got an absolute infestation of goblins, skeletons, dragons and demons. Whoever is bravest - or most unfortunate - out of you and up to three friends will need to delve into its depths in search of some lucrative treasure.

In Welcome to the Dungeon, you and your friends will be collectively building a dungeon full of creatures by taking it in turns to draw from a deck of cards. Each card will show an illustration of the type of monster you’re dealing with, but more crucially it’ll also contain a number and some icons to show how that creature might be defeated. Once you’ve drawn a card you can either place it into the dungeon facedown, so only you know what’s been added, or you instead remove it from the game in exchange for also removing one of the available pieces of equipment.

At the start of the game, the players each decide which character they’d like to play. There’s the warrior, the barbarian, the mage and the rogue. Each one comes with their own set of custom armour, weapons and spells. To try and avoid damage you can use your abilities and equipment to ignore the effects of certain monsters, leaving them for your companions to deal with later.

Despite the name, only one of you sitting around the table will be forced to enter the dungeon each round. Instead of drawing a card from the deck on your turn - or if you can’t because the deck is empty - you can pass, removing you from the running. If everyone but you has already passed, it’s time to strap on your boots and light up your torch.

If you’re unlucky enough to enter, you’ll draw all the cards that you’ve collected in the dungeon one by one, discarding those that you can defeat with your equipment, and taking damage equal to the value on the card for each that you can’t. Make it through the deck with some health intact and you’ll earn one of the two victory cards you need to win the game. Die in the dungeon twice, and you’re out.

Welcome to the Dungeon becomes a game not just about dungeon-crawling , but of pushing your luck, knowing when to stick and when to fold. Do you go for glory and try to make it through the dungeon with your hide intact? Or do you ramp up the difficulty and watch your friends perish in the dark, claiming victory as the last player standing? Either way, it’s raucous good fun will leave you in stitches, and it takes up next to no room on the table - meaning you can travel far and wide in search of worthy (or foolhardy) adventurers.

Buy Welcome to the Dungeon on Amazon US and Amazon UK .

Guess your way through famous faces in this travel card game

Now we’re really getting tiny, because this Codenames-esque cooperative character guessing game for two or more players is literally just a deck of cards. Sporting one of these classic Top Trumps-style plastic boxes, Similo is an easy-breezy social deduction co-op game for all ages which will challenge your ability to communicate with limited information as you try to spot the differences and similarities from a range of different characters.

Depending on the set you choose you could be playing with fairytale characters such as Prince Charming and the Big Bad Wolf, or notable figures from history including Joan of Arc and Julius Caesar.

One player in the group acts as the clue-giver, while the rest will be trying to interpret their hints. At the start of the game, the clue-giver lays out a grid of 12 random characters face up for everyone to see. One of those cards is the character that all players are working to keep on the board until the end of the game - but only the clue-giver knows which one it is.

Each round the guessers have to remove an ever-increasing number of cards from the table: one card in the first round, two in the second, three in the third and so on until there is just one card remaining. If that card is the card the clue-giver has been hinting at, then everyone wins. Hooray!

The clue-giver is able to give their team-mates one clue each round to help them narrow down their search. These clues aren’t spoken out loud - the clue giver can’t speak at all during the game - but instead delivered in a very specific way. At the start of the game, the clue-giver draws five random cards from the remaining cards in the deck. Each round, they must choose one of these cards to play either vertically or horizontally in front of their guessers. If the card is played vertically it means that the character you’ve just played is in some way similar to the card your team is trying to protect, while horizontally means the opposite - a lack of similarity.

The rules are as simple as that, but in play they become a lot trickier because you’ll have to weigh up those clues you’re given against an entire tableau of characters, each with loads of different elements to consider. Not to mention the clue-giver must just do their best with the cards they have available to them.

Similo is a fantastic travel board game for families on holiday, but it’s also just a great co-op game to play with some drinks at an airport bar when everyone’s a little too tipsy or jetlagged to learn something complicated. It’s a hub of debates and comes with some lovely illustrations, all in a single deck of cards.

Buy Similo Fables on Amazon US and Amazon UK .

5. Dice Academy

Few travel games are more portable than a handful of dice

Our smallest travel game on the list is also one of the best quick-playing board games out there. Dice Academy’s box is technically bigger than Similo’s - but if you look inside you’ll find just a handful of dice that are solid enough to just sit at the bottom of a travel bag unprotected, making this a highly flexible option for gamers on the go.

Dice Academy sees you and any number of friends battling it out to be the best word-knower of the bunch. The ten dice are split into five colours, with a letter die and subject die for each. The letter dice are pretty self-explanatory; they’ve got different letters on each side. The category dice, meanwhile, are covered in little pictures denoting the type of words you’ll be looking for. It could be the name of a country, a type of vehicle, a fictional character, or even just “something rectangular” - which is an absolute nightmare.

You roll the categories first, making sure everyone gets a good look at them and understands what they’re trying to guess. As soon as you roll the letter dice, the round begins. You and all the other players around the table will be racing in real time to try and think of words that start with the letter on one die and match the category on another. Country that begins with F: FRANCE. Tree or plant that begins with W: WYSTERIA. Item of clothing that begins with G: GILET.

Once you’ve thought of a word you’ll need to say it out loud and then grab the pair of dice you used to make your word, placing them safely in front of you (Unless someone else already grabbed them before you could get your mouth and hands to work properly.) Each pair of dice you pick up is worth a point, and you choose a total to play to at the start of the game.

There’s only one complication that might trip you up, which is in theory very simple but becomes complicated in the rush to grab dice. You’re not allowed to grab a pair of dice that are the same colour. If you do, you have to put them back on the table and can no longer make any guesses for the rest of the round. The same rule applies if you grab a pair of dice and mess up, either because you thought a word started with a different letter or because it didn’t fit the category correctly.

That’s everything you need to know to play Dice Academy. You can learn in seconds and play for as long as you like.

The frantic scramble as you desperately try to think of literally anything rectangular that begins with the letter F is delectable. Dice Academy definitely isn’t for everyone, but if you love silly games that don’t outstay their welcome and enjoy getting shouty and racing against the clock then it’s a no-brainer. It’ll fit in the pocket of a pair of jeans and you can get it for about a fiver, making it the perfect travel game no matter how far you’re going.

Buy Dice Academy on Amazon UK .

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The 27 Best Travel-sized Games of 2024

Our list has brainy word teasers, multiplayer party games, and everything in between.

Best Card Games

Best board games, best word games, best party games, best for little travelers.

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Travel + Leisure / Marcus Millan

Whether you’re in need of kid-friendly games for a long road trip or some cheeky party activities to break the ice with a new group of hostel friends, it’s always worth having a couple of tried-and-true games up your sleeve while on the road.

The following travel-sized games are the best options in our book. These compact card and board games are designed to take up minimal space in luggage, while still offering maximum fun during the inevitable downtime that comes with most adventures (think layovers, long hours on a train, or rainy evenings on vacation). Here are our top picks for all types of travelers.

Mattel Games World's Smallest UNO Card Game

Why We Love It: This teeny card game will fit into the smallest of handbags.

What to Consider: The ultra-compact size might not work for those with vision problems or arthritic hands.

Uno is one of those card games that everybody already knows how to play — and, if they don’t, it takes about ten seconds to learn. That makes this game an excellent addition when backpacking abroad or vacationing with family members of all ages. This option in particular stands out as it’s the “world’s smallest” version of the popular game. The tiny cards are less than three inches tall — that’s smaller than a credit card! – and can easily fit into handbags or luggage without adding any bulk, so you’ll always have an icebreaker at the ready.

The Details : 2-10 players | Ages 7+ | 0.79 x 1.97 x 2.99 inches

Monopoly Deal

Hasbro gaming monopoly deal card game.

Why We Love It: This rendition allows you to play your favorite board game sans tabletop. 

What to Consider: It can be a bit tricky to catch on at first as there’s a lot of fast-paced action.

Monopoly night at home with friends and family can take you through a serious spectrum of emotions, especially if it’s been dragging on for hours. Then there’s Monopoly Deal. The travel-friendly version of Monopoly is cards only and much faster paced than the traditional board game. You’ll still buy and sell property, collect rent, and pass go as you do in classic Monopoly, but the compact card game can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. It’s also easier to play while at the airport or on a long train journey.

The Details : 2-5 players | Ages 8+ | 15 minutes | 0.75 x 3.62 x 5.63 inches

Mattel Games Skip-bo Card Game

Why We Love It: This family-friendly game is both easy to learn and quick to play.

What to Consider: The cards are a bit flimsy and could be more wear-resistant.

Is it just us or will Skip-bo always evoke childhood memories? The classic number sequencing game was huge in elementary school but was also in major rotation on our grandmother’s kitchen table. Not much has changed since then: the fast-paced card game is just as fun and easy to pick up and play now. It’s also relatively small which makes it great for popping into your carry-on or handbag. Note that although this game is designed for those ages 7 and up, it’s a ton of fun for adults as well as kids.

The Details: 2-6 players | Ages 7+ | 0.98 x 8.46 x 6 inches

Wild Card Games Backpacker: The Ultimate Travel Game

Why We Love It: It helps improve your skills as a traveler while learning about the world.

What to Consider: The instructions are quite long and tedious.

If you’re looking for a travel-themed game (and who doesn’t love a good theme?), then you’ll want to consider checking out Backpacker. The quick-moving travel card game is designed to mimic what it’s like to be on the road and all the potential triumphs and roadblocks that come with traversing the globe. We love that this game comes with actual fun facts about each destination so you still learn about the world around you even while playing close to home. The colorful cards are also visually appealing thanks to the high-quality photography and drawings on each one.

The Details : 2-6 players | Ages 12+ | 5.1 x 0.8 x 3.7 inches

Rubberneckers Everyone's Favorite Travel Game

Why We Love It: This game was specifically designed to be played during a road trip.

What to Consider: It’s not as exciting to play in rural areas.

Road trips are, in theory, a nonstop adventure — but, in practice, they can be long and exhausting. Rubberneckers was designed to put the fun back into long drives. The card game is essentially a game of reverse I Spy with prompts like “credit card logo” and “more than three people in a vehicle” designed to get everyone in the car looking out the window to earn points and win the title of the ultimate rubbernecker. We also appreciate the simple and easy-to-read language so younger kids can participate just as easily as older passengers.

The Details: 2 or more players | Ages 8+ | 3.5 x 1.5 x 5.5 inches

Catan Studio Catan Board Game

Why We Love It: This modern classic is a fan favorite — and, although layered, it’s easy to teach to new players.

What to Consider: There are a fair bit of pieces to keep together while on the go.

Catan is one of those games that seems complicated at first glance, but once you get it, you get it. The strategy board game takes about an hour to play out, but can go for longer — so you’ll want to budget that time while traveling. It’s also important to keep in mind that, even though this is relatively compact and travel-friendly, it still comes with several small pieces so it’s better for playing at your hotel or Airbnb rather than on a train or at the airport.

The Details: 3-4 players | Ages 10+ | 60 minutes | 11.63 x 9.5 x 3 inches

MindWare Travel Qwirkle Game

Why We Love It: This game requires smart strategy but it’s very easy to pick up and run with.

What to Consider: Some of the colors are very similar and can be hard to decipher.

We love the travel-sized Qwirkle game: not only is it super easy to learn but it’s also relatively easy to play while on the go. We love that this option is intuitive for everyone and can easily become a go-to for families with younger kids. The colorful tiles and convenient carrying case make this one great for playing while in transit — but you’ll want to keep in mind that some of the colors (especially orange and red) are very similar and can be a bit tricky to tell apart if you’re not playing in great lighting.

The Details: 2-4 players | Ages 6+ | 30-60 minutes | 5.5 x 6 x 2 inches

Hasbro Gaming Guess Who? Grab and Go Game

Why We Love It: There are only a few pieces to this classic board game.

What to Consider: The plastic is a bit flimsy and will require careful handling.

We’ll always have a soft spot for Guess Who? considering we’ve been playing it pretty much forever. The beloved guessing game requires strategic and creative thinking, but makes a particularly good travel game because there are only a few pieces to keep track of which makes it great for playing on the go, especially on a train or plane, or even while waiting to depart. We also like that the Grab and Go size is super compact and can easily fit in a backpack or carry-on without taking up too much space.

The Details: 2 players | Ages 6+ | 1.89 x 6.26 x 9.25 inches

Sorry! Road Trip Series

Why We Love It: This tiny board game is easy to set up and play on road trips or even flights.

What to Consider: Its extremely compact size is not ideal for bumpy roads or those with arthritis.

Who said you can’t play a whole darn board game while in the car? The road trip edition of Sorry! is super simple to set up and play whether you’re in an airplane cabin or the back seat of a car. The little game is designed to fold out into a full playing board on the go and doubles as its own folding carrying case when all is said and done. We love how easy it is to put together and start playing — but keep in mind, the super tiny pieces might be tricky to play with on particularly bumpy roads. 

The Details : 2-4 players | Ages 6+ | 1.00 x 11.90 x 5.85 inches

Hasbro Gaming Travel Battleship

Why We Love It: This game is quiet and slow-paced which makes it great for playing on a plane or at the airport.

What to Consider: The numerous pieces to keep track of are somewhat inconvenient.

The Grab and Go version of Battleship is small enough to throw into your carry-on bag but large enough to engage in a comfortable game without having to squint or deal with too-small game pieces. The boards and pieces are relatively simplistic compared to the full-sized Battleship, but the idea is the same. We also like that this game is pretty slow-paced which makes it a great option for playing in more quiet spaces like on the airplane or while waiting in a lounge.

The Details : 2 players | Ages 7+ | 1.89 x 6.26 x 9.25 inches

FanVince Magnetic Folding Chess Set

Why We Love It: This sturdy, magnetic game board is perfect for playing on bumpy roads and through turbulence.

What to Consider: The individual pieces feel a little flimsy in hand.

You can’t go wrong with a classic magnetic folding chess board — it’s a travel-sized game staple, afterall. The magnetic design means you don’t have to worry about your pieces falling over while going over bumpy roads or through turbulence, which is a major plus. It’s also super convenient that the board folds into its own carrying case when not in use. Keep in mind that chess is also a very quiet game, so this is absolutely perfect for bringing on a flight with you.

The Details : 2 players | Ages 8+ | 20+ minutes | 9.45 x 9.45 x 0.69 inches

Bananagrams Duel: Ultimate 2 Player Travel Game

Why We Love It: This new take on classic Bananagrams is even more portable than the original.

What to Consider: It’s sort of a watered down version of the grid game.

Bananagrams has always been one of our favorite travel games — like a real banana, it comes with its own carrying case! — but Bananagrams Duel makes it even more travel-friendly. The quick-paced dueling edition is themed and the letter pieces are die-like rather than tile-like, so you won’t see that sprawling word grid from the original edition. But this just means the game requires way less table space to play so you can easily play this one on an airplane tray table without running out of room.

The Details : 2 or more players | Ages 7+ | 10 minutes | 1.18 x 4.72 x 6.69 inches

Winning Moves Games Scrabble To-go Board Game

Why We Love It: The tiny version of Scrabble has snap-in letters that stay in place.

What to Consider: The scaled-down board isn’t as comfortable to use.

Nothing can really compare to Scrabble when it comes to group-friendly word games, but bringing the full-sized board on the road just isn’t practical. That’s why we’re huge fans of the Scrabble To-go board. The compact size makes it easy to throw in your bag while the snap-in letters mean you won’t have to worry about them flying off if you hit a pothole on the road or turbulence in the air. We also love that this one comes with its own carrying case to protect the board and pieces while traveling.

The Details : 2-4 players | Ages 8+ | 30-60 minutes | 10.75 x 10.25 x 6.88 inches

Mad Libs on the Road World's Greatest Word Game

Why We Love It: It’s easy, hilarious, and super portable to play in transit.

What to Consider: The paperback game pages aren’t reusable.

Whether you’re seven years old or 37, Mad Libs will never not be laugh-out-loud funny. Mad Libs on the Road in particular makes for a great travel-friendly option. The silly fill-in-the-blank stories are all about traveling, road trips, and summertime adventures. It’s especially convenient that Mad Libs are about the size of a paperback novel, meaning they won’t take up any space in your luggage. All you need is a pen and a couple of grammar-focused friends and you have all the makings for hours of laughs in the car and beyond.

The Details: 1 player or more | Ages 8+ | 5.25 x 0.2 x 8.38 inches

Ransom Notes The Ridiculous Word Magnet Party Game

Why We Love It: This game combines somewhat crude humor with strategy.

What to Consider: It’s definitely on the raunchy side.

Think of Ransom Notes as a somewhat crude hybrid between those poetry fridge magnets and Cards Against Humanity. You’ll get a prompt and your goal is to create a phrase using only magnets that’ll make some kind of sense to the reader. This ends up being downright hilarious in most cases — and we give the game major bonus points for being magnetic. All the pieces stay firmly in place, making it much easier to use en route to your destination.

The Details : 3 players or more | Ages 17+ | 30-90 minutes | 5.25 x 4 x 4 inches

Hasbro Gaming Classic Boggle Word Search Game

Why We Love It: This word game can even be enjoyed by only one player.

What to Consider: The secure travel lid can be tough to get on and off.

Boggle is going to be a major win in the eyes of Spelling Bee or Wordle fans (so watch out if you’re playing against them). The basic word game requires fast spelling and deduction skills; all you have to do to win is write down as many words as possible from the assortment of letters on the dice to earn the number one spot. It’s a whole lot of fun and takes up minimal space while in transit, too.

The Details : 1 player or more | Ages 8+ | 2.01 x 4.29 x 4.29 inches

Brass Monkey Bin-go Get Some Drinks Bingo Book

Brass Monkey

Why We Love It: This is great for introverts and anyone who would rather observe a party a bit removed.

What to Consider: It might be awkward to whip this out in an actual bar or restaurant.

Bin-go Get Some Drinks makes any kind of night out even more interesting, especially if you’re someone who tends to observe human behavior in social settings. The somewhat snarky bingo card is packed with the weird things you’ll see in a bar (like witnessing an obvious first date or someone taking a photo of their drink for social media) and is the perfect way for people watchers to spend the night — especially if you find yourself alone in a new city and prefer to observe the crowd over fostering friends right away.

The Details: 1 player or more | Ages 21+ 

Cards Against Humanity Tiny Cards Against Humanity Game

Why We Love It: It’s a great icebreaker in a compact and cute format.

What to Consider: These cards are tiny and might be hard for some to read.

Cards Against Humanity provides instant fun, even at the most dull parties or awkward social events, since there’s just something about dirty words in absurd contexts. That’s why the miniaturized Tiny Cards Against Humanity is such a great game to keep in your back pocket while traveling, especially if you intend on staying in hostels. (Hey, you just never know when you’ll need to pull the ultimate icebreaker out of a pocket!)

The Details : 2 players or more | Ages 17+ | 30 minutes or more | 4.44 x 2.66 x 1.97 inches

All Things Equal, Inc. Loaded Questions On The Go Card Game

Why We Love It: This card game gets conversations going while still providing friendly competition.

What to Consider: There are only so many questions, so you’ll eventually run into duplicates.

All Things Equal: Loaded Questions is one of those card games that can lead to side tangents and deeper conversation if you let it — but it’s also a great way to see how well you know your friends' minds by guessing each other’s answers to given sets of questions. This game is super travel-friendly (all you need is a few pads of paper and pens) and it’s guaranteed to evoke some serious laughs and possible side conversations as well.

The Details : 4-6 players | Ages 8+ | 3.6 x 0.8 x 5.5 inches

Exploding Kittens Card Game

Why We Love It: This card game is fast, fun, and easy to learn.

What to Consider: The rules and concepts of the game are a bit basic.

Exploding Kittens garnered a lot of attention when it was first released and it’s easy to see why. The eye-catching title and cheeky illustrations make this game instantly intriguing. As it turns out, the game is a whole lot of fun for all age groups and it can be played in fifteen minutes or less which makes it a great option for waiting at your airport gate or sneaking a quick game in before heading out to dinner.

The Details : 2-5 players | Ages 7+ | 15 minutes | 4.41 x 6.38 x 1.5 inches

What Do You Meme? Shotgun!: The Card Game for Road Trips

Why We Love It: Everyone can play in the car — even the driver.

What to Consider: It’s not quite as funny as the original What Do You Meme?.

Shotgun! was conceptualized by the same folks who gave us What Do You Meme?, which means you can expect the same level of (somewhat) boundary-pushing humor. The road trip-focused card game doesn’t come with memes or visual cues, but instead uses the sights and sounds on the road as prompts. Card prompts like “first person to say which side the gas tank is on wins a point” and “first person who gets a wave from another car wins two points” will keep everyone in the car on their toes for the drive.

The Details: 2 players or more | Ages 12+ | 1-2 hours | 1.5 x 4.5 x 6.5 inches

Singing Machine Carpool Karaoke The Mic 2.0

Why We Love It: Who wouldn’t want to pretend they’re starring in an episode of Carpool Karaoke?

What to Consider: The Bluetooth setting could be higher quality.

The Carpool Karaoke Machine was designed to make road trips a whole lot more fun. The karaoke microphone pairs with your car’s Bluetooth in order to provide a surround sound experience for all passengers involved (whether that’s good or bad, we’re not sure). The microphone can also be used with your smartphone for DIY karaoke parties at your Airbnb or hotel room — you’ll just want to be mindful of the noise levels.

The Details : 1 player or more | 3.6 x 2.1 x 10.6 inches

Hasbro Gaming Connect 4

Why We Love It: This game is simple to pick up on.

What to Consider: There are a ton of little pieces involved.

We love Connect Four — it’s a classic for a reason! The simple game is great for little ones who are still practicing spatial recognition, but honestly, it’s just as fun for adults as well. The game is relatively small (it’s less than 12 inches in length) which is enough room for little fingers to easily use but still small enough to pop into a backpack. Keep in mind, though: there are a number of little coin-sized pieces that come with this game, and they can get messy in the car.

The Details : 2 players | Ages 6+ | 20 minutes | 1.6 x 10.51 x 10.984 inches

Winning Moves Games Pass the Pigs

Why We Love It: This cheeky game is all about tumbling — it was essentially made for turbulence.

What to Consider: The game might become repetitive in smaller groups.

Pass the Pigs is hilariously simple, but there’s something about it that is so much fun. The game includes two pig dice, a dice cup, and a pig scoring guide with a scorepad. The aim of the game is to get as many points as possible by rolling the pigs into different positions like the “snouter” or the “sider.” The best part is that this game was literally made to be thrown around so even if you’re dealing with turbulence you don’t have to worry about your pieces tumbling over.

The Details : 2-7 players | Ages 7+ | 1.75 x 4 x 8.5 inches

Briarpatch I Spy Travel Card Game

Why We Love It: This game is a quiet option to play on the plane.

What to Consider: The game is somewhat solitary; not the best for groups of kids.

The travel-sized version of the classic I Spy children’s book provides endless hours of concentration and focus. The stunning visuals are entertaining in and of themselves but having to hunt for the hidden images makes it even more enjoyable. We also like that it can be played solitary and offers something relatively quiet to play while on the airplane or in other spaces where gameplay banter might not be appropriate.

The Details : 1 player or more | Ages 4+ | 0.75 x 3.75 x 5.75 inches

Taco vs. Burrito LLC Taco vs. Burrito Card Game

Why We Love It: This game was created by a kid for other kids.

What to Consider: The instructions on some cards are a little confusing.

Cheeky graphic-focused card games have become pretty popular over the past few years, but we’re still major fans of Taco vs. Burrito. It’s worth noting that the colorful (and super successful) card game was created by a seven-year-old boy with other kids in mind, but it’s just as fun for adults. The basic gameplay is easy to learn and games can be played within 15 minutes — but the action cards are quick to spice things up and add a strategic layer to the game.

The Details : 2-4 players | Ages 6+ | 15 minutes | 7 x 5 x 2 inches

Tricky Riddles for Smart Kids: 333 Difficult But Fun Riddles And Brain Teasers For Kids And Families

Why We Love It: This pack of riddles creates conversation and fosters further curiosity.

What to Consider: There are only about 300 riddles, so the deck might eventually become repetitive.

Kids who love brain teasers will get a kick out of this colorful collection of riddles designed to stump and foster curiosity. The deck is small and easy to transport (it’s about the size of a novel), but it’s packed with hundreds of riddles for kids to work through. The only thing we don’t love is that, while the deck does include lots of options, kids who are keen to work through one after another may deplete them rather quickly.

The Details : 1 player or more | 8-12 | 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches

Tips for Buying Travel-sized Games

Factor in the needed space.

You’ll want to consider the space required for your chosen game(s) and decide how much luggage space you’re able to offer up. This is where miniature grab-and-go board games and card games will come in handy. Prioritizing card games and smaller games that don’t require a board means you can more easily play your games on the move. If you need a table or flat surface for your game, playing while seated at the terminal or on a train may not be practical.

Figure out the game time

You’ll want an idea of how much time a game takes before deciding to pack it. Card games tend to be faster-paced than board games, and most can be completed in 15-30 minutes. Board games and party games can last a lot longer, continuing for up to two hours in certain cases. This can be great for lazy days at the hotel or Airbnb, but might not be the most practical for passing time at the train station.

Consider player ages

Think of the ages of the players you anticipate sharing games with. If you’re planning a backpacking trip and plan to spend time playing games at your hostel, you’ll probably be safe with just about any card or board game. If you’re meeting up with your family for a vacation, you might want to choose games that are suitable for all ages. Note that some games can be altered to be more PG by removing certain cards or phrases, but it’s best to double-check to ensure everyone in your group can participate.

What games are ideal for traveling?

The right games for your travels will greatly depend on what kind of travel you’re doing (road trip games vary greatly from late-night adult-only games, for example). But, no matter what style of travel you’re up to, you’ll want to look for games that are small enough to easily fit in your luggage without being imposing. Opt for games that don’t have many loose pieces or take up too much space when in use. Card games are your best bet if you anticipate playing on the road frequently, but travel-sized board games can also work (especially if they come in a magnetic format).

Are there travel-sized board games?

Yes! There are plenty of travel-sized board games available and many come with their own carrying case or magnetic material that further simplifies the overall travel experience. You won’t find every single board game available in a travel size, but you’ll definitely be able to find the classics from Hasbro like Clue , Monopoly , and more .

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

For this article, Travel + Leisure contributor Kaitlyn McInnis used her experience as a travel writer and former lifestyle editor as well as her own research to curate a list of the best travel-sized games available.

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The 13 Best Travel Board Games You Can Play Anywhere (Even on a Plane)

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When you're stuck in a plane, train, or even the backseat of a car, you need a way to kill time... and board games are great for that!

Of course, mobile games are more convenient—unless you're like me and prone to motion sickness. Plus, these days I much prefer the tactile experience of cards and pieces, and we could all stand to spend less time staring at digital screens.

So, I think everyone should have at least one portable board game or card game that they can take with them while traveling!

What makes a great travel board game?

• Small box. When you're traveling, space is at a premium. Carrying the game around shouldn't be a nuisance and it should fit comfortably inside a carry-on bag. If the entire game can fit inside your pocket, that's as good as it gets!
• Minimal footprint. It can't take up too much table space. (Ideally, no table space at all!) Plus, it should have very few components. Not only are game pieces hard to handle while traveling, they're easy to accidentally bump off and lose forever.
• Length and replayability. Whether your flight is 1 hour or 12 hours, the game should keep you engaged and help make time fly by. But it should also be under an hour per game so you aren't forced to cut it short if it happens to run too long.

Here are my picks for the best travel board games that are tiny, portable, and able to be played pretty much anywhere!

Note: You'll notice a distinct lack of Button Shy games on this list. While Button Shy games are famously tiny—each game is only 18 cards—they tend to take up a lot of table space. I've yet to find one that can comfortably play on an airplane tray.

13. The Mind

Designed by Wolfgang Warsch

Supports 2 to 4 players

About 15 to 20 minutes

The Mind is a cooperative card game where everyone has their own hand of cards—from a deck numbered 1 through 100—and the goal is to play all cards in ascending order... without ANY communication.

With larger starting hands, the game gets more difficult. You start on Level 1 with one card each, then Level 2 with two cards each, up to whatever Level you can reach. Or you can just play (and replay) it on whatever Level you want to see how often you can win.

The Mind is a great card game for planes because it's mainly held in your hands (all cards played to a single pile) and the no-communication rule is a good fit when you're stuck in a loud plane with others around you.

Designed by Mark Tuck

Supports 1 player

About 5 to 15 minutes

Grove is a brilliant solo puzzle-style card game that only consists of 18 cards and 15 dice that are used as point trackers.

The cards are basically tiles, which you place by overlapping previously played cards. When you overlap trees of the same color, you increase the value of those trees (which are tracked using the dice).

How bountiful will your grove be? Grove is a beat-your-own-score type game with a lot of replayability. The backs of each card have different victory conditions for variety.

Each game of Grove is relatively short but punchy, and it's a fantastic game to play while traveling.

11. Timeline

Designed by Frédéric Henry

Supports 2 to 8 players

Timeline is a compact card game about figuring out where different events belong on a timeline.

Players have a hand of cards that each depict a specific event. Cards are played to a shared timeline and on each turn you have to place one card into the timeline. If it's not placed correctly, you draw another card. Otherwise, first to get rid of their cards wins!

Timeline is less about knowing the exact years when things happened and more about logically reasoning when things happened in relation to events already in the timeline. It's fun even if you know zero history!

Note: Timeline comes in several themed packs, which can be mixed and matched for more variety and difficulty. In addition to Timeline Inventions , there's also:

• Timeline Classic
• Timeline Events
• Timeline British History

Designed by Martino Chiacchiera, Hjalmar Hach, and Pierluca Zizzi

Similo is a deduction game where one player is trying to get everyone else to guess the right character from a grid of twelve.

On each turn, the active player plays a card and marks it as either SIMILAR or DIFFERENT. Based on that, the other players have to eliminate characters from the grid. If the correct character remains at the end, everyone shares victory!

Similo is like a better, more compact, and more fun Guess Who . The grid is randomized every time so there's replayability, plus the discussions that arise during elimination can be surprisingly funny.

Note: Similo comes in several themed packs, which can be mixed and matched for more variety and difficulty. In addition to Similo History , there's also:

• Similo Myths
• Similo Fables
• Similo Animals
• Similo Wild Animals
• Similo Harry Potter

9. Hive Pocket

Designed by John Yianni

Supports 2 players

About 20 to 40 minutes

Hive is one of the best head-to-head two-player board games if you want a pure abstract strategy game—and Hive Pocket is the portable travel edition that you can take anywhere.

There's no board in Hive ; the pieces ARE the board! As you place pieces and move them around, they dictate where future pieces can be placed and moved to. Each insect type has its own rules for how to move.

Hive Pocket has a tiny footprint and the tiles are made of durable plastic resin that's satisfying to play with. Moreover, Hive Pocket comes with two expansion insects already included!

Designed by Kei Kajino

Supports 2 to 5 players

Scout is a ladder-climbing card-shedding game in the style of Crazy Eights or Chinese Poker , but it has a few twists that take it to the next level and make it one of the best in the genre.

First, you can't re-order your hand once it's dealt. Second, when you play cards, you collect the cards played by the previous player. Third, if you can't play any cards, you "scout" by taking a card from the previous player and adding it to your hand—and they earn a point.

When someone empties their hand, the round ends. Each player scores a point for each card they collected plus any scout points they earned.

Scout is a simple but deep card game that feels like an old-school card game but plays like a modern classic. It's the perfect travel card game for families who want something a little meatier.

7. The Crew: Mission Deep Sea

Designed by Thomas Sing

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea is a cooperative trick-taking card game—a lot like Euchre or Hearts , except everyone is trying to accomplish certain tasks and helping others to achieve their tasks.

Examples of tasks in this game: "Win exactly 2 Blue cards" or "Win only the last trick" or "Win at least 1 card of each color." There are nearly 100 task cards and a random set is chosen every game.

The hard part is, there's no communication allowed! Except using the one-time communication token. With that token, you can reveal one card and mark it as either your HIGHEST of that color, your LOWEST of that color, or your ONLY card of that color.

Trick-taking card games have been a staple of societies for centuries, but the cooperative twist in The Crew: Mission Deep Sea makes it one of the best of its kind. It's so addictive!

6. Zombie Dice: Horde Edition

Designed by Steve Jackson

Supports 2 to 100 players

About 10 to 20 minutes

Want to play a travel board game that's literally nothing but a set of 13 custom dice? Then Zombie Dice is your jam. ( Zombie Dice: Horde Edition includes the base game plus both expansions!)

In Zombie Dice , you're rolling and re-rolling three dice at a time, trying to score as many Brains as you can on your turn. Dice with Footsteps can be re-rolled, but dice with Shotguns can't—and if you ever have three Shotguns showing, you lose all the Brains from that round.

This is one of the purest push-your-luck games in existence, and it's so compact that you can play anywhere. Just make sure to roll inside the box cover to minimize the risk of losing any dice!

Designed by Steffen Benndorf

Qwixx is what's known as a "roll and write" game: you roll dice, then use the results to write on your score pad.

In Qwixx , you're trying to fill out blocks 2 to 12 for each of four colors. The thing is, once you fill in a block, you can no longer fill any blocks to the left of that block for that particular color.

Once a player has five blocks filled in a color, they can choose to lock that color (no one else can fill that color anymore). Once two colors are locked, the game ends. The more blocks you've filled, the more points!

Ultimately, this game is a balancing act between smart decisions and pushing your luck. Qwixx packs a ton of fun into such a small box, and it's so easy to play anywhere—even on a plane.

4. Love Letter

Designed by Seiji Kanai

About 15 to 30 minutes

Love Letter is one of the best portable card games of all time. It consists of a deck of 16 cards numbered from 1 to 8, with higher-value cards rarer than the lower-value cards.

This is a game of deduction and hand management. Each player starts with 1 card and the entire game is played like so: draw a card, play a card. The winner is whoever has the highest-value card in hand at the end.

But here's the twist: each card also has a special ability that triggers when played. One lets you peek at another's hand, another lets you trade hands, another lets you name a player and a card—if they're holding that card, they get eliminated from the round.

A round of Love Letter plays in just a few minutes, and whoever is first to win a predetermined number of rounds wins the game.

3. Fantasy Realms

Designed by Bruce Glassco

Supports 2 to 6 players

Fantasy Realms is my ultimate choice for portable card game. It's easy to learn and compact in size, with tons of gameplay packed in.

The game consists of a deck of 53 cards: 10 suits of 5 cards each, plus 3 wild cards. Each card has a base point value as well as a scoring mechanism that grants extra points (or loses points) depending on what other cards you have in your hand.

Players start with a hand of 7 cards, then turns are as a simple as drawing a card and discarding a card. Your hand at the end of the game determines your score and highest score wins.

Fantasy Realms can be taken anywhere and plays quickly. Every game is different as you try to figure out the best way to manage your own hand, and you can kill so much time without getting bored.

Note: Scoring can be unwieldy in Fantasy Realms , but the scoring companion app makes it much easier—just pick the cards in your hand and it'll spit out your score.

2. Palm Island

Designed by Jon Mietling

Supports 1 to 2 players

There's one thing about Palm Island that makes it so perfect as a travel card game: it can play entirely in the palm of your hand. You don't even need a table or a lap! No other game is this portable.

Palm Island consists of 17 double-sided cards, with each side split into top and bottom halves. You'll go through the deck several times, tapping cards into resources then spending resources to upgrade cards (i.e. rotating and flipping them to their better actions).

It's a simple but thinky solo game that's played in a beat-your-own-score manner, so there's plenty of replayability.

But the key feature of Palm Island truly is its portability. Hand-only games are exceedingly rare and very few of them are worth playing long-term. Palm Island is the best of its kind.

1. Dungeons, Dice & Danger

Designed by Richard Garfield

Supports 1 to 4 players

About 45 to 60 minutes

Dungeons, Dice & Danger is the meatiest experience you'll find for a game that's nothing more than a sheet of paper, a pencil, and five dice. You can really play it anywhere and lose yourself in it.

On your turn, you roll the four white dice and split the results into two pairs. Then, everyone uses those two pairs to mark off rooms on their personal dungeon sheet. (The active roller can also use the fifth black die to substitute one of the whites, but no one else can.)

You can only mark rooms that are adjacent to rooms you've already visited, and if you have no rooms to mark on a turn, you lose health which will reduce your score at the end.

You'll also be finding gems, looting treasure, unlocking special actions, and fighting monsters for more ways to earn points.

It's both surprising and impressive to get this much game out of just five dice. If you're going to be traveling a lot—especially on planes—I highly recommend Dungeons, Dice & Danger above all else.

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20 Best Board Games for Travel for 2024 (+ Card Games!)

Want to know the best board games for travel? Here are some of the best travel board games for your upcoming adventures…

The joy of being on the road is often the major reason we go on road trips. Sometimes there’s no zeal to do anything – just enjoy the air and time away. But even a short journey can quickly become boring when there’s nothing to do, especially if you’re traveling with someone, in a group, or with family. That’s why a good travel board game makes for a great addition to any packing list. They’re also great to keep everyone away from the TV in the evenings.

The best travel board games are an excellent way to pass the time whether on a trip or at home. From travel delays, long journeys, sleepless nights, or bad weather, board games for travel help kill the boredom. With this list, you can choose some of the best board games for travel. 

Best Board Games for Travelling 

There are tons of travel board games you can take with you on a trip, but you have to be sure they are sturdy, compact and designed for the road. Ranging from cards, boards, to dice, these are all the best board games for travel, for both kids and adults. 

1. Monopoly Deal Card Game  

Monopoly is one of the most popular classic travel games you can enjoy with 2 to 5 players, but this is the portable version. It’ll keep you entertained for hours, whether at home or on the road. Collect three complete property sets of varying colours with the cards, and you’re the winner. 

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With Monopoly Deal you can pick up more properties on the way and receive rent from your opponent. This card version of monopoly is the perfect card game to keep you and your travel companions busy for hours. It is great for camping trips, long journeys, vacations, sleepovers, and just about anywhere else. 

Ben and I play this one a lot, or at least we did when we rented a VW campervan and went to rainy Wales. This is a great board games for travelling as it’s so compact.

2. Jax Sequence  

Jax Sequence is both challenging and fun, making it the perfect family game. It’s a board game for both kids and adults and allows 2 to 12 players. Using a card with you, and then placing a chip on the matching space on the board, you can win if you’re the first player to meet 5 in a row. 

All the while you’re trying to block your opponent or remove their chips, watch out for the jacks! 

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This is one of those portable board games for travelling that offer fun for hours back at home and on the road. The game requires both strategy and a good amount of luck. It’s kid-friendly too.

3. Catan Traveler  

Catan Traveler is another exciting board game for travel with a space-saving box that reveals the variable board. The game allows for 2 to 4 players, so you and other players can plan together to keep your settlements, cities, and roads safe. It’s handy and easy to set up in only seconds. It comes with six double-sided board pieces, to be arranged randomly so that each play will be completely different.    

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The game was designed for convenient portability, with a hex-shaped dice shaker, making it difficult to lost or drop it on the move. The cards are also held securely in holder trays.

4. Skip-Bo Card Game  

Skip-Bo , a sequencing card game perfect for camping trips and vacations, was designed by the famous UNO. You can create stacks of ascending cards, in sequence until there are no more cards left to play. The game can be played by 2 to 6 players.

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The Skip-Bo ‘Wild’ cards will help you to break off a tight situation. What’s more, you can play it as any number, while putting on your strategic thinking hat to defeat your opponent. The game is designed with bright colours and is quite easy to play. Be the first player to deplete all your Skip-Bo stockpiles to win the game.

After a game of Skip-Bo, you can re-shuffle and start all over. 

5. Loaded Questions On The Go Card Game  

This is a must-have travel game for road trips, especially if you’re travelling in a group. It’s a simple but super fun card game that offers hours of fun on the road and at home. It contains over 500 personality-filled, fun questions , and you can be the first player to get to the WIN space by matching other player’s answers correctly to your turn, and then writing the ‘favourite’ answer on the starred area. 

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There are no right or wrong answers, making it a fantastic way for the game to remain competitive while also getting to learn a little bit more about other players. This is the perfect travel game for passing the time on a long trip or during sleepovers. It requires 2 players.

6. Sorry! Game

This is one of those classic travel games where you drop manners to crush your opponent. Sorry! requires 2 to 4 players and as each player takes 1 to 2 cards, you can get 1 of your 4 pawns out of the start area and off around the game board.

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Like most of the travel board games on this list, you need strategies to win your opponents in this game of Sorry! You also need the luck to chase, slide, race, bump, and score your way around the board to end up as the first to move all your pawns home. 

That said, this is an updated version of the game. It’s perfect for all family outings, picnics, long trips and sleepovers.

7. Spot It!

Spot It! is an award-winning game that requires visual perception to test your reflexes and observational skills. With a keen eye and quick hands, and to win you’ll have to find the 1 single match between the 2 cards and the symbol, usually leading to a frenzy of fun while you and your opponents try to find it. 

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The game requires 2 to 8 players. And to make the game more exciting for travellers, this version is a combination of 5 different ways to play. It comes neatly packaged in a handy grab ‘n’ go tin. 

8. Qwirkle Board Game  

This travel-size board game of Quirkle is easy to play and fun. For a long time now, Qwirkle has grown in popularity for a lot of board game lovers. You can set up the game in seconds and it’s relatively easy to play from age 5. Expect each round to take around 45 minutes.

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While Qwirkle is great as a board game for travel, it’s also great for home use so you can practice your skills. 

9. QuadPro Magnetic Travel Chess Set  

This Quadpro version of the chessboard game was specially designed for chess lovers on the move. It’s a foldable, plastic chess set magnetically attached to the bottom of each of the pieces to prevent them from going missing on the road. It maintains the 64-square playing field with the complete chess pieces.

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This travel board game is a great way to pass the time in transit, camps, at school, or home. The QuadPro magnetic travel chess set is designed for compactness to keep it safe, so you don’t have to worry about it breaking either.

10. Magilano SKYJO

Magilano SKYJO requires 2 to 4 players and with a little bit of space in front of you, you can enjoy this travel card game. The game also requires strategies and with 2 face-up, 12 hidden cards, each player picks it, in turn, to take the top card from the draw or discard pile. 

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Exchange 1 card from your 12 cards display, and keep doing so until you or other players have only open cards. When the round ends, then it’s time to add your cards for scoring with the lowest number to win.

It’s easy to play with and also portable. The game is addictive and can be enjoyed on the floor, table, or anywhere else.

11. Connect 4 Grab and Go Game  

Connect 4 Grab and Go is easy to play, and it’s all about lining up your counters in order to ensure 4 are arranged in a row. It could be up-down, left-to-right, or diagonal. As long as you have four counters sitting together in a direction, you’ve won.

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It’s a competitive travel game to play on a trip and is also a fun way to pass the time in a group.

12. Boggle  

Boggle isn’t as popular as some of the other board games for travel on this list, and it can be a little challenging to get right the first time, especially for non native speakers. However, it is fun-filled and after the first few games, you’ll get it.

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All you need to do is shake up the letters and flip the timer. After that, you then spot the words that appear as fast you can. It’s a competitive and fun game that tests your command of the English language as well as your ability to think fast.

13. Apples to Apples Party Box

Apple to Apples isn’t just exciting, but also hilarious and the perfect travelling board game to play away the time. It’s just as much fun to play at home as it is on the road. To win the game, you have to win the most rounds by playing a ‘red apple’ card to best match the round’s communal ‘green apple’ card, as selected by that round’s player. 

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With 63 Green Apple Cards and 441 Red Apple Cards, there are tons of crazy combinations you can find. Also, the game requires 4 to 8 players. Mattel is one of the most popular travel board games – and for a good reason.

14. Czech Games Codenames  

This exciting spy game of Codenames requires teams to compete to find out who can make contact with all of their teammates (agents) first. With 1-word clues, you and your agents must try to discover (guess) the words of your team colour, at the same time avoiding the ones that belong to the opponents. 

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To play this game, get your spy mode switched on and work as a team to win. It is a fun game you can play in a group and on trips. Another thing is to be on the lookout for double agents and any assassin trying to get you. Whether you lose or win, it’s still fun to pick up all the clues in this portable game. It’s for both kids and adults and requires 2 to 8 players.

15. Taco vs. Burrito  

Taco vs. Burrito is a fun, crazy, and strategic game that involves a food fight. One of the major reasons the game is popular is because it was created by a 7-year-old and funded through Kickstarter. 

If you enjoy card games and food combos, Taco vs. Burrito is the game for you. The game requires 2 to 4 players and you can use the cards dealt to start making any crazy food combinations you want. You can as well switch up the game with action cards for extra ingredients to win. 

Also, remember to keep an eye out for Order Envy or Health Inspector that can ruin your appetite and meal. This is a great travel board game for kids.   

READ MORE: Have a go at my Road Trip Quiz – see how high you can score!

16. Mattel Games UNO: Classic Tin Box  

Like most Mattel games, this classic box UNO game is one of the most popular classic travel games out there. Race against 2 to 10 of your opponents to rid yourself of your hand as you try to match cards on the board by either number or colour.

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You can use special cards like Reverses, Skips, Draw-2s, and even color-changing Wild Cards to boost your chances of becoming the winner. The game is perfect for camp trips, family outings, sleepovers, campervan trips, etc. 

17. Smart Zone Games Hive Pocket  

This is a very strategic game that only requires two players. It’s a board game (can be played on any flat surface) that comes with its own travel bag. You and your opponent can break open the 22 pieces from the Hive Pocket to form the patterns to be used as the playing surface. 

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The objective is to surround your opponent’s queen while keeping your queen safe. Anyone that surrounds their opponent’s queen first is the winner. 

18. Blokus Game  

Blokus is an exciting game that needs a strategy to win. The game requires only two players and can be enjoyed both at home and on the move. The rules are pretty easy to learn. Each player has to take turns to place their 21 pieces on the board to ensure that each piece touches another piece of similar colour – but it has to be at the corners. 

You can protect your territory by blocking your opponent’s moves at every turn to win. The game is made with wipeable, sturdy materials, making it perfect for road trips. 

19. Yahtzee

Yahtzee is one of the most timeless classic games, and for good reason – it’s portable, fun, and relies on a healthy dose of chance and skill!

In case you’re unfamiliar with the rules, Yahtzee is a game where the goal is to win the highest number of points by rolling three dice up to three times. Certain dice can be locked into place for the second and third rolls, so it’s important to plan your strategy accordingly.

This game’s player count is flexible depending on how many dice you have, and the best part is that it can be played online or physically. So if you’re stuck in the car and worried about little game pieces getting lost in the crevices, give the digital version of this game a try!

20. Solitaire

If you’re worn out and need to keep the kids quiet, why not have them try a game they can play by themselves?

That’s right – solitaire is the perfect game to try if you need that extra beauty rest on the road. The physical version of this game can be messy, what with all the cards and the order they need to be laid out in, but there are plenty of digital versions available.

The best board games for travel

Travelling is a great time to play a board/card game or two. You’re in a beautiful new location, but it’s fun to keep your mind and hands busy, especially with kids around. Step away from the screens and invest in one of these great travel games for your next trip.

Related Posts:

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• 44 Absolute Road Trip Essentials: What to Pack for a…
• 19 Best Road Trip Gifts for Every Kind of Traveller
• How to Use RailAir With a Toddler: Woking to Heathrow T5 
• 5 Festivals in the Cotswolds to Check Out
• 21 Brilliant Gifts for Friends Going Abroad

Hi, I'm Vicky! I wrote this. You can find me on all the social media @VickyFlipFlop. I love a bit of adventure, will try anything once, and have a strong passion for the local food and drink, whatever it may be. I'm here to help inspire you to travel to places a little out of your comfort zone, or at least to explore the usual destinations in a different way. Stay, have a look around, and if you have any questions – let me know below.

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The 10 best travel board games

We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.

According to science, people who travel frequently show greater life satisfaction — and research shows that people who play board games are more likely to stay sharp in old age . So it only stands to reason that folks who play board games while they travel must be racking up the benefits. That said, the best travel board games need to check off certain boxes: lightweight design, streamlined packaging, and hardy pieces that you won’t lose as soon as you take it out of the packaging.

What To Look For In The Best Travel Board Games

It’s a given that travel board games need to be small and compact. You obviously don’t want a huge game of Risk or Monopoly to tote around when you’re on the road. The options below have extra small and/or folding boards, and most of them weigh less than 2 pounds (in fact, one weighs just 7 ounces).

In addition to size and weight, consider the pieces involved. When games have a million tiny parts, it can be easy to lose or misplace them, unless they are designed to stay put on the board. Special features like magnetic backs, pegs, or slots will help pieces stay in place, even if you get jostled around. These features are extra helpful if you’re looking for games to play while on a plane, on a train, or in the backseat of a car.

Lastly, the box or carrying case that it comes in is important. If you’re looking for portable games, the best options come packaged in lightweight tins, durable wooden cases, or secure zip-around pouches. This will help prevent pieces from falling out when you’re on the move.

With all that in mind, these are the best travel board games on Amazon.

Shop The Best Travel Board Games

In a hurry? These are the best travel board games

• Scrabble Deluxe Travel Edition
• Clue Nostalgia Tin
• Juegoal Portable Chess & Checkers Set
• Sequence Folding Board Game
• Bananagrams
• Gamie Magnetic Board Travel Game Set
• Catan Board Game Travel Edition

1. This classic game of Scrabble with a folding wooden travel case

The lowdown: If you’re a Scrabble lover, this is one of the best travel games you’ll find. It’s small and lightweight with a folding wooden case that’s compact and easy to store. The board slides apart so that you can keep the pieces inside, and it has a magnetic closure that prevents it from popping open on the go. Rather than a flat surface, the board has grooves to fit each tile, so the pieces won’t slide around as you play.

According to a reviewer: “This is just the perfect size for fitting into your suitcase, car or RV. It's a smaller footprint than the full size game but for traveling it's fits the bill and we use it all the time now. I like the fact that the board folds in half and has a magnetic clasp that keeps everything inside. For us this is a great addition and we would highly recommend it for anyone who loves the game and travels extensively.”

Number of players: 2 | Dimensions: 9.8 x 4.6 x 2.4 inches | Weight: 1.64 pounds

2. A travel-sized Clue game with 1963-style graphics

The lowdown: Fans of the classic mystery game will love this travel-sized Clue set that comes in a convenient tin box. The playing board has nostalgic graphics inspired by the 1963 edition of the game, and the small size makes it easy to pack and carry around. Reviewers noted that it’s lightweight yet sturdy — and tons of fun to play.

According to a reviewer: “Love the game and love the extra durability with the tin boxes. I bought several games in tin for our RV Travels. The slightly small board sizes are perfect for the RV tabletop. They stack and store well and you don’t have to worry about torn boxes.”

Number of players: 3 to 6 | Dimensions: 10.5 x 10.5 x 2.25 inches | Weight: not specified

3. This chess-checkers combo set that comes in a portable carry bag

The lowdown: Whether you’re traveling with a friend, family member, or partner, this combo set of chess and checkers is one of the best travel games for two adults . The two-in-one game set offers a roll-up board constructed from thick rubber that’s tough but lightweight. It fits into a durable canvas carry bag with a handle and zipper. As a bonus, the board is even UV- and scratch- resistant.

According to a reviewer: “A nice durable chess set that doesn’t take up too much space. Foldable and comes with a bag for carrying makes it great for storage!”

Number of players: 2 | Dimensions: 21 x 6 x 4.5 inches | Weight: 2.89 pounds

4. A small and convenient board game that folds for easy storage

The lowdown: If the 27,000-plus five-star Amazon reviews are any indication of this game’s awesomeness, then prepare to have a lot of fun with Sequence. Not only is it a blast to play, but it’s one of the best board games for travel due to its relatively small and compact size. The game has a folding board and easy-to-store box. Plus, the only components are chips and a couple decks of cards so you don’t have a bunch of complicated pieces to worry about losing.

According to a reviewer: “My husband and I love playing this game. This is our second copy of the game. Our first game went with us on our travels cross country from the east to west coast of America and back. It also traveled with us to Europe this summer. I would strongly recommend this to anyone.”

Number of players: 2 to 12 | Dimensions: 8.08 x 2.18 x 10.38 inches | Weight: 7 ounces

5. This Bananagrams game that’s like Scrabble but faster

The lowdown: With more than 4,000 reviews on Amazon — a whopping 91% of which have five-star ratings — this travel-sized game is an incredibly popular option for entertainment on the road. It’s similar to Scrabble except that there’s no board and the game moves much faster, as speed is involved. The small size makes it extremely portable, and the pieces come in a convenient Banana-shaped carrying case with a zipper.

According to a reviewer: “This game is really fun, plain and simple. It’s easy to learn, has multiple ways to play and can be played anywhere there is a flat surface including the floor. It’s great for traveling, camping or at home.”

Number of players: up to 16 | Dimensions: 11 x 4 x 4 inches | Weight: 1.35 pounds

6. A 12-pack travel set of all your favorite boards games

The lowdown: This 12-pack of small board games for travel is the perfect size for road trips, plane rides, or anywhere that you want to be entertained in transit. The set comes with a variety of classic games (for example, chess, backgammon, Chinese checkers, and tic-tac-toe), as well as some more original offerings (like Space Venture, Auto Racing, and NineMen’s Morris). Best of all, the pieces that attach to the 5-inch boards are magnetic so they’re harder to lose.

According to a reviewer: “These are perfect little games. I mix up which ones I throw in my purse for variety when traveling or waiting at a restaurant.”

Number of players: 2 | Dimensions: 9.6 x 5.5 x 3.1 inches | Weight: 1.85 pounds

7. This miniature version of Catan to take on the road

The lowdown: Game enthusiasts who love Catan — and who also love to travel — will go crazy for this mini-sized Catan . It offers all of the same strategy and civilization-building fun as the original game condensed into a 6-by-11.5-inch travel edition. It features special holder trays for the cards to keep them in place and a hexagonal shaker so the dice won’t roll under car seats or into the travel abyss.

According to a reviewer: “ My partner and I play this game nearly every night - we travel full-time and this lunchbox sized CATAN fits perfectly in our small camper. [...] If you camp, travel, or live in a tiny apartment...this version of CATAN is a must have!”

Number of players: 4 | Dimensions: 11.5 x 6 x 1.75 inches | Weight: 1.64 pounds

8. A magnetic strategy game with pieces that stay put

The lowdown: For strategy lovers, this magnetic travel board game is another fantastic choice. The goal of the game, which is based on the Ancient Indian game Pachisi, is to race your opponents to the finish line by rolling the dice and outwitting them. The small, square-shaped board is lightweight with a compact design and magnetic pieces for added portability.

According to a reviewer: “I love this game. I was so excited to find it online, It's a fun family game to play. This has a lightweight board that would be easy to pack when traveling and to simply store away without taking too much space.”

Number of players: 2 to 4 | Dimensions: 10.6 x 9.8 x 1.8 inches | Weight: 2.87 pounds

9. A classic two-player strategy game with a small, lightweight box

The lowdown: As far as portable board games go, this travel edition of Othello is an excellent option. For the uninitiated, you play the game (also known as Reversi) by surrounding your opponent’s pieces with two of your own and then flipping them over to “conquer” them. It’s similar to Connect Four or Tic Tac Toe but with more strategy involved. This version comes in a small, lightweight set with magnetic pieces.

According to a reviewer: “I used to play Reversi/Othello with my brother growing up and was excited to share that with my kids. This travel version was perfect for a car trip we took. The kids picked up the game quickly and were able to play again and again, even in a bumpy car ride. Magnets are good and pieces were easy for the kids to manipulate (though my kids are 10+). I'm glad we got this.

Number of players: 2 | Dimensions: 7.56 x 3.78 x 1.16 inches | Weight: 9.6 ounces

10. This backgammon set that packs into a leatherette briefcase

The lowdown: This version of backgammon , which is specifically designed for travelers, boasts more than 8,300 five-star reviews on Amazon. The folding board fits in a sleek leatherette case measuring 7.5 by 11 inches with lightweight brass buckles and a felt interior. It has a handle like a briefcase for easy carrying and a shaker for the die to keep them together. The set also comes in medium, large, and extra-large versions, too.

According to a reviewer: “I love backgammon and I was looking for a travel case. This is a great option. Easily put it in my backpack and take with me on the plane and play with family while traveling.”

Number of players: 2 | Dimensions: 11 x 7.5 x 1.75 inches | Weight: 2.09 pounds

About the recommender

Rachel Cavanaugh has been unearthing the best games (and other products) for Inverse readers since 2019. She's also researched and reviewed products for publications like Mic, Bustle, Elite Daily, and more. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Montana School of Journalism.

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The 11 Best Travel Board Games – Play Outdoors and at Home!

Looking for the  best travel board games you can take on your outdoor adventures and play at home ? Then check out this roundup of the top traveling board games that are lightweight, compact, fun, and that make for the perfect road trip activities for kids !

(Disclosure: Hiya, superstar! Certain links to products and/or services are affiliate links, and I may earn a commission for any purchases that you make. This will not be at any cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases)

Table of Contents

• 1 My Top 3 Choices of the Best Travel Size Games
• 2 Intro to this Roundup of the Best Travel Board Games
• 3.1 Bringing Everyone Together
• 3.2 Great for Mental and Physical Health
• 3.3 Support the Development of Reasoning Skills and Social Interactions
• 3.4 Perfect for Unwinding After a Long Day Hiking
• 4 The 11 Best Travel Board Games
• 5.1 Other Considerations on Monopoly Deal Card Game 
• 6.1 Other Considerations on Ticket to Ride
• 7.1 Other Considerations on Connect 4 Grab and Go Game -Travel Size
• 8.1 Other considerations on Hasbro Yahtzee to Go Travel Game 
• 9.1 Other considerations on Cluedo or Clue Grab and Go Game -Travel Size
• 10.1 Other Considerations of WE Games Cribbage and More Travel Game Pack
• 11.1 Other Considerations on Peradix Magnetic Travel Chess Set 
• 12.1 Other Considerations on Travel Hungry Hippo 
• 13.1 Other Considerations on Apples to Apples
• 14.1 Other Considerations on Classic Game Collection Chinese Checkers 
• 15.1 Other Considerations on Pictionary Travel Version Card Game
• 15.2 Liked this article? Save it to your favorite Pinterest board!

My Top 3 Choices of the Best Travel Size Games

Best for fast-paced entertainment and strategy : Monopoly Deal Card Game

Best for creative games -you don’t need to draw : Pictionary Card Games

Best card deck game for solving mysteries : Clue Grab and Go

Intro to this Roundup of the Best Travel Board Games

Being stuck at home these days can drive some of us close to nuts, especially when you have run out of new things to do. That may be an exaggeration, but if you are a budding outdoorsy-head more used to looking over cliffs than out of windows, it’s somewhat of a close experience.

But, staying indoors is the safest and the wisest thing at present to fight off the pandemic. Let’s focus on the bright side. The pandemic has granted most of us the luxury of time! You have now the chance to spend time at home doing what you have been putting off for months.

So, take some time off to unwind and relax by doing something entertaining. This is when a couple of good board games come in handy! For families with kids, some of these games can actually stop the little ones from wreaking havoc when outdoors. Moreover, they are one of the best activities you can do when camping with kids .

Benefits of Playing Board Games

Bringing everyone together.

Even during your normal routine, board games are a great way to bring all your family members together and spend some quality time with them. From old to young, introvert to extrovert, workaholic to idlers, they are perfect for everyone alike. We even have some road trip games for couples .

Great for Mental and Physical Health

But, that’s not it. Playing board games is good for your mental and physical health -and will  help you stay sharp over the years  as well! 

They keep you entertained, happy, and laughing like a buffoon sometimes, which helps in lowering stress, anxiety, and blood pressure. Yup, laughing is healthy friends!

Support the Development of Reasoning Skills and Social Interactions

For children specifically, board games are  proven to support the development of logical and reasoning skills . They also teach young children to be patient while improving social skills of interaction. 

Perfect for Unwinding After a Long Day Hiking

Personally, playing board games with my friends makes me feel so relaxed -which is why I can’t imagine a good camping night without some sort of a board game! They have always been a part of my camping adventures. After a long day of hiking, we set camp, prepare dinner, drink some wine, and prep for a good board game. They also make a fun camping gift !

The 11 Best Travel Board Games

Below, I have rounded up a list that covers all age categories . The best thing about them is they not only come in handy to play at home these days but also ideal to take when your traveling adventures resume! Some of them are even travel-themed taking you to some of your dream destinations!

One thing to note about these travel board games is that they are compact and lightweight in size and therefore may not be the most durable things. Best thing? They are interesting nevertheless!

Monopoly Deal Card Game

Best for:  A fast-paced travel size monopoly game that doesn’t last forever -like the original version 

Buy on Amazon

Players:  2-5 

Ages:  8 + years

Theme:  buy and sell property

Size:  card deck 10 x 13

Weight:  100gm

Amazon rating:  4.8 (6846 reviews)

• Compact 
• Affordable 
• Fast-paced which makes it one of the best travel card games out there
• Cards could be sturdier 
• Some rules aren’t explained in the guide – you might have to check online or make up your own rules!

Other Considerations on Monopoly Deal Card Game 

For those who are used to defining Monopoly with its traditional set of cards, money, and the iconic board, the idea of a card game might be off-putting. But, do give it a try and it will be one of your favorite mini travel games!

Ticket to Ride –Europe

Best for:  Anyone who loves travel around the world games!

Players:  2-5 players 

Theme:  Travel – earn points by connecting cities

Size:  11.8 x 11.8 x 3 inches

Weight:  1.2kg

Amazon rating:  4.8 (3372 reviews)

• You don’t need the original version of Ticket to Ride to understand this 
• Added features -more than the original version
• Easy to learn the rules so appeal to both experienced and new gamers
• Can be too bulky to take around 
• It takes around 60 minutes to complete. If you are looking for a quick game, this isn’t the one.

Other Considerations on Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride travel is a very educational game for both adults and kids with a chance to learn geography. It can be confusing at first but gets very interesting once you are familiar with the rules! However, if you already own the original version, investing in this may not be a great idea. Also, this is more of a ‘travel from home’ game -not a travel size game, unless you want to take it along with you anyway!

Connect 4 Grab and Go Game -Travel Size

Best for: Parents looking for a fun board game to keep their kids occupied for hours!

Players:  2 players

Ages:  6 + years

Theme:  Connecting the same colored chips in a row

Size:  6 x 8 inches

Weight:  Approximately 200gs

Amazon rating:  4.4 (630 Amazon reviews)

• Simple rules and set-up makes it easy to play
• Light in weight 
• Stimulates brain development and hand-eye coordination 
• Less durable 
• Only 2 players at a time

Other Considerations on Connect 4 Grab and Go Game -Travel Size

Travel Connect 4 is very similar to tic-tac-toe except that you cannot insert chips from the middle as the game works by dropping connectors into the grids. You have to connect 4 chips of the same color in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row. It’s one of the best travel board games for kids with simple rules. Also great for parents to have fun too!

Hasbro Yahtzee to Go Travel Game

Best for:  A perfect dice game to try out your luck

Players:  2 or more

Ages:  8+ years

Theme:  A dice game based on probability. Get the highest score within the given rounds!

Size:  5.4 x 5.2 x 3.1 inches

Weight:  200gs

Amazon rating:  4.7 (177 reviews)

Pros: 

• Compact packaging 
• Any number of players can take part in the game
• Reasonable pricing 
• The rattling noise when dice are shaken in the plastic container 

Other considerations on Hasbro Yahtzee to Go Travel Game 

If you are looking for strategy games board games , this one’s for you. Don’t forget to take a pencil along with you as the travel Yahtzee package doesn’t come with one. 

Cluedo or Clue Grab and Go Game -Travel Size

Best for: Anyone who loves a game of suspense and full of clues that need to be solved. Also great if you want to be a Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie for the day!

Players:  2-6 people 

Ages:  8 years and up

Theme:  Mystery-solving 

Size:  1.9 x 6.3 x 9.2 inches

Weight:  160gs

Amazon rating:  4.2 (196 reviews)

• Very compact and light in weight
• Cheap price 
• Improves reasoning skills, strategic thinking, and attentiveness
• Takes around 45 minutes to complete – not a drag!

 Cons:

• Some users have complained that the letters in Cluedo travel game are too small to read
• Lacks in durability
• Playing consecutively can make you feel bored.

Other considerations on Cluedo or Clue Grab and Go Game -Travel Size

For many of us, travel Cluedo or Clue is a comeback of the nostalgia of our childhood. It’s suspenseful and keeps players competing enthusiastically. Although it’s ideal for 8 years and up, some might find it difficult to catch up with the instructions and the method to play the game. But, once you get the hang of it, this is one of the travel board games you could wish for! 

WE Games Cribbage Travel Game Pack

Best for:  Any card game enthusiast who likes a competitive, fast-paced play. The ultra-lightweight makes it one of the best travel games!

Players:  Normally, 2-4 people. However, this board is designed for two which is the ideal number. 

Ages:  9 years and above

Theme:  A card deck game played by scoring points

Size:  Cribbage board 3.8 x 2 x 1 inches

Weight:  The entire package is approximately 200gs

Amazon rating:  4.5 (188 ratings)

• Great quality, the wooden board is designed with a seamless finish
• Light in weight, ideal for you backpacking journeys
• Reasonably priced
• The foldable track makes it compact sized and easy to carry.
• The game only takes around 20-30 minutes to play. 
• Y ou can also play other games with the extras available
• You might find the instructions too complicated to understand (I suggest using online sources).
• Only 2 can play on this board.

Other Considerations of WE Games Cribbage and More Travel Game Pack

The travel cribbage set consists of a portable cribbage board, metal pegs, standard deck of cards, five wooden dice, and a handy pouch to hold them all in. While the highlight is Cribbage, you can play eleven other games using the set (instructions are available for all the games).

Like every standard deck card game, Cribbage is all about good strategy and a pinch of luck. If you are a beginner, it’s easy to get frustrated at the hands of your expert partner. haha. But, once you master the game, you would want to play in a row!

Magnetic Travel Chess Set with Folding Chess Board

Best for:  People looking for a great portable magnetic chess set, checkers set, and travel backgammon set together! The 3-in-1 package won’t make you regret leaving one of them behind.

Players:  2 

Ages:  6 years and up

Theme:  Strategic board games

Size:  9.8 x 9.8 x 0.8 inches

Weight:  989gs

Amazon rating:  4.6 (360reviews)

• The chess and checkers pieces stay in place as it’s magnetic. You won’t have to worry turbulence or a car break throwing off them anymore.
• The size of the board is comfortable enough for adults as well
• The clasp holds the board well once its folded
• The felt bottom of the pieces prevent scratches on the board
• Backgammon is not magnetic 
• Not very compact 

Other Considerations on   Peradix Magnetic Travel Chess Set 

You can easily store the pieces inside the folded board. These types of travel board games are proven to stimulate logical thinking and support brain development, great for kids and adults alike.

Hasbro Travel Hungry Hippo Game

Best for:  Toddlers and kids as an ideal fun time activity and one of the best games for travel!

Ages:  4 years and up. I would say, Hungry Hippos travel game is safe enough for toddlers as well with adult supervision 

Theme:  Feeding hippos, gobbling marbles 

Size:  2 x 6.3 x 9.2 inches

Weight:  300gs

Amazon rating:  3.2 (109 reviews)

• The plastic covering ensures marbles don’t get lost and make it safe around small kids as well.
• Small and easily portable 
• Budget-friendly 
• Build quality is low
• Can be too noisy to be played on the plane 
• Marbles can get stuck if it’s roughly handled

Other Considerations on   Travel Hungry Hippo 

If you prefer to play the game with more players, you can go for the standard 4-player version. But it’s larger in size and not easily portable as the marbles aren’t enclosed in a plastic covering like the travel-hungry hippos version.

Apples to Apples – On the Go

Best for:  Teens! This is a milder version of Cards Against Humanity with lots of humor to keep you rolling on the floor

Players:  4-10

Ages:  12 years and up

Theme:  Answering questions 

Size:  7.9 x 2 x 7.8 inches

Weight:  650 g

Amazon rating:  4.1 (51 reviews)

• Light and compact
• Fun for adults as well
• Many people can take part in the game!
• The storage case can be smaller as there’s additional space after storing the cards

Other Considerations on Apples to Apples

According to the majority of the reviewers, it’s one of the best travel games for teens . However, the game may can have content/wordings that some might find offensive. Again, it depends on how you take it. If you are particular about such issues, especially when it comes to children, this might not be the best choice. 

Chinese Checkers and Traditional Checkers

Best for:  A travel Chinese checkers game that many can enjoy!

Players:  2-6 players

Theme:  Strategic board game with marbles

Size:  11.5 x 11.5 x 9.0 inches

Weight:  Approximately 500 grams  

Amazon rating:  4 (273 reviews)

• An easily portable Chinese checker travel game
• Two travel-size board games in one (Chinese and traditional checkers)
• The marbles can roll away from the holes easily
• Average build quality 

Other Considerations on   Classic Game Collection Chinese Checkers 

Many Chinese checkers boards available online that allows 6 people to play are not easily portable. In that sense, I think this is a great, lightweight choice, although there’s a compromise on the quality aspect. 

Pictionary Travel Version Card Game

Best for:  Anyone who wants to enjoy Pictionary even without a board -and folks who don’t want to draw!

Ages:  3 years and up

Theme:  Guessing 

Size:  1.9 x 9.2 x 14.5 cm

Weight:  159gs

Amazon rating:  4.2 (318 reviews)

• Compact and light in weight
• No drawing required
• Less choice compared to the original version

Other Considerations on   Pictionary Travel Version Card Game

Pictionary’s easy rules make it a joy to learn and play! This is a very engaging and interesting game that can go on for hours. As the game it’s more about putting pictures together -which are the drawings from the cards- it’s great for people who are shy to draw!  

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Reason2Roam

The Definitive Guide To The Best Travel Board Games

Why would you take up such valuable space in your luggage for a silly game?

The answer is simple: games bring people together like travel does!  It is easier to get to know people when you have a shared experience and playing games with others create these experiences.

Over the last 20 years, we have road tested many games. We have taken board games backpacking (into the woods), canoe camping, and around the world.

To help you choose the best game for your next adventure, we have divided the information up into the following categories: 

• Best Travel Board Games For Two

Best Adult Travel Board Games

Best party travel board games.

• Best Travel Board Games for Multi-lingual Groups
• Best Card and Dice Games for Travel
• Our picks for the best choice in each category

You can use the Quick Navigation below to jump to the category that fits you the best. For each game, we have included a link to more information about that game on Board Game Geek - a FANTASTIC resource for all things related to board games. 

Monopoly photo by Mike Flemming shared under a Creative Commons ( CC BY 2.0 ) License

Considerations For Choosing the Best Travel Board Games

We always consider how many people we will be playing with and what their level of board game literacy might be. If we are going on a tour we will focus on games for larger groups, whereas if it is just the two of us we will pack games for 2 people. The best games don’t take up too much space in our luggage and they don’t have a lot of loose parts that are easily lost. What is the level of English the people we are playing with likely to have? How much will they know about the popular culture of the game? These are important questions we ask ourselves when choosing games to pack. I don't know anything about Bollywood, so I would not likely enjoy a game that required this skill! Now that you know the considerations we use to select board games to pack, let’s look at our recommendations in each category. 

Best Travel Board Games for Two

This category is one we focus on a great deal  since we always have each other to play with. We like games that involve some strategy and interaction. 

An older version of Rival of Catan. Being played in India!

Backgammon  

Why we like it There is some strategy involved in the game, but it is easy to learn and it doesn’t take long to play. This game is also well known around the planet so it is quite easy to find others to play. The case makes it packable and we store many other games inside it. 

How we adjust it for travel When we are backpacking (the hiking kind) we only take the dice and checker pieces with us. We have drawn a backgammon board, and checkerboard onto our sleeping pads and use the pieces to play.

Cribbage  

Why we like it You don’t need a large playing surface for it, and there is a degree of skill involved in playing it. We use the cards for many other games too. 

How we adjust it for travel We like the feel of the crib board to play with. The board is optional, as paper/pen can be used to track to 121 points. When we play the game outside we use rocks to make sure the cards don’t fly away.  

Jaipur 

Why we like it You can play this game after a few drinks, but it still involves your brain. It is small and compact and doesn’t take up a lot of space. It is also easy to teach to others and you don’t need to be able to read English to play.

How we adjust it for travel We keep all the game pieces together in a nice ziplock bag stored inside our backgammon board. You do need a relatively flat surface to play this game, so it often doesn’t make the cut on our trips into the woods.

Rivals for Catan (Settlers of Catan 2 player game)

Why we like it This game is a fantastic strategy game. It is not a quick play, but it can turn an evening into a good dose of strategy and bartering. The “board” is just a bunch of cards so it is perfect for travel (you do need a large table and no wind to play it). 

How we adjust it for travel We leave the expansion set at home.  

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Cards Against Humanity photo by Sam T shared under a Creative Commons ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) License

This category includes those games that need a bit more strategy or skill than some others. There may also be some content that might not be the most appropriate for a younger audience!

Cards Against Humanity 

Why we like it This is a laugh out loud funny game best played with people that aren’t easily offended. It is great for travel because it is just cards, but it can be played with a rather large group.

How we adjust it for travel We carefully choose our audience (it’s perfect in a hostel, not so great on a high-end cruise).    

Code Names  

Why we like it So much skill involved in this game! It interesting to see how people associate things together and the thought patterns. There are not a lot of parts to this game and you can play it with a group of 4 up to 20.  

How we adjust it for travel Leave some of the clue cards at home. Use your watch/phone instead of the sand timer. Depending on the length of our trip, we also leave some of the word cards at home too.

Exploding Kittens 

Why we like it This game was easy to learn, and fun to play with people that we just met. There is some backstabbing involved, but in the right atmosphere, it can lead to laughs and a fun shared experience.

How we adjust it for travel None needed -it is a small deck of cards and a rule book. (Ultralight backpacking freaks could memorize the rules and use them for fire starter!)

Settlers of Catan  

Why we like it This game is very popular for a reason! We like that you never know what you are going to get in relation to resources. There is a lot of strategy involved, and ganging up on the other players to get what you need to win.

How we adjust it for travel This is not the best game for travel because of the number of pieces but the game is too much fun to leave at home. The board is a set of tiles so it doesn’t take up as much space as a traditional board game.  We store our game in a ziplock bag so it’s easy to bring wherever we go.

Games are best played with a lot of people. These games involve maximum interaction and usually not a lot of skill.  They almost always result in a whole lot of laughter! 

Times Up 

Why we like it This game has caused many laugh out loud moments. You can play with a group as small as 3, but it is better in a larger group especially with a multi-range of ages. There are not a lot of parts needed so it’s perfect for travel.

How to adjust it for travel Leave some of the cards at home. You can also use your phone as the timer and any scrap of paper will do to keep score. 

Backpack Bocce  

Why we like it Any game that is active and can be played with a beer in your hand is a good one in our books!

How we adjust it for travel The backpack version is the right weight and size for travel! Great fun with local kids on the beaches of Mexico.

Banana Grams 

Why we like it This is a high-speed game that really tests your language skills.  We also like how a group can decide if a word is a word and the discussion that ensues when a word is challenged. It is small, compact and easy to throw into a bag.

How we adjust it for travel None needed.

Catch Phrase 

Why we like it We have had numerous evenings of hilarity with this game with both small and large groups. It’s easy to divide any size group into two teams (men vs. ladies for example) and let the chaos ensue!

How we adjust it for travel If the button gets hit in your suitcase the device starts to make a countdown sound. This is important for the game play, but not the best thing for your luggage in an airport. We always remove the battery when packing it! 

Why we like it So much deception and trickery involved! You quickly learn who is and isn’t a good liar and it is fun to see how people handle deception. There are only a few cards and tokens to pack so it lends itself really well to being packed in a bag.

How we adjust it for travel None needed (I am not lying - I promise!)

Best Travel Board Games for Multi-Lingual groups

If you will be playing games with people you have met from around the world then this is the category for you. These games rely on images rather than text so your opponents don’t need to be bilingual or speak the same languages as everyone else.

Ticket to Ride 

Why we like it We like that this game relies on a map and it is fun to play if you are in the same area of the game you are playing with. On one occasion we ended up taking a train route in Europe because we had played the Europe game so much!

How to adjust it for travel We photocopied the board on to a heavyish cardstock and taped them together. The board and small bags of trains and cards were then stored in one large ziplock and kept at the bottom of our luggage. 

Carcassonne  

Why we like it This is another favourite at home as well as on the road. Each game is different and there is a good deal of strategy involved. The scoring system can be hard to explain to someone with a different first language. The actual gameplay does not need any English skills and you can also find multiple language versions of the rules online.

How we adjust it for travel The tiles and meeples are relatively small enough to not require much adaptation. A friend of ours did photocopy an entire set onto card stock to reduce the weight for his trip!

Why we like it This is a good quick game that stretches your brain. It is small and compact so lends itself really well to travel. It is also a good way to give your brain a workout. You don’t need any language skills to play, however, I suspect it would be a challenge for someone who is colourblind!

Best Card and Dice Games For Travel

The best thing about a deck or two of cards, or a set of dice is the sheer number of games you can play. Here are the “rules” to our favourite card and dice games we play on the road.

www.freepik.com

• President (also known as A**hole)
• Cheat (also known as Bullsh*t)
• Gonzo (also known as 5,000)

The Single Best Travel Game In All 6 Categories

Each of the games we have listed above are great to play, but we do have our favourites. 

Click on each category to see which single game we have selected and why

Best Travel Board Game for Two:  Rivals of Catan

This is our pick for best game for two because it involves so much strategy and no two games are ever alike. The gameplay is similar to our favourite strategy games that need a minimum of 4 to play - and that is often hard to find in a 2 player game. It  takes a while to play which makes it a great source of entertainment in the evening.

Best Adult Travel Board Game: Cards Against Humanity

This is our pick for the best adult  game because it is just so darn funny - if a lot offensive. We like that you can play it with a really large group but it doesn't require 100% focus 100% of the time. We are often giggling with the people we have played it with for days after.

Best Party Travel Board Game: Catch Phrase

We chose Catch Phrase as our favourite in this category because it is an easy game to teach, and play. Large groups make this game super fun and it works well to play in many different environments. If we are travelling with a large group of friends we always pack this game and we always end up playing it! 

Best Multi-Lingual Travel Board Game: Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride is our choice in this category because it is easy to teach and play. It is also really cool to play a game about travel whilst you are travelling!  

Best Card Game: President (A**hole)

We like President because it is one of those card games you learned as a kid and everyone has their own variation of the rules. There are always lots of laughs and it is a great game to play in the evening with your new friends. 

Best Dice Game: Gonzo

Our pick for the best dice game is without a doubt Gonzo (also known as 5,000! Like many of the others, it is easy to teach to new folks. It doesn't require a lot of concentration so it is a good game to play in a pub or common room of a hostel. We like the variation where you yell GONZO when you roll 5 of a kind - maybe yelling Gonzo is the reason this is our favourite?!

Final Thoughts On The Best Games For Travel

It was hard for us to decide on one single best game in many of these categories as each travelling situation requires a different type of game.

We always pack backgammon and crib with the accompanying dice and cards in our bags. There is usually another game or two thrown in as well. (Head over to our resource page to see a list of other items that also make their way into our luggage.)

Some of you might think that spending money on games is a silly expense. Our friend once said, “For the price of dinner and a movie, you can buy a board game that can be used multiple times.” This is a really good point  since you can’t do that with a movie and a plate of Spaghetti!

Board game geek is a great source of information on board games in general. Their forum also has some great info on rule variations. Most of the images in this post link to the appropriate page on board game geek. 

What else do Matt and Heather recommend you pack? 

Head over to the Resource Page to find out!

What games do you bring when you travel? Let us know in the comments below as we are always keen to try something new. 

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The best board games for travel lovers

Jun 13, 2019 • 5 min read

Tokaido © Funforge

You’ve got a copy of Risk or Sorry! collecting dust on a shelf. Or maybe last Christmas’ annual game of Monopoly led to tears and slammed doors. But we’re here to tell you – the board game industry is in the midst of a full-fledged golden age, with innovative gameplay systems, polished production values and star designers.

Here are some of our favorite modern classics for people who love travel – all are based on real places around the world. Each of these provides a level of depth you can’t find in a simple ‘roll-and-move’ game, but they aren’t rules-heavy or intimidating for first-timers. They’re known as ‘gateway’ games, so step through one and explore.

Our editors independently select the best products to help you have amazing travel experiences. If you purchase through links on our site, Lonely Planet may earn a commission from the retailer.

The Tōkaidō road of Japan ’s Edo period was a seaside route between Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo ). In this gorgeous game players are travelers walking from one city to the other, in search of the most fulfilling journey. You must decide whether you want to focus on seeing beautiful landscapes, collecting souvenirs, having encounters with locals, relaxing in the hot springs, visiting temples or eating the most delicious meals.

The traveler who is furthest back always has the next move. You can jump ahead to make sure you don’t get blocked from an activity but if you do, you’ll be stuck for a while. Despite the tricky decisions to make, this is a zen-like game with stunning watercolor-style artwork in a minimalist white aesthetic.

Designed by Antoine Bauza; 2-5 players; 45 minutes; Age: 8+; Buy it on Amazon

Ticket to Ride

With more than 6 million copies sold, this modern classic is quickly becoming as ubiquitous as Battleship or Clue. Players take on the role of railroad barons, laying down train tracks between cities to build the most extensive, or most efficient, network of stations. Collect sets of cards to claim routes – the longer the route the more points it’s worth. Just make sure to connect the cities listed on your tickets before the end of the game, or you’ll lose points instead of gaining them.

The original Ticket to Ride is played on a map of the United States . But there are many different expansions, with new maps and game tactics to explore. From the Nordic Countries to the Heart of Africa , there’s a map for whichever part of the world interests you. For our taste, the stand-alone Ticket to Ride: Europe is the best combination of gameplay and travel theme.

Designed by Alan R. Moon; 2-5 players; 30-60 minutes; Age: 8+; Buy it on Amazon

Scotland Yard

This classic introduced the ‘one-against-many’ system that has become a modern board game staple. One player is Mister X, a criminal mastermind on the loose in London . All the other players work together as detectives, trying to corner Mister X.  But it’s not as easy as it sounds – Mister X spends most of the game in hiding, and only shows himself on rare occasions.

The board for Scotland Yard is a map of London, with short taxi routes, longer bus routes and huge underground routes connecting spots all over the city. Detectives must communicate, use logic, and spend their transport tickets wisely in order to put the cuffs on Mister X. It’s a high-pressure thrill for detective and criminal alike, and even highlights some of London’s most iconic landmarks.

3-6 players; 45 minutes; Age: 10+; Buy it on Amazon

Carcassonne

Carcassonne is a city in southern France with a fortified citadel dating back to the Gallo-Roman period. It was a key strategic point between the Atlantic and Mediterranean for centuries. In this award-winner, players take turns laying tiles with bits of roads, walled towns, fields and cloisters on them. When you place a tile, it must match up with the tiles on every side. You may also choose to put your own colored ‘meeple’ on a tile you place – once a feature is completed, any meeples on those tiles score points for the players who placed them.

As the tiled play area gets bigger and bigger, the extent of the region and its connecting roads becomes more and more impressive. And once you’ve mastered the base game, there are dozens of expansions to add everything from rivers to bazaars.

Designed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede; 2-5 players; 30-45 minutes; Age: 8+; Buy it on Amazon

The Pyramids of Giza ; The Colossus of Rhodes ; The Lighthouse of Alexandria ­– these were some of the real-life wonders of the ancient world. Take control of one of these regions and decide how you want to build your city. Will you put your resources toward building your wonder and other civic structures? Maybe you want your city to be known for its scientific discoveries. Or perhaps you will invite commerce – or war – with your neighbors.

At the beginning of each “age,” or round, everyone will have a hand of seven cards. You’ll choose one to add to your city, then pass the rest to your neighbor. Once you receive your new cards, you’ll do it all over again until all cards have been put into play. After three ages, points are scored in many different ways, depending on what kind of city you have built.

Designed by Antoine Bauza; 3-7 players; 30 minutes; Age: 10+; Buy it on Amazon

If you’re just dying to chuck some dice, this gorgeously illustrated buccaneer adventure is a more strategic spin on the old roll-and-move system. Race around the island of Jamaica as one of several real-life pirates of the Caribbean . Along the way feel free to steal some treasure and battle your opponents.

You only have a few holds in your ship’s hull for food for your crew, gunpowder for your cannons and those all-important doubloons, so you’ll have to decide what to keep and what to throw overboard. Because it’s not only about who finishes the race first, it’s about who has the most gold when they do.

Designed by Malcolm Braff, Bruno Cathala and Sébastien Pauchon; 2-6 players; 30-60 minutes; Age: 8+; Buy it on Amazon

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The 25 Best Travel Board Games (You can Play at Home)

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THE BEST TRAVEL BOARD GAMES THAT’LL FIT IN YOUR SUITCASE

As a family that travels often, one of the ways we fight boredom and reduce screen time is through board games. Travel board games are a great way to pass the time, have fun, and spend quality time together.

Disclosure: “Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. Click here for the full disclosure statement.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Board games are a great activity on a rainy day . Whether you are at home, at the airport, on the beach, or on an airplane, these are the best travel board games to take along with you or play at home.

Related Post: Best Travel-Themed Board Games

Backpacker – The Ultimate Travel Game

• Recommended Age: 10 years old and up
• Number of Players: 2-6

Don’t let the name fool you, the Backpacker – The Ultimate Travel Game is a great travel game for couples, families, and friends. This portable game can fit in your backpack or pocket while traveling .

The objective of the game is to return home with the most photos. No two adventures are the same so you can hang out on the beach, trek through the jungle, visit the different continents, or hang out at a bar.

The possibilities are endless, and you are sure to run into unexpected experiences as you travel the world. This is the ultimate travel game that everyone will enjoy.

Backpacker Travel Game Price

Monopoly Deal Card Game

• Recommended Age: 8 years old and up
• Number of Players: 2-5
• Included: 110 cards

The classic game of monopoly has been shrunk down to Monopoly Deal Card Game . Unlike the original, this version can be played in 15 minutes, so it’s the perfect board game for traveling.

The elements of this game are a little tricky, so you have to be on the lookout for debt collectors and deal breakers. You can steal properties, demand money, or swap properties, so trust no one.

This new and portable travel game is fun for families and doesn’t take forever to play. You will enjoy this class game with a few modern twists.

Monopoly Deal Card Game Price

Games on the Go

• Recommended Age: Varies (suitable ages are on the cards)
• Number of Players: 2+
• Included: 50 cards

Games on the Go is the ultimate portable travel game for families. It is so small that you can take it everywhere.

Although this is meant to be a game played in the car, you can play it anywhere. It’s a great way to keep boredom at bay during long car rides or dinner.

This travel game doesn’t have a winner. The objective is to get families and friends to interact in a fun way.

Games on the Go Price

Related Post: 15 Travel Games for Toddlers

Bananagrams Word Game

• Recommended Age: 7 years old and up
• Number of Players: 1+
• Included: 144 tiles, instructions, and a travel bag

Bananagrams is a fun word game that can be played anywhere. This version has large letters, making it easier to create words on the go.

For families with younger kids, this is a great travel game to help them with spelling and reading. What better way to keep busy while at home or on vacation than playing games?

Everyone from young kids to seniors will enjoy this portable travel game. Plus, the bigger letters and tiles make it easier for the young at heart to participate.

Bananagrams Word Game Price

• Number of Players: 2-4
• Included: Travel bag, 4 trays, and 106 tiles

Rummikub is one of the most popular board games. Now it is travel size and includes a travel bag, making it easy to throw in your carry-on.

This game is easy to learn, quick to play and requires some skill, and a little luck. The goal is to be the first player to clear your rack.

To play you need to use the numbers to create sets of 3 or more tiles. The sets can be the same number of different colors or a run of consecutive numbers of the same color. If you don’t have anything you play you can draw a tile from the pile.

The joker tile makes things interesting, so be sure to be on the lookout for it.

Rummikub Price

Qwirkle Travel Board Game

• Recommended Age: 5 years old and up
• Included: 108 tiles, rule book, and travel bag

Qwirkle Travel Board Game is a tactical game, all about strategy. You can think of it as Scrabble with shapes and colors instead of letters.

You have to combine logic and strategy to create columns of matching colors and shapes. This is the perfect game for kids to learn critical thinking skills.

You have to think several steps ahead, so it’s more than just a game. Qwirkle lessons that can be applied to life.

This is one of the best travel board games for kids and adults. You can play anywhere, especially at home.

Qwirkle Travel Board Game Price

Grounded for Life

• Recommended Age: 12 years old and up
• Number of Players: 2-12
• Included: 500 cards

Grounded for Life is a fun family game that can be taken on the go. I will warn you, things will get interesting.

The person that comes up with the funniest sentence is the winner, so be creative. This is one of the best travel games for a family vacation and will have you laughing all night.

You may need to give the kids a pass for this game. Have fun!

3 Up 3 Down Price

• Included: 112 cards

The original UNO game is known all around the world, so I didn’t include it in this list. The latest version, UNO Flip is a twist on the original game.

Instead of playing with one side of the cards, you play both sides. When you think you have going to win, you may have to flip the card over and play different colors.

As if the different colors weren’t enough, the rules are slightly different. Remember to review the rules. They aren’t what you think. You’ll be surprised what is in store. It’s nice to have a new twist on a classic game.

UNO Flip Price

Taco vs Burrito Game

• Number of Players: 2 -4
• Included: 24 ingredient cards, 32 action cards, 4 tortilla holders, 4 quick start cards, and 1 rulebook

Can you believe the portable card game Taco vs Burrito was created by a 7-year-old? This is one of the most popular and best-selling card games on Amazon.

Although the concept of the game is basic, it takes some strategy to win. The action cards and send the game into different unexpected scenarios.

Can you create the weirdest meal? This game is fun for the entire family, which makes it perfect for your next family vacation or family game night. Although it isn’t the most portable travel game on our list, it is one of the most fun,

Taco vs Burrito Price

Catan Dice Game

• Number of Players: 1 – 4
• Included: 6 dice and playing map (pen or pencil needed, but not included)

The Catan Dice Game is a fast and fun dice game that can be played with one player if you are a solo traveler. It can be played in 15-30 minutes, so it’s a fun and quick travel board game.

The premise of the game is to build a road, city, or building. As you finish building you record your points on the provided score sheets. The person with the highest number of points is the winner after 15 turns.

You’ll need to make tough decisions on whether to build a city or settlement, depending on the specific situation. You’ll need to use some strategy and critical thinking to make the best decision.

Good luck, and happy building.

Catan Dice Game Price

Phase 10 Card Game

• Number of Players: 4 – 6
• Included: 108 cards

I recently learned how to play Phase 10 , and I must admit I love it. For some reason, it took me a while to learn (I’m biased and didn’t want to abandon UNO), but now I am on a roll.

The concept is easy, but it takes a little time to learn. To win the game you have to work your way through each phase on the card provided.

I will warn you, this game can get a little addicting. The first 10 phases remain the same, but you can find additional phases online.

The game only gets more fun after you master the game and use the more difficult combinations.

Plus, the tin holder is the perfect storage container for traveling.

Phase 10 Card Game Price

Loaded Questions On The Go

• Included: 200 Question cards, answer/score pad, and two pencils

If you are looking for one of the ultimate road trip games then look no further. Loaded Questions On The Go is a fun family-friendly question-and-answer game that can be played anywhere.

In this fun family game, you write down your answer to a series of questions and try to guess who answered what. the questions are interesting, so be prepared to get creative.

There are different versions, so if you have younger kids, the Loaded Questions Junior may be best. Although this is the family-friendly version, there is a more explicit adult version that’ll make things interesting.

Loaded Questions On The Go Price

Clue Card Game

• Number of Players: 4+
• Included: 84 Cards (including characters and clues)

Clue is one of my favorite games, so I’m happy there is a travel version small enough to fit in your luggage, backpack, or even pocket. The Clue Card Game is slightly different from the original, but you will still have fun.

The concept is the same, you have to use the clues to find the killer, but there is no board. Kids will enjoy putting the clues together and solving the mystery.

Since this is the card version, it is slightly easier than the board game. If you are an expert at Clue, you’ll pick this up in no time.

Take this murder mystery card game with you on your next vacation. You can play on the beach, on the airplane, at the airport, or while eating dinner. What better way to bring the family together than finding a killer?

Clue Grab and Go Price

​Pictionary Card Game

No products found.

• Number of Players: 3+
• Included: 88 Picture cards and 66 Clue cards

In the newest version of the Pictionary Card Game, you can combine two games into one.

Pictionary is mashed with Charades to create a fun game that families will love. The best part, there is no drawing involved.

Kids of all ages will love this game, especially energetic little ones because they can act out the photos or use them as clues.

All you have to do is use the photos to great clues, while your teammates guess the answer. If you don’t want to use the cards, act them out. The possibilities are endless.

The first team to score five points wins the game, so guess fast.

• Recommended Age: 6 years old and up
• Included: 54 Jenga hardwood blocks

Jenga is my wife’s favorite game. We take it everywhere we travel, and it is always a lot of fun.

Although this game isn’t travel-size, it is small enough to fit into your suitcase without taking up a lot of space.

For competitive families, this is the perfect travel game. If you aren’t familiar with the game, the objective is to pull out a block and place it on top of the tower without making it fall.

The more people, the more fun, so get everyone to join in the game.

Jenga Price

Yahtzee to Go

• Included: 100 scorecards, 5 dice, and game guide

The classic game of Yahtzee is now available in a travel-size container. Yahtzee to Go is the same as the original game in a smaller package.

The rules are the same but are small enough to take in the car, on the plane, or to a friend’s house.

There are a few complaints about the noise of the dice when shaking inside the cup. This shouldn’t be an issue for families playing on a rainy day. I’m sure the fun will drown out the sound of the dice inside the cup

Note: The pencil isn’t included, so you’ll need to have one if you plan on keeping the score.

Yahtzee to Go Price

What Do You Meme? Family Edition

• Cards Included: 300 Caption cards 65 Photocards

If you love seeing memes, then this is the perfect game for your next family game night. What Do You Meme? Family Edition is a game based on some of the most popular memes online.

This game seems to be a hit with teenagers. The objective of the game is to create the funniest meme using photo and captions cards.

There is a rotating judge for each round that decides the winner. The first person to win 5-7 rounds is the winner.

Remember, this is the family version, so it is tamed in the captions. Many of the caption cards focus on poop or fart because we all know kids find that funny.

So if you are looking for a fun and creative game to take on your next vacation, try this game.

What Do You Meme? Family Edition Price

Grandpa Beck’s Cover Your Assets

• Cards Included: 110 ( 2 decks of 52)

Grandpa Beck’s Cover Your Assets is a fun game that the entire family will love.

The objective of the game is to reach 1 million dollars in assets. You have to use wit, cunning, and strategy to build your assets.

It is the perfect travel board game for a rainy day or family game night. Although the recommended age is 7 years old, kids as young as 6 could join in the fun.

Plus, it helps kids with their math skills. You can’t beat a night full of learning, laughter, and fun.

Grandpa Beck’s Cover Your Assets Price

Lost Cities Card Game

• Number of Players: Only 2 players
• Included: 54 Expedition cards, 18 wager cards, rulebook, and game board (double-sided)

The Lost Cities Card Game is a fun travel-themed game that has been modified to be travel-friendly. This is their latest version, which packs more fun in a small package.

Lost Cities is the perfect 2-player game for adults and kids that enjoy a challenge. The objective of the game is to complete your expedition. You will need to use strategy, card tactics, take risks, and have a little luck.

This is a great game for kids that are struggling with math, they can learn while having fun. Plus, it’s quick with most games lasting less than 30 minutes.

Lost Cities Card Game Price

Apples to Apples: Marvel Edition

• Number of Players: 4-8

Apples to Apples is a popular game, so Marvel lovers will appreciate the new Apples to Apples: Marvel Edition .

Apples to Apples: Marvel Edition Price

BEST TRAVEL BOARD GAMES FOR KIDS

Travel board games are one of the best ways to keep kids busy while traveling.

They are a screen-free way to spend time together and have fun. Here are some of the best travel board games for kids.

Related Post: Best Road Trip Toys for Toddlers

Travel Scavenger Hunt

• Recommended Age: 2 – 8 years old
• Included: 96 Flashcards

Travel Scavenger Hunt is one of the best road trip games for younger kids. It’s the perfect travel game for kids from 3 to 6 years old.

Not only is this game fun for toddlers, but it is also educational. Help your little one find the objects on the flashcard to improve their memory, recognition, concentration, and awareness.

These flashcards are perfect for little cards, so they are the perfect travel game for kids. Take this with you on your next road trip or family vacation.

Note: There are different educational versions of this game to help your kids learn numbers, letters, and shapes.

Travel Scavenger Hunt Price

Countries of The World Travel Game

• Included: 50 cards and 1 game box

Let’s be honest, Americans are notoriously bad at geography. Countries of The World is the perfect travel game that helps kids and adults learn about countries around the world.

There are 100 countries to identify, and it fits in your pocket. The rules are simple. Use the picture and unscramble the words to guess the country. At the end of the game, the person with the most correct answers is the winner.

This portable travel game can be played alone or with family and friends. See who really knows the countries around the world.

Countries of The World Travel Game Price

Connect 4 Grab and Go

• Number of Players: 2
• Included: Grid playing board, 21 read checkers, and 21 yellow checkers

Connect 4 Grab and Go is the travel version of the original game. Connect 4 is one of my favorite games from my childhood. My siblings and I played this game all the time, and always had fun.

The travel version is the same as the original, except for the smaller pieces. I will say the chip holder is a little annoying.

Since the chips are smaller, the holder is small. Putting the checkers in the holder will test your fine motor skills, which can be a little challenging in a car.

Connect 4 Grab and Go Price

• Recommended Age: 4 years old and up
• Included: 54 cards

The best-selling travel game for young kids is Travel Scavenger Hunt . It is one of the best ways to keep kids, especially toddlers, busy on road trips or while running errands.

The game is easy. All you need to do is see, feel, or hear the thing on the card. You may be wondering why I said feel or hear instead of seeing because this game gets all your senses involved.

Kids of all ages will enjoy this fun road trip game. The first player to discard 10 cards is the winner, so keep your eyes and ears open.

I SPY: Travel Card Game for Kids

• Recommended Age: 3 years old and up
• Included: 48 cards and instructions

A classic that has been played forever is I-Spy. It usually involves picking random objects and guessing the item. This version of I SPY has cards with objects to find.

Since this is the travel edition, all of the objects have something to do with travel. Kids and adults will have fun finding the objects on the cards.

If you have an energetic toddler, this is the perfect game to play in the airport to burn some of that energy. Time flies when you are having fun, so take this on your next family vacation.

I SPY Travel Card Game for Kids Price

World of Disney: Eye Found It Card Game

• Included: 57 cards and the instructions

The World of Disney: Eye Found It Card Game is a lot of fun for kids and adults who love Disney. The board game is now available in a travel version.

Kids learn attention to detail, and matching skills, and hone their observation skills. Some of these are things my wife says I need to learn (I always ask her where things are instead of looking lol).

To win, be the first one to find all of your objects and discard your cards. Good luck!

World of Disney Eye Found It Card Game Price

Apples to Apples: Disney Edition

• Included: 360 Cards

The classic game Apples to Apples gets a makeover with Disney, with the latest Apples to Apples: Disney Edition . If your little one is a Disney fan, this is the perfect travel game for them.

Apples to Apples is easy for anyone to play, especially younger kids. You can easily pack this game in your backpack to play at the airport, on an airplane, and in the car.

This is one of the best board games for traveling families . Be sure to watch out for the poison apple. Even if you aren’t a frequent traveler, you can play this game at home after dinner.

Apples to Apples: Disney Edition Price

Check out our other travel toy and activity guides:

• The 25 Best Travel Toys for Babies
• 20 Toys to Keep Toddlers Busy on an Airplane
• 25 Beach Toys for Toddlers
• Our Favorite Travel Toys for 3-Year-Olds
• 15 Travel Games for Toddlers
• 20 Fun Travel Toys for 4-Year-Olds
• Our Favorite Headphones for Toddlers
• 20 Screen-Free Road Trip Toys for Toddlers
• 10 Mess-Free Travel Activities for 2-Year-Olds
• 50 Road Trip Activities for Toddlers
• LeapFrog Tablets for Toddlers to Promote Learning
• 20 Educational Travel Toys for 5-Year-Olds
• 15 Fun Airplane Activities for Toddlers
• The Best Learning Tablets for Toddlers
• 20 Snow Toys for Toddlers and Big Kids

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The 14 Best Travel Board Games | On the Go Games

Travel board games are a nice little thing to keep with you and spend some time playing with a partner or even a stranger if you’re feeling friendly . Imagine you and your partner are out on an adventure with no cellphone signal, no places to charge up your iPad and you have read that book you brought cover-to-cover. What on earth are you going to do?

A travel-size board game is perfect for when you want a little facetime with someone and to have a laugh or get super competitive. So, here are some of the best travel board games to help pass the time on those long layovers and make some new friends.

Just like a travel board game will go well with any frequent flyer, any of these travel gift ideas for men will be perfect for the traveler in your life.

1) Bananagrams Travel Games

If there was a game that was a crossover between Scrabble and Dominos, Bananagrams would be it. The objective of this anagram word game is to build crossword grids faster than your opponents, there is no points system here. Just get ready for players to start shouting ‘peel’ as they finish their tiles and others must pick up another one.

This isn’t a traditional board game but whatever flat surface you find becomes your board. Probably one of the best small board games for travel thanks to its extremely compact size and all the tiles being kept in a banana-shaped soft bag. It will take up almost no space at all in your bag and weighs next to nothing as well.

There are seven different ways to play the game so expect hours of laughing and shouting. Sounds fun doesn’t it, so pack a different kind of banana into your bag with this mini-board game.

Read Reviews and Buy Here

A different kind of word-based game that doesn’t really have a board but relies on letter dice instead. This classic is all about searching for words after shaking up the different letter dice and then whoever finds the most words in 90 seconds, wins. This is one of the easiest games out there but when that timer starts, the pressure is on.

If you have a large vocabulary, this is the game for you as any words that are shared with other players don’t count. Its ultra-compact size also means that it can go anywhere with you and can be played anywhere as long as you have a pen and some paper. So, can you handle the pressure of those 90 seconds? There’s only one way to find out, so put yourself to the test and grab Boggle.

Read Reviews and Buy Now

3) Connect 4 Travel Size Game

This is one of the simplest yet most popular games. And you can now take it with you, thanks to its small size. It will keep you and your travel buddy entertained while you are on the move. You will each start with 21 checkers and the goal is to outsmart your opponent and be the first to get four in a row while blocking their attempts.

This sounds simple enough but wait until you play, it is actually challenging. This is one of the best compact games with the checkers being stored in the different columns and the tray also folding up for added portability. Why not keep it simple and try out this game?

4) Magnetic Chess Travel Set

Chess is growing in popularity again thanks to The Queen’s Gambit so now is the time to brush up on those skills. This is a classic when it comes to board games and when it comes to helping the time pass by.

The board and pieces are magnetic so your king or queen won’t go flying if you hit a spot of turbulence. The pieces store on the inside of the board once folded closed making it easy and convenient to travel with. Put your chess skills to the test on your next layover with one of these portable board games.

5) Deluxe Scrabble Travel Edition

To bring a little luxury to travel size board games, this deluxe Scrabble set will have you feeling like you’re in first class while flying in economy. A stunning folding wooden case houses 100 solid wood tiles and a raised tile grid to ensure no slippage occurs. This set weighs just 1.5 Lbs so it won’t take up all your weight allowance.

This is one of the best small board games that you can get and will provide hours of intense concentration. This is a timeless game that can be played with anyone and is something a little different to other games for on the go. Why not get creative and play a travel-themed game of Scrabble?

6) Battleship Portable Board Game

This is another one of those compact games that are the same as their larger versions, just easy to travel with. Try and sink your friend’s ships for a few hours while you’re waiting for that connecting flight or on a quiet evening in your holiday accommodation. Each player will get their own little game unit with ships and pegs to track hits and misses.

The little pegs can be easy to lose so be careful when packing away. Once the ships and pegs are pushed in though, they won’t move. When it comes to the best portable board games, choose whichever floats your boat but why not choose a classic like this?

7) Catan Board Game Traveler Edition

Bring an element of strategy along with you when packing this traveling board game. This Catan is on the larger side of small board games when compared to other travel versions of games. Normally made for a large group, this compact version includes rules for only two players so no need to worry about finding a large group to play with.

If space is an issue, these travel hacks could help you find a little more extra space somehow.

The case folds open to reveal the board to play on, you can then slide open the drawers that house all the different pieces to play. This is an intense strategy game that can be replayed countless times. No two games are ever the same. Imagine playing a game back at your hotel that is based on building your own civilization after a long day of exploring one?

8) Mastermind

A fast-paced strategy game that also happens to be one of the best-selling games of all time. Mastermind is all about making a secret code and the other player attempting to crack the code. This two-player game comes with a compact tin case that houses the game board and storage compartment for the code pegs.

Don’t worry, you won’t be blindly guessing as the code maker has to give clues to the codebreaker after each move. Weighing just over seven ounces and being around eight inches long, it won’t take up too much space and will keep you and your travel buddy busy.

Do you have what it takes to tap into that inner Sherlock Holmes and apply a little deductive reasoning and break the code?

9) Backgammon Suede Roll-Up Game

Another classic game with this travel version being designed by backpackers. This was built with the aim of keeping the weight to a minimum and to be a high-quality travel game. This suede board rolls up into the size of a pocket umbrella, while still housing the pieces and dice in a zipper pocket.

This is one of the most stylish pocket board games available, adding a touch of elegance to your game session. It was designed in Germany and is built to last so expect it to accompany you on many journeys for the years to come. This is one of the oldest known board games and is simple to play once you get the hang of it, want to try it out?

10) Chinese Checkers

Chinese Checkers, or Sternhalma, is a strategy board game that can be played from two to six people either as individuals or on teams. This travel version is compact and suits two to three players and has a foldable magnetic board that also houses the pieces. It is a simple game that will stimulate any strategic thinkers.

When it comes to airplane travel games, this is a fun board game to pack. Thanks to the magnetic pieces, they won’t jump around if you hit a touch of turbulence. A timeless classic when it comes to games that have a few different iterations but still remain just as fun, no matter the size of the board or pieces used. If you are tired of chess, why don’t you try playing Sternhalma?

11) Monopoly Travel Size Game

Everyone has memories of Monopoly, with this game being known to test the limits of friendships and family love. It is still immense fun nonetheless and this travel-size version has all the classic components of the full-size board game. All the parts and pieces are stored in the fold-open board that just adds to the convenience factor.

The pieces are pretty small so make sure to keep track of them or they can get lost pretty easily. This will be a fun way to test the limits of your friendship with some buddies on a night off from exploring. Maybe you should bring the Monopoly Man with you on your next adventure?

12) Mancala

A board game that is somewhat unconventional but extremely easy to pick up and has very few pieces that are needed to play. Mancala has been used in Africa as a counting tool for centuries but is also a popular counting and strategy game. This particular travel version is made of wood and hinges open to reveal the board.

It can be played with anything really, from stones to beans but this particular version uses gemstones. The goal is to capture all the stones in the opposite pocket by dropping a gemstone into an empty pocket on your side. It may sound simple but there is a lot of strategy that is involved. If you want to keep it simple, this is a game for you.

13) Cribbage Travel Set

Now this isn’t technically a board game, Cribbage is actually a card game that uses a board and pegs to keep track of the points as you race the other player to the total. This particular design is the ultimate when it comes to airplane travel games. Its compact size is thanks to the end of the board swiveling open to reveal storage for a deck of cards and the four pegs inside.

For an on-the-go game, this is a simple one that can be played pretty much anywhere. It is intended for two players but can be adapted to three or four players if you wanted to. It does not lock when the swivel top covers the cards and pegs so be wary of where you store it. For the ultimate in simplicity and ease of play, grab one of these cribbage sets for your backpack.

14) Guess Who Travel Size Game

There are plenty of travel games for kids out there but Guess Who is a staple that is simple to set up and incredibly easy to play. The two game trays connect together for easy transport and have 40 face cards to split between the trays. This two-player game will keep your kids occupied on your travels.

The aim of the game is to guess your opponent’s character by asking specific questions to remove potential persons. Sounds easy enough but as always, there is an element of strategy involved. This is one of those games that can provide hours of enjoyment for your kids and even yourself and some friends. Who is your first choice of character going to be when you play?

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Home » Gear » best travel games

Best Travel Games – Entertainment on the Go

Travel inherently means downtime. There’s waiting for transport to depart, the relocating bit, and a myriad of other periods of time when you can’t do much more than wait. How do you fill this time? You could impatiently look at your watch, stare into space, read a book – or enjoy your time by playing a travel game!

There are a whole host of travel games out there, and whatever your tastes you’re sure to find one that meets your needs! Whether you’re looking for the top travel size games for adults or maybe something for the kids, we’ve got it all covered.

Want to find out then? Simple – read on!

Quick Answer: The Best Travel Games

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• Best pick travel game – Bananagrams
• Best travel board game – Travel Monopoly
• Best travel card game – Exploding Kittens
• Best travel games for adults – Cards Against Humanity
• Best travel game for couples – The Date Game That’s Actually Fun
• Best travel games for flights – Boggle
• Best travel games for road trips – Battleship Grab & Go
• Best travel games for families – Dobble
• Best travel game for kids – Pass the Pigs
• Best travel game for pre-schoolers – Buckle Toy Bizzy
• Best travel game for 2 people – Connect 4 Grab & Go
• Best travel game for groups – Farkle

Bananagrams

• > Lightweight
• > Needs just 2 players

Travel Monopoly

• > Self-adhesive board
• > Up to six players

Exploding Kittens

• > Easy to understand rules
• > Small to pack

Cards Against Humanity

• > Strictly for adults
• > 4-20 players

The Date Game That’s Actually Fun

• > Includes all you need to play
• > Best played as a couple

• > All the parts kept in a carry case
• > Can be played for just 3 minutes

Battleship Grab & Go

• > No need to pass tokens between players
• > Travel friendly

• > Game for almost all ages
• > Metal carry tin

Pass the Pigs

• > Doesn’t require adult supervision
• > Simple to understand

Buckle Toy Bizzy

• > Specifically designed for pre-school children
• > Educational

Connect 4 Grab & Go

• > Easy to set up

• > Perfect for large groups
• > Games can be varied in length

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Bananagrams is a firm favorite for those in the know, is easy to set up and play anywhere, and adds little weight to your kid’s backpack . A word-based game, it consists of 144 Scrabble-like letter tiles, with some doled out to players and the rest left in a central ‘bunch’. The aim of the game is to use up all your tiles in creating interconnecting words – rather like a crossword grid. There are no turns to be taken, but each player working on their own grid as quickly as possible, making it a fast-paced and very addictive game. Requiring just two players, it’s also possible to play with anyone from reading age upwards.

• Lightweight
• Needs just 2 players
• From reading age upwards
• Tiles could get lost
• Can’t be played alone
• Not for pre-schoolers

Is Bananagrams for me?

If you’re looking for a travel game that’s going to keep you entertained without needing a large amount of baggage space, Bananagrams could be for you! Scrabble fans and lovers of word games will definitely enjoy games, which at a minimum of five minutes in length, can be played at almost any time!

Our team swear by Bananagrams for their trips as they find it to be super fun, engaging, educational and most importantly, it weighs hardly anything and takes up no room at all in their bags. They also love how simple the game is to play and pick up too.

Travel Monopoly plays in exactly the same way as standard Monopoly, and the world’s favorite board game needs very little introduction! The small board folds in half so that the entire game takes up not much more space than a paperback book, and doesn’t weigh much more either (just 300g in fact), while a ‘self-adhesive’ board ensure counters don’t fall about the place at the first elbow nudge or spot of turbulence on an aircraft. With enough miniature versions of the traditional player pieces to make this a six-player game (with a minimum of two), it’s ideal for families, while the average game time of 45 minutes makes it a great distraction for airport waits.

• Self-adhesive board
• Up to six players
• Playing time of around 45 minutes
• Minimum 2 players
• Small cards/pieces could get lost
• Age range of 8+

Is Travel Monopoly for me?

Long waits and long journeys don’t need to feel like purgatory with Travel Monopoly in hand. Its 45-minute average playing time will see the time pass all the quicker, while the self-adhesive board helps the counters stay in place however bumpy the journey might be!

Our team are split on whether Monopoly is a good idea on a trip or not! They love the mini set up which plays pretty much the same as the bigger version and packs down pretty light. Some of them just wonder if it might cause a mid-flight emergency landing if things kick off!

Adored by those who have played it, Exploding Kittens is as whimsical as its name might suggest. A rapid-fire card game, the aim is to avoid picking an exploding kitten from the stack of face-down cards, while action cards add to the peril by giving sneak peeks and mixing up the pack in various ways. No bigger than a pack of playing cards (out of the box), Exploding Kittens is perhaps one of the easiest games to take traveling. It’s suitable for 2-5 players of more or less any age, with each individual game lasting around 15 minutes.

• Quick to play
• Easy to understand rules
• Small to pack
• Family-friendly
• Not for single players
• Maximum 5 players
• Cards could get lost
• Games last 15 minutes

Is Exploding Kittens for me?

A quick action family-friendly card game if ever there was one, Exploding Kittens so wonderfully bizarre, kids will love it, while the easy-to-understand rules mean even grandma and granddad can get involved! Small and lightweight too, this is an easy travel game to slip into a pocket for those times you need a little entertainment.

Exploding Kittens is a big hit amongst the team and they love how fun and easy to play it is. The game is also super light and portable meaning it can fit into pretty much any backpack without adding any extra weight. They also like how the playing area for the game is really compact too meaning you could play it on train or plane trays.

Certainly not a travel game for the kiddos, Cards Against Humanity at its best is rude, offensive, and potentially libellous too. So how’s it work? It’s simple really. The dealer reads out an incomplete phrase, which each player tries to complete in turn using words found on cards they’ve been dealt in a hand. It’s the dealer who decides the winner of each round, meaning the winner can be the most outrageous, most poetical, or most polite. A game for up to 20 players, it soon develops a party atmosphere! It’s one of the best adult travel games for sure.

• Strictly for adults
• Simple rules
• 4-20 players
• Easy to pack
• Requires a minimum 4 players
• Not for the easily offended!
• Not for public areas either!
• Game time of around 45 minutes

Is Cards Against Humanity for me?

Definitely not if you’re under 18 or easily offended, but taking that into account, Cards Against Humanity is what could be defined as a right-rollicking travel game, made all the better by the fact you can get up to 20 people playing at the same time.

Our team loves Cards Against Humanity and rate it as one of their best travel games for adults. The game is perfect for getting out at the hostel and breaking the ice. The only drawback is that the game is a little heavier compared to some of the others on the list. But it’s probably the most fun!

The premise of The Date Game That’s Actually Fun is pretty simple – the 330 questions are intended to test how well you know your partner! Though we can see how this could well lead to an argument or two, it’s also a great way of getting to know your other half better and passing the dead time of travel.

The Date Game That’s Actually Fun comes with everything you need to play the game on the move, with 2 dice and 75 prompt cards, across six different categories so you can really get to know your other half.

• Get to know your partner better
• Includes all you need to play
• Best played as a couple
• Number of questions limits playability
• Good for couples getting to know each other
• Compact and lightweight
• Could lead to arguments!

Is The Date Game That’s Actually Fun for me?

Certainly a travel game given its pocket size and weight, The Date Game That’s Actually Fun is a fun way for a couple to pass the time, or for hen/bachelorette groups, in particular, to get the party started. Hopefully, you know your partner well enough that it doesn’t lead to angry recriminations!

Our team felt this was also one of their favourite travel games for adults and kids alike with the addition of the different categories questions. They felt it was perfect for a bit of fun on the road especially when there is only the two of you.

The travel version of this word game is just as easy to play on an aircraft as the original is to play at home. Give the box a quick shake to mix up and settle the letter-inscribed dice within, open up the box, and turn over the sand timer. Each player must then create as many words as they can from the revealed letters, akin to a word search. Obscure words are best, since (infuriatingly) any word spotted by more than one player doesn’t count! But what’s great about this game is that you can play it for as little or as much time as you like (each round lasts just two minutes or so), and can even play alone!

• All the parts kept in a carry case
• Can be played for just 3 minutes
• Can be played with one player
• Infinite number of players
• Dice shaking could irritate other passengers
• Carry case lid isn’t hinged
• No note paper included

Is Boggle for me?

If you enjoy word searches or other travel games such as Bananagrams, you’re going to enjoy Boggle too! Ideal for a flight because of its compact size and simple gameplay, it also has an almost infinite number of letter combinations, that will keep you busy for hours!

Our team feel this is their best game for travel if the size is one of your main concerns. They love how compact and light the game is with all the parts also being super hard-wearing. They also love that the game itself takes up hardly any room in use and uses the box as its playing area.

Battleship Grab & Go

What makes Battleship Grab & Go so good for road trips? Well, it one of the few travel games that don’t require either a communal aspect (a deck of cards or bag of letter tiles) or the need to pass tokens between players. For anyone who doesn’t already know, this two-player (or two-team) game links guesswork with skill to track down the coordinates of each ship in the other player’s navy. The two playing trays are designed in such a way that pegs are firmly placed and can’t get shaken out of place whatever road obstacles you might come across!

• No ‘communal aspect’
• No need to pass tokens between players
• Travel-friendly
• Easy to play
• For two players/teams
• For ages 7+
• Pegs a little fiddly

Is Battleship Grab & Go for me?

Road trips mean plenty of time in the confines of a vehicle where it’s difficult to reach a communal pile of cards or letters, and can be hard to pass tokens between players too! Battleship Grab & Go has no need for these game aspects, and is specifically designed for use on the road!

Battleship is an absolute classic and our team loves it! Many of them have fond memories of playing it as kids. The team liked that this edition was made from durable materials and included two self-enclosed playing boards that keep all the pieces organised.

A card-based travel game aimed at children but still very playable by adults, there’s little to have to carry with Dobble, making it a great option for families who already have more than enough baggage with them! Essentially a version of ‘snap’ built for the twenty-first century, five different games can be played with the 55 card Dobble pack. The most basic sees players reveal one card at a time, in an attempt to match images between cards – each one has 8 different images of various sizes to make it extra tricky! The player with the most cards at the end of the pack wins!

• Game for almost all ages
• 2-8 players
• Metal carry tin
• Not suitable for pre-schoolers
• Cannot be played alone
• Game time of 10 minutes
• Won’t help teach literacy

Is Dobble for me?

This fun, fast, and sometimes raucous travel game can be played by anyone in the family old enough to be able to recognize different images (with another version available for younger children too). Educational and enjoyable to play, Dobble is a marvellous way of having fun as a family!

Our team are big fans of Dobble, especially for games nights in the hostel. They love that it comes in a metal box that keeps the cards safe when it’s thrown in their packs. The only thing they did say is that this game can get pretty energetic and rowdy, so maybe not ideal for enclosed spaces!

If you’re after a game that the kids can play on their own without the supervision or input of a tired-out adult, reach for Pass the Pigs! Based on the traditional game of ‘pigs’ that uses the roll of a pair of dice to determine points, this version sees kids drop small model pigs (that they’ll love in any case) onto the playing board, which is made up of several squares which can take or give points. The trick is knowing when to stop or play on (all down to luck of course), which keeps the game fresh and risky time after time!

• Doesn’t require adult supervision
• Simple to understand
• Very small to pack
• 2-4 players
• For reading age kids
• Game time of 30 minutes
• Pigs could get lost

Is Pass the Pigs for me?

The lack of a skill requirement means Pass the Pigs is suitable for a child of just about any age (although the board does include some writing). It’s also one of those games where you can leave them to it for a few minutes without supervision. It’s also small to pack and weighs very little, making it a good choice for traveling families!

The team felt this was a super fun game, especially for kids. They like that the pieces are made from durable and hard-wearing material and their box is strong enough to cope with the rigours of travel. They did feel it could get a bit tedious for the adults after a while though.

Specifically designed to be attractive to pre-schoolers, the upper side of the Buckle Toy Bizzle is decorated with a bright and cheerful face, while the underside has tabs for numbers 1 to 5 which lift up to reveal a series of stitched animals. Stretching out from this soft central section are 6 colorful child-friendly buckles of different sorts to help develop a pre-schoolers motor, cognitive, and problem-solving skills without even realizing it. A zip pocket gives a further reason why the child would love to have this around, while its 6 x 6 inch size and fabric construction makes it very easy to travel with, however far you’re heading.

• Specifically designed for pre-school children
• Brightly colored
• Educational
• Small in size
• For 1-4 years of age
• For one player
• No alternate games to play
• Small danger of catching skin in clips

Is Buckle Toy Bizzy for me?

Good, educational travel toys for pre-schoolers are difficult to come by, and let’s face it, if you intend on traveling you definitely need something to keep these young minds occupied! Brightly colored, and with little extras such as the hidden animals, Bizzy could be your child’s favorite for months to come.

The team felt this toy was super well made, which is essential when it comes to something designed for toddlers! The game is small and light enough to fit easily inside a backpack whilst offering a surprising amount of different colours, numbers, textures and noises to keep the little ones distracted! They also love that you can attach it to a backpack or the back of a seat too.

Connect 4 Grab & Go

Even if the name of Connect 4 doesn’t ring a bell right away, we suspect you’ll soon recognize its bright blue plastic frame and red and yellow counters. Connect 4 Grab & Go is the same as the original game, but smaller in size and with handy attached trays in which to place the counters. If you don’t immediately remember how to play, you’re simply trying to drop the counters into the frame in such a way that the result is a line of four consecutive counters of the same color – a little like an expanded version of noughts and crosses.

• Smaller version of a favourite
• Simple to play
• Easy to set up
• For just two players
• Counters can get lost
• Little variation in the game
• Playing time of 10 minutes

Is Connect 4 Grab & Go for me?

This simple, near vintage, travel game is easy to set up and perhaps even easier to play. With an average playing time of 10 minutes, it can be brought out even during short waits, while you’ll be surprised how addictive a game it can become!

Our team felt this was one of the best travel games for 2 adults or kids. This classic game is easy to get the hang of and offers hours of fun! The travel edition is super small and being plastic it’s both light and hard-wearing.

Finding a travel game suitable for a larger group would be difficult if it wasn’t for Farkle. Best described as the dice game Yahtzee built into a larger game, it can be played by an almost limitless number of players due to the fact each person takes turns shaking the six dice. With only specific dice combinations giving a player points nothing is guaranteed, while everything can be lost if you hit the Farkle combination. The winner is simply the person who reaches the winning points margin first – and as this can be as large or as small as you want, games can fit into whatever time you have free!

• Perfect for large groups
• Made in the UK
• Games can be varied in length
• Dice can get lost
• For ages 8+
• No skill required
• Dice quite small

Is Farkle for me?

If you’re looking for a game that can absorb almost any number of players (simply use more than one score sheet for larger groups – or draw your own) and doesn’t require skill or any complicated rules (we’re looking at you, Monopoly) Farkle is probably the game for you!

The team rate this game highly for travelling with it being so small and light. Another bonus for solo travellers or couples is that it works well with one or two people which is pretty rare, even rarer is that equally, you can play it with a big group. The team also feel the replayability is much bigger than many other games on the list.

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Reading the instructions and you might think Codenames is the most complicated travel game ever invented, but get stuck in and you’ll soon realize it’s not as difficult as it at first sounds! The aim of the game is to uncover all of each team’s secret agents, hidden within a field of possibles that includes ordinary bystanders and a very deadly assassin. But really, this is a game of word association, with clues given by a spymaster to their team linked in some way to the agents they are looking for. With so many combinations possible, you can play this game almost endlessly, with different combinations of team members making for very different results!

• Simple at heart
• Close to a traditional board game (without the board)
• Can be played almost endlessly
• Better with 4+ players

Is Codenames for me?

If you’re looking for a travel game that involves a little more skill and thought than the simple chance of something like Farkle, go for Codenames! This competitive and fun travel game will have you second-guessing every word given by your spymaster in the attempt to identify your undercover agents.

Codenames is one of my personal favourite games, I love how frustrating and fun it is anticipating your partners answer or trying to find a tenuous link between the cards! The game consists of just cards so it’s easy to take out of the box as we have and throw it in a sandwich bag for your travels. It lays flat and weight almost nothing. However, the game does need more room than a plane tray usually affords.

The traditional stylings of the box might not look much, but bear with us, for Catan is a big hit with everyone that plays it! Credited with igniting the recent craze for board games, Catan requires skill, strategy, and a little bit of cooperation between players too. The ultimate aim is to reach ten victory points and to do this each player begins building their own settlement through farming, trading, and other choices. Along the way, each player needs to watch out for the robber, who stops development of the settlements he’s landed on!

• Almost infinite playing board
• Suitable for all the family
• Games last around an hour
• Not simply luck
• Requires space for the board
• Just 3-4 players
• Lots of small parts

Is Catan for me?

Want something more than a travel game of chance and luck? Catan meets this need, with its requirement for careful consideration and strategy. It also emphasizes the need for cooperation, which is great for children and has an almost infinite playing board thanks to its jigsaw-like setup.

Catan is a classic and it’s one of my favourite games. The full-sized edition, whilst a surefire hit in the hostels, might just be a little on the large and heavy side unless you’re travelling in a car or campervan. However, there are smaller versions available where two players can play too.

Sequence Travel Edition

Made for travel, Sequence Travel Edition combines the basic premise of a number of games including Connect4 and poker into one large board-based travel game. The board has cleverly been placed within the lid of the plastic carry case of this travel edition and pegs that slot into holes replace the traditional chips used so that players don’t lose their place. Even the cards used in a miniature pack for travel, while the game itself is simple enough that children will be readily able to play. So what’s it all about? Fundamentally, it’s about connecting up a sequence of 5 cards in various ways that will keep your mind busy over and over again!

• Special travel edition
• Can be played by children
• Pegs can be a little fiddly
• Two-player version

Is Sequence Travel Edition for me?

Those who have played the full-sized version of Sequence might be a little unimpressed by the Travel Edition, however, for a game that will keep children and adults entertained for half an hour or more, we still rate Sequence Travel Edition as a fine travel game!

Our team felt this was a pretty fun little game that impressed them with its clever design where it was played inside its own plastic container. It meant it was compact and light and keeping all the various parts together wasn’t an issue. Most importantly, it could also be played easily on a plane, train or bus tray table.

Qwirkle Travel

The colorful playing pieces of Qwirkle Travel play rather like dominoes on steroids. The aim is to place connecting tiles next to each other, but instead of tiles comprising numbers, they are of various shapes and colors. An orange square can be placed next to a red square, which can be followed by a red circle, for instance. And to make it slightly more complicated, each color can only appear in a row once! The winner of each round is the player that has put down the most tiles, in the most rows, so some strategy is needed too.

• Travel version of the popular game
• Good for children and adults to play together
• One of the heavier games on our list
• For just 2-4 players
• Lots of small pieces to lose

Is Qwirkle Travel for me?

Easy to understand, but requiring enough strategy to keep players entertained, Qwirkle Travel is family fun at its very best. Though it can be a rapid-fire game, the thought required also means a game can last 45 minutes – an ideal length of time for many travel experiences.

Our team loves that this is one of those simple yet complex games where you can really get stuck in and engaged in the game. It really passes the time well on long trips with the level of concentration needed! They also feel that the bag and pieces are pretty robust too and like that it can be played with 2 people.

Top Trumps Wonders of the World

If you don’t already know how Top Trumps works, where have you been? Nothing to do with the 45 th president of the United States (that we know of), the Top Trumps deck of cards is divided among the players, who try and beat the other players by besting them on one of the card’s selected categories. What makes the Wonders of the World version particularly relevant to travel is its world theme, with plenty of intriguing facts to keep everyone paying attention while the game goes on. And that game goes on right up until the time when one player holds all the cards!

• Games can last as little as 2 minutes
• Easy to travel with
• Great for kids
• Travel themed
• Limited number of cards
• Best with 4 players

Is Top Trumps Wonders of the World for me?

A particularly good choice if you’re looking to drill some useful facts about the world into your children without them realizing it (such as the height of Mount Everest), Top Trumps Wonders of the World is also easy to travel with, and argument free – since all the facts are written down! Perfect!

Top Trumps has been a hit with me and my partner since we first met each other as teenagers! We’ve collected heaps of different versions but of course, as avid travellers, this version is a firm favourite. The game is simple, filled with interesting facts and fun to play. The cards take up hardly any room and the plastic case keeps them in good condition on the road.

Unstable Unicorns

The Exploding Kittens for the millennial age, Unstable Unicorns is as barmy a card-based game as they come! How does a player go about winning? By building up a powerful unicorn army of course! And you can’t do this without a little bit (alright, a lot) of friendly betrayal of the other players, seeing to the destruction of their own unicorn armies. With wonderfully vibrant imagery and an unpredictability no other travel game can match, Unstable Unicorns definitely belongs to the ‘once tried never forgotten’ list of travel games!

• Great design
• Ridiculously unpredictable
• Up to 8 can play
• 30-45 minutes playing time
• For ages 14+
• Higher price point
• Requires table space

Is Unstable Unicorns for me?

A great way to spend some quality time with your teens, or just a group of friends, Unstable Unicorns is like no other card-based game you will ever have come across. Quirky, cute, and evilly vicious in equal turn, up to 8 can play, with games lasting right up to 45 minutes.

Our team absolutely loves this game from the hilarious illustrations to the cunning gameplay, it’s got it all! It’s a huge hit at the hostel and really gets everyone interacting and having fun from the off. They also like that there are various different versions and expansion packs too so the game has huge replayability.

Mille Bornes

With a strapline of ‘the classic racing game,’ you can know a little of what to expect from this card-based travel game. A Monopoly for cars, players need to fill up on petrol, avoid accidents, and block the progress of other players to reach the end of the 1000-mile journey. Ironically perhaps, this is actually an incredibly fast-paced game, so pay attention! It’s also very easy to learn the rules, so you’ll be up to speed (pardon the pun) and playing before you know it!

• Travel version of a classic travel game
• Easy to understand
• Cards can be lost
• High price point

Is Mille Bornes for me?

Looking for an alternative to Monopoly? Mille Bornes fills that niche, without the need for a board. The resulting card-based game is a classic, particularly in its birthplace of France. Nothing gets classic status without reason, so why not splash out and try Mille Bornes for yourself?

Our team love the unique premise of this game and felt it offered something pretty different compared to most card games out there. The retro metal packaging was also great for travellers because it was still pretty light but made sure all the pieces stayed together and undamaged whilst in their backpacks.

Another classic travel game is Uno. Developed in the early 1970s, it is as fresh today as when it was first invented, which says a lot about the simple elegance of this card game. Using a specially printed pack of 108 cards, the majority of which comprise a color and number, the basic aim is to be the first player to shed all their cards through picking up and putting down cards based on what’s face up in a central pile. It’s a little more complex than that, with skips and wild cards among other features, and the need to shout ‘Uno!’ not when you’ve won, but when you have a single card left in your hand!

• A classic game
• 2-10 players
• 45 minute game time

Is Uno for me?

Uno rapidly becomes addictive, which is exactly what you should be looking for in a travel game when you have a lot of dead time to fill up without getting bored! Lightweight and easy to pack, and suitable for everyone from the age of seven upwards, your career as an Uno champion could start today!

Uno! What can we say, it’s a classic and a game all of our team needed no introduction to! I think we’ve all got a traumatic Uno story, ending up with a stack of cards just a few rounds after forgetting to shout “Uno”! But no one can deny the fun of this simple but tactical game that packs down super small and light.

An award-winning family strategy game, OK Play is durable, waterproof (being plastic), and a good size for travel, although the small counters might be troublesome for some families to keep hold of. Once you’ve chosen your particular color of tiles – held neatly on their own stack until they are needed – it’s simply a matter of placing down one tile at a time until one of the players manages to sneak in a row of five counters in the horizonal, vertical, or diagonal. Recommended for children from the age of 8 upwards, four different color stacks of counters make it suitable for 2-4 players.

• Award-winning
• Designed for travel
• Counters could get lost
• Requires a playing table
• For only 2-4 players
• Slightly awkward shape for packing

Is OK Play for me?

This counter game is so easy to play you won’t bore children with a long list of rules and regulations, yet at the same time is flexible enough to allow continued development of the skills and strategies required to make it a success as a player. Its durability and waterproof nature also help to make it an all-around good family travel game!

This game was new to most of our testers but they really loved how simple, fast-paced and addictive it was. They also felt when it came to travel games, this one was probably the most perfectly designed. It was super compact, so light and really hard to break!

Now, you  could spend a fat chunk of $$$ on the WRONG present for someone. Wrong size hiking boots, wrong fit backpack, wrong shape sleeping bag… As any adventurer will tell you, gear is a personal choice.

So give the adventurer in your life the gift of convenience: buy them an REI Co-op gift card!  REI is The Broke Backpacker’s retailer of choice for ALL things outdoors, and an REI gift card is the perfect present you can buy from them. And then you won’t have to keep the receipt. 😉

What makes a game the best travel game for you, your family, and your friends? Here are some helpful hints and tips to guide you!

Packability

You’re probably already struggling to fit everything you want to take into your baggage, particularly if traveling as a family, so you don’t want to be carrying around a travel game that is either large in size, or overly heavy. Thankfully, these days the manufacturers have caught the hint, producing dedicated travel versions of many popular games, with Monopoly one of them.

Are you looking for a travel game that will entertain just a couple of people, have a group of adults enthralled, keep children busy during dead time, or maybe one that’s suitable for families? We’ve highlighted the age range each game is aimed at in our reviews, to make this really obvious for you!

Number of players

There’s no point getting a travel game that’s at its best with six players if there are only ever going to be two or you! Likewise, don’t get a game for two if you know the average number of players is going to be greater than this. Follow these simple rules together with our reviews, and you’ll find the best travel game for you!

There is no perfect or exact science when it comes to testing out travel gear, but when it comes to picking the best travel games, we’ve got plenty of experience between us!

Whenever we test a piece of gear, one of our team takes it out for a spin and puts it through its paces. When it came to travel games things were no different in our eyes, we just added in a few extra details.

So, we looked initially at how well-made the game is and whether it would stand up to the rigours of being thrown into a backpack every day. Then we accessed things like weight, size, packability as well as ease of set up and most importantly, gameplay!

Finally, we also take into account how much each item costs – when it came to picking out the best games for traveling, we also weighted up whether we felt each one was worth the price. We judged the more expensive items more harshly than the cheaper games as we expected to get more for our money.

Still have some questions about the best games for travel? No problem! We’ve listed and answered the most commonly asked questions below. Here’s what people usually want to know:

What are the best travel games for long car-rides?

Battleship Grab & Go is a great option for long car rides or road trips. The two playing trays are designed in such a way that pegs are firmly placed and can’t get shaken out of place whatever road obstacles you might come across!

What is the best board travel game?

Travel Monopoly might cause one or the other family war, but it’s the best board game on the market.

What are the best games for families or a group of friends?

There are many great group travel games, but Farkle and Dobble are the best ones. They’re perfect for all ages and all types of travelling.

What is the easiest travel game?

Connect 4 Grab & Go is simple and fast to learn, however, it requires one or the other brain cells.

Our GREATEST Travel Secrets…

Pop your email here & get the original Broke Backpacker Bible for FREE.

Forget hours of boring waiting at train stations , airports, and on road trips with our selection of the best travel games! Whether it’s a classic like Uno or a new kid on the block such as Unstable Unicorns, or something for adults or kids (or both), we’ve got you covered with our review! Hopefully, you’ve found some good travel games for your next trip.

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

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Thanks for this kind of blog about travel. I wonder if you tried to go on baguio cafes in the philippines?

Just an FYI…. Bananagrams can be played with one person. Bananagram solitaire is extremely popular and is a great way for school-age children to build their vocabulary.

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• > 6 of the Best Travel-Size Board Games and Why You May Want to Pack Them

6 of the Best Travel-Size Board Games and Why You May Want to Pack Them

Could your big vacation use a little more fun.

Planning a trip and looking for the best travel-size board games ? We got you!

Table of Contents

• 1 Are the Best Travel-Sized Board Games Right for You?
• 2.1 1) Won’t Regret Taking
• 2.2 2) Take More Options
• 2.3 3) Has Gameplay Mechanics
• 3.1 1) Overall Quality Compromise
• 4.1 Tiny Epic Series of Games (30-60 mins, Age: 14+, 1-5 Players)
• 4.2 The Grizzled (30 mins, Age: 14+, 2-5 Players)
• 4.3 Forbidden Series (30-60 mins, Age: 10+, 2-4 Players)
• 4.4 Hive: Pocket Edition (15 mins, Age: 9+, 2 Player Only)
• 4.5 QWIXX (15 mins, Age: 8+, 2-5 Players)
• 4.6 Bananagrams (15 mins, Age: 7+, 1-8 Players)
• 5 Final Thoughts on the Best Travel-Size Games

Are the Best Travel-Sized Board Games Right for You?

It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect. Until it’s not. What really happens is the whole time the kids are complaining about how hot it is, your friends are nowhere to be found because they drank too much the night before, and all the available tables outside are reserved or wet from the rain the night before, and you’re just trying to survive the whole ordeal.

By the time you get home and unpack you see that board game, you brought that you never got around to playing but thank goodness it didn’t take up much room in your luggage. 

This category of our Best Travel Board Games is for the hopefuls who really want to play some games while catching up on some well-deserved rest and relaxation but if they don’t get around to it then the last thing they’ll regret is lugging it around due to its convenient size.

Travel-Size Board Game Advantages

1) Won’t Regret Taking

As mentioned, these smaller footprint games are great for people who typically desire to play board games while on vacation but if it doesn’t get played there are at least no regrets. 

2) Take More Options

Like card games, being smaller means you can take more options with you.

3) Has Gameplay Mechanics

Compared to card games, these smaller tabletop games allow for the potential of more gameplay mechanics so that things don’t get stale too quickly.

Travel-Size Board Game Disadvantages

1) overall quality compromise.

When basing your choice on size you can potentially be sacrificing both component and gameplay quality due to its footprint quantity. This isn’t a hard and fast rule by any means but it does increase the probability that the game makes concessions in order to meet the tiny size.  

Speaking of tiny, here are some travel-sized tabletop game recommendations where one even includes the word “tiny” in its name. 

Travel-Sized Board Game Recommendations

Tiny epic series of games (30-60 mins, age: 14+, 1-5 players).

So take a chance on your favorite mechanics or theme and the odds are really good this series has at least one that fits your liking.

• Tiny Epic Galaxies is a fun strategy space exploration game perfect for 1 to 5 players that is easy to learn and is popular with adults, kids, teens, families, and everyone
• 2015 Award Winning Solo Game of the Year by BoardGameGeek Play against a rogue galaxy and hone your cognitive and strategic skills with family time away from a screen
• The Tiny Epic Series is one of the best small box board game collections that captures an epic game experience in under an hour
• Gamelyn Games takes pride in offering the highest quality components with beautiful artwork and gorgeous graphic design
• Tiny Epic Galaxies is a dice-driven, empire-building game about planet acquisition, resource management, with an intense race to 21 points

The Grizzled (30 mins, Age: 14+, 2-5 Players)

• Beautiful Illustrations - The art by Tignous powerfully transports the players to the front lines of a raging war
• Work Together - The Grizzled is fully cooperative. Players will have to make the best decisions for the group and sacrifice if they hope to survive
• Quick Challenge - Each round can be very tough to survive. It’s a lot of drama packed into quick 30 minute games, sure to have players coming back for more
• Number of players: 2 to 5
• English (Publication Language)

Forbidden Series (30-60 mins, Age: 10+, 2-4 Players)

• 2010 Mensa Favorite Brainy Games Winner
• Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise
• 2 to 4 players
• Strategic thinking, problem solving and cooperation required
• Ages 10 and up

Hive: Pocket Edition (15 mins, Age: 9+, 2 Player Only)

• Made by Gen42 games Honored for excellence by Mensa select
• Dr. Toy product of excellence award winner
• International gamer awards winner
• German (Publication Language)

QWIXX (15 mins, Age: 8+, 2-5 Players)

• FAST PLAYING DICE ROLLING GAME! A Frantic dice rolling game where you Roll, Cross & Score!
• EVERYONE PLAYS AT ONCE! So, get ready for fast paced, frantic fun!
• EASY TO LEARN AND PLAY: Play is simple, you roll the dice and cross off the total of your white dice on your scorecard. The more numbers you cross off, the more you score! Each decision is crucial!
• ALL PLAYERS SCORE ON EVERY ROLL: Players score on everyone’s roll. So, pay attention during everyone’s turn!
• PLAY IN 15 MINUTES OR LESS: This fast-paced game is played at once and plays in as little as 15 minutes, so it makes a great family dice game for fast fun

Bananagrams (15 mins, Age: 7+, 1-8 Players)

• FUN FOR EVERYONE – Gather your family and friends and race against each other to build crossword grids. This anagram game that will drive you bananas.
• ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL – While this game is easy to play, Bananagrams is also educational. Teach your kids how to spell words and have fun at the same time.
• GREAT FOR TRAVEL – Bananagrams comes in a fun banana-shaped case. This game doesn’t take much space like other board games and brings tons of fun while traveling.
• MAKES A GREAT GIFT – Bananagrams will make a thoughtful gift for your friend or family member. It is perfect for both, boys and girls.
• PLEASE NOTE – Contains small parts, not for children under 3 years. Perfect for anyone 7 years and up. 1-8 players.

Final Thoughts on the Best Travel-Size Games

When you are traveling you may not have tons of space for games in your suitcase or carry-on, but that is not a problem with the list of games we just recommended. All of them are quite tiny, and all of them are definitely travel-sized games that you can easily pack in your personal item! They are also big on fun, so next trip you are planning why not add one and start playing!

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17 Best Travel Board Games for Adults in 2024

There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.

Are your road trips and getaways a bit boring?

Do you see board games as a fun way to kill time during long hours while traveling?

If so, you have come to the right place. In this post, we share with you the nine best travel board games for adults this year .

These games can easily be played while in the car or at the airport. They are also great for when you’ve finally arrived at your destination and need to unwind.

Without further ado, let’s check out the best travel board games!

Table of Contents

1. Bananagrams

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Bananagrams is one of those board games that is fun to play over and over again. It’s just like playing Scrabble, except with fewer things to remember and less complicated rules. 

The objective of the game is simple, yet also quite challenging: Be the first person to use all of his letters once the “Bunch” is empty, then shout “Bananas!” to let the other players know that you are done.

You have to yell “Bananas” so that your opponents can check your combinations and see if you created real words. Otherwise, you will be called a “rotten banana” and get kicked out of the game.

The distribution of letters varies based on the number of players. This may affect the strategy of each player, but the goal remains the same no matter how many tiles you get. If no one is able to use all of his letters, the player who has the longest and most difficult word wins.

Bananagrams was named Game of the Year in 2009 by the Toy of the Year Awards. We highly recommend this word-anagram board game to adults who often travel with children or elderly people. In addition to the fact that it is fun, entertaining, and educational, it is also known to help improve mental and cognitive abilities.

• A fast-paced game that is light and easy to pack, perfect for travel.
• A friendly game that is suitable for anyone who can spell, regardless of age.
• A helpful game that improves cognitive skills and prevents age-related illnesses.
• Might be too short and easy for people who like more complicated games.
• Not recommended for those who aren’t fond of playing word games.

2. Codenames

Codenames is another top-notch board game that is quite challenging, but still has simple rules that anyone can understand. The game is all about figuring out codenames, finding clues, deciphering hints, and identifying agents using investigative and critical thinking skills.

What makes the game rather interesting is that there are only two people who know the identities of the agents. These people are called spymasters. These two spymasters are rivals who have to give out one-word clues to their teammates to help them identify the agents.

Everyone has to be a bit cautious, though, because there is an assassin who can ruin everything and cancel all the points, bringing the team’s score back to zero. Each team also has to make sure that they don’t identify the opposing team’s agents.

Codenames won the 2016 Spiel des Jahres Best Board Game of the Year award, one of the most prominent awards in the toy industry. Whether you are at home, on a road trip, or going somewhere with your friends or family, Codenames will provide endless fun and entertainment.

• The rules of the game are simple and easy to understand.
• The gameplay is fast-paced, making it highly replayable.
• Recommended for employees during team-building events or overnight activities.
• Some customers feel like the game’s overall artwork is not that impressive.
• Can be a bit of a drag if there are only a few players.

3. Connect 4

Connect 4 is a classic game from Hasbro (the maker of Monopoly and Scrabble). It only has two important goals to remember, which are to get four in a row to win and to block your opponent from doing so first.

There is no luck involved in this game. It is purely strategic, and one wrong move can hand the game to your opponent.

We recommend Connect 4 for adults—especially partners, because it is only for two players—who are on road trips and are looking to kill some time. It has a compact mobile version called “Grab and Go” if you want a more lightweight option, but even the original version is lightweight and easy to carry around wherever you go.

• Rules are very simple.
• An excellent way to practice hand-eye coordination (even for adults).
• Purely based on strategy; absolutely no luck involved.
• Be careful with your seller, as some deliver the game in poor condition or with low-quality materials.

4. Exploding Kittens

Exploding Kittens is yet another award-winning board game that has become extremely popular. It has sold over nine million copies worldwide.

The rules are simple and the goal of the game is not overly complicated. You just have to avoid encountering an exploding kitten until the game ends. If you find an exploding kitten, you lose and have to wait til the next round to play again. 

There is no guarantee that you can avoid the exploding kittens, even if you have a strong strategy. In other words, the game is partly based on luck. If you do come across an exploding kitten, the only way to stay safe is by using a “defuse” card, which can be drawn only by chance. 

What is most important is the fun you’ll have with your companions while playing this game. We recommend the party pack version if there are many people in your group, but the original version will suffice if there are only a few of you.

For travelers looking for something to do while  waiting to arrive at their destinations, this game is a must-try!

• A fast-paced game that you can play in your car while traveling.
• Very lightweight and does not have a lot of components to worry about when packing.
• Extremely popular game.
• Not recommended for players who like more complicated and strategy-based games.
• Might not be entertaining enough for groups with only a few members (two to three players).

5. Spot it!

Spot it! is probably one of the loudest and most exciting games ever made. We really like it, especially for parties and gatherings, because it is a test of players’ reflexes.

The rules of the game are pretty simple: Look for identical symbols and shout the symbols’ names out loud. You gain a point for each symbol you say correctly, and the payer with the most points when all the cards run out is the winner.

Note that the symbols on the cards have their proper names written in the game’s manual. You have to shout those specific names in order to get points.

Spot it! is highly recommended for road trips or when you are on vacation. Since the game is fun and interactive, it will even help keep the driver alert. The game is so loud it keeps everyone awake!

• Believed to be very helpful in developing cognitive skills like mental alertness, focus, and concentration.
• Advertised as a game that improves visual perception, observational skills, and reflex abilities.
• Can help people stay awake during long hours on the road.
• There is a high probability that people who aren’t good at remembering names or who have slow reflexes will lose.

6. Monopoly

Monopoly is, without a doubt, one of the most classic games out there. It remains a favorite because of the fun and excitement it brings, generation after generation. The game was created by manufacturing giant Hasbro, and remains as popular today as it was when it was first released.

The goal in this game is very straightforward: to eliminate all the other players until you eventually own the whole board.

Monopoly is great for anyone who has been traveling nonstop and needs a rest day. It can take a while to finish, but with all the thinking needed to play this game, you are sure to enjoy a good night’s sleep afterward.

• A perfect choice for friends who are also business partners.
• A product of Hasbro, meaning it is guaranteed to be a quality board game.
• Has a card version (Monopoly Deal) that you can play instead if you want to kill time while on the road.
• Some of the game’s elements are not suitable for very young audiences (e.g., getting thrown into jail).
• Be careful with your seller, as some sell imitations with low-quality features.

7. Cards Against Humanity

Cards Against Humanity is one of those games that doesn’t take much explanation. All you have to do is match questions with the most suitable answers. This game has the same rules as Apples to Apples, but the topics are a bit more risqué.

This is a great game for sleepovers, vacation getaways, and adult game nights. A self-declared “party game for horrible people,” Cards Against Humanity tests your opinions regarding sensitive issues like racial discrimination, political awareness, existential quandaries, and even sexual conduct.

We normally only recommend this game for adults because many of the topics are inappropriate for young people. However, we may also recommend it for teens or those who are about to enter adulthood.

• The perfect game to inspire serious conversations between adults and teens.
• Can be a good way to discover more things about other people (such as their thoughts and opinions).
• Very lightweight and easy to pack; can be played while you are on the road.
• Some of the statements may be too offensive for people who are more conservative.

8. Forbidden Series: Forbidden Island, Forbidden Desert, Forbidden Sky

The Forbidden series is most interesting if you own all three board games: Forbidden Island , Forbidden Desert , and Forbidden Sky . The island version is the original and was first introduced by game manufacturer Gamewright Store. The desert version is the second version, which is a sequel to the island version. Finally, the sky version is the latest continuation of the storyline.

In Forbidden Island, your goal is to collect all the sacred treasures before the island sinks. In Forbidden Desert, your goal is to recover the flying machine hidden deep beneath the desert before the desert swallows you and your team. In Forbidden Sky, your goal is to launch a secret rocket that will prevent the savage storm before the storm itself savages you all.

The objective for each game may be different, but the concept and gameplay are the same. You have to come up with a strategic plan to finish your mission. You will need to work together with your teammates to win the game.

You do not need to play all three games at once to enjoy the Forbidden world. But of course, if you want to get the most out of the game, it would be best to try them all. The next time you are on a trip we recommend that you try them all by playing one version per night. 

Catan is an excellent choice for travelers, especially those who travel through different countries.

It’s a civilization-building game, so it has elements of discovering new civilizations and cultures. Your travel adventures are sure to give you bright ideas about how to build your city and settle your community within the game.

Catan has around an hour’s worth of gameplay. It is designed for three to four players, so it is suitable for smaller groups of friends. If you and your friends are travelers and board gamers, try Catan and see how your traveling adventures can actually affect the way you strategize and plan.

• Has easy-to-learn rules that are perfect for beginners.
• Has high replayability because of the various possible endings.
• Exciting enough for expert gamers and simple enough for first-timers.
• Some expert gamers argue that it is more luck-based than strategy-based.
• Has many components that may get lost if not handled properly.

10. UNO Tin

UNO is a classic, and it never disappoints. It is one of those games that is quite flexible—easy to travel with and easy to teach. No matter where you are, you can easily take it out of your bag and start playing with your travel companions (even the kids)!

UNO Tin is the travel version of the game. The cards are secured in a tin can for easy access, clean-up, and organization. This is what makes it different from all the other versions of UNO; the manufacturer has focused on storage to make the game more friendly for travelers.

We recommend UNO Tin for those who have always loved this card game—and who love to travel. While the original version is still travel-friendly, the tin version just makes it a lot easier for you to keep the cards organized.

• Requires a combination of both luck and strategy.
• Good choice for families with teens and kids (7+ years old).
• Compact and lightweight; easy to carry anywhere.
• Be careful with your seller, as some deliver in poor condition.

11. Throw Throw Avocado

This game is a sequel to the classic Throw Throw Burrito , which has been called the first dodgeball card game. The primary goal is to collect matching sets of cards while ducking, dodging, and throwing avocados at your opponents.

Collecting three-of-a-kind sets earns you points, but getting hit by an avocado loses them. You need a lot of luck to get a matching set, but the main goal is to enjoy yourself while throwing and matching.

We recommend this game for those who would rather have fun than think. It is best paired with the Throw Throw Burrito game, but you can also play it on its own.

• Players have the option to combine it with Throw Throw Burrito.
• Excellent travel game choice for those who like camping and picnics.
• Rules are simple to learn and easy to understand.
• Not recommended for those who like strategic board or card games.
• Not for non-athletic people, since you have to dodge the avocado.

12. World’s Smallest Sorry!

Sorry! is yet another classic board game, but with the original version you need a space that can accommodate a 10.5 x 10.5 inch board. With this smaller version, you can now play the game anywhere you want—even in your car!

This smaller version has the same rules as the original. It comes with a case, a cute gameboard, 12 pawns, and 45 cards. All of the pieces fit perfectly inside the case, making it easy for you to store and organize them, no matter where you are.

• Excellent gift idea for those who travel a lot.
• Suitable for adults, teens, and kids ages 6 and above.
• Board pieces are dangerous for very young children.
• Board pieces are easy to lose if you are not observant.

13. Battleship Grab & Go!

Hasbro never fails when it comes to providing us with the best board games. Battleship, for instance, has been wildly popular ever since its release. With this miniature version, you can play it anywhere, even in your car!

Like the previous entries, this cute, Battleship Grab & Go! has the same rules and mechanics as the original. Your goal is to sink all your opponent’s ships before yours go down. Use the command features to make your move and implement your strategy, and make sure you are the last ship standing at the end of the game.

• The case has a flip-open feature for easy storage of pieces.
• Very lightweight and travel-friendly.
• Pawns (ships) are small, so they are easy to lose.
• Dangerous for very young children.

14. Scrabble-to-Go

Scrabble is an all-time favorite—a classic among classics. Scrabble-to-Go is easy to travel with, so now you can play Scrabble anywhere you go.

What is most interesting about this travel version is that you can pack it up in the middle of the game without messing up all the words you have already placed. The tiles fit tightly on the gridded space and your letter rack has a lid flip that can lock unused tiles in place.

We highly recommend checking out this mobile version of Scrabble, particularly for those who like traveling and outdoor activities like camping. It is one of the safest miniature board games and can make any trip more fun and exciting.

• Lid flips provide additional privacy for your unused titles.
• The board is foldable and comes with a zippered storage case.
• Lightweight and small—perfect for road trips, camping, and picnics.
• Might be too small for people with bigger hands.

15. Jax Travel Sequence

Sequence is both a card game and a board game. How cool would it be if there was a compact version? As it turns out, there is! This classic game and all of its components are now available in travel mode. The best part is that it can still accommodate many players (up to seven), even in this miniature style.

The rules of the game are the same as with the original version. You use your cards to determine where your chip will land on the board. However, winning is now a little easier, since the first person to complete two sequences is declared the winner.

Jax Travel Sequence is for strategists and mathematicians, but you really don’t have to be that logical to play it. You just need to understand the rules, master the gameplay, and pray for a little luck!

• Has faster gameplay than the original.
• Requires a combination of strategy and luck.
• The compact kit allows you to take it anywhere.
• Not recommended for loyalists to the original version.
• Not suitable for those with bigger hands.

16. Magnetic Games 5-in-1

If you are looking for a set of games you can take with you on the road, Magnetic Games 5-in-1 is the perfect fit. It consists of game components for chess, dominoes, checkers, backgammon, and playing cards, all of which are packed into one box.

The board and all the pieces have magnets for easy playing, which is helpful if you want to use it while in a car, bus, train, or any other vehicle. The magnetic feature prevents the pieces from falling off the board, so they won’t easily get lost.

The board and all of its components are durable and made of high-quality materials.

• Contains five classic board games.
• The magnetic feature is a plus.
• Portable and lightweight, so it is easy to bring with you anywhere.
• Be careful of imitations, as many have reported unauthorized sellers.

17. Small Magnetic Board Travel Game Set

If you are not content with just five games in one set, then maybe this 12-in-1 Small Magnetic Board Travel Game Set is your jam. Enjoy this set of 12 exciting board games in their miniature versions while on a road trip, preparing tents for camping, or simply having a picnic.

The 12 games include checkers, chess, Chinese checkers, tic tac toe, backgammon, Snakes & Ladders, solitaire, NineMen’s Morris, auto racing, Ludo, Space Venture, and racing, all with their own boxes and storage, which fit in a bigger box.

• Highly recommended as a gift idea for those who love board games.
• Ability to purchase and enjoy many classic games at once.
• Makes it convenient for you to pick the game that you want.
• The bigger box is made out of cardboard.
• The game boards may be too small for some people.

Final Thoughts on Travel Board Games for Adults

We hope that our list was able to help you determine which best travel board games for adults you should try on your next trip.

Traveling is fun, and your board games should be too. Try one or two of these games and enjoy your trip even more!

And if you're looking for more board games, be sure to check out these blog posts:

• 9 Best Memory Board Games for Adults
• 41 Best Board Games for Couples to Play on Game Night
• 9 Best Party Board Games to Play with Adults

10 Best Cooperative Board Games For Travel: No Fights Here!

Posted on Published: July 7, 2022  - Last updated: March 5, 2024

Categories Travel Tips

Board games for travel come in handy on vacation when you need to pass the time.

But cooperative board games take it one step further as the ideal game for travel because, there’s also minimal fighting.

In cooperative board games, you’re working together, you loose as a team, AND win as a team – there’s zero fights, just good times!

These 10 board games are both cooperative, and small enough to bring with you on any travel adventure.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Why We Love Cooperative Games For Travelling

There’s no denying that certain board games can lead to unnecessary fights that you’d probably rather avoid, especially when you’re travelling.

My partner and I LOVE cooperative board games, whether we’re at home or on the go. Instead of fighting each other to be the ultimate winner, we’re working together to both win the game.

You’re also learning how to work together , and ultimately problem solve together… which might come in handy later, when stressful travel situations arise!

All of these cooperative board games are travel friendly! Either they come in a small box, travel safe tin, or the contents are small enough to transfer to a travel pouch ( like these on Amazon ).

You might also be interested in reading…

31 Best Travel Games To Play On Your Next Vacation ( not cooperative!)

The Best Cooperative Board Games For Travel

1. mint cooperative.

Players: 1-4 Age: 13+ Average Game Time: 15-30 minutes

Mint Cooperative is the smallest, most travel friendly cooperative game for travel you can find ( see it on Amazon here ). It’s conveniently all packaged into a small, protective tin .

Plus, the contents and theme are just adorable!

But why I really love Mint Cooperative for travel is because they give you variations to play: you can swap out the villains, change characters, and even your special abilities.

Shop Mint Cooperative Portable Board Games!

• 44 Mint Tokens
• 6 Hero Meeples
• 61 Total Cards
• 4 Six-Sided Die
• 1 Rulesheet

Buy Amazon.ca →

2. The Crew

Players: 3-5 (with a two player variant) Age: 10+ Average Game Time: 20 minutes

The Crew is cooperative trick taking game where you’re trying to win missions as a team ( see it on Amazon here ).

Specific cards have to be won, either in a particular order, by a certain player, or with certain restraints – like no talking allowed !

But remember, you’re all trying to work together to succeed!

The rounds are quick, they can be anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. So you can make the game as long or as short as you want!

They have two version of The Crew now; The Quest for Planet Nine (the original), and Deep Sea Mission which is the newest release.

The Crew: The Quest For Planet Nine

Shop Amazon.ca

New!: Deep Sea Mission

3. Hanabi – Best Cooperative Card Games

Players: 2-5 players Age: 8+ Average Game Time: 20 minutes

Hanabi is one of the best cooperative card games, making it easy to take on the go! See it on Amazon here !

In Hanabi, you’re working together to build fireworks: matching coloured cards in numerical order.

The catch? You can’t look at your own cards.

So you’re relying on your teammates to tell you pivotal information about what you should do with your cards!

I still don’t think I’ve fully mastered this game. It’s hard to not have subconscious reactions as someone starts discarding a pivotal card from their hand.

Shop Hanabi

• For 2-5 Players
• 2013 Spiele Des Jahres Game Of The Year
• Takes About 20-30 Minutes To Play
• 60 Hanabi Cards, 8 Blue Clock Tokens, 4 Black Fuse Tokens
• For 2-5 players

Going on a road trip?

Check out my digital and printable road trip I Spy game on Etsy here .

4. Code Names Duet

Players: 2-8 players Age: 11+ Average Game Time: 15 minutes (although I think it’s always longer!)

This is the classic game of Code Names but the cooperative version.

In the cooperative version, you’re paired up to try and win together instead of working against each other ( see it on Amazon here ).

It’s a mind game where you have to get your partner to guess specific cards based on one word clues that you give them.

We actually have the Harry Potter version which happens to be co op!

Shop Code Names

Shop Amazon.ca →

Shop Harry Potter Code Names

5. The Grizzled

Players: 2-5 players Age: 14+ Average Game Time: 30 minutes

If you’re looking for more challenging cooperative board games, The Grizzled might be for you.

It has a bit of a darker theme, which is better suited for adults.

In the game, you’re a group of friends that are trying to make it out alive ( see it on Amazon here ) during World War II.

It’s another limited communication game – which means no talking allowed!

Shop The Grizzled

Shop The Grizzled Expansion

6. Pandemic The Cure – Co op Board Games

Players: 2-5 players Age: 8+ Average Game Time: 30 minutes

Pandemic is one of my all time favourite co op board games.

Pandemic The Cure is a standalone version of the game, that’s more suited for travel.

The game has been simplified with dice rolls and no board (which makes it one of the better board games for travel – see it on Amazon here) .

But just because the game has been simplified doesn’t make winning any easier!

If you like pandemic, this is the cooperative travel game for you!

Shop Pandemic The Cure

Out of Stock in Canada

Shop Original Pandemic

7. One Deck Dungeon

Players: 1-2 players (but expandable to 4 with a second game) Age: 14+ Average Game Time: 30 minutes

I also haven’t been able to try this one yet but it’s on my list!

If you like dungeon crawlers then One Deck Dungeon is a cooperative dungeon crawler that’s also travel friendly ( see it on Amazon here ). No huge board, only cards!

You and your team are walking through a dungeon fighting bad guys. As you’re doing this, you’re also levelling up your character and getting more abilities to fight.

They also sell different stand alone expansions for a different game play experience.

Shop One Deck Dungeon Original

Shop One Deck Dungeon Expansion

8. So Clover!

Players: 3-6 players (I’ve played with 2 players and think it works just as well) Age: 10+ Average Game Time: 30 minutes

So Clover is my new all around favourite game to play, even when I’m home!

There are only three components to pack: cards, clover boards, and markers.

So Clover is a cooperative word game that is bound to get everyone laughing and wanting to play again.

There are two parts to So Clover! First, you’ll have to come up with a word to connect two randomly chosen words.

Then, everyone will work together to figure out which words you were trying to connect.

Shop So Clover! on Amazon

• WORD ASSOCIATION GAME: In this interactive guessing game, players are given keywords and secretly write their common features on their Clover board to form clues. Then, they must work together to try to figure out each player’s Keywords.
• COOPERATIVE GAME: Work together to try to figure out each player’s keywords. At the end of the game, add up your score according to how many keywords you found and write it in the Record of Legends. Try to beat your high score each game!

9. Mists Over Carcassonne

Players: 1-5 players Age: 8+ Average Game Time: 35 minutes

Carcassonne is one of the most classic board games, but in 2023, they released a fully cooperative version.

There aren’t too many components to pack, and it’s all cardboard so you don’t have to worry about bending any cards.

Mists Over Carcassonne plays like the original, but there are a few additional components.

You’re placing tiles to gain points as a team, while at the same time working together to stop the ghosts from taking over.

Shop Mists Over Carcassonne on Amazon

• A COOPERATIVE VERSION OF CARCASSONNE: Mists Over Carcassonne is a co-operative version of the well-known tile-laying game Carcassonne. Place tiles with care in Carcassonne to keep the ghosts in check.

10. Tiny Epic Games – Games For Travelling

I have now just recently discovered the world of Tiny Epic Games. It’s a whole world of full board games in a tiny box. Over the years, they’ve made several different themed board games – some of which are actually co-op!

These have now gone to the top of my list, but I’ve heard Tiny Epic Zombies ( on Amazon here ) and Tiny Epic Dungeons ( on Amazon here ) are the two best co-op games in the series.

There’s also Tiny Epic Defenders and Tiny Epic Tactics that have cooperative game modes.

Shop Tiny Epic Games on Amazon

Accessories To Travel With Games

Related Posts

• 31 Best Travel Games To Play On Your Next Vacation
• My Top 11 Travel Essentials I Never Leave Home Without
• 10 Travel Gadgets To Help You Pack Less & Lighter

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Last update on 2024-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Monday 30th of January 2023

As far as "Mint Cooperative" being the smallest, there are other games you may be unaware of. For example, "Adventure Tin" is a 1-4 player cooperative quest game that comes in a mint tin and plays around 20 mins .

Wednesday 1st of February 2023

Thanks so much for the recommendation, I hadn't heard of that game before so I will be on the lookout for it now :D

• October 10, 2023

familyboardgames

• Game Guides

The Best Travel Board Games to Keep you Entertained on your Trip

Trips can be long and a bit boring sometimes, right? But with travel board games, the journey becomes its own fun adventure!

Let’s check out some super fun games that are easy to play and perfect for taking with you on your travels.

Ready for fun on the go? Let’s go!

Rummikub in Travel Tin

Ensure the digits dance wherever you venture with Rummikub in a Travel Tin. This game isn’t merely about numbers; it’s a celebration of strategy and unexpected triumphs. Place the tiles on the table, create runs and sets, and maneuver your way to a win.

Encased in a travel-friendly tin, this game becomes an easy to learn and joyful challenge for family members of all ages, ensuring no journey ever falls short of excitement.

Hasbro Gaming Pop-O-Matic Trouble Grab & Go Game (Travel Size)

Pop, race, and chase – all in the portable fun of Hasbro Gaming Pop-O-Matic Trouble! The beloved race-and-chase game compacted into a travel version allows families to roll the dice and navigate their pegs around the game board with glee.

While compact, it loses none of its charm, delivering the same vibrant, fun, and slightly chaotic experience that has been adored by families for generations.

Connect 4 Grab and Go Game

Think ahead, plot your moves, and be the first to get four in a row with Connect 4 Grab and Go! This brilliantly simple game is all about connection, both in strategy and family moments.

Its compact design and easy to play nature make it a beloved companion on any journey, inviting players to swiftly slot their discs, aiming to outsmart their opponents, all while on the move.

Ravensburger World of Disney Eye Found It Card Game

Bring a dash of Disney magic to your journeys with Ravensburger’s World of Disney Eye Found It Card Game. Aimed at families, this game invites players to find iconic Disney objects in the big, beautiful images.

It’s not only a visual delight but also a wonderful way to encourage observation and concentration among kids and adults alike, providing both entertainment and a stealthy learning experience on every trip.

Big Potato OK Play

Chain reactions of fun await with Big Potato OK Play! It’s a five-in-a-row tile game where every move could either lead to victory or pave the way for an opponent.

It’s marvelously simple, brilliantly colorful, and delightfully engaging. Plus, with its durable tiles and travel-friendly design, it’s ready to turn any stop into a strategic play battle zone.

Taco vs Burrito Card Game

A zesty mix of strategy and unexpected surprises, Taco vs Burrito Card Game is not your usual card game. Developed by a 7-year-old, it’s splendidly easy yet loaded with fun decisions, as players strategize on how to create the most unique meals and disrupt others’ culinary creations, making every round a deliciously unpredictable battle of the dishes.

Hasbro Gaming Clue Diced Game

Mystery, clues, and thrilling revelations – all packed into Hasbro Gaming Clue Diced Game! Now, families can transform every travel into a mysterious adventure, solving who-dun-its while on the move.

By condensing the classic Clue experience into a dice-based, travel board game, every trip becomes an intriguing tale of mystery and deduction, where every player is both a detective and a suspect.

Travel board games seamlessly transform mundane travel hours into exciting moments of joy, strategy, and shared fun.

In the compact and convenient forms of these games, families are assured that wherever they go, happiness and playful adventures are always by their side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Navigating through the world of travel board games can stir up a few questions. Let’s tackle some of the common curiosities together!

What are the best travel board games for families?

Ah, the quest for the best board games for family journeys! Games like Rummikub in a Travel Tin, Connect 4 Grab and Go Game, and Taco vs Burrito Card Game have been widely appreciated for their easy to play nature and ability to bring the family together with light-hearted competition and fun.

Are travel board games compact and easy to carry?

Absolutely! Travel board games and card games are designed to be portable and travel-friendly, often coming in small packages or tins, ensuring they can easily slip into a travel bag without taking up much room or adding unnecessary weight.

Can adults enjoy playing travel games meant for kids?

Indeed, they can! Games like the Ravensburger World of Disney Eye Found It Card Game and Big Potato OK Play may be simple enough for children to understand but they also offer fun and engagement for adults, making them perfect for family game night, even on the go.

Are travel games expensive to buy?

Travel games come in a range of prices, ensuring there’s something for every budget. Often, these games can be a budget-friendly addition to your travel essentials, providing an invaluable dose of fun and entertainment without a hefty price tag.

Where can I buy travel board games?

Travel board games and card games can be purchased at various locations, including toy stores, department stores, and online platforms. Remember to read reviews and perhaps pick one of the most popular board games to ensure a tried-and-tested fun experience.

How to play Rummikub in Travel Tin while traveling?

Rummikub in Travel Tin, much like its larger counterpart, involves players creating runs and sets with their tiles and strategically manipulating the existing tiles to achieve a winning board. Given its compact size, it can be played on a small table or a flat surface during your travels, making it a perfect travel game for strategic fun on the move.

Are there travel versions of popular classic board games?

Yes! Many classic games, like Connect 4 and Clue, have travel versions, ensuring fans can take their beloved game experiences on the road. These versions maintain the core fun and strategy of the original game, simply presented in a more travel-friendly format.

• previous post: Strategies for Winning Monopoly: Your Roadmap to Victory in 2024
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Best Travel Board Games

By: Author Bryan Truong

Categories Board Games , 2 Player Board Games , Round-Ups

I love traveling and I love board games. Perfect combination, right?

Whether you’re on a plane, stuck in the DMV, or out enjoying a nice day, there’s always time for a board game. That doesn’t mean you need to carry around an entire backpack full of big-box games. Some games are perfectly suited to travel, and can even fit into your pocket (you too, ladies). 

Let’s check out some of the best travel board games that you can always take with you!

Table of Contents

Our Top Picks for Best Travel Board Games

In a hurry? Check out our favorite travel games below.

Best Travel Games

Tiny epic galaxies (or any tiny epic).

Players: 1-5 Playing Time: 30-45 min Ages: 14+ Complexity: 2.15/5

Honestly, any of the Tiny Epic series deserves a spot on this list.

Each one uses a different set of mechanics and themes and comes in a tiny box (usually with cool-looking meeples). 

The amazing thing about these games is that even though they’re all designed to be very compact, each one has a ton of gameplay. 

They’re constantly putting out new games and you’re bound to find something you like that easily fits in a backpack.

What we liked

It nicely balances the risk and luck of the dice with an element of important decision-making thrown in too.

Tiny Epic Galaxies is one of my favorites, and they manage to put an entire galactic conquest game into a handful of cards. 

What could be better

The Tiny Epic series are tiny games and sometimes feel like a distillation of larger tabletop games. Tiny Epic Galaxies doesn’t have a lot of depth, but definitely a lot of enjoyment will be had.

More Tiny Epic Games!

Players: 2-8 Playing Time: 15 min Ages: 14+ Complexity: 1.27/5

Your spies are hidden throughout the area and it’s up to you and your team to successfully recover them from the field!

Codenames is an easy-to-learn party game in which players try to locate their team’s hidden spies on the board, without accidentally hitting a civilian or an assassin. 

It’s primarily a word game where one player gives simple hints to try and guide their team to the correct card on the board.

Codenames is a critically-acclaimed party game and is great for traveling. We’ve played it in parks and on trips with friends and have never lost a tile!

Codenames works well with a higher player count, but if you’re only traveling with a small group, this one might not work as well. There’s also always a bit of downtime (silence) as the Spymaster formulates a clue.

It can be a highly tense experience and works well with larger groups . If you don’t normally have a lot of players on-the-go, you can check out Codenames Duet which is designed for 2 players.

More Codenames Games!

Secret Hitler

Players: 5-10 Playing Time: 45 min Ages: 13+ Complexity: 1.74/5

Political ramifications aside, Secret Hitler is one of the most popular social deduction games out there. It cautions players about the seemingly quick rise of fascism and the comments on the political systems that allow it to rise. It’s mostly lying and screaming at your friends, though.

Secret Hitler is a ton of fun and can fit into a very small package. You could probably just take the whole game and fit it into an envelope if you wanted to travel light. There’s also a free print-and-play version available on their website that can be printed and cut out smaller than the original if you’re unconcerned with card stock or at-home print quality. 

Secret Hitler is one of our favorite hidden traitor board games. It’s so much fun trying to figure out who is who in the game and with the right group, can be a real hoot!

You definitely need 5 players for this game and the right group of people that don’t get easily frustrated. Also, some players may not like the theme of this game and find it insensitive.

Players: 2 Playing Time: 30 min Ages: 12+ Complexity: 1.47/5

Jaipur is a very colorful card drafting game.

Players take on the role of merchants and need to successfully navigate the wide world of commerce.

Sell camels, buy goods, whatever path you take it’s all up to you. The more goods sold, the cheaper the price gets. Be careful though, if you wait too long you may miss out on some sweet deals.

Jaipur is very small with only cards and some tokens, which makes it easily packed away for travel. 

Jaipur is the perfect 2-player card game to take on a couples’ holiday or vacation. It’s easy to learn and the set collection mechanics are well executed, with just enough strategy and interaction that work with the theme.

While it’s fun to get to market faster than your opponent, make interesting trades, and save up for big sales. the random card draw can feel pretty arbitrary at times and really mess up a good strategy.

Players: 2-4 Playing Time: 15-25 min Ages: 8+ Complexity: 1.22/5

Dominos has always been a classic travel game. When I was on deployment in the Navy, inevitably there was a game going on down below decks somewhere. 

If you’re not so much into the classics and are looking for something a bit more exciting and modern, Kingdomino takes the similar concept of Dominos but turns it into a fun little civ builder. 

Players are in charge of their kingdom and need to match up tiles to build the kingdom with the most points. 

It folds down even smaller than most domino sets as well. The domino tiles are cardboard instead of heavy plastic or stone. 

Who doesn’t like dominoes? Kingdomino is a fun, easy, and quick game to play. We love to use it as a warm-up at game night or to decompress after a more complex strategic head-scratcher.

Kingdomino is a great filler game, but not interesting enough to keep a group’s attention for very long. It’s good for travel and killing time but the replayability is a bit lacking.

Love Letter

Players: 2-6 Playing Time: 20 min Ages: 10+ Complexity: 1.13/5

The entire game is 16 cards. I’ve known guys with more credit cards in their wallets. 

Love Letter is probably the most portable game I’ve ever seen and our deck has seen some serious use. It’s the perfect quick game to pull out and play wherever you are. 

The designers have managed to put a very solid deduction/bluffing game into only a handful of cards and it’s a game that will see continuous use.

We LOVE Love Letter. This game is endlessly entertaining, so quick to play and engaging for everyone. We’ve also taught it to non-gamers in about 2 minutes.

Make sure you sleeve your cards. We’ve had this game for ages and would not have been able to play it for long without some durable card sleeves.

If you don’t like the theme or artwork, there are tons of other versions with different fandoms, so you’re guaranteed to find something good. 

More Love Letter Games

Players: 3-6 Playing Time: 30 min Ages: 10+ Complexity: 1.25/5

I first played For Sale with Kendra’s family when we first started dating. Her uncle Carl introduced me to the game and it’s a lot of fun. I didn’t do particularly well. 

It’s a fun family-friendly bidding game where players try to gain the most amount of money by bidding on various properties. 

It’s part of a series of games from Eagle-Gryphon Games that fit perfectly together on the shelf, so when it’s not in your travel bag, it looks amazing on the shelf. 

I’m a little weird about my board game aesthetics. 

For Sale is a great auction game with two distinct halves to the game. There is a lot of fun packed into its small box and has entertained us for hours. The rules are easy to learn and the gameplay goes by quickly. You’ll definitely want to play again!

We highly recommend playing with the “round-up bid” rule when it comes to paying for properties. The biggest problem with rounding down is that there is too great a disparity between the 2nd-highest bidder and the winner, leading to contention.

Players: 2-5 Playing Time: 15 min Ages: 8+ Complexity: 1.16/5

Sushi Go! is a very cutesy game, but it’s also an excellent game. Players collect sushi cards to add to their “menu”. Each different type of sushi is freaking adorable and scores differently. The player with the most points at the end of the meal wins.

It’s an awesome gateway game , very easy to learn, and great for families and kids. The entire game is a handful of cards, so it can easily be taken and played wherever you go.

If you’re not into adorably cute sushi, check out the multilingual edition with some creepy alternative artwork.

Sushi Go! is a quick pick-and-pass game that moves fast and gets everyone involved. It’s so easy to teach to newbies and small enough to take and play anywhere!

There’s not much depth of strategy here, as it’s pretty much just a shuffle and card drafting game.

You can check out our full review of Sushi Go! Party here . 

Hive or Hive Pocket

Players: 2 Playing Time: 20 min Ages: 9+ Complexity: 2.32/5

Hive is an excellent 2-player game that only requires a flat surface and a set of tiles. 

Players place their insects on the board attempting to encircle the opposing queen. 

It reminds me a lot of Chess, but a little more modern.

Hive Pocket is a fantastic abstract strategy game similar to Chess, but it can fit in your back pocket.

I don’t have anything negative to say about Hive or Hive Pocket. It just may not be suitable if you’re traveling in groups since it is only for two players.

There’s even a special travel-size version that’s the full game, just pocket-sized and fits in a small bag.

Lost Cities: The Card Game

Players: 2 Playing Time: 30 min Ages: 10+ Complexity: 1.48/5

Who didn’t dream of being Indiana Jones as a kid? I mean I still do, but that’s beside the point. 

Lost Cities is a simple press-your-luck card game where players try to mount ever more profitable expeditions.

It’s a fantastic 2-player travel game in its own right, but they’ve made it easier than ever to grab and go with the Lost Cities To-Go edition (if you can find it). 

It’s even smaller and easier to play wherever you may be. 

We’ve always been a big fan of two-player games and lost Cities is a fantastic-themed game. It’s easy to learn and a fun way to pass the time.

If you don’t care about the theme, then there isn’t too much here for you.

Players: 2-8 Playing Time: 30-60 min Ages: 10+ Complexity: 2.02/5

Citadels is a simple role-based card game.

Players secretly choose roles at the beginning of the round to gain an advantage while trying to build up the city for the most victory points. 

It’s simple to learn and offers a ton of variety for players. 

Most of the game is cards with only several tokens to keep track of money. It’s an easy choice for players on the go. 

The role-based gameplay adds a lot of replayability to a simple card game. Citadels can pull double duty as a travel game and in your regular rotation.

Citadels is another game that has a larger box, but the components only actually fill about a 1/4 of the box. If you wanted to you can place all the cards and components in a more travel-friendly version.

Players: 2-6 Playing Time: 15 min Ages: 13+ Complexity: 1.41/5

Coup is a handful of cards and some tokens. The box is small enough to carry around in a pair of men’s slacks (sorry ladies but your pockets suck). 

The box can even pull double duty if you take out the insert. Then you’ll be able to fit a few other games. I managed to fit Love Letter and a Munchkin deck into my Coup box while traveling. 

It’s a great hidden role game that I’ve had a ton of success introducing newbie gamers to, and it’s great for getting to know people during your travels or at a bar. 

Coup is one of our favorite travel games. After years of traveling, we still have the same beat-up box of cards that come with us. The box also pulls double duty since it also holds our Love Letter cards as well.

It can be played with two players, but it’s not nearly as fun. It quickly becomes stale until you add more players.

Forbidden Island, Desert, or Sky

Players: 2-4 Playing Time: 30 min Ages: 10+ Complexity: 1.74/5

These come in a little bit bigger packages than most of our travel games. 

The majority of the boards in both games are made of tiles, and can easily be transferred into a smaller box for transport. The Forbidden series are fantastic challenging cooperative games and personally Forbidden Desert is my current favorite.

• Forbidden Island
• Forbidden Desert
• Forbidden Sky

Players have to rush around the board and search for either relics or pieces of their broken airship (depending upon which game they’re playing) and then escape before everyone dies. 

It’s an excellent way to get a big box game on the go. 

These are extremely fun cooperative games that each have a really cool theme. The components and tiles are all beautifully done.

The box is a little big for traveling, and if you remove the inserts, the components only fill about 1/4 of the box.

Tides of Time

Players: 2 Playing Time: 15-20 min Ages: 8+ Complexity: 1.56/5

Tides of Time is another 2-player card game on the list. Perfect for a duo on the go.

Players compete by building up their civilization over the course of several rounds. In each round, players will draft cards for their kingdom and score at the end of the round.

One building is leftover from each round as a relic of the past to help gain some bonus points. 

It’s a quick, lighthearted civ builder that works very well on the go and doesn’t need much table space. I love civ-builders and it’s always nifty to have an entire civilization sitting in your back pocket.

Finding good 2-player games in a travel size can really be a mission and Tides of Time fills the role perfectly.

The only negative thing I could say is that I wish they had a version that upped the player count. It’s a great game and perfect for a duo traveling, but any other friends joining will need to take turns playing or playing something different.

The Great Dalmuti

Players: 4-8 Playing Time: 60 min Ages: 8+ Complexity: 1.29/5

This is a bit of an oldie and could probably be played with a modified standard deck of cards, but you’ll miss out on all the fancy artwork of these cards.

In The Great Dalmuti, players will try to be the first to go out. With each turn, players try to play cards into the center to finish off their hand of cards before everyone else. 

It’s simple enough to teach anyone and is a great time waster. 

The Great Dalmuti is a great travel game since it can be used with an official deck or any standard pack of cards. You won’t get the fancy artwork, but the game itself won’t change drastically.

The Great Dalmuti is a simple game that’s literally designed to waste time. There’s no final score or winner. You simply play until you give up.

Players: 2-8 Playing Time: 15 min Ages: 6+ Complexity: 1.14/5

Pairs is a rather simple game.

The object of the game is to… not get pairs. 

For some reason that irritates me, but the 55-card deck is simple to play, easy to learn, and can fit in your back pocket. 

It’s a great game to take to the bar and perfect for groups.

If you’re into print-and-play you could also make your own deck as a fun DIY project. (We did.)

I love the simplicity and different themes of Pairs. It’s a classic card game and it’s even more fun when you take the time to make your own custom deck.

There’s nothing wrong with a deck for Pairs. It’s simple and fun but doesn’t have nearly as much utility as a standard deck of cards.

Players: 2-5 Playing Time: 25 min Ages: 8+ Complexity: 1.69/5

What happens when you have a crew full of incompetent illuminators? 

They misplace all the fireworks and threaten the whole celebration!

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened in Hanabi , so it’s up to the bumbling pyrotechnicians to fix their mistake. Players will have a handful of cards but won’t be able to see their own hands. Instead, they’ll see everyone else’s cards.

Players need to play the fireworks in successive order to perform the most spectacular show possible… or they fail and disappoint everyone.

Hanabi’s no-speaking mechanic makes for a great change-up in games. Having to rely solely on your wits and attention to detail really focuses a group.

Enjoyment of Hanabi is very dependent on group dynamics. If you have players that are easily distracted or not interested in the mechanics of the game, then it’s going to be difficult to get into.

Players: 3-6 Playing Time: 60-120 min Ages: 10+ Complexity: 1.81/5

People either love or hate Munchkin. Personally, I’m a fan of the game, and Kendra and I play it all the time.

Any of the core sets of the game are about the size of 2 large decks of cards. It can start to take over the table with all the equipment and upgrade cards, but it’s a quick and dirty D&D -inspired card game where you get to stab your buddies in the back. 

What’s not to love?

Munchkin is full of silly irreverent puns and “gotcha” gameplay. It’s a great travel game, especially for aggressive players.

By itself, Munchkin is about the size of 3 decks of cards. Munchkin has so many accessories and different boxes and it would be fun to have an official travel box. You can still put it in a smaller box and nothing about the game changes, though.

Players: 2-6 Playing Time: 30 min Ages: 7+ Complexity: 1.60/5

As you might be able to tell from the name of the website, we like farm animals . Goats are no exception. 

Goat Lords is a simple card game with wacky artwork. Players will attempt to build the largest goat herd for the most amount of points, but as with all of these types of games , it’s never that simple.

Players will have several action cards to steal and gain more goats.

My personal favorite is the Escape Goat!

It’s dumb and silly, but it’s fun and can fit easily into your travel bag on the go. 

The goat puns are some of the best. You could even call them the G reatest O f A ll T ime.

It’s great for kids and adults with awesome senses of humor, but for those who aren’t fans of goats, they might get bored after a few playthroughs.

Exploding Kittens

Players: 2-5 Playing Time: 15 min Ages: 7+ Complexity: 1.09/5

I freaking love the Oatmeal comics . The author is such a weird dude, and his drawings of children are usually pretty spot-on.

Exploding Kittens is a handful of cards, so it’s as portable as you want it to be. 

The object of the game is to simply not explode. That may be something we all excel in on a daily basis, but it’s actually rather difficult in-game. 

The artwork is straight from the creator of the Oatmeal. If you’re a fan of his work, you’ll be a fan of the game.

Kittens that explode + amazing artwork = an awesome game. If you’ve already played this one, check out our list of 5 games like Exploding Kittens to try something new!

The gameplay is really only suited for larger groups of people. It can be played with a smaller number of people, but it’s not nearly as fun.

Unstable Unicorns

Players: 2-8 Playing Time: 30-45 min Ages: 8+ Complexity: 1.53/5

If ever life gives you the option, always choose to be a unicorn. That must be a bumper sticker somewhere. 

Unstable Unicorns is the adorable card game where you try to build the most impressive stable of unicorns. It’s filled with absurd and often irreverent depictions of unicorns and depending upon the expansion, can be completely kid-friendly or 100% adult-only . 

It’s silly, adorable, and can easily sit in your travel bag. If you’ve already played all you can of this silly card game, check out 5 games like Unstable Unicorns for something new to try!

The artwork is absolutely adorable. It’s one of the best things about the game.

The game is extremely portable, but the rules and gameplay are quite simple. It’s fun, but for only a limited amount of time.

Bananagrams

Players: 1-8 Playing Time: 15 min Ages: 7+ Complexity: 1.31/5

Bananagrams is silly.

I mostly am attracted to dumb-looking things, which may be where my love of Bruce Campbell movies comes from, but that’s beside the point. 

Bananagrams is a classic word game in the vein of Scrabble but it comes in an adorable cloth banana bag. 

It’s simple, and great for families. Bananagrams even comes in multiple languages which is great if you want to practice your language skills while traveling. 

Bananagrams by its nature extremely portable. It’s basically like shoving a Scrabble board into your back pocket.

It’s perfect for a travel game, but it’s not as complex as Scrabble . It can even be a little hectic at times, as players race to create words.

Players: 3-4 Playing Time: 60-120 min Ages: 10+ Complexity: 2.30/5

The smash-hit Catan now comes in all flavors and varieties from Game of Thrones to historical recreations. It’s such a simple concept, but it’s also very easy to sink hours and hours of your life into the game.

If you’re a crazy person like me, you can also bring along Catan wherever you go in case the need to trade sheep for wheat strikes your fancy. 

Catan: Dice recreates the well-loved sheep-driven economy with a handful of dice that’s more similar to Yahtzee than Catan, but still fun.

If you want a more authentic Catan experience you can pick up Rivals for Catan which reproduces the Catan gameplay but alters it for a 2-player experience.

There are a few different versions that make Catan very portable. Rivals of Catan is probably the best version and it still feels like the classic game.

Catan can be pretty brutal if you’re playing with the right/wrong group of people. It has Monopoly-level powers to end friendships.

For the purists among you, they even make Catan Traveler, which is a complete Catan board that fits within its own travel case and folds up. 

Carcassonne

Players: 2-5 Playing Time: 30-45 min Ages: 7+ Complexity: 1.90/5

I love Carcassonne . It’s so simple yet so much fun. I think most of my family members actually have a copy tucked into the glove box.

This simple tile-laying game can easily be transported in a cloth draw bag. If you get the Traders & Builders expansion it comes with a bag the perfect size, or any fancy cloth bag works well.

It’s one of the first non-Parker Bros games that most people play… and there’s a reason for it. It’s an amazing gateway game with lots of replayability and can be played almost anywhere.  

Carcassonne is perfect for traveling. All you need is the bag of tiles and meeples and a table or flat surface to play on.

If you play Carcassonne long enough, you’ll eventually get a little bit bored with the base game. Luckily, there are tons of different expansions out there to change up the gameplay and scoring mechanics.

If you’ve already played Carcassonne, check out our list of games like Carcassonne for a new challenge!

Players: 2-4 Playing Time: 90 min Ages: 10+ Complexity: 2.78/5

Tikal is different from a lot of games on this list because it is a big box game.

There are not a lot of those on this list because… well, they come in a big box and they’re harder to travel with.

Tikal is here because Kendra’s cousin Nick showed us how he made it travel-friendly. The board itself is a little unnecessary and only really needs the starting tile locations. 

Nick actually traced out the starting tiles, threw all the components in the bag, and it actually worked well as a travel game. You’re probably not going to be able to take it out in the pub, but he takes it with him camping , and to music festivals when he has some downtime. 

If you’re looking for a big box in Ziplocs, then Tikal is where it’s at. 

Tikal offers a lot of strategies. Between blocking players off from sections of the map and strategically prioritizing dig sites, there are plenty of different options to choose from.

Tikal isn’t necessarily a travel game, but it’s a game that comes in a big box that could easily fit into a small tin. They could easily make a microgame box out of Tikal, but for marketing purposes, it’s a normal size box.

Players: 3-6 Playing Time: 15-45 min Ages: 10+ Complexity: 1.12/5

There’s something fascinating about sugar skull artwork. 

Skull is a beautifully designed, yet simple game. Players have a set of flowers and a singular skull card. Players try to set down cards while tricking their fellow players to call their bluff.

If a bluff is called and a skull is revealed then that player loses a card.

I absolutely love the artwork of skulls. The cards and components are really cool looking and quite distinct. Simple, yet hard to master with only a handful of cards, Skull makes an excellent travel game.

Skull is a bluffing game that’s simple and fun, but a lot of players compare it to simplified poker. Just be careful, the cards are coaster-shaped and you could easily mistake them for a drink coaster and set a drink or two down on your cards. 

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best travel board games!

The weirdest place I ever played a board game had to have been at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles in the US). I was bored out of my mind and was playing a card game with my brother when we were children. Before you knew it, all of the other kids stuck there were playing with us and we actually had fun.

What’s your travel game story? Did your favorite game not make the list?

Leave a comment below — we’d love to hear from you.

Before starting GameCows with his wife Kendra, he used to teach English Language Arts in the US. He combined his love of gaming with education to create fun game-based learning lessons until he eventually decided to run GameCows with Kendra full-time. He’s known for pouring over rulebooks in his spare time, being the rule master during game night, and as the perma DM in his DnD group. Bryan loves board games, writing, traveling, and above all his wife and partner in crime, Kendra.

Going on a road trip? These games will help you pass the time 

From classics like Scrabble and Uno to newer hits that prioritize conversation and connection, these games will appeal to everyone in the car.

No matter where you’re going on a road trip, travel games can be a great way to pass long hours in the car and create lasting memories.

The best travel games should be small and light enough to pack with you. They should appeal to a wide range of ages and interests. And of course, they should provide hours of entertainment.

With that in mind, the classic card game Uno is our top choice for best overall travel game. It’s compact, fun for everyone, and easy to pack and pull out when the mood strikes.  

But it’s not the only one. We considered portable games in several categories too. From classic board games to Ping Pong-inspired matches, here are the best travel games to take on your next road trip.

The best travel games by category

We break down the best travel games based on different categories like board games, card games, and more.  

The best travel board games

Purple cow magnetic backgammon  .

One of the best travel board games is backgammon, considered the national game in many countries across the Middle East and the Mediterranean. This portable version of the classic board game is magnetized so the pieces don’t slide around. Simply open the case, roll the dice, and play. The board may be smaller, but the strategy remains the same.  

Keep in mind:   The magnets on the pieces aren’t the strongest but do a good enough job of staying mostly in place.  

Product details: Number of players: 2 | Ages: 5 and up | Minutes to play a round: 15 |   Size: 6 x 3 inches  

Portable Puck Shot

Sturdy wooden pucks and a Baltic birch wood case make this portable hockey board game ideal for car trips, camping, or spending a cozy evening in a cabin. You don’t have to be a hockey lover to enjoy this fast-paced game either. It involves a simple sling that fires wooden pucks across the board at your opponent’s goal.  

Keep in mind:   The Portable Puck Shot game is a bit large and heavy, making it more suitable for a road trip than for carrying onto a plane.  

Product details:   Number of players: 2 | Ages: 6 and up | Minutes to play a round: 5 | Size: 17 x 10.25 inches  

Scrabble to Go

Buy it now on   Amazon

It’s not hard to see why Scrabble is one of the most popular board games around. It appeals to players across generations, stimulates the brain, and can spark fun debates. This miniature version comes with snap-in tiles that make it easy to play on bumpy car rides or pick up later, after a break.  

Keep in mind:   The tiles on this mini version are small, which may take some getting used to for some players.

Product details: Number of players: 2 to 4 | Ages: 8 and up | Minutes to play a round: 25 | Size: 10.63 x 2.50 x 10.63 inches

Best travel card games  

Song survivor.

This travel card game is a great way to kick off singalongs in the car or hotels after a long day of travel. Developed by Black-owned small business Doin’ The Most, the game involves drawing cards with one word, prompting each player to sing a song containing that word. If a player messes up the lyrics or can’t think of a song in time, they’re out. This card game is designed for players (and crooners) 13 and up, with easy and hard modes to help make the game as challenging as you want.  

Keep in mind:   Not everyone is into singing outside of the shower, so consider your audience of fellow players before bringing this one along.  

Product details: Number of players: 2 and up | Ages: 16 and up | Minutes to play a round: 15 | Size: travel size  

52 Essential Conversations

The premise behind this intriguing travel card game springs from the idea that the art of engaging conversation never goes out of style. It’s a “social-emotional” learning game designed to get players thinking and talking about topics that can help people—including kids—open up, improve social skills, and spark creativity. The cards come in a small tin box, making them easy to keep organized and bring anywhere.  

Keep in mind: Although this travel card game is designed for players 5 and up, some questions lean more adult. If you’re playing with a multigenerational group, you can skip the questions better suited to adults or take them out of the deck before you play.  

Product details: Number of players: 2 and up | Ages: 5 and up | Minutes to play a round: NA | Size:   3 x 2 x 1 inches

This popular family card game is equally fun to play while traveling. You can go head to head with just one other person or as many as 10. The objective is to be the first person to get rid of all your cards. But achieving that goal depends on the luck of the draw. Just don’t forget to shout “Uno!” when you’re down to your last card. We love that this version comes in a sturdy tin for safekeeping.

Keep in mind:   This version of Uno incorporates graphic symbols on the cards so players with colorblindness can play too.  

Product details: Number of players: 2 to 10 |   Ages: 7 and up | Minutes to play a round: 15 | Size: 3 x 2 x 5 inches

Exploding Kittens

Easy to learn and loads of fun, Exploding Kittens is a cheeky card game loosely based on Russian roulette. Players draw cards, but use strategy (plus special “immunity” cards) to avoid drawing an “exploding kitten” card. With its compact size and lack of any additional game pieces, this card game is a hilarious way to pass the time while traveling.

Keep in mind: This card game is available in English, but other languages (German, Spanish, Italian, and French) are in the works.  

Product details:   Number of players:   2 to 10 | Ages:   7 and up | Minutes to play a round: 15 | Size: ‎4.41 x 6.38 x 1.5 inches  

Best travel games for adults

Pepper pong.

This portable spin on ping pong and pickleball is one of the best travel games for adults. About the size of a shoebox, the game sets up virtually anywhere in a matter of seconds. Place the foldable net (called a Fence) on a picnic table at the park or any other relatively flat surface, and you’re good to go. The game’s three ball sizes (called Peppers) give you options for how aggressively you want to play. You can also feel good about purchasing this portable travel game—the makers say they donate a set to a recovery center or addiction-focused homeless center with each set they sell.  

Keep in mind:   There’s no official age minimum for this game. If you can swing the racket you can play. You’ll need a flat surface to set up.

Product details: Number of players: 2 to 4 | Ages: 3 and up | Minutes to play a round: 15 | Size: 12 x 7 x 4 inches

The Hygge Game

Buy it now at   Uncommon Goods

Hygge is the Danish word for coziness and the basis for this 300-question portable travel game. The questions are designed to foster meaningful conversations among friends and family members. Play it during long car rides, in a candlelit, hygge-inspired restaurant, or anyplace where you want to spark fun and thoughtful connections.  

Keep in mind: Some of the questions go pretty deep and might surprise people who prefer more superficial lines of interrogation.  

Product details: Number of players: 2 and up | Ages:   14 and up | Minutes to play a round: 15 |   Size:   5.70 x 5.70 x 1.80 inches

Parents Are Human

Like the Hygge Game, Parents Are Human is a card game that fosters understanding and connections. This specific deck (others are designed for friends, romantic partners, and siblings) focuses on immigrant families, making it a great game for family road trips. Each set includes 50 question cards and 20 action cards in English on one side and another language on the other ( Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi, Spanish, and Thai).

Keep in mind:   Some reviewers say you can’t play this card game many times with the same people.  

Product details:   Number of players: 2 and up | Ages:   13 and up | Minutes to play a round: NA | Size: ‎3.81 x 2.81 x 1.44 inches

Where Should We Begin

This traveling card game stems from relationship therapist and author Esther Perel’s Where Should We Begin podcast and is ideally suited for adults. Cards with topics like “A dream I’ve never shared” and “One of the things that is keeping me up at night” help travel companions learn more about each other in an approachable way.

Keep in mind: Many reviewers prefer not to use the dice and pull randomly from the deck of cards instead.  

Product details: Number of players: 2 to 6 players | Ages: 18 and up | Minutes to play a round: NA | Size:   9.4 x 4.9 x 2.6 inches  

Best travel games for kids

Nex playground.

This compact game console works as a portable travel game that the whole family can play while on the road. The colorful cube uses motion sensors (with controllers or wearable gear) for family-friendly competition. Just plug Nex Playground into a TV and tap the library of more than 20 games and experiences ranging from dance-offs to sports competitions and activities like jumping in puddles with favorite cartoon characters.  

Keep in mind: You’ll need floor space of about 8 feet by 8 feet to play, since the game requires moving around. If you’re in a small hotel room or other tight space, that can be challenging.  

Product details:   Number of players: Up to 4 | Ages: 5 and up | Minutes to play a round:   5 | Size: 2.83 x 2.83 x 2.83 inches

Kanoodle Ultimate Champion

Popular on TikTok, this puzzle game can easily pack up and go with you on your next road trip. It comes with over 500 puzzles and a timer, challenging family members to use problem solving and spatial reasoning skills to beat the clock in time.  

Keep in mind:   This game requires two AAA batteries to operate.  

Product details: Number of players:   1 | Ages:   7 and up | Minutes to play a round: 15 to 30 | Size: ‎5.75 x 2 inches  

Play Monster Take ’N Play Bingo

Kids can spend hours playing this traveling bingo game. The animal-based bingo cards are built into a metal case that closes for easy storage and transport. Two players take turns spinning the spinner and placing magnetic markers on the matching animals.

Keep in mind:   The magnet is built into one side of the marker pieces, so they’re not the strongest at staying put on the board. However, this game is hard to beat for an affordable and fun option.

Product details: Number of players:   2 | Ages:   4 and up | Minutes to play a round: 5 | Size:   1 x 6.50 x 6.50 inches

Pass the Pigs

Families will get a kick out of this adorable dice game that involves rolling a pair of pig-shaped pieces to score points. The first player to score 100 points wins. It’s also a great game to play anywhere while traveling, since it only requires a flat surface to play, plus the pigs, scoring pads, and pencils fit in a small plastic storage case that easily tucks into a backpack.  

Keep in mind: Small parts could pose a choking hazard for younger kids.  

Product details: Number of players:   2 | Ages:   7 and up | Minutes to play a round: 15 | Size:   1.63 x 4.25 x 9.25 inches

Our review process  

The best portable travel games are compact and light enough to take on a road trip or flight, can be contained in a case, and are still fun after multiple rounds of play.

Size:   Travel games shouldn’t be large and heavy. They should be small and light enough to fit easily into suitcases and carry-ons.

Multiplayer: Games for two or more players are best, since the whole point of travel games is to keep everyone entertained.  

Fun-factor: Travel games can help stave off boredom between activities, while you’re in transit, or during travel delays. So make sure you choose games that appeal across ages, interests, and have enough variety for the long haul.  

Tips for buying travel games

Size of the game

When it comes to the best travel games, size matters, whether you travel with just a carry-on suitcase or don’t want to bulk out your checked baggage. Look for games that are contained in a case small enough to fit into a backpack. On road trips, you can get away with larger games, especially if you’re driving your own vehicle.  

Game ratings and popularity

A game’s ratings and popularity can give you a good idea for whether or not it will work for your needs. A sure-fire tip is to look for reviews by customers with similar travel styles and companions as your own.  

Players’ ages

It goes without saying, but you’ll maximize fun by packing travel games that are appropriate for everyone in your group. Consider bringing a couple of games–one for spending time with the kids and another for adults.  

Time it takes to play a round

When shopping for the best travel games, keep in mind that some people can take longer to finish a game than others. Consider your travel companions’ attention spans and choose accordingly.  

Frequently asked questions

Are there travel-sized board games?

Yes, many classic and unique board games come in travel sizes. Some even have travel-friendly modifications, such as magnets to prevent pieces from sliding off the board and carrying cases that keep everything contained.  

How do you know if a game is good for traveling?

Some games are better suited to travel than others. Card games with a carrying case and board games that don’t have too many loose parts (or are magnetized) tend to be good options for the road. Consider the size and weight of the travel game’s carrying case too. Make sure there’s enough room among everything else you’re packing for your trip.  

What are the best travel games for an airplane?

Since space is limited on an airplane, look for games that don’t take up more room than a typical airplane tray table. You’ll also want travel games that can handle turbulence and that you can quickly and easily pick up, in case you need to get out of your seat for a neighbor.  

Related Topics

• PRODUCT ROUNDUP
• FAMILY TRAVEL
• TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE

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