Strangest Board Games for Kids Ever: Fun Picks for Weird Play

Long before video and computer games captured kids’ attention, board games dominated playtime—and many still do. Some were designed to reflect the trends of their era, others to teach lessons, and a few were simply strange in theme or gameplay. Below are some of the weirdest and most memorable board games for kids, described in clear, engaging English while preserving the original HTML structure and headings.

26. Mall Madness

Manufacturer: Milton Bradley

Year launched: 1987

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: Centered on teen shopping culture, Mall Madness gives each player $200 and uses a spinner and an electronic device to navigate a mall to shop. Players race to spend all their money first. The original board folded open from a cassette-shaped case. While malls are less central today, the game’s social shopping vibe—hanging out with friends in the food court—remains nostalgic.

25. Masterpiece

Manufacturer: Parker Brothers

Year launched: 1970

Still available: No

Bottom line: Masterpiece simulated an art auction where players bid on famous paintings while trying to avoid forgeries. Each player had a backstory explaining how they entered the art world—often with shady implications geared more toward adults. Despite that, the game introduced many children to classic art and the idea of collecting and valuing masterpieces.

24. Mr. T Game

Manufacturer: Milton Bradley

Year launched: 1983

Still available: No

Bottom line: Based on Mr. T’s cartoon persona, players are on his gym team and must complete mundane errands—pick up gym clothes, say goodbye to the mascot, report a crime—and still make it to the airport on time. The first player to catch their flight wins.

23. Let’s Be Safe

Manufacturer: Milton Bradley

Year launched: 1986

Still available: No

Bottom line: This safety-themed family game teaches kids about stranger danger, saying no to drugs, and other safety topics through question-and-answer moves across the board. It reflects the 1980s focus on child safety in a somewhat awkward but earnest format.

22. The Game Of Life

Manufacturer: Milton Bradley

Year launched: 1960

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: The Game of Life guides players through major milestones—college, marriage, children, home buying, careers, and retirement—rewarding those who accumulate the most assets. The game even includes stress and health tokens, mimicking adult responsibilities in a family-friendly way.

21. Mr. Bacon’s Big Adventure

Manufacturer: Archie McPhee

Year launched: 2009

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: In this whimsical game, players are pieces of bacon traveling through “Meatland,” crossing Mustard Marsh, Wiener Wasteland, and the Sausage Sea. Obstacles like Vegan Alley can send you back to start. The first bacon to reach the Great Frying Pan wins—meaning your character completes its delicious destiny.

20. What Shall I Be? The Exciting Game of Career Girls

Manufacturer: Selchow & Righter

Year launched: 1966

Still available: No

Bottom line: Players collect school, subject, and personality cards to qualify for careers like teacher, stewardess, actress, nurse, model, or ballet dancer. While common in the 1960s, the game’s limited career options now highlight how much opportunities for women have expanded since then.

19. Lie, Cheat & Steal

Manufacturer: Reiss

Year launched: 1971

Still available: No

Bottom line: Released during the Nixon era, this game teaches kids the darker side of politics. Players compete for election by resorting to tactics like buying votes, libel, and backdoor deals—an intentionally cynical and satirical take on political maneuvering.

18. Uranium Rush

Manufacturer: Gardner & Co.

Year launched: 1955

Still available: No

Bottom line: Reflecting 1950s enthusiasm for nuclear power, Uranium Rush had players mine radioactive material. An electric Geiger counter in the set buzzed when uranium was found. Players sold their finds for profit—just remember your imaginary protective suit.

17. Don’t Wake Daddy

Manufacturer: Milton Bradley

Year launched: 1992

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: Players sneak around the board late at night trying not to wake a sleeping dad. Land on the wrong space and a spring-loaded daddy may pop out of bed—much to the player’s dismay. It’s a suspenseful family game built on a simple, funny premise.

16. The Sinking of the Titanic

Manufacturer: Ideal

Year launched: 1975

Still available: No

Bottom line: In this unusual premise, players race to rescue passengers as the Titanic sinks, then ensure their survivors have food and water on a tropical island—odd given the real tragedy occurred in the North Atlantic. The game mixes tense timing with an uncomfortable subject matter, making it a strange relic of its time.

15. Offshore Oil Strike

Manufacturer: Printabox Limited

Year launched: 1973

Still available: No

Bottom line: Players represent oil companies like BP or Chevron, building offshore platforms and laying pipelines while facing storms and other setbacks. The first to accumulate $120,000,000 wins—a theme that reflects the era’s fascination with big industry and resource exploitation.

14. Pie Face

Manufacturer: Hasbro

Year launched: N/A

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: Simple and physical: players place their head in a device holding a sponge loaded with shaving cream. As play progresses, someone will get creamed. Avoiding the pie earns bragging rights—the game is a playful, slightly mischievous family favorite.

13. Unexploded Cow

Manufacturer: Cheapass Games

Year launched: 2001

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: A darkly humorous card game where players try to move their cows—afflicted by mad cow disease—from England to France while avoiding land mines. The winner is the player whose herd survives both disease and explosive hazards.

12. Bigfoot The Giant Snow Monster

Manufacturer: Milton Bradley

Year launched: 1977

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: Players are prospectors in Alaska seeking gold while avoiding the legendary Bigfoot. Any encounter with the giant ape-man eliminates a player; the last player standing wins. The game mixes cryptid lore with a classic elimination-style mechanic—though it muddles Bigfoot and yeti tropes.

11. The Bermuda Triangle

Manufacturer: Milton Bradley

Year launched: 1975

Still available: No

Bottom line: Players steer cargo ships to deliver goods at the most profitable times. A supernatural element—the Bermuda Triangle—is represented on the board by a plastic cloud with magnets that can pick up or destroy ships, adding a mysterious hazard to logistics gameplay.

10. Payday

Manufacturer: Parker Bros

Year launched: 1975

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: Simulating adult finances, Payday has players manage expenses across monthly calendars. The player with the most money and least debt after the set period wins—a gentle introduction to budget planning and the realities of bills.

9. Town Dump

Manufacturer: Milton Bradley

Year launched: 1977

Still available: No

Bottom line: Players clean up garbage by moving pieces into a town dump, racing to clear their area first. The game includes a motorized bulldozer for dramatic trash-moving action—an oddly specific but entertaining premise.

8. Breaker 19: The CB Truckers Game

Manufacturer: Milton Bradley

Year launched: 1976

Still available: No

Bottom line: Inspired by 1970s CB radio culture, players deliver loads across the board and must complete two deliveries plus pay to keep their truck. The box includes a glossary of CB slang and a code signal list—fun retro flavor, though it can slow down the action.

7. Squatter

Manufacturer: Jedko Games

Year launched: 1960

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: Popular in Australia, Squatter is a sheep-farming strategy game. Players start with 3,000 sheep and aim to reach 6,000 by improving their station, buying land, and surviving setbacks like predators and failed plans. It’s a niche but well-crafted rural simulation.

6. NBC: TV News Game

Manufacturer: Dadan Inc.

Year launched: 1962

Still available: No

Bottom line: Essentially a trivia game focused on geography and current events, it’s notable mostly for featuring NBC News anchor Chet Huntley’s likeness despite offering little in the way of actual “newsroom” gameplay.

5. Doggie Doo

Manufacturer: Goliath Games

Year launched: 2009

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: In this silly family game, players feed a toy dog and wait for it to do its business. Clean up the droppings to earn “fart tokens”; the first player to collect three wins. Sound effects add to the absurd, gross-out fun.

4. Flushin’ Frenzy

Manufacturer: Mattel

Year launched: 2018

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: A toilet-themed game where players plunge to clear a clog. If the clog doesn’t go down, a brown object can fly out—and players must catch it with their bare hands to earn tokens. Catching it mid-air yields extra reward. It’s a gross-but-hilarious party game.

3. Vanilla Ice Electronic Rap Game

Manufacturer: International Games

Year launched: 1991

Still available: No

Bottom line: This one-hit-wonder tie-in had players complete rhyming card lines and perform the lyrics to beats from an included electronic beatbox. The top scorer had to rap the entire board at the end—a pop-culture time capsule from the early ’90s.

2. Murder, She Wrote

Manufacturer: Warren Company

Year launched: 1985

Still available: No

Bottom line: A mystery game modeled after Clue for fans of the TV series. One player is the murderer while other players act as detectives. If the murderer eliminates five witnesses and escapes, they win; if a detective identifies the killer first, the detective wins—a cozy mystery experience suitable for fans and families who enjoy whodunits.

1. Pit

Manufacturer: Parker Brothers

Year launched: 1903

Still available: Yes

Bottom line: One of the oldest games on this list, Pit simulates commodity trading on a fast-paced floor where there are no turns—everyone trades at once. Players aim to collect nine identical commodity cards; rounds score points equal to the commodity value and the first to reach the target wins. Invented by Edgar Cayce, it’s a timeless, high-energy game that captures the chaos of the trading pit.

These games span more than a century of design—some educational, some topical, and some delightfully odd. They show how board games can capture the cultural moments, fads, and quirky imaginations of their creators while offering players of all ages memorable and sometimes bizarre play experiences.