Board games offer a great way to unplug and spend time with family and friends. Thanks to a rise in popularity over the last few years, the options available to you are endless. If you are looking to branch out from the classic games like Monopoly or Clue, here are some excellent games to try:

1. Ticket to Ride. Imagine you’re a railroad tycoon in the early 20th century with a map and plans to build your railroad empire across the country. You battle against other players to claim routes and connect cities based on your specific destination cards. The original game uses a map of the United States, but many other maps are available – each with their own twist.
2. Dixit. If you love telling stories, this game is for you. Each player has a set of cards and makes up a story based on the picture that is on one of the cards. It’s up to everyone else to guess which card the storyteller is talking about. The goal of the storyteller is to be abstract enough that it fools at least one player, but not so obscure that no one knows what you are talking about.
3. Catan. Picture yourself and your friends as early settlers that discover an island with multiple terrains and bountiful resources. The race is on to gather, build and barter your way to take control of the island. To keep the game engaging, the board is made up of tiles that can be shuffled around so the island looks different each time you play.
4. Pandemic. This game is different from the others in that you work with the other players to defeat the game. You are tasked with the assignment of stopping the spread of four diseases that are capable of wiping out all of humanity. Each player has a different role and abilities to use while you strategize together as a team. If you cure all four diseases, you all win!
5. King of Tokyo. Who doesn’t wish they could be 300 feet tall and strong enough to smash skyscrapers? Well even if you don’t, the King of Tokyo is a lot of fun. Each player picks a city-destructing monster and works to gain power and destroy each of the other characters to be the sole King of Tokyo.

The time it takes to complete each of these games can be anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours (depending on your level of investment in the game) and are recommended for ages 8 and older. In addition, each of these games has expansion packs or additional versions, so if you really like a game you can continually change the experience.