Board games lovers enjoy playing but sometimes are short on time or mental energy. There are many simple board games one can play that don't take a lot of time and a lot of brain power.
Checkers
This a classic game children and adults enjoy playing. It's easy to learn the rules, which involves moving pieces across a board until you capture all of your opponent's pieces. There's no complex strategy involved or learning individual piece moves as in chess. You can play one game or several fairly quickly, and there's no elaborate set up. You can even play against yourself or play the board game online.
Chinese Checkers
Chinese Checkers is another classic, simple board game any age can play. It's fun for young children on up to seniors who enjoy an easy game between two or more friends. The rules are simple and gameplay is quick. It's somewhat similar to checkers in that you move your pieces across the board to the other side, and the first to move nine of their 10 pieces wins. The board is star-shaped, however. You can play a variation of the game based on regular Checkers where you capture your opponent's pieces.
Ticket to Ride
This game is geared toward teenagers and adults and while it's a more complex game, it's pretty easy to learn compared to other more intense "adult" games. The game is highly rated with over 6 million copies sold worldwide. Players work on getting different cards featuring train cars and destinations so they can move around the board which is a map of the world. The winner of the game has the most points collected by connecting train routes. There are many expansion packs for the game featuring other cities, and you can play online too. A game of Ticket to Ride takes about 30 to 60 minutes to play and can be played with two to five players.
Apples to Apples
This simple board game is good for larger groups and needs at least four players and no more than 10. Each player gets a set of cards with a noun on the back, and the "judge" who rotates in each round, draws a card with an adjective on the back. The judge puts that card down, and the other players pick the card in their hand that they think works best with the adjective. The judge picks a winner, and the next round is started with a new judge. The game is very simple but also teaches children about vocabulary while they're having fun. It's best for children around the age of 10 and older and can make a good family game to play with teens and adults or grandparents. A full game takes only about half an hour to complete.
Othello
Another simple board game that doesn't have difficult rules is Othello. The game is made for two players and is appropriate for children 8 and up, but every age can enjoy this game. Players get a set of black or white pieces, and the objective is to move your pieces around the board, capture other player pieces, and keep the most pieces at the end to win.
Yahtzee
An easy dice game, it can be played by anyone 8 and older, and seniors especially enjoy it. You can play the game with at least two players, but you're not restricted on the total number. Each player rolls a set of dice and assigns them to a score sheet with different combinations. These are basically poker hands, but they're not hard to learn since they are listed on the sheets. The winner is the one who has the most points on their score sheet whenever you decide to stop playing, so you can decide to a short 20-minute game or play for an hour or more.
Battleship
This is another simple board game that many people remember from their childhood. Children 7 and up enjoy it, but any age can find this game a fun diversion. Each player gets a game board with two grids. The players put the ships down on one board that is hidden from the other player. Players call out an area on the grid and if their ship is on that space, a red peg is put on the ship and the player tracks his hit on the other grid. The first player to sink all the other's ships is the winner.
Simple Board Games for any Age
While many of these games are played by children, they truly can be enjoyed by anyone who wants to have social time and doesn't want to learn complex rules and strategies. With so many intense board games on the market, sometimes you just want to relax, have fun, and enjoy others' company with a simple board game.
