I miss having family game nights with 1990s board games. It was a simpler time before the internet and social media completely took over playing games with friends. Some of these are still widely available if you want to spend some time channeling your inner 90s kid, while others will require buying vintage copies from resellers.
These are the 1990s board games I either have fond memories of or still enjoy playing today, in no particular order!
Jumanji: The Board Game
Based on the 1995 film Jumanji and the game it depicts, Milton Bradley created a smaller-scale experience in the Jumanji Board Game As a kid, the ability to play a version of the same game they played in the movie was thrilling and fun!
While the board game doesn’t bring things to life or send players to alternate dimensions, the instructions are nearly identical. In Jumanji, you roll the dice and attempt to reach the center of the board before the jungle takes over.
Cranium
Cranium is a great game for a party or family game night, in part because of the fun activities. It is more than just cards, trivia, and rolling dice. There’s sculpting with clay, Pictionary-like drawing, puzzles, music, and more!
I loved this one growing up but didn’t get to play it much because my family wasn’t large enough to make 4 players without company coming over.
Crocodile Dentist
In Crocodile Dentist, there was a plastic crocodile head with hinged jaws and removable teeth. The objective was to remove the teeth without finding the sore tooth. Gameplay was a bit like Jenga, only with teeth and an angry crocodile instead of wood blocks and a tumbling tower.
If a player chose the bad tooth, there went the jaws clamping on the tool or any unlucky little hands. I’m not sure why this game was so popular, as I found it terrifying as a young child!
13 Dead End Drive
13 Dead End Drive was a fun murder mystery game, a bit like Clue in a way.
Instead of solving the murder, the goal was to win the estate of the murdered mansion owner. There were character cards, traps, and pawns that could either make or break you, With the ability to knock other players out of the game or get knocked out yourself, it was a very competitive game!
Titanic: The Board Game
This board game, based on the 90s film, was not very popular but was fun to play! In the board game, players race to a lifeboat as the Titanic sinks, collecting necessary items along the way. If you don’t collect these items (i.e. life vest, passport, etc.) and make it to the lifeboat in time, it’s a watery grave for you!
This is one of the underrated 1990s board games on this list that is unfortunately no longer in print. You can buy a vintage used copy online or at resale shops.
The Settlers Of Catan
Catan, originally called The Settlers Of Catan, is an example of a popular game that many people don’t even realize belongs in a list of 1990s board games. Catan has become immensely popular over the last decade or two, but the game was originally published in 1995.
In this game of strategy with a little bit of luck and chance, players are settlers trying to gather the resources to build roads, homes, and settlements. Each time the dice are rolled, the player(s) with settlements touching a resource tile with that number on it receive the corresponding resource (i.e. wood, brick, wheat, wool, or ore). With the right combination of resources, you can build more roads and buildings. The first person to reach 10 points wins!
The catch is that other players can block your roads, steal resources from you, and more under the right conditions, so watch out!
Fraidy Cats
I’m pretty sure almost every 90s kid remembers Fraidy Cats. This exciting board game, created by Milton Bradley, mixes cats, angry dogs, and a fair bit of luck into wild fun.
Gameplay was very simple – roll the dice, push your cat forward, and try to avoid the crazy motorized bulldog. This may sound boring to most people, but it made a great, memorable game for kids.
Goosebumps: Terror in the Graveyard
Every 90s kid at least knows about the classic Goosebumps books. But did you ever play the board game ‘Goosebumps: Terror in the Graveyard’ too? Milton Bradley, riding on the immense success of the iconic book series, released this game to add to the spooky fun!
The game board looks like a creepy cemetery, complete with moving tombstones and a crypt with a headless ghost. Players must defeat the ghost to win the game. Dice add an element of chance while drawing cards can give someone an edge by letting them send a player somewhere else or turn a player into a monster!
Unfortunately, Goosebumps: Terror in the Graveyard is not for sale these days, although you can still find a few used copies online at eBay or Amazon.
Don’t Wake Daddy
Don’t Wake Daddy was a great party game, especially for sleepovers. This one has players attempting to sneak around the board and get a midnight snack without waking Daddy.
Gameplay is simple yet exciting. The Daddy in question is sleeping in the middle of the board, and a spinner determines movements around the board. Watch out for the myriad of noise spaces like tv programs or a cuckoo clock. If you land on one of those, you will have to press the alarm clock a certain number of times.
At any point, one unlucky press will make the alarm go off, waking Daddy and sending the player back to the start. Will you be the first person to make it to the fridge, or will you wake Daddy?
Mouse Trap
This one is not originally a 90s game, but it was updated and included in various kids’ shows and television ads around that time, so it is hard to think of 1990s board games without remembering Mouse Trap.
My favorite part of the game is working with other players to build the working mouse trap. I know the object of the game is to then use said mouse trap to capture other players’ mice, but I would sometimes just skip that part in favor of building my very own working machine.
There were a lot of fun board games we played in the 90s. What are your favorite 1990s board games? Let me know in the comments!