The best family games share one quality: nobody at the table feels left behind. They're simple enough that a young child or a grandparent who's never touched a game can join in within a minute, but still fun enough that the teenager doesn't roll their eyes. That's what we picked for here — calm puzzles, friendly classics and easy two-player games with rules you can explain in a sentence and no violence to worry about. They run in any browser with nothing to install, so it doesn't matter whose laptop or tablet is to hand, and there's no account to set up before the fun starts. Pass the device around, play a classic the way it's always been played, or sit two people side by side for a friendly duel. Here are the games that work for everyone in the house.
Easy for everyone — That offline dinosaur everyone knows, now online.
Anyone can pick it up — Munch every pellet in the maze while four clever ghosts hunt you down.
A safe, gentle pick — Pilot a lone ship through a deadly asteroid field.
Simple rules, all ages — Klondike Solitaire the way it should feel: silky drag-and-drop, draw-1 and draw-3 modes, unlimited undo and a satisfying auto-finish to send it all home.
Easy for everyone — That one-tap classic you couldn't put down, reworked.
Anyone can pick it up — Drop swinging blocks and build the tallest, neatest tower you can.
A safe, gentle pick — A logic classic that never gets old.
Simple rules, all ages — Tap free tiles off a glossy 3D pile and line up three of a kind in your tray to pop them.
Easy for everyone — Draw lines, guide the falling water, and fill the little glass until it smiles.
Anyone can pick it up — Spin a glowing tower so a bouncing ball drops through the gaps, and dive as deep as you can.
Simple, gentle games with rules anyone can learn fast — classics, easy puzzles and friendly two-player games. Every pick here is non-violent and free.
Yes. They're chosen for simple controls and an easy learning curve, so both young kids and older adults can pick them up quickly.