16 Board Games That Started Fights in Every Household
These board games were supposed to bring people together but somehow always tore families apart.
- Daisy Montero
- 4 min read
Every family has that one board game that caused more shouting matches than laughs. These games were designed for fun, but they somehow became battlegrounds for grudges, alliances, and dramatic walkouts. If you’ve ever stormed off during game night, chances are one of these classics was involved.
1. Monopoly
Jorge Franganillo on Wikimedia Commons
No game triggers power struggles like Monopoly. One minute you’re building hotels, the next, you’re fighting over unpaid rent and accusing your cousin of stealing from the bank. Game night usually ends with the board flipped and someone storming off.
2. Uno
MW on Wikimedia Commons
The moment someone drops a Wild Draw Four, it feels personal. Accusations fly, alliances crumble, and everyone argues over the rules. No one ever agrees on stacking cards, and friendships take a hit.
3. Risk
Document02 on Wikimedia Commons
Risk turns your living room into a battlefield where betrayals are expected. Taking over continents becomes more important than family bonds. Someone always takes it too seriously and refuses to speak to anyone for hours.
4. Sorry!: But No One Ever Was
myguitarzz on Flickr on Wikimedia Commons
There’s nothing sorrier than sending someone back to start right before they reach home. Everyone says “sorry” but no one ever means it. The passive-aggressive tone makes it even worse.
5. Clue
Pete from Liverpool, UK on Wikimedia Commons
Clue is less about solving a murder and more about accusing everyone of lying. You spend half the time second-guessing your closest relatives. Even if you win, someone is bound to say you cheated.
6. Jenga
Guma89 on Wikimedia Commons
Every block pulled is a group effort until it all comes crashing down. Then suddenly it’s all your fault, even though everyone was cheering you on. It is the quietest game that ends with the loudest crash.
7. Scrabble
thebarrowboy on Wikimedia Commons
Scrabble has ruined friendships over questionable words. Someone always pulls out a dictionary mid-game just to prove a point. The quiet tension builds until someone challenges “QI” for the third time.
8. Connect Four
Popperipopp on Wikimedia Commons
Connect Four looks innocent but breeds competition fast. Players go quiet as they try to outsmart each other. When someone misses a winning move, they replay the moment in their head for days.
9. Battleship
US Navy on Wikimedia Commons
Battleship sounds strategic until someone hits your aircraft carrier three times in a row. That’s when accusations of cheating start. The salty tone of “You sank my battleship!” never sounds lighthearted.
10. The Game of Life
松岡明芳 on Wikimedia Commons
The Game of Life gets weirdly personal. Suddenly you’re arguing over fake salaries and why someone skipped college and still won. It becomes a full-on debate about real-life choices.
11. Trouble
Mliu92 on Wikimedia Commons
That loud pop sounds fun until someone sends your piece back to start. Trouble lives up to its name by igniting petty revenge rounds. Even the clicking sound becomes annoying after 10 minutes.
12. Twister
Mathieu BROSSAIS on Wikimedia Commons
Twister brings everyone together in the most uncomfortable way. Arguments start when someone cheats and lifts a foot, or worse, collapses the whole pile. Someone always blames the spin.
13. Guess Who?
RCA Victor on Wikimedia Commons
Guess Who? starts out innocent but quickly turns into a weird roast. Asking if someone looks “suspicious” or “like they lie” never ends well. People start to take the questions way too seriously.
14. Catan
Cmglee on Wikimedia Commons
Catan starts as friendly trade, then becomes a bartering war. Someone always hoards resources and refuses to deal, and things spiral fast. Settling the island becomes less fun and more personal.
15. Pictionary
Guillaume Capron from Issy les Moulineaux, France on Wikimedia Commons
No one ever draws well under pressure. Teammates yell, timers tick down, and someone always insists their blob looks like a toaster. It becomes more shouting than sketching.
16. Charades
![E, I. [author] on Wikimedia Commons](https://cdn.ohmypaws.net/b8a3466c-bc8c-4fef-b259-f9fd10ff649a.webp)
E, I. [author] on Wikimedia Commons
Charades always end in shouting and flailing. When someone cannot guess “Titanic” after five minutes, the whole team melts down. You learn quickly who folds under pressure.