For those lazy days of summer when you wish you were sitting near the ocean or a lake, what’s the next best thing? Playing a game that reminds you of the beach, of course! As luck would have it, I have recommendations for ages 8+ and 14+ with different levels of complexity and playtimes. If you have any questions about any of these, feel free to drop me an email at marsha@rainbowresource.com.
Seaside | Randolph Games
Ages 8+
Seaside by Randolph Games comes with a sturdy bag to hold the 70 wooden tokens that depict items found in the sea and on the seashore. If you do happen to travel this summer, you can just grab the game bag and head out on your trip, as its portability, size, and easy-to-learn rules make it perfect to bring with you anywhere! The goal of Seaside is to properly place tokens either on land or in the sea, collect items from the sea, make homes for them on land, and earn enough points to win! Play either solo or with up to 5 people with a 20-minute play time.
Shallow Sea | Bad Comet Games
Ages 14+
Bad Comet Games published Shallow Sea in 2025 and it quickly became a favorite for my family! The Great Barrier Reef is the beautiful setting in which you choose from 5 different colored fish tokens each turn and pair them with the coral tiles they need to cultivate their chosen environments. At the same time, create oceans in patterns to meet public goals as well as individual goals you choose during the game. The person with the most points from goals and completed coral environments wins the game! For 1-4 players with a 30-45 minute play time.
Sea Salt & Paper | Pandasaurus Games
Ages 8+
What a clever card game this is for family and friends to enjoy around the table at home or on vacation! With its origami-themed artwork, Sea Salt & Paper by Pandasaurus Games is a unique 2–4 player card game where players to collect different types of cards that work together to earn points over several rounds until a specific number of points are scored by any one player. The person with the most points wins! This game’s small box makes it easy to pack up for travel, it is easy to teach, and its two expansions (Extra Salt and Extra Pepper) add more variety with new cards and goals.
Boonlake | Capstone Games
Ages 14+
Boonlake is an action-selection, card-driven, tile-laying, area-control, and resource-management game from Capstone Games. In this game, you will explore, breed cattle, develop land, and build to improve the lives of others in the community. Players compete to earn the most points over two rounds of play. These rounds are punctuated with scoring breaks that take place halfway through and at the end of each round. This game is in my collection to stay and is perfect for older kids, adults, and friends who enjoy something a bit “meatier.” For 1-4 players with an 80-160 minute play time.
Have fun!
There are so many great games being published year after year with all different age levels, difficulties, and game times. Whether you have a staycation planned this summer or you are going to the seaside, lake, mountains, or woods, there are board games to match your mood, surroundings, age, and interests. Vacation can be a time to renew your interests, and I hope you will enjoy some of these board games as much as I do. Have a great summer!
