Starter Picks for Kids Ages 7–12

Splendor draws you into a Renaissance world of rare gems, ambitious merchants, and growing influence. What begins with a few simple resources gradually feels like building your own small empire of opportunity.

CATAN draws inspiration from the age of exploration and settlement, including Viking settlers arriving in Iceland. Beneath its fictional island is a timeless story of discovering resources, trading with others, and slowly turning unfamiliar land into a community.

Ticket to Ride captures an era when railways were transforming distance — connecting cities and making faraway places feel newly reachable. Its routes echo a time when a train ticket could turn a name on a map into a real journey.

Inspired by the beautiful azulejos found across Portugal, Azul brings the colour and rhythm of tiled palaces, courtyards, and historic buildings to the table. Once you notice the patterns, it’s hard not to start seeing the game everywhere in Portuguese architecture.

Carcassonne is inspired by the spectacular medieval fortress city in southern France, with its towers, stone walls, and winding streets. Once you know the real place exists, building the game’s roads and walled cities tile by tile feels a little like creating your own piece of medieval France.