When the weather decides to mess up your guests’ plans or they feel too tired to go sightseeing, they’ll need something to do. They can, of course, sit in front of the TV or stream a show, but why not give them more options, something less typical that they don’t do every day? Encourage them to bond, spend quality time together, and have the most memorable time at your vacation rental with the best games for Airbnb guests.
In this post, we’ll give you a list of some of the most popular and praised games that will be perfect for your guests.
How We Make Our Recommendations
Here’s how we decide which products make our top picks list:
- Feedback from 200+ Hosts: our Vacation Rental Inventory Spreadsheet has been downloaded and used by hundreds of hosts like you. We update it regularly based on the feedback we get.
- Online Reviews: we scour the internet for product reviews from real Airbnb hosts.
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- Suitability: products you buy for your Airbnb need to be durable, affordable, and easy to clean. We keep all these factors in mind when making our recommendations.
Why Should You Include Games in Your Airbnb?
With games in your short-term rental, guests can have just as much fun indoors as they will outside exploring the city. There’s a huge variety of games, so everyone can enjoy them.
Games encourage social interaction, laughter, and bonding, and will give guests something entertaining to do at any time of day or night. This is how they’ll make long-lasting memories that will motivate them to leave a wonderful review and come back to your Airbnb.
How to Choose the Best Games for Your Airbnb
The most important factor in game selection is your target audience of guests. If your rental is perfect for couples, you should avoid games that require more than two players. For rentals suited for families, games that children can play are a fit. For big groups and parties, competitive team games, like Pictionary, are a hit.
What’s also important is the number of guests your rental accommodates. You should make sure that the number of guests matches the minimum or maximum number of players.
The Best Games for Your Airbnb or Vacation Rental
Whether you’re looking for the best outdoor games, you want to introduce something new to encourage new experiences for your guests, or you just want to get some classics that most are familiar with, our list of the best games for your Airbnb will help you find it!
Best for Playing it Safe—the Classics
Here are some games that can teleport your guests to childhood, and that most people know how to play.
Bicycle Standard Face Playing Cards
Cards (number of players can vary | all ages) – Cards can allow your guests to play a variety of games. They can play Crazy Eights, Spades, Go Fish, or whatever they like. For Poker (great for parties and bachelor gatherings), you’ll need a Poker set.
Two decks of cards will ensure the fun continues even if cards get lost or guests want to play in two groups. These Bicycle Standard Face Playing Cards are an affordable set of two decks. If you want something more unique, you can also get location-specific cards such as these Chicago, New York, and Florida ones.
UNO (2-4 players | ages 7+) – One of the all-time favorite card games that anyone can play from children to the elderly is UNO. You can get it in sturdy packaging (Mattel Games has it) so there’s less chance that the guests will damage the box while taking the cards out.
Checkers (2 players | ages 5+) – Checkers is a simple game, but it can be loads of fun. It can be one of those childhood throwback games that will ensure your guests have the best time. This Pressman Checkers Game has a folding board for convenient storage.
Chess (2 players | ages 8+) – If you want that classic wooden chess look, we suggest the Chess Armory Chess Set. Another great option is this three-in-one chess board by Regal Boards that transforms into a game of tic-tac-toe or checkers.
Battleship with Planes Strategy Board Game
Battleship (2 players | ages 7 +) – If you want a game that’s suspenseful, competitive, and extremely fun, choose Battleship. The goal of the game is to sink the other player’s ships by guessing the locations on the board where the opponent has positioned them. Add a modern twist to a classic game with this Battleship with Planes Strategy Board Game that features both ships and airplanes.
Winning Moves Tile Lock Scrabble
Scrabble (2-4 players | ages 8+) – Guests who like to play with words will instantly reach for Scrabble. There’s even an improved version of the classic scrabble board with tile locks that will prevent the tiles from sliding away.
Yahtzee (2+ players | ages 8+) – This dice-rollin’ battle game is super easy to learn even if guests haven’t played it before. While the dice are usually thrown from a cup, you can get a modernized version from Hasbro Gaming to entice the experienced Yahtzee players to test it out.
Hasbro Gaming Jenga Classic Game
Jenga (2-6 players | ages 8+) – The good old Jenga has been a favorite among families and friends for a really long time. It creates suspense, guarantees laughter, and can be played by anyone. You can get a high-quality version at an affordable price from Hasbro Gaming.
Other Classics – There are endless choices when it comes to classic games you can include in your rental. If you haven’t found the one you like among these, browse some more on Amazon and pick the ones you find to be the best.
Best for Kids and Families
If your short-term rental is family-friendly and you often host parents with kids, providing them with one of the most popular child-friendly games can create an idyllic family atmosphere they’ll never forget.
Hasbro Gaming Candy Land Kingdom
Candy Land (2-4 players | ages 3+) – Kids will love racing down a rainbow-colored track to find the lost King Kandy at Candy Castle. With colored cards, sweet destinations, and fun illustrations, this game is perfect for kids! If you want an attractive design, we love this Hasbro Gaming Candy Land Kingdom one.
Do You Really Know Your Family?
Do You Really Know Your Family? (3-8 players | ages 8+) – Give families a game that has the power to bring them closer together while having fun. Do You Really Know Your Family? is a card game with trivia cards that test how much family members know about each other, and challenge cards for fun and silly challenges they need to do together. This game is great for everyone—from kids to the elderly—and it’s available on Amazon.
Best for Groups
Large capacity rentals that welcome big groups or parties will get the most use out of amusing group games. We’ve picked out the most entertaining ones.
Apples to Apples: The Game of Crazy Combinations
Apples to Apples (4-8 players | ages 12+) – Apples to Apples is a simple card game where players have an advantage if they know their opponent’s sense of humor. Apples to Apples: The Game of Crazy Combinations is the perfect party game since players need to make some hilarious and unusual matches.
Cards Against Humanity (4-20+ players | ages 17+) – This card game can ensure that any party group that comes to your rental leaves with unforgettable memories. Players pick a black card with a question, and the rest have to give their most hilarious answer from the selection of white cards in their hand. Cards Against Humanity has no player limit, and there are numerous expansion packs suited to every interest.
Hasbro Gaming Ultimate Catch Phrase Electronic Party Game
Ultimate Catch Phrase (4+ players | ages 12+) – If you want a game that will get your guests off their feet, the Ultimate Catch Phrase is the best game. Players need to get their teammates to guess the phrase that appears on the screen by describing it before the timer counts down. This Hasbro Gaming Ultimate Catch Phrase Electronic Party Game is designed so that players can really toss the unit which makes it even more fun.
Taboo (4+ players | ages 13+) – When playing Taboo, players need to get their teammates to say the key word without saying the forbidden words on the cards. It can add some challenging and interesting sparks to a party! You can get the classic Taboo game or a fancier one with an electronic buzzer.
Exploding Kittens (2-5 players | ages 7+) – Don’t let the name of the game alarm you; this one’s a friendly and laugh-inducing game. Exploding Kittens is a party version of Russian Roulette, and your guests can learn how to play it within just a few minutes.
Pictionary (2 teams | ages 8+) – Pictionary is a game that everyone knows and loves. It can be a source of endless fun for guests. You can get a classic version, or if you want something more modern, there’s a version with a light-up pen. Players use the pen to draw the object in mid-air while the image appears on their smart devices. The free app can be installed on any device.
Scattergories (2-4 teams | ages 13+) – This is a game that requires fast thinking and lots of fun. The players need to think up a list of items quickly, and the more unique their answer is, the more points they score. Hasbro’s Scattergories comes with a timer, die, Scattergories cards (of course), and score sheets.
Codenames (2-8 players in 2 teams | ages 10+) – Guests who love spy movies and mysteries will become addicted to this fast-paced game. The way it works is that two rival spymasters are the only ones to know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates only know the agents’ codenames. The team who finds all of their agents first wins the game. If you don’t have it in your local store, Amazon’s Czech Games Edition Store has it.
Best Board Games
Board games are one of the most popular game formats. Here are a few that you can’t go wrong with.
Settlers of Catan (3-4 players | ages 10+) – Many know and love Catan, so guests will be pleasantly surprised to find this addictive strategy game at your rental. In the Catan board game, players can build their civilizations and spread across a modular hex board to reach victory. What’s awesome about this game is that you can get an expansion for larger groups.
Ticket to Ride (2-5 players | ages 8+) – This is a strategy game that can get pretty intense and entertaining. The players need to collect train cards to build train routes on the board across the United States. The quality and illustrations of the Days of Wonder Store Ticket to Ride board game are incredible.
MONOPOLY (2-6 players | ages 8+) – There’s not much to say about this money-driven game that everyone knows, except that it is highly addictive and dangerously fun. On a rainy day, guests can pass hours and hours playing Monopoly.
Best Outdoor Games
Backyard amenities like a pool or a hot tub are rather expensive, but you can find an alternative solution for outdoor amusem*nt—games.
Giant Jenga (2-6 players | all ages) – Bring the fun of Jenga outdoors. This king-size Jenga game comes with a scorecard and a bag for easy carrying. It is made of high-quality wood so the backyard play won’t damage it.
Cornhole (2-4 players | all ages) – Add a traditional game of cornhole for guests to pass time while barbecuing or enjoying a nice sunny day. This GoSports Classic Cornhole Set has an eye-catching rustic design and a handy travel case for carrying. There are also lots of other designs like a fun Chevron, a patriotic American flag, and a simplistic Wood design.
GoSports Pro Grade Ladder Toss
Ladder Toss (2-4 players | ages 5+) – This is a simple but challenging game where players need to throw the bolos on the ladder. The GoSports Pro Grade Ladder Toss can be played both inside and outside. The rubber bolos are very soft so kids can play this game too!
EastPoint Sports Badminton Set
Badminton (2-4 players | ages 5+) – Guests who want to get active can grab a badminton racket and prepare themselves for hours of fun. If you want to encourage four people to play, EastPoint Sports Badminton Set is great for doubles. The set comes with a standalone net, four rackets, and two shuttleco*cks.
Bocce Ball Game (2 teams with 1-4 players | all ages) – Originally a sport for older Italian men, the bocce ball game has become the perfect outdoor entertainment for all ages. If you want a high-quality set that will last you a long time, GoSports Backyard Bocce Sets is the one to choose. This set has hard resin balls suited for ages 12 and up, but if you want a kid-friendly set, there’s an option with soft rubber balls.
Final Thoughts
With this extensive list of games, you can find just the right one for your guests. You can even buy several so your guests can take their pick.
What’s best about adding games to your Airbnb is that you don’t need to do anything extravagant to provide your guests with entertainment. This one-time purchase can turn your rental into a fun and bonding hub that creates lasting memories for your guests.
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Written by Johanes Godoy
Johanes is the Head of Content at Floorspace. She expertly blends her diverse expertise in travel blogging, marketing, and real estate to create high-quality content for vacation rental hosts. Her experience as a travel blogger, involving collaborations with Airbnb, resorts, and hotels, has provided her with substantial knowledge in promoting vacation rentals.
