5 Classic Games to Play With Friends (and the Benefits of Doing So)

Playing games can be good for you!

Researched, written by Amber & The Team
Updated on December 16, 2022

Found in Healthy Hobbies • Social Health

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You can have a great time playing classic games with friends. Furthermore, playing games can be good for you! Here are five that you’ll want to consider for your next group get-together.

1. Shuffleboard

If you don’t want to engage with something as active as a sport but still want a physical game to play with your friends, look no further than shuffleboard. The game, which has been in existence for hundreds of years, is great fun, and it will help you and your friends to stay active and mentally alert.

If you don’t know, the game of shuffleboard involves using cues to push weighted discs down a narrow court with the intention of pushing them into the highest-scoring areas. You can buy home shuffleboard, or you could find a nearby bar that has one.

2. Foosball

Among the list of bar games that you can try out the next time you’re at a local bar is the one and only foosball. You don’t have to be into soccer to enjoy this table game that involves manipulating rods that have players attached with the aim of scoring goals with the ball.

Foosball has been in existence for about a century, and it’s just as popular now as it’s always been.

3. Trivial Pursuit

Of course, you don’t always have to go to bars to play games with your friends! There are plenty of classic board games that you can play at home.

If you and your friends enjoy testing your general knowledge, Trivial Pursuit is still the greatest game to play. Also, up to six players can play Trivial Pursuit, so it’s ideal for small get-togethers.

The object of the game is to answer trivia questions correctly on topics like history, art and literature, and sports and leisure, while moving around the board and collecting wedges.

Also, there are loads of different versions of Trivial Pursuit available, so you could have more fun playing special editions like Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit, Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, or even Saturday Night Live Trivial Pursuit.

4. Operation

If you’re looking for a board game that’s all about fun and cognitive skill, look no further than the classic game Operation.

The battery-operated game tests players’ hand-eye coordination and physical skill as they use tweezers to attempt to remove ailments from a patient with a flashing red nose!

Most people loved playing Operation as children. And the game can be just as much fun to play as an adult.

5. Ms. Pac-Man

Arguably, the very first well-known female video game character was Ms. Pac-Man.

Okay, she followed in the footsteps of her more well-known husband. But Ms. Pac-Man was still one of the most popular video games of the 1980s and it’s just as much fun to play today as it’s always been.

It’s great fun to take turns with friends moving Ms. Pac-Man around the screen, avoiding ghosts, and gobbling pills. If you enjoy retro arcade games, you’re sure to have a good time with your friends playing this classic.

The Benefits of Playing Games with Friends

There are lots of good reasons why you should play games with your friends. Studies have shown that playing games is good for your mental health. And games that require some degree of activity are good for your physical health.

Playing games can also improve your dexterity and help you improve your problem-solving skills. But, perhaps most importantly, playing classic games with friends enables you to be sociable and have lots of fun.