Brain teaser puzzles for adults come in a few broad styles. There are mechanical puzzles, such as interlocking metal or wooden pieces you have to take apart and put back together, logic puzzles that ask you to work out a single correct arrangement, and spatial puzzles where you fit shapes into a fixed space. Knowing which type someone enjoys makes it much easier to choose one they will actually sit down with.
Snakes and Ladders is one of the first board games most children learn, and for good reason. The rules could not be simpler: roll the dice, move your counter, climb a ladder if you land at the foot of one and slide back down if you meet a snake. There is no reading and no strategy to master, so even three and four-year-olds can join in and stand a fair chance of winning.
Because it runs on luck rather than skill, the game levels the field across ages. A grandparent, a parent and a small child can all play the same round, and the youngest is just as likely to reach the top first. That makes it a reliable choice for family gatherings, and a gentle, low-pressure way to get the youngest players involved in a game night.
The pace of a word game shapes who enjoys it. Fast tile and card games reward quick thinking and keep younger players in the mix, because rounds are short and nobody sits waiting. WordSnap XL, an exclusive title from The Happy Puzzle Company, is built around building and spotting words at speed, so it works for a mixed group where you want everyone reaching for letters at once.
For a shortlist of compact games that pack down small and set up fast, browse the travel-friendly games chosen by jigsaw puzzles.
For a bigger group, party and bluffing games give teenagers and adults something to sink their teeth into. Titles such as The Traitors board game and card game, both available from The Happy Puzzle Company, lean on reading the room and second-guessing each other, which tends to spark the loudest laughs of the night. Keep one of these for when the whole family is together at Christmas or on a birthday.