I love introducing new games to family and friends, but the learning curve on many games can be challenging. And while there are so many great games to choose from, some games are easier to teach than others. These 5 games take about 10 minutes to teach and are fun to play.

Great choices of games to learn in 10 minutes are:

• Ticket to Ride
• Sequence
• Zeus on the Loose
• Color Brain
• Imhotep

Ticket to Ride

My oldest son loves trains, which is what initially brought this game to my attention. But upon opening, we discovered a fantastic, easy to learn game. 

Ticket to Ride is one of my favorite games to bring out to new players. While recommended for ages 8 and up, both my youngest and nephew enjoyed it from a relatively early age of 6. 

Ticket to Ride is not only easy to learn, but enjoyable for a wide variety of ages. Set up is a breeze. Place the board between the players, set out playing cards and pass out train car pieces, and the game begins!

To play the game, players collect the correct color train pieces needed to connect routes from one city to another across the country. Play continues until one player has placed all of their train pieces on the board. Completed routes earn points. Bonus points for the most train pieces on the board and longest train route. The player with the most points wins. 

It is a little pricey, in the $50 range, but we’ve spent many hours enjoying this game. It was money well spent. 

Sequence

A dash of Rummy, board game style. Don’t let the board deter you. While it’s not really exciting or colorful to look at, it does offer an easy-to-learn, enjoyable strategy game that can either be played by 2 or 3 people or teams. 

Play a card and place a corresponding token on the gameboard. Got 5 in a row? You’ve got a Sequence! Gather the required amount of sequences and you win the game. 

Strategy counts. Learn how to remove your opponent’s chips or block them. And watch those Jacks- they’re wild! 

This is also a great game for multiple generations – and easy to teach, challenging to win, and fun to play!

Zeus on the Loose

Mythical gods, anyone? This is a fast and fun game that requires a little strategy and some quick counting to keep Zeus in your grasp. 

The kids enjoy this game, but I’ll admit, we adults play often without them! It easily fits in a purse or backpack and is a great go-to when waiting for a meal to arrive. 

While not quite a board game, this game definitely meets the “10 minutes to learn to play” goal. The box contains a deck of numbered and greek god cards and a little plastic Zeus. The premise is simple, be the player with Zeus in hand when the cards reach 100 without going over to win the round and a letter. The winner of each round wins a letter. To win the game, the first player to spell Z-E-U-S wins!

Begin by passing out 4 cards to each player, and set Zeus in the middle. On your turn, discard a card and pick up another. When the card you play brings the total to a multiple of ten, Zeus belongs to you. But don’t plan on keeping him long! A play of the Poseiden card from your opponent will have them swiping Zeus away. And Hera can bring the points from 3 to 99 in a flash! 

The gameplay stays consistently enjoyable for 2 or 5 players and everyone in between. It’s always fun to try to catch Zeus on the Loose!

Color Brain

Need a game that can be played with anyone of a wide variety of ages and doesn’t require reading for all players? This is the game for you. Color Brain comes in two versions, the original and the Disney version.

Color Brain can be played with both single players or teams. The box does list 12+ (8+ plus for the Disney version), but we’ve successfully played with younger players. By teaming younger children and older players together, all ages can enjoy the game on a somewhat even field. Our experience has been that the youngsters remember details better than us adults and often are the reason their team wins the game!

Each player or team plays with a hand of 11 single-colored cards, which are used to answer questions. Questions may include what is the color of Pinocchio’s tie or what 5 colors are the Olympic rings? Choose your colors carefully, it’s often not what you think! Only the players or teams who have all of the correct colors earn points. The first team to receive 10 points wins the game. 

Big Potato, the maker of this game, boasts you can learn this game in 2 minutes. I’m not even sure it would take that long!  

Imhotep

Gather your tools! You’re now an Egyptian architect. This game is relatively new in our stash, and I really enjoy this game.

For 2-4 players, the game is played in six rounds. 

Gain points by transporting stones to and from boats and onto ancient construction sites, while keeping your opponents from doing the same. To win and become the best architect, you’ll need to get your blocks to the best sites, in the correct order, and at the right time. 

While it may seem a bit overwhelming looking into the box, the game has a simple format easy to learn. Stones, cards and playing boards are laid out for open gameplay. 

Stones, On your turn, you choose only 1 of 4 actions: take stones from the quarry, move stones to a boat, sail a boat, or pick a blue (action) card. Be strategic! You may need to choose to give your opponent a point in order to gain more for you! 

Points are earned both during the game and end of gameplay. The player with the most points is the winner. 

An additional bonus to this game is just by turning over one of the game boards, the game changes. 

Conclusion

There you have it! 5 fun and easy board games to learn in 10 minutes. Do you have an easy-to-learn favorite? Post below and let us know!