Now that vaccines are pretty easy to get here in the US (and I hope you’ve gotten yours!) everyone seems to be itching to go somewhere.  Personally, I’m looking forward to a summer of camping and maybe a road trip or two.  What about you? Camping? Road trip? Exotic trip to a local park? Maybe something a little further?  Whatever your outing will be, you’ll want to remember to pack games!  So let’s talk about some of my favorite easily packable games!  (Note you can visit my Amazon “Travels Well” game list for more suggestions too!)  Happy – AND SAFE – Travels!

Dice Games I like to Travel With

Qwixx

Gamewright, ~$8 Qwixx on amazon, 2 or more players, ~15 minutes, Ages 8+ Link to my review of Qwixx 

By now this dice game from Gamewright is a classic with fun push-your-luck play that can be played by groups large and small (even 3 players!) Packs neatly into a magnetic box, you just need pens or pencils.

Yahtzee 

Hasbro, $7 Yahtzee on Amazon, 2+ players, ~10 min (depends on number of players), Ages 8+

Played this one all the time as a kid and the latest version has a container that stores the dice and the scoresheets and doubles as a dice throwing cup (did you know the cup is so you can’t cheat with your dice roll?)  TIP: if you take Qwixx, use the Qwixx dice and put some Yahtzee sheets into the Qwixx box.

Rolling America 

Gamewright, ~$10 Rolling America on Amazon , 1+ players, ~10 minutes, Ages 8+,  Link to my review of Rolling America 

This is a puzzle-y dice game that some people find frustrating but I absolutely love (and can be played solo). Packs neatly into a magnetic box, you just need pens or pencils.

Boggle 

Hasbro or Winning Moves, ~$9 Boggle on Amazon, 1+ players, ~10 minutes, Ages 8+

This is such a classic word game and is really a great travel game as all you need is pen and pencil and the dice are neatly contained in the centerpiece.  If you’re a word game fan this is the way to go, with 3 minute rounds you can play a round or two while waiting for food!

LCR – great for large groups

George and Company,~$7 LCR on Amazon, 3 or more players, ~10+ min (depends on number of players), Ages 5+

The classic dice passing, chip passing game for groups from three to many many more! As long as you have enough chips you can play.. or have you ever considered swapping chips for quarters?  Just an idea.

Encore!

Stronghold Games, ~$16 Encore on Amazon!, 1-6 players, ~20 min, Ages 8+, Link to my review of Encore!

Encore! is this lovely roll and write game that has one player rolling and selecting the dice they want first before the other players get to choose.  You have a special scoresheet where you mark off colored boxes and it’s really just frustratingly enjoyable! Wish the box was a tad smaller, but you can always combine it with another game box as it doesn’t have much to it.

Card Games I like to Travel With

Iota

Gamewright, ~$10 Iota on Amazon, 2-4 players, ~20 minute, Ages 8+

In a teeny tiny tin, which makes it extremely packable, Iota is a great packable game as it takes up almost no space.  Unfortuatnely it does take a little bit of space to play, so not quite ideal for air travel.

Punto

Gamewright, ~$10 Punto on Amazon, 2-4 players, ~20 minute for a full game (but each round is pretty quick), Ages 8+

In the same style mini tin as Iota , it is is a clever little card game that you play in rounds.  Punto takes less space to play than Iota and includes special rules for 2 players.

The Game – cooperative!

Pandasaurus, ~$13 The Game on Amazon, 1-5 players, ~15 minutes, Ages 8+, Link to my Review of The Game

A cooperative card game that encourages you to play again with fewer cards each time you manage to beat a level, this game is great for a relaxing game with 2 players or 5 players.  Also has solo rules too!  Similar to The Mind from Pandasaurus (Amazon Link), but is a bit more relaxing and easy to teach to others.

Jaipur – light strategy for 2 players 

Asmodee, $20 Jaipur on Amazon, 2 players ONLY, 15-30 min, Ages 12+, Link to my review of Jaipur

One of the more strategic games on this list and you need a bit of room to play this, but it packs away in a very small box.  It’s for two players only and it’s a classic!

No Thanks! – great for larger groups

Amigo, $10 No Thanks! on Amazon, 3-7 players, ~20 minutes, Ages 8+

If you’re traveling and going to see larger groups this is great as it plays up to 7 and the rules are easy for non-gamers and fun to play over drinks and snacks.

Tile Games I like to Travel With

Rummikub

Goliath, ~$20 Rummikub on Amazon, 2-4 players, ~20 minute, Ages 8+

While it takes up a little bit more space, this classic rummy tile game does have a great travel version that I’ve linked to above.  You can also get a regular version and put it in your own bag.  With plastic pieces, it’s easy to wash if it gets muddy or sandy and I could play over and over and over.

Bananagrams

Bananagrams, ~$14 Bananagrams on Amazon, 1-8 players, ~20 minute, Ages 7+

The fabric banana case makes this word game ready to travel! You do need some space to play it, but if you’ve got a big table or even floor you’re good!  Also check out the party version of Bananagrams that has wacky extra pieces (link to Amazon), the Big Letters version which is great for older players (link to Amazon), and the My First Bananagrams version (link to Amazon) to make sure you have the right game for your group.

Qwirkle

MindWare, ~$17, Qwirkle on Amazon, 2-4 players, ~20 minutes, Ages 6+, Link to my review of Qwirkle

Qwirkle is a lovely (and Spiel des Jahres winning) tile game that requires a little bit of table space, but packs up neatly into the provided bag if you buy the travel version linked above.  It does have a bit of weight to it, so maybe not good for airplane travel, but it’s really an enjoyable game for the whole family.

*Punto was provided free of charge from the manufacturer with no guarantee of review (I’ve got to like it).