For a bigger group, party and bluffing games give teenagers and adults something to sink their teeth into. Titles such as The Traitors board game and card game, both available from The Happy Puzzle Company, lean on reading the room and second-guessing each other, which tends to spark the loudest laughs of the night. Keep one of these for when the whole family is together at Christmas or on a birthday.

Snakes and Ladders is one of the first board games most children learn, and for good reason. The rules could not be simpler: roll the dice, move your counter, climb a ladder if you land at the foot of one and slide back down if you meet a snake. There is no reading and no strategy to master, so even three and four-year-olds can join in and stand a fair chance of winning.

To compare escape room games by difficulty and player count, and find one that suits your group, see the escape room range at jigsaw puzzles.

If you want a shortlist of games tested for family play and grouped by how long they take, browse the family and party games chosen by jigsaw puzzles.

To compare word games by pace and age suitability, and see which reward speed versus vocabulary, take a look at the word games at jigsaw puzzles.

These games are a good pick if you want screen-free play that travels well and does not need a long rulebook. You can compare the full Genius line-up and read how each version plays at jigsaw puzzles.