Best Classic 90s Board Games to Reintroduce to Your Kids

Aahh the 90s!! Back when the internet made noise and phones were attached to walls. Yeah, those were the days. And if you were lucky enough to grow up in that era, you probably remember the epic wars fought on the living room floor with dice, cards, and brightly colored plastic pieces. Board games were serious business.

But today our kids are out here glued to screens like zombies, mastering the art of infinite scrolling. But here’s the thing—fun doesn’t have to come in 30-second clips of dancing. Nope, fun can be sitting around a table with your family, unleashing your inner 90s kid by reintroducing your children to the true test of human patience and sibling rivalry: board games.

So, if you’re like me, sick of smartphones, let’s go back in time and bring out some classic 90s board games. Trust me, you’re in for a nostalgic trip, and your kids… well, they might actually love it. Mine did.

1. The Game of Life (Because Everyone Needs to Know Adulting is a Trap)

The Game of Life. This was the first time you realized life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Oh, you want a career? Here’s a mortgage. Want kids? Now you have to fit six people in a car made for four. It was a brutal reality check, disguised as a game for kids. And guess what? Your kids need to know this, too. They’ll laugh at first—until they end up with three kids, no savings, and a car that’s stuck in career-limbo. Fun for the whole family!

2. Twister (The Only Game Where You’ll Pull a Muscle While Laughing)

No 90s game night was complete without Twister. You remember how it worked: you had to place your hands and feet on colored circles while your body contorted in unnatural ways. It’s the original yoga-pilates class… except instead of finding inner peace, you’d find yourself flat on your back with your little brother’s stinky foot in your face. Introducing this one to your kids will have them in stitches, and you? Well, you might need a chiropractor afterward, but it’ll be worth it.

3. Mouse Trap (AKA: The Game That Takes Longer to Set Up than to Play)

Mouse Trap was the ultimate Rube Goldberg contraption packed into a board game. The setup was half the fun (okay, maybe more like 90% of the fun), but watching that marble roll through the loop-the-loop, down the chute, and finally trap the mouse—now that was childhood glory. And when your kids complain that it’s taking too long to set up, you can hit them with the “Back in my day, we didn’t have instant gratification” line.

4. Hungry Hungry Hippos ( Noise and Chaos)

Want to see raw, primal aggression in your kids? Bust out Hungry Hungry Hippos. It’s four hippos, a bunch of marbles, and enough clatter to drive you insane. But hey, that’s what 90s fun was all about—complete chaos. Your kids will probably lose their minds trying to gobble up all the marbles while you wonder if your ears will ever stop ringing. Good times!

5. Guess Who? (Where You Learn Stereotyping)

Guess Who? taught us the fine art of stereotyping: “Does your person have glasses?” “Is he bald?” It’s a simple, slightly questionable concept, but it’s also great fun. And let’s be real—it’s the only time we were allowed to judge people on their appearance. Just be ready for your kids to question why so many of the characters look like they’re stuck in a 70s disco party.

6. Monopoly: A Family Feud Waiting to Happen

Nothing says “family bonding” quite like threatening to flip the board because your seven-year-old just bought Park Place and slapped a hotel on it. Monopoly is the game that teaches you two things: how to manage money (badly) and how to secretly hold a grudge against family members for years. But your kids will love it. They will learn the art of negotiation, and if you play it right, you might actually get them to understand some economics. Just be ready for the inevitable fight when someone lands on Free Parking.

7. Jumanji

Alright, so remember that movie where a bunch of kids get sucked into a jungle and nearly die? Someone thought, “Let’s make that into a board game for families!” This version talks to you (yep, it speaks), so the stress is real when the game starts issuing commands. You’ll roll dice, move pieces, and try to not let your inner child freak out as you face riddles, traps, and, of course, a rhino stampede.

8.Jenga

Jenga. A game that looks so innocent—just a bunch of wooden blocks stacked in a tower. But don’t let it fool you. This game is pure anxiety disguised as fun. Seriously, i think it is a psychological experiment to see how long you can handle pressure before your whole world literally collapses. Jenga is that rare game that’s simple enough for kids but somehow humiliating for adults. If you’re looking for a game that tests your nerves and brings the whole family together in a weird, stress-filled way, Jenga is your answer.

9. Clue (Cluedo)

There’s nothing like solving a murder mystery as a family. Was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick? Clue brings a sense of detective work, strategy, and a little intrigue into family game night.