13 board games that make staying indoors fun, from beloved classics to new favorites

Players: 2- 8 players

One reason for Monopoly's staying power is because it has the elements of what makes a great board game: It involves strategy, negotiation, secrecy, manipulation. Another reason is that it's a game that brings together friends and family — it's like HBO's "Succession," but in the form of a board game, and about real estate instead of media.

My family loves to play the game a lot. In fact, our version at home is from my mom's college days. It's missing one card, which my mom had replaced with a piece of cardboard and wrote the information on by hand. It's one part game, one part heirloom.

This game has also evolved into numerous modern remakes, like the Disney edition, Cheaters edition, and Voice Banking Edition, which put a spin on the classic gameplay. My family also owns these, but it's mom's original that we still go to.

Players: 1-12 players

Inspired by the popular Cards Against Humanity, All Bad Cards is the online card game not for prudes. Like CAH, ABC involves a deck of (virtual) cards and from those cards, players fill in the blanks to create hilarious, highly NSFW sentences. It's Mad Libs for adults essentially.

I recently played with friends from my study-abroad program — all you need is a computer or phone and then create a shareable link to send to your friends. We spent about two hours playing and laughing, and it was a great way for us to reconnect after not seeing each other for a while.

There is also a family-friendly version called (Not) All Bad Cards that's more appropriate to play with kids. Another fun game for the family is the classic Apples to Apples.

Players: Up to 5 players

Ticket to Ride is an award-winning European-style board game that requires you to think ahead before you make a move. The point of the game is to run trains and decide routes between iconic cities — the longer the route, the more points you gain, but it is more complex when played.

A fun feature this game has is you can include your Amazon Alexa device. If you tell Alexa, "Play Ticket to Ride," it will start up the game, teach you how to play, add fun sound effects, and keep track of your scores. It is extremely fun for all ages and does not take much time to learn.

Players: 2 players

My brother and I used to play this game on long family road trips. Taking turns, one player would set up a code while the other tries to solve it, and vice versa. This kids' version teaches problem-solving skills, which they can then apply to the adult version of the game or their studies.

Players: 2-4 players

This game is about reading lips. Each player puts on a pair of noise-isolation headphones and tries to guess what someone is saying. As you would expect, there's a lot of wrong answers while hilarity ensues.

My friends and I would forego the included headphones — we could still hear each other with them — and, instead, use Beats wireless headphones while playing some music to drown out the noise.

The person or team that guesses the most phrases within a certain time frame wins. This game is good to play with family or a small group of friends but it can't be pushed beyond four people due to its setup.

Players: 2-12 players

This game is all about the luck of the draw. The point is to be the first to make a sequence — having five of the same color marker chip in a line, whether it be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal — and the number of sequences will depend on how many teams are playing. This game requires strategy, speed, and teamwork to win. It's a great game to play either with a friend or a large group of people.

Players: 2- 6 players

Also known as the Ellen Degeneres game, Heads Up! originally started as a popular smartphone app. The board game version follows the same tactics: The player has to guess what's on the card hidden from their view (it's on their head), based on clues given by other players. There is a time limit and it moves fast.

Watching people attempt to act out some of the clues is hilarious and what makes it enjoyable. The game also has different expansion packs to keep things fresh.

Players: 2- 6 players

If you love trivia, you'll love this game. Another classic that remains popular, Trivial Pursuit tests your knowledge in a variety of categories, including sports, entertainment, and history. You have to answer a question right in each category to win; it's simple if you know your obscure facts. There are also special editions that focus on specific topics, like US history and "Star Wars" movies. Even if you lose, you'll gain some new insights.

Players: 4-8 players

If you haven't guessed, my friends and I love game nights, preferably played alongside some wine and cheese. Codenames is a guessing game that revolves around two teams, and the goal is to guess all the words they were given based on word-association clues given by each team's "spymaster." Our description is a bit simplistic but it's far more challenging when played. It's a game for wordsmiths — besides that other game.

Players: 4-8 players

This is the after-dark version of the classic game Taboo. Like the original, one player is the clue giver and the others have to guess the word. The person giving clues is only given a minute to explain the words — like "booze," "lick," and "suck" — while someone hovers over with a buzzer in case they say the forbidden word.

In this adults-only version, the descriptions are hilarious and risque. If you want to play with family or kids, stick with the regular Taboo game.

Players: 4-8 Players

The one thing my friends and family will never outgrow is our love of all things Disney, which is why this drawing game is a perfect way to channel our fandom. Sadly, our attempts at drawing Disney characters won't get us jobs as animators, but they are fine for a good laugh.

Players: 3-6 players

Another classic alongside Monopoly, Clue is so revered that it's often referenced in pop culture — heck, they even made a terrific movie based on it. This game uses your investigative and memory skills, as well as abilities to read other players' expressions to figure out that Mrs. Peacock did it with the wrench. Or, was it Colonel Mustard and the candlestick? Like Monopoly, this game also has different editions, such as the Las Vegas version seen here with my dad and me.

Some of my have friends tried to use a mathematical formula to solve the mystery, but it never works. I find just looking at people's expressions can give certain things away. To make it more personal, you can create your own version of the gameplay with your friends as the suspects.

Players: 3-4 players

Catan is a strategy game and the goal is to collect resources to expand your settlement. You'll have to barter with other players, strategize the best way to gain points, and fight off thievery. The game is so popular that there are Catan tournaments around the world.

The classic version Catan is the favorite although there are also Seafarers, Junior, and even a Game of Thrones version. This game is suitable for players ages 10 or older, but plan to dedicate a few hours.