If you want a shortlist of games tested for family play and grouped by how long they take, browse the family and party games chosen by games for children.
By eight to twelve, most children enjoy games with a little strategy or a competitive edge. Word and number games, such as WordSnap XL, and family favourites like Snakes and Ladders in its bigger 3D versions give them something to plan around and enjoy together. Mixed-age families get on best with games that scale, so older and younger siblings can play the same round.
For gift ideas sorted by age band, with the number of players and rough playing time listed for each, browse the games-by-age pages at escape room puzzle games.
A good travel game earns its place in the bag by being compact and quick. You want something that sets up in seconds, plays in a few minutes and does not rely on a large board or dozens of loose pieces that scatter across a car footwell. Card games and self-contained puzzle games tend to win here, because everything stays in one small box or tin.
Difficulty is worth checking before you buy. A puzzle that is too easy gets solved once and put away, while one that is far too hard can end up back in the box. Many Jigsaw Puzzles carry a difficulty rating, and it helps to match that to how much time the person likes to spend. Someone who wants a ten-minute coffee-break challenge needs something different from a person happy to pick away at the same puzzle over several evenings.
For a hand-picked selection of brain teasers across easy, medium and fiendish levels, have a look at the adult puzzle range at family board games.