Playing fun and engaging games is a great way to pass the time, but even more importantly, it can also boost memory and cognitive skills. For seniors, including these games in your routine might help delay or prevent memory-related conditions. To keep your mind sharp and your spirits high, we’ve put together a list of 33 fun and enriching games for seniors, divided into ten easy-to-navigate categories. Whether you’re seeking a fun, brain-healthy activity, looking to enjoy quality time with friends or simply wanting to entertain yourself, there’s something here for you to enjoy.
Card Games
Card games offer a fantastic way to keep your mind active and stay social. They’re perfect for friendly gatherings or a cozy evening at home. Here are some fun card games for seniors that are worth checking out:
1. Bridge
Bridge is played by four people in teams of two. Each player gets 13 cards, and the game starts with bidding to decide the goal for each team. Then, players take turns playing their cards and trying to win tricks by playing the highest card in the lead suit.
2. Canasta
Canasta is great for enhancing memory and strategic thinking, and its social aspect makes it an enjoyable way to spend time with friends and family. Players take turns drawing and discarding cards, trying to hold onto valuable combinations of cards while blocking opponents’ attempts to do the same.
3. Rummy
Rummy is a straightforward game that can be enjoyed with two to six players. The objective is to form sets or runs of cards. The first player to get rid of all their cards by arranging them into valid sets wins the game!
4. Solitaire
Not all card games for seniors require company to be enjoyed. Solitaire is another great way to spend your free time while giving your brain a workout. To play, you’ll need a standard deck of cards. The goal is to move all the cards to the foundation piles, and sort them by suit in ascending order.
5. Pinochle
Pinochle combines bidding with trick-taking and offers a delightful mix of strategy and social interaction. The game begins with players bidding to determine the trump suit, and then you play tricks to win points based on your hand. Pinochle can be a wonderful way to bond with friends and family, as it encourages teamwork and thoughtful strategy while providing plenty of fun and mental stimulation.
Board Games
Board games involve a wide range of fun activities that can be both social and mentally engaging. Whether you’re enjoying a quiet afternoon or hosting a game night with friends and family, board games for seniors provide a wonderful opportunity for connection and mental exercise. Here are a some board games you might enjoy:
6. Scrabble
Scrabble is a great way to enjoy some friendly competition while keeping your mind sharp and engaged. To play, simply move the letter tiles to create words on the game board. Each letter and word contributes to your score, and the objective is to form words in a crossword-style layout by placing them on the special premium squares to maximize your points. Enjoying Scrabble not only challenges your vocabulary and spelling, but also encourages creative thinking, which can help improve memory and fine motor skills.
7. Chess
Chess is a classic strategy game that requires careful planning and foresight, as each move can significantly impact the game’s outcome. Like other fun games for seniors, chess can help enhance strategic thinking, problem-solving and concentration skills.
8. Checkers
Checkers is a fantastic way to spend time with friends or family while exercising your cognitive skills. The goal is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces or block them so they can’t make a move. With its simple rules and setup, Checkers is suitable for players of all abilities, including people with mobility challenges.
9. Backgammon
This fun board game requires a blend of luck and strategic thinking, making it a perfect way to get a brain workout. Backgammon is played on a board with 24 triangular spaces called points, and involves two players moving their pieces according to the roll of dice. The objective is to move all your pieces around the board and into your home board before your opponent can do the same.
10. Monopoly
In Monopoly, players roll dice to move around the board, landing on random “properties” and making strategic decisions about purchases and trades. This can add a sense of unpredictability and excitement.
Puzzle Games
Puzzle games are a fantastic way to spend time indoors and exercise the brain. Many websites and apps offer a variety of puzzle games for seniors, so you’re sure to find something that matches your interests. Whether you prefer solving puzzles solo or with others, there are plenty of enjoyable and stimulating options available. Some popular options include:
11. Sudoku
Sudoku is a popular and challenging number puzzle that’s excellent for keeping your mind sharp. Sudoku puzzles vary in difficulty, from easy to expert levels, allowing you to choose a challenge that suits your skill level.
12. Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are a delightful way to exercise your mind and enjoy some relaxing downtime. Players aim to piece together a picture from many individual pieces, each with a unique shape. The goal is to fit all the pieces together to complete the image, which can range from simple designs to more intricate scenes.
13. Word Search
In a word search puzzle, you’re given a grid of letters and a list of words to find hidden within the grid. The words can appear horizontally, vertically or diagonally, and you’ll need to circle or highlight them as you find them. Word searches come in various themes and difficulty levels, making them suitable for different preferences and skill levels.
14. Kakuro
Kakuro is a stimulating puzzle game where you fill in a grid with numbers based on the clues provided. Each number can only be used once in each block, and the sums must match the given clues. The game combines elements of logic and arithmetic, making it both challenging and rewarding.
15. Nonograms
In these puzzles, you’re given a grid with numbers along the top and side, which indicate how many consecutive squares need to be filled in each row and column. The goal is to fill in the grid according to these clues to reveal a hidden picture. Solving Nonograms requires careful thought and patience, as you use the numbers to figure out which squares to fill and which to leave blank. It’s a wonderful way to engage your mind and enjoy the satisfaction of uncovering a beautiful image as you work through each puzzle.
Word Games
Word games often involve creating, finding or guessing words, which can help improve your vocabulary, spelling and cognitive skills. Some great word games for seniors include:
16. Boggle
Boggle is a fun and rewarding word game that challenges your ability to spot words within a jumble of letters. The goal is to discover words by linking letters horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Each valid word earns you points. Boggle encourages quick thinking, which can enhance cognitive skills among seniors.
17. Bananagrams
In this game, each player races to create their own crossword grid using a set of letter tiles. Unlike most word games for seniors, there’s no board — just a pile of tiles that you draw from to build words as quickly as you can. The goal is to use all your tiles to form a complete and interconnected grid of words.
18. Upwords
Players create words on a grid by placing letter tiles, similar to Scrabble, but with the added element of stacking tiles to build words vertically as well as horizontally. This adds a competitive element to the game, as you need to think about how your moves will affect both your score and your opponents’ opportunities.
19. Scattergories
Scattergories challenges your thinking and quick reflexes, making it great for family gatherings or game nights with friends. In this game, players are given a list of categories and a letter of the alphabet. The objective is to come up with a word for each category that starts with the given letter, all within a set time limit. For example, if the letter is “B” and the category is “Fruits,” you might write down “Banana.” The unique aspect of Scattergories is that you score points only for answers that are unique to you, meaning you need to think of responses that others might not have thought of.
20. Hangman
Hangman is a classic and simple word game that’s both entertaining and a great exercise for your brain. In Hangman, one player thinks of a word or phrase and the other player tries to guess it by suggesting letters, one at a time. For each incorrect guess, a part of a stick figure is drawn, and the goal is to guess the word before the figure is fully drawn.
Outdoor Games
Outdoor games are a fantastic way to enjoy the fresh air, stimulate the brain and have fun with friends and family. Here a few cool outdoor games for seniors you can try:
21. Bocce Ball
Bocce ball is a delightful and engaging outdoor game that combines skill and strategy with a relaxed pace. Played on a rectangular court or open space, the game involves two teams, each taking turns throwing their bocce balls towards a smaller target ball, known as the “pallino.” Players score points based on how close their balls are to the pallino compared to the opposing team’s balls.
22. Horseshoes
Horseshoes is a classic outdoor game that’s both fun and simple to play, making it perfect for gatherings and casual competitions. The game involves two players or teams, each taking turns to throw metal horseshoes at a stake planted in the ground. The goal is to get the horseshoe to land around the stake or as close to it as possible. Points are scored based on how well the horseshoes land. The game continues over a set number of rounds or until a predetermined score is reached.
23. Croquet
Played on a grass lawn, croquet involves hitting wooden or plastic balls through a series of small hoops using a mallet. The objective is to navigate your ball through the hoops in a specific sequence and then hit a final stake to win.
24. Lawn Bowling
Lawn Bowling is similar to Bocce Ball, but less formal. The player who gets the ball closest to the jack first wins! Unlike traditional bowling, where the balls are evenly weighted, lawn bowls have a bias, meaning they curve as they roll. This adds a layer of complexity, as players must carefully consider the direction and distance of their throws.
25. Shuffleboard
This game involves two players or teams, each taking turns sliding their pucks down the court and landing them in specific scoring areas. Points are awarded based on the position of your pucks relative to the scoring areas and any pucks that remain on the board at the end of each round.
Dice Games
Dice games are quick and easy to set up, and they can be played with minimal equipment, making them perfect for game nights with loved ones or quick play sessions. Here are a few dice games you can enjoy:
26. Farkle
Farkle is a lively and engaging dice game in which players take turns rolling six dice to try to achieve specific scoring combinations to earn points. The catch is that if you don’t roll any scoring dice, you lose the points for that turn. The game continues as players accumulate points over several rounds, with the goal of reaching a predetermined score to win.
27. Liar’s Dice
Liar’s Dice is a game of bluffing and guessing that involves players rolling dice in secret, then making bids about the total number of dice showing a particular face value across all players. A player can either raise the bid, challenge the previous bid or pass. If a bid is challenged, all dice are revealed, and if the bid is accurate, the challenger loses. If the bid is incorrect, the bidder loses. The game continues until only one player remains, and that player is declared the winner.
28. Qwixx
Qwixx is a delightful and easy-to-learn dice game that brings excitement to any game night. Players roll dice and mark off numbers on the score sheet. The more numbers you mark, the higher your score!
Classic Video Games
Classic video games can be a wonderful way for seniors to enjoy some nostalgic fun while also engaging their minds. Here are some great options worth trying:
29. Tetris
Tetris is a timeless classic that offers both fun and mental stimulation. In this iconic puzzle game, players arrange falling geometric shapes to create complete lines across the game board. As lines are completed, they disappear, and the player earns points. The game speeds up as you progress, making it more challenging to form complete lines.
30. Pac-Man
Pac-Man provides a wonderful way to enjoy some nostalgic fun. The goal is to safely guide Pac-Man through a maze and earn as many points as possible without getting caught by the ghosts. Pac-Man offers a fun mix of strategy and reflexes, as you plan your path through the maze and make quick decisions to avoid the ghosts.
Social Games
Social games are designed to be fun and inclusive, making them ideal for creating memorable moments and strengthening connections with others. Here are few options worth trying:
31. Bingo
Bingo is a classic and enjoyable game that’s perfect for bringing people together in a fun and relaxed setting. In Bingo, each player has a card with a grid of numbers. As the caller announces numbers randomly drawn from a pool, players mark the corresponding numbers on their cards. The goal is to complete a specific pattern, such as a row or column, and be the first to call out “Bingo!” to win.
32. Charades
In Charades, players take turns acting out a word or phrase without speaking, while others try to guess what it is based on the actions. The goal is to correctly identify as many words or phrases as possible within a time limit. The exaggerated actions and enthusiastic guesses often lead to hilarious moments, making Charades a fantastic way to share fun and laughter.
33. Pictionary
Players take turns drawing a word or phrase from a given category while their teammates try to guess what it is based on the sketch. The catch is that you can’t use letters or numbers in your drawings — just your artistic skills and imagination. The goal is to guess the word or phrase correctly within a time limit to earn points. Pictionary is best enjoyed in teams, making it perfect for family gatherings, parties or casual get-togethers.
Fun-Filled Living With StoryPoint Group Communities
At StoryPoint Group communities, we believe your journey through the golden years is about more than just aging — it’s about thriving, growing and savoring every precious moment. Each of our communities features a fun-filled activity calendar, packed with a wide variety of delightful and enriching activities for seniors that don’t just pass time but help you enjoy each day to the fullest.
To find out what it’s like to live with us, or just say hello, give us a call today at 1-844-275-9990 or schedule a tour of a community near your location. We can’t wait to get to know you!
