While I was growing up, my family played a LOT of traditional German Games. Games like Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht, Mühle, Schwarzer Peter and Quartet. My Oma was part of a Doppelkopf group, and Dad loved Skat. We would play Stadt Land Fluß in the car to pass the time. Today, Board Games are undergoing a Renaissance of sorts. Newer, better, more complex, and more exciting games are always being developed, with many of the best coming from Germany, where the prestigious Spiel des Jahres prize is announced yearly. More games are purchased in Germany, per capita, than in any other country! Still, the traditional German games we kids played with our parents or our Omas and Opas are timeless fun and a great way to pull kids away from electronics. So take your old Halma game out of the closet, dust off your old Memory set, or set up a game of Fang den Hut and reboot the family tradition of playing German games.
How Did Games Become Such an Important Part of German Culture?
Why board games? Playing games in Germany is not just child’s play. The Ravensburger company has been producing high-quality puzzles and games since the 1930s. Then, in the post-war era, board games were promoted as wholesome activities that encouraged creativity and were much better for brain development and interaction than television or war games. It is not unusual for German families to pull out a game after the evening meal or when they have friends visiting and just play. Games like Carcassonne or Settlers of Catan allow you to create something… with the help of other players… without engaging in battle or war. (In fact, a rule about Carcassonne that I love to point out to my aggressive gamer friends explains that the group should make the best decision about where tiles should be placed.)
Since there isn’t just one national game (like chess in Russia), different and interesting games developed to keep up with the demand for more. Some people compare the game market in Germany to the Book Market in other countries. There is even a HUGE game fair in Essen where thousands go each year to see the newest Board Games that are coming to market. Newspapers also contain reviews of board games alongside book reviews. The prestigious Spiel des Jahres nominations and annual awards for the best board game of the year are a great way to weed through the vast numbers of new games and discover new ones for your family to enjoy.
Try it! Turn off the TV, put aside the phone, pack away the electronic games… and pull out a Traditional board gamer, or a modern Spiel des Jahres winner. Who knows, it could become a habit. It has for my family.
Traditional German Games
It might be easier to break the games into groups, such as traditional German games with and without boards, German card games, and games with paper and pencil. I also listed a few newer board games already gaining “classic” status.
(Tip- buying the games in a “Collection” is less expensive than buying them individually!)
Traditional German Games with boards
Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht
The granddaddy of all German games, Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht, celebrates its 110th Birthday in 2024! You will find this in every German Game cabinet, and EVERYONE has a story about playing this game for hours with their friends, Oma, Opa, mother, father, brother, sister, or classmates. Similar to Aggravation or Trouble… this is a simple-ish game of rolling dice and moving your colored pieces around the board to get them safely home. HOWEVER! If you land on an opponent’s piece before making it around the board, they get sent back to the beginning. Causing much ÄRGER!! This fun game has a lot of replay value. It’s simple enough for young kids to understand and engaging enough for more mature players. I love it because the WHOLE family can play.
Mensch argere Dich nicht by Schmidt Spiele
You can also order the games from Germany on Amazon.de. Even with shipping, it’s cheaper.
Schmidt Spiele 49330 Classic Line, Mensch ärgere Dich Nicht, mit extra großen Spielfiguren aus HolAMAZON.DESchmidt Spiele 51204 Mensch ärgere Dich Nicht, Bring Mich mit Spiel in der Metalldose, BuntAMAZON.DE
Malefitz – Blockade
This game can be fraught with aggravation. Players race their pieces along paths according to the dice roll to get all 5 to the end. The “blockade” slows things down. Certain spots along the way MUST be landed on with an exact die roll. Frustration and fun. The game is simple to learn, fun to play and is all on the roll of the die.
Barricade blockade dice game Knobelholz.de
Barricade
Mühle (Nine Man Morris)
Mühle in German is Mill, but that doesn’t have anything to do with this game known as 9 Man Morris in English. The game is simple to learn, but there can be some serious strategy. The board is laid out with 3 squares (one inside the other) and connecting lines. Each player starts by placing 9 stones on the board at intersections. Movement slides along the line to the next corner or intersection. The object is to get three of your stones in a row. Every time you do, the opposing player loses one of their stones. Play goes until one color is down to 2 stones.
Ravensburger 20545 – Classic Compact: Mühle & Dame, Gift Game for 2 Players, from 8 Years, Compact Format, Travel Game, ClassicNine Mens Morris – Strategy game from ancient Rome. Premium version made in USA
Watch it played-
(note, 9 Man Morris is the English name for the game, rules are the same
Halma (Chinese Checkers)
Halma is just the German name for Chinese Checkers… I like the Playing Piece version because it doesn’t have a bunch of marbles that roll all over the floor whenever you bump the board. (Yes, you can also get a marble version) It’s a simple game… basically, you try to get all of the pieces with YOUR color across the board to the opposite triangle before your opponents do. You can speed up by jumping over other pieces, and if you are very clever, you can set up a chain with multiple jumps! Since it’s playable with 2 to 6 people, everyone in the family can play at once.
One of the sets comes with Ludo or Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht on the back.
Yellow Mountain Imports 2-in-1 Reversible Ludo and Chinese Checkers Halma Wood and Glass Marble Game Set – 12-InchYellow Mountain Imports Wooden Chinese Checkers Halma Board Game Set – 13.6-Inch – with 60 Colored Petal-Style Glass Marbles (14mm) – Classic Strategy Game
Fang den Hut (Trap the Cap)
Fang den Hut was first produced by Otto Maier Verlag in 1927, and, since that time, has spun off versions around the world. It’s a gotcha game that we LOVED to play when we were kids (and we also loved putting the little caps on our fingers to pretend we were witches…. so, TWICE the fun!). Everyone is assigned a color and 4 pointy little hats (they look like cones). You roll the dice and move one of your hats, trying to land on another person’s hat. If you do, it is captured. Get the hat back to home base before they capture it back! The winner is the last person with hats still traveling around the board. Alternatively, the winner is the one who captures the most hats.
Play with 2 to 6 people (it’s best with 3 or more). Anyone who can roll a die and count can play Fang den Hut.
Spitz Pass Auf!
Spitz Pass Auf can get LOUD (probably best not to play while Opa is having his nap). Each player is assigned a little piece that’s attached to a string. One player is given a cup… and another a die (you need at least 3 to play). When a 1 or 6 is rolled, the player with the cup tries to catch the little pieces before they are yanked away by their string. Points are awarded, and roles are rotated. You need great hand-eye coordination to be successful. It’s a fun and active game!
Schmidt Spiele 40531 Spitz Pass auf, Kinderspiel, buntAmazon.DE
Spielesammlung! Get all the Games at Once (YOUR BEST OPTION!)
We had a box like this when I was growing up. Loads of games in one big box. My mother kept it tucked away, and we would only use it when traveling. This way, we could take a lot of games along in one condensed space. (She kept it safe, so we didn’t arrive somewhere miles from home and realize that my sister or I had “played” with the pieces and left some behind). Mikado, Mühle, Dame and Mensch Ärgere dich Nicht ALL IN ONE BOX with MORE!
Merchant Ambassador Classic Games Collection – 100 Game Compendium
Different sets contain different games… but all have a version of Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht
Noris Spiele 606021685 My First Games Compendium
Schmidt Spiele 49147 Game Collection with 100 Playing OptionsAMAZON.DE
Traditional German Games without Boards
These aren’t traditional BOARD Games, but they are popular games non-the-less. They use dice, sticks and/or cardboard pieces. They may be familiar and simple, but they are still very fun.
Mikado
Mikado is a fancy name for Pick-up Sticks. Believe it or not, there are actual RULES and a point system. It’s more than just picking up the stick; some have value, and some can only be picked up a certain way. Those colorful painted parts on the stick are more than just decoration. And I’ll let you in on a family secret… My Uncle Rainer is the reigning world champion of Mikado. (Kidding, he’s just really good and strict about it). It may be a “simple” game, but it’s tough for someone (like me) who lacks coordination. Again, this is a game for anyone in the family… (although one person may have to be appointed to ensure that people don’t get into fist-fights about whether or not a stick was touched or wiggled that shouldn’t be).
Pick Up Sticks Wooden Classic GameDOXISHRUKY Classic Wooden Thin Pick Up Stick Game 41 Pieces Fun Family Game Gift Idea 9.8 Inch LongNeato! 41-Piece Pick-Up Sticks Game
Memory
Some of my earliest game memories are of playing Memory with my mother. She would start us kids off with just a few pairs, and as we got older and better at the game, she would add more pairs. I’m sure you’ve seen this one (or played it as Concentration) with a deck of cards. An array of cardboard card pairs is mixed and laid out in a face-down grid. On your turn, you flip over two cards. If they match, you keep the pair and go again. If not… the turn goes to the next person. Ultimately, the person who found the most pairs is the winner.
The best Memory games have great pictures, and my absolute favorite comes from the Remember company in Germany. I’ve linked them below. The images are beautiful, and the cards are high quality. Best, the boxes to store them are also high quality, some even with magnetic seals. These are games that you will love to keep out.
Still, any set with distinct pictures will do fine (avoid the ones made for children with the same cartoon character doing different things on them… it’s confusing and irritating).
Ravensburger Junior Memory® Game | Engaging Picture Matching Game | Enhances Memory & Matching Skills | Suitable for Kids Ages 3 and Up | Quality AssuredeeBoo: Life on Earth, Memory & Matching Game, Developmental and Educational, 24 Pairs to Match, Single or Multiplayer Function, for Ages 3 and up
Remember Memory Gedächtnisspiel Signale – 44 farbenfrohe Bildpaare (88 Karten)AMAZON.DE
Kniffel (aka. Yahtzee)
My mother loves this game… but in our house we just played the American Yahtzee version (maybe because we played often, and it was easier to get replacement blocks in English?) Roll the dice, and try to get certain combinations; All 2’s, Full House, Straight, 3 of a Kind, or all of one number! Keep track, build your score and win. There’s even an App, so you can play online.
New Classics Destined to become Traditional German Games
These games have been on the market for a few years and are on the shelves in many German households. Why? Because they are GREAT FAMILY GAMES! Why not give them a try today? Who knows, you might find a new Favorite!
Zug um Zug- Ticket to Ride
Making train routes across the US or Europe may seem like something other than that exciting, but when you are competing with others to collect the right cards… and keep them from using your routes, it’s a blast. I taught my kids to play when they were 8, but I enjoy playing the game with adults, too. Over the years, many different editions of the game with different maps and fun variations that change the game slightly, including a special (highly collectible and expensive) Marklin train edition… but I love the original. There’s even a new “easier” edition called My First Ticket to Ride, for younger players.
Ticket to Ride First Journey Board Game – Fun and Easy for Young Explorers! Train Strategy Game, Family Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 6+, 2-4 Players, 15-30 Min Playtime, Made by Days of WonderTicket to Ride Board Game – A Cross-Country Train Adventure for Friends and Family! Strategy Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 8+, 2-5 Players, 30-60 Minute Playtime, Made by Days of Wonder
Labyrinth
This fun maze game was a bit hit with my kids, but it’s also fun for grown ups. Each turn, you are racing your marker through a maze to pick up treasure. The kicker? cards are inserted along the edge CHANGING the maze as you go.
6 Nimmt (6 Takes it)
6 Nimmt is a newer classic, and my mom likes to play with my kids. It’s simple, easy to teach, and brings much laughter around the table. I like that you can expand to play with up to 10 people (so it’s perfect when ALL the kids are visiting). You have a deck of cards numbered 1- 104… each also has some Bull Heads at the top. Shuffle the cards… lay down a vertical row of 4 cards… deal 10 cards to each player (put the rest of the cards aside for now).
Each player now compares the numbers on the row of cards and plays (face down) a number that would be next in the sequence. It doesn’t have to be the next number up, just a number greater than one of the numbers in the sequence. Everyone flips up their face-down card at the same time, and the cards are sorted into place. If your card was the sixth card in the row, you get all the cards and all the points (points are counted by Bull Heads). The fun is trying to force someone else into taking the cards because the winner has the fewest points.
Weirdly, in America, they changed the name to Take 5….. You can still order the original from Germany.
AMIGO Take 5: Two Games in One – U.S. Version of 6 Nimmt! with Take A Number (X Nimmt!) Included, Yellow/RedAmigo 4910 – 6 nimmt!, KartenspielAMAZON.DE
Watch to see how it’s Played
Die Siedler von Catan / Settlers of Catan or Catan
Released in 1995 by Klaus Teuber, Catan has become a worldwide phenomenon! There are competitions all over the globe and enough expansion sets to fill your shelves. But all you need to know is that while it is a bit more complex than most Traditional Games, the basics can be taught fairly easily. Players build settlements, roads, and cities with resources gained from dice rolls. And they are worth points. Resources come from building settlements on new territory. Other players can block you. If you can learn chess, you can play Catan.
I was delighted to discover Catan Jr recently. It’s a simplified version that even young players can enjoy, but it’s not soooo simplified that it’s boring for adults. If you are concerned about jumping into a complicated game, why not start with Jr?
Catan The Board Game, MulticolorCatan Junior
Watch it played
German Card Games
Schwarzer Peter
Schwarzer Peter might be familiar to Americans as Old Maid. The name came from the original way of playing. One card would be marked with blackened cork and be designated the Black Peter. Today, the decks have sets of pairs and one odd card, sometimes a black cat or a chimney sweep. Cards are dealt out evenly, then players take turns drawing from each other. Pairs are matched and kept in a pile. In the end, the player with the black Peter card loses.
This game is a great starting place for young children and a good game to keep your hands occupied while chatting.
Quartett
We played a lot of Quartett in the car because it traveled well. Consider Quartett a version of Go-Fish, but you collect 4 in a group instead of just a pair. You need at least 3 people to play, or you will end up handing cards back and forth. Our set was made of famous people, but you can get sets with almost anything on them, from ponies to footballers.
Newer versions include different rules and variations…
A perfect game for a wide age range.
Ass 22572086 Quartet CatsAss Altenburger 22501548 – Quartet and Action Game Disney’s The Frozen
Länder Europas und Ferne Länder Trumpf Quartett Spiel 2er-Set | Wendels KartenspieleAMAZON.DE
Mau Mau
Mau Mau is almost exactly like Uno, but it’s played with a regular deck of cards. Each player starts with 5 cards; the rest are stacked into a draw pile between them. The top card is revealed. To play a card, you must match the top card’s number or suit. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.
Now… if you are down to only one card, you must say MAU, or you get to pick up more cards! Unless it’s a jack… then it’s Mau Mau.
You only need a regular de
Doppelkopf and Schaffkopf
Doppelkopf was my Oma’s game. She and her friends met every Wednesday for Doppelkopf, and we kids (my cousins and I) WERE NOT ALLOWED TO JOIN THEM. Devastating. In fact, the closest I came was the one time I was allowed to bake a cake for the ladies. My cousin and I were allowed to go in the dining room, greet the women, then LEAVE (and don’t let the door smack us on the way out). So, I’ve honestly never played. This “trick-taking” card game uses a special deck and is very popular in North-Rhine Westfalen.
Similar to Doppelkopf is Schaffkopf, the Bavarian interpretation of the same game. I saw this played at Germanfest in Milwaukee, where it is apparently still quite popular.
Some day, I will sit down and learn to play.
Doppelkopf französisches BildSchafkopf Tarock (Spielkarten)
Skat
Doppelkopf may have been my Oma’s game, but Skat belonged to my dad and his friends. This three-player game is similar to Doppelkopf and Schaffkopf. A trick-taking card game with a special deck. I will have to make my father teach me, and I will share more insight with you then. Meanwhile, here is a video to give you an idea.
Find the instructions HERE–>
There’s eve an online edition, so you can practice
German Games Played on Paper
Stadt Land Fluß
Stadt Land Fluß is a wonderful game that develops your knowledge of geography. Every player gets a piece of paper with the categories of Stadt (City), Land (Country), and Fluß (River) on it. You can also add other categories (like Animal, Job, Food..etc). Then a letter is chosen, and the timer is set. (YES, it is a LOT like Scattergories.)
There are a few ways to play.
One… you only get to write one answer per category and only get points if no one else has it.
Two… you write as many answers per category as you can and get a point for each original answer.
Read more about Stadt Land Fluß HERE–> How to play Stadt Land Fluß
Stadt, Land, Fluss – Der Klassiker
What Other Games did YOU Like to Play?
Can I find “Mensch ärgere Dich nicht” somewhere still?
Just under the description of the game is a link to purchase it.
I would like to sent a origional ‘Mensch aergere Dich ncht’ To my Greatgrandchidren, but I need the game rules in english language.
Look for a “LUDO” game… it’s the English language version. Here is a set containing it–>https://amzn.to/3Ml88Gs
The Mühle rules are a little different. Your aim is to get three stones in a row. Whenever you achieve this, you remove one stone from your opponent. The first player with only two stones left loses.
Ahhh… yes… had it mixed with another game.
I can not find HAU PILA PUP
I am not familiar with that one, can you describe it?
Where can I find the board game “Biene Maja”, it’s like ” Mensch ärgere dich nicht “. My children and parents love to play it together. Would be a nice xmas present.
Is this the right one?–>https://amzn.to/2Lkw0fD
My Oma used to play a draw- on-paper game with me but I rem. very little of it except it had something to do with a tailor. I think a picture of scissors was the body and then buttons maybe for eyes, and I think there was a rhyme that went with it. If anyone knows about it, please enlighten me!
“DAME” is not checkers. It’s a simple version of checkers.
My German parents taught my children a game called Pinkel Topfen. We cannot remember the rules nor can I find it online? Have you ever heard of it?
honestly no… maybe someone will recognize it here
Hello. I am searching for an old german game that i played as a boy while my Father was stationed there around 1984-1989. It was a board game but you built it, there were silos, grain, and hens, and i can’t seem to remember the rest. I believe there were also dice involved. I’ve tried searching everywhere but i wish i could find this game as i have tons of memories playing it while we lived in germany. Oh, we were in Heilbronn if i remember correctly. Thank you!
oh boy… I’m going to have to reach out to my fellow board gamers for this one.
Great to read through, played lots of those as kids at Oma’s. Looking for a wooden game where you raced around a central square and could place white or black 1×2 blocks in front of opponents. Anyone remember the name of it?
This post brought back so many fond memories of playing these games with my own Oma! I love how these traditional games not only bring families together but also keep the culture alive. Can’t wait to introduce these to my kids! Thank you for sharing!