We are constantly on the search for new activities that are fun as well as sneakily educational for our kids. Playing London board games is a great way to introduce kids to the city and its history and landmarks. From the amazing wonders at the British Museum to the Royal history of Buckingham Palace, there is so much to learn. With these games, your kids will soon be familiar with London’s hotspots!
London Board Games at a Glance
- Paddington’s London Board Game: Great introduction to London for the youngest ones.
- Monopoly: Classic London: The classic board game, launched in 1936 and still going strong.
- Monopoly: London Underground: A must-have for all the tube-nerds out there.
- The London Board Game: Race around London by tube in this competitive game.
- Ticket to Ride: A beautifully designed board game taking you back to the groovy 70s.
- Scotland Yard: You’ll need to work together to find out who the culprit is.
- Mind the Gap (Card Game): Simple and straight forward great for the youngest in the family.
- Top Trumps London (Card Game): Have fun while learning basic stats about London’s landmarks.
We love playing card and board games bringing the family together around the table, spending quality time together. From the list of games that we have picked for our list, there should be something for the whole family to enjoy. Learning how to win or lose graciously is not always that easy though, so we try to play games that require a combination of cooperation and competition! Not everyone enjoys board games, so we also included two London card games. Simple card games can be easier for the youngest children to get into, and they are also great to bring when travelling. We’ve sorted all the games by recommended age.
1. Paddington’s London Board Game for Families
Suitable for: Best for children age 5-11 years old
School stage: KS1- KS2
Number of game players: 2-4
Paddington Adventures Game on Amazon
One of London’s most famous fictional characters, Paddington Bear has been loved by generations of children since the first children’s book came out in 1958. With the successful children’s movies Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017), the fussy little bear has become more popular than ever in recent years.
We got this Paddington game for Christmas and it’s been a family favourite that we’ve enjoyed playing on a regular basis. As a family game that is fairly easy to understand and quick to play, also for young kids. You roll the dice while wandering through Central London with Paddington and taking selfies in front of famous hotspots. You get marmalade wild cards thrown in to help or hinder your progress.
The game is also educational as the players will get familiar with several of London’s iconic landmarks, museums and means of transportation using double-decker Routemaster buses and Hackney-Carriages navigating around the streets of London. Kids will get familiar with famous buildings like the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, St Pauls Cathedral and the Palace of Westminster.
2. Monopoly: Classic London Version
Suitable for: Great for adults as well as children 8 years and older
School stage: KS3- KS4
Number of game players: 2-4
Victor Watson of Waddington Limited got the UK license in 1935 and launched just a year after the original version kicked off in the US. Except for property values not much has changed since the original version, and you’ll still be able to find all the familiar London street names like Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond street. Check our full review of the UK Monopoly version.
3. Monopoly: London Underground Version
Suitable for: Great for adults as well as children 8 years and older
School stage: KS3- KS4
Number of game players: 2-4
London Underground was the worlds first metro system constructed in the 19th century. Transporting millions of commuters in and out of London every day, Londoners have a love-hate relationship with the Tube. The same thing can be said about the timeless game of Monopoly, with many remembering dreadfully long gaming sessions in their childhood ending in quarrels and tears.
If you’re a bit of a tube nerd enjoying taking London Underground Quizzes, this is probably a good London board game for you. You’ll be able to build your own vast property empire of tube stations and travel around London on the underground network. The board game has been designed using original colours, fonts and branding making the game feel authentic as you stop at the familiar stations racing towards the top.
4. The London Board Game
Suitable for: Great for children 7-14 years old
School stage: KS2- KS4
Number of game players: 2-6
Another London board game focused on the transportation network. Great for train and tube nerds and everyone else enjoying the complexity and history of London’s Tube. A lot quicker to play than the elaborate Monopoly Underground game, it’ll usually take you less than 30 minutes to finish a session with 2-3 players.
The basic game concept is about trying to be the first commuter to travel to each of your London hotspots and then getting back to the start station. Watch out for station closures and hazards. This is a London family board game where the competitive and uncompetitive can play together, as the outcome if very much based on luck and chance!
5. Ticket to Ride: London Board Game
Suitable for: Great for adults as well as children 8 years and older
School stage: KS3- KS4
Number of game players: 2-4
Ever wanted to experience London in the 70s? Here’s your chance to step back in time and get groovy, baby! In the “Tickets to Ride” board game, players race one another to claim the most important bus lines and complete their Destination Tickets, connecting the different districts in London.
Once you have completed your routes, you can hunt for additional routes. The game ends when you run out of your coloured trains. A great London board game for school-age kids as well as adults that takes about 60-90 minutes to play. After playing this game, our visits to London Transport Museum became even more interesting!
6. Scotland Yard Family Strategy Board Game
Suitable for: Great for adults as well as children 8 years and older
School stage: KS3- KS4
Number of game players: 3-4
Another favourite London board game! You have to team up with each other to create a strategy to outwit the person on the run (the dangerous criminal Mr X ). It becomes very strategic and you need to pay attention to the other players as you move through the game.
Playing with young kids, you can use “beginner rules” to make the game a bit less complex and easier to understand as you’re only using a bus or taxi to get around London. In the first few rounds, it’s a good idea for the grown-ups to be Mr X, so the kids have time to get confident in how the game works.
7. Mind the Gap Card Game
Suitable for: Children age 3+
School stage: KS1- KS4
Number of game players: 2+
Another London game based on the Underground network. This is a great family card game making it easier for kids to get familiar with London’s tube network. It encourages reading and tactical thinking and is small and portable. The concept is the same as UNO, using the colours of the stations/tube-lines and few extra cards that can help you win. If you’re planning a trip to the London Transport Museum, this is a great game to play with your kids before going.
8. Top Trumps London Cards Game: 30 Things to See
Suitable for: Best for children age 6-11 years old
School stage: KS1- KS2
Number of game players: 2-4
When I was a kid, the trumps cardgames were mostly about cars, planes and tanks. Today you’ll find trumps cards covering all types of topics, and chances are high you’ll find something to match your kids’ interests. We really like the Top Trumps London version because they’re focusing on classic London landmarks and essential facts like when the buildings were constructed and how popular they are in terms of “Global Icon Rating”. Here are some of the landmarks covered by this London cardgame:
- Tower Bridge
- British Museum
- Tower of London
- Buckingham Palace
- The Shard
The strengths of each card are based on the following statistics:
- Time to walk
- Annual Visitors
- Year Established
- Entry Fee
- Global Icon
The game is all about figuring out the strongest feature of each landmark relative to your opponents’ cards. If you have the best statistic you’ll win all the cards in the round, and if you collect the most cards you’ll become “Top Trump”. As a family game, it works best for primary school-age children that have started to learn numbers and letters. It can be fun for younger kids as well, but they’ll need help reading the statistics on the cards.
If your kids are learning about London in school, or you’re preparing to visit the city this can be a fun and educational game to play. Keep the cards in the backpack and play it on the train or the plane while travelling for your next visit to London!