One positive thing more time at home the past year and a half has brought about is the reemergence of the family game night. Board games have been making a comeback for the last several years, but the many nights in we’ve all had throughout the pandemic inspired families and groups of friends to gather around the coffee table and dust off the classics, as well as learn new favorites.
Since we’re big on board games at Spilsbury, we were curious about which games top people’s lists, specifically which board game is the most popular in each state.
Methodology
To find out which board game each state searched for the most, we enlisted Google Trends. Starting with a list of 38 of the most popular board games, we identified which games were most searched in each of the 50 US states and the District of Columbia over the last 12 months. Keep reading to see which game ranked highest in your state and how it compared!
The Most Popular Board Game in Every State
The results included long-time favorites like Pictionary, Monopoly, Clue, Battleship, Trouble, Apples to Apples, Scrabble, and Chutes & Ladders. What’s interesting about the search data is the groupings we found. For instance, Codenames is the top-searched game in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi—three clustered states.
The game Hungry Hungry Hippos is also popular among connected states. It’s the most-searched game in Alabama, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Arizona, California, and Nevada band together around Monopoly, and the Northwesterners of Oregon and Washington favor Dungeons & Dragons. Neighbors Florida and Georgia are both loyal to checkers.
Is there a “birds of a feather” kinship that makes these conjoined states favor a particular game?
Maybe a state’s top pick has something to do with what it’s known for. After all, California, Nevada, and New York all search the most for Monopoly. Given California’s film and tech industries, Nevada’s casinos, and New York’s stock exchange and large enterprises, maybe money is on the brain for residents of these states.
It’s interesting that Apples to Apples ranks highest for Ohio when the state is known for a wealth of apple-growing towns with many multigeneration orchards along its Lake Erie coast. Also interesting is the fact that no Eastern state has high searches for Dungeons & Dragons, and no Western state has much interest in Hungry Hungry Hippos, Checkers, Codenames, or Chess.
The Most Popular Board Games Overall
Overall, the classic Monopoly board game is the highest searched game, with eight states having it as their number one: Arizona, California, Delaware, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. The game appears to have coast-to-coast appeal. Hungry Hungry Hippos comes in second, with its players mostly in the Southeast.
Board games like Codenames, Dungeons & Dragons, Mall Madness, and Backgammon have moderate rankings, but there are some games with very little search enthusiasm. Boggle, Chutes & Ladders, Clue, Cranium, Don’t Break the Ice, Mancola, Pacheesi, Pictionary, Scrabble, Settlers of Catan, and Ticket to Ride are all the top searched games for just one state.
5 Underrated Board Games You Should Try
Inspired to host your own game night? While the above list has some great ideas for games to pull out, we also have a few you may not have thought of. Here are some of Spilsbury’s favorite picks.
1. Family Feud
If you haven’t played Family Feud, it’s likely to become your new favorite game. As with the TV show, this game is fun and fast-paced. It’s a great way to get the whole family (or friend group) involved and see what funny answers your group comes up with to the category questions.
2. Survive: Escape From Atlantis
You may remember this game from the 80s, but it’s had several updates since then. The objective of the game is to escape the sinking island, all the while deciding if you’ll help your fellow players, or sacrifice them to save yourself!
3. Name 5
Name 5 may sound simple, but it’s a game that will really get everyone thinking. Before long, you’ll have a full-blown competition. Name 5 is a timed game in which each player must name five different things that correspond with a particular topic, such as five presidents with a J name or five songs by Barbra Streisand. It’s an easy enough game for most adults and even teenagers, so there’s something in it for everyone.
4. Heroes Wanted
Want to feel like a superhero? Heroes Wanted allows you to assemble wannabe superheroes to fight a supervillain. The tone of the game is pretty absurd, which should have everyone laughing while fighting crime.
5. Carcassonne
Carcassonne is described as a gateway game for many players. It’s definitely a cult favorite of many. This is a point-based game in which players use tiles to build a medieval city. It has many add-on packs to increase the complexity and has high replayability according to fans.
Final Thoughts
Game nights are a nostalgic pastime. They’re an easy, inexpensive, and good-natured way to connect with others, get your mind working, and spend several hours having fun. They’re also ideal when you want to include the whole family since there’s a game for every age and difficulty preference.
Spilsbury has long been a promoter of coming together to play a great game, with a diverse inventory of board games, card games, puzzles, toys, gifts, and more. If you’re preparing a game night of your own, stock up on some of your favorites or try a new game from our wide selection!