15 Ridiculously Fun + Unique Travel Size RV Games
It’s inevitable, you have a family camping trip planned for the last 6 months and on the second day, it decides to rain.
Worry not!
You can still have a fun time with your family in your RV by playing the best travel size games!
But not just regular games. Fun, exciting and competitive games that will keep you coming back for more (even when your vacay is over).
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite games to travel with perfect for families that are portable and require little storage space.
Keep these games for RV camping handy during family trips and be entertained for hours.
With out further ado, here are the best RV games to play when the weather decides to flop.
Lets go!
You might be wondering, “why do I need to bring games on a camping trip, shouldn’t we be sitting around the camp fire, spending time outdoors?”
Been there, done that.
I was that person. I didn’t want to bring the camper games and it rained (it always seems to rain during a camping trip at least once per year). We were stuck inside the RV and was I mad at myself for leaving the games behind.
But, it doesn’t have to rain for you to want to play games because maybe you just want to kick back and play a round of Skull King after a long hike.
Plus, by late summer, most National Forests are under a strict fire ban, so what better way to spend the evening with friends and family than with your favorite travel games!
And hopefully, you’ll add a few new games to your collection when you are done reading this post.
How We Chose the Best Travel Games
We love playing games on our RV trips! But there are some things to consider before choosing a game.
The best travel game is one that’s easy to take with you (small size and weight), can be played anywhere (portability), and is fun to play over and over (awesomeness factor).
Our List of Must-Have RV Games
This list is full of indoor travel size games that are geared towards adults that don’t take up much space (kids can play some too depending on their age, of course). Plus, at the end I’ve also included some fun games (you’ll actually want to play) that are made specifically for kids!
Deck of Cards
Okay, we’ve got to get this one out of the way.
I know it might seem obvious, but you’ve got to admit, they fit the bill. Not only are they a compact size, and don’t take up much space, but they offer many, many popular games you can play with your friends or family!
Here are a few classic favorites you can try with a simple deck of cards. And then we’ll dive into my top picks for the best travel games (some you’ve probably never even heard of!)
1. Rummy
This is a classic card game because it’s easy to learn how to play and doesn’t require much space.
In this card game, players compete to form matched sets consisting of groups of three or four of a kind, or sequences of three or more cards of the same suit.
The objective of the game is to be the first player to discard all of their cards.
Can you discard wisely to set up melds, or will you end up with nothing?
Gather around the table, shuffle up, and find out!
2. Hearts
Another classic card game, but this time, it’s all about being the player with the lowest score at the end of the game!
The object of the game is to follow suit, the highest card of the suit led wins each trick, so make sure to keep an eye on your opponents’ hands.
But if you’re stuck, go ahead and discard a heart or the queen of spades – but watch out, because those cards will give you points in Hearts! Shoot for the moon and collect all hearts and the Queen of Spades to give your opponents 25 points each – Ouch!
We love playing this strategic game with friends in our RV.
3. Hand and Foot
This is a family favorite card game that we always play when we are having game night at my parent’s house.
This strategic game can be played with 2-6 players and uses 5 or 6 decks of standard playing cards. You can also play with a group and pair up into teams to make the rounds go a bit quicker.
In Hand and Foot, your objective is to be the first to get rid of all of your cards and have the most points by creating books. A book contains 7 cards, where Clean books have no wilds, and dirty books have wilds (2’s and Jokers are wilds).
There are a lot of rules to this game, so head on over to the hand and foot game rules page to learn how to play.
4. Nertz
This fun, fast-paced, and competitive game is perfect for players of all ages, but it can get a little hectic as you are frantically trying to get rid of all your cards.
Deal out thirteen cards each, twelve cards face down and the thirteenth face up on top. Next to this pile, each player deals four cards face-up, with the remaining cards to look through 3 at a time which can be added to the common area in numerical order.
Race against your opponents to stack your cards and be the first to go out!
With quick hands and an even quicker mind, you’ll be able to trump your opponents in no time.
5. Skull King
My absolute favorite game that has ever been created is Skull King by Grandpa Becks.
Seriously, this is one of the best card games because it is so fun and unique, I’ve never played anything like it!
If you know me personally, I have taught everyone I know how to play this game. It’s so entertaining and keeps you on your toes no matter who you play with.
It’s also the perfect RV-friendly card game because it’s nice and small (and comes with its own score sheets).
This trick-taking/bidding game is simple enough for beginners but still provides plenty of challenges and curveballs for experienced players.
This game is played in 10 rounds where the round number is equal to the number of cards you are dealt. For example, in the first round, you get one card, second round, two cards, and so on until you reach 10 cards in your hand on the last round. The player with the highest score wins!
Each round, you must bid the exact number of tricks you predict you will win. With each round, the stakes get higher – but with careful bidding, and a little bit of luck, you’ll be able to keep your own bid afloat while sinking your opponents!
Mermaids, Pirates and the mighty Kraken add excitement and suspense to every round. So gather your friends and enjoy some Skull King fun. (You won’t regret it).
6. Wackee Six
My next favorite family-friendly card game is called Wackee Six. This is the type of card game that will have you and your friends buzzing with excitement!
It’s similar to nerts, but with more colors and fewer cards in your piles.
Wackee Six can be played by 2-6 players and involves racing to run out of cards.
Each player gets their own stack of cards and deals themselves 12 cards, 6 of which are laid face-up on the playing surface. The remaining 6 cards are placed face down.
Players then take turns playing out all 12 of their main cards while playing as many of the remaining cards onto the table in numerical order as possible.
Be the first to play all your cards and you win!
Wackee Six is sure to keep you entertained for hours on end. So grab some friends and get ready to have some wackee fun.
7. Antiquity Quest
Antiquity Quest is another card game by Grandpa Becks that is a spin on the classic card game hand and foot.
In this fantasy game, players are aspiring archaeologists who travel across lands in order to discover artifacts from ancient civilizations’ collections of priceless antiquities.
Your goal is to have the highest score at the end of the game. To do this, you’ll need to use strategy and careful planning. Each player starts with two sets of 10 cards. You’ll pick up one set, called a hand, and play through it. The second set, called a cache, remains face down on the table until you’ve played all of the cards from your hand.
Collect sets of ancient treasures to score the most points and win the game.
8. Five Crowns
Five Crowns is a rummy-style game with a rotating wild card that is a game of luck rather than skill (in my opinion).
Regardless, it’s still a fun family travel card game to play and is perfect for all ages.
This card game is different from your average game of rummy because it has five suits made up of spades, clubs, hearts, diamonds, and stars.
The number of cards dealt in each round increases by one starting with round one where each player is dealt 3 Cards, with the rest of the pile in the middle of the table, flipping one card face up to start the discard pile.
The object of the game is to be the first player to make their hand into a book, run or a combination of each.
The catch is that the wild card changes each round. 3s are wild in the first round, 4s are wild in the next, and so on until the Kings go wild. Make the right combinations and be the first to go out!
9. Phase 10
The Phase 10 Card Game is a game that will keep you entertained for hours. Race your opponents to complete all 10 phases and become the ultimate phase champion!
This game of luck and strategy features 10 different phases, each one more challenging than the last where each player must go complete one phase before moving on to the next. If your opponents beat you to it, they move up a phase and you have to try again. Pick up the right cards and you’ll be one step closer to victory.
With all kinds of tricky combinations, it’s never been more fun (or challenging) to play this RV card game with friends and family.
10. Qwirkle
Qwirkle is the perfect game for families and friends, with simple rules and quick set-up and clean-up. This clever tile-matching game is great for all ages and the travel-size version can be played just about anywhere.
Players take turns placing tiles on the board, trying to create lines of matching colors and shapes. The longer the line, the more points players earn.
With each turn, players build off the first line, eventually turning the gaming surface into a network of colors and shapes. The goal is to create as many matching sets as possible before your opponent beats you to it!
The travel size version of Qwirkle is perfect for taking on the go!
11. Bananagrams
Bananagrams is the perfect game for people who love wordplay and puzzles.
It’s easy to learn, but there’s a challenge in creating words quickly before all the letters run out.
If you have a large vocabulary, you’ll have an advantage. This fast-paced and exciting game can be played by two or more players for hours of fun creating crosswords of letters until all the tiles are gone!
Fun for beginners and experts alike, gather your friends and family for some quick-paced wordplay with Bananagrams!
12. Cards Against Humanity (Adults Only)
Looking for a game for adults that’s as unpredictable as life itself?
Look no further than Cards Against Humanity.
This hilarious fill-in-the-blank party game is the perfect travel game for when you want to unleash your dark side, and let all those awkward conversations flow freely.
With each round, one player asks a question from a black card, and everyone else answers with their funniest white card. There’s no telling what kind of hilarity will ensue.
It’s the ultimate party game for those who love to laugh.
RV Games for Kids
While many of the games above can be taught to kids, there are a few games designed specifically for the little ones in your life (that you will get a kick out of too).
13. Apples to Apples for Juniors
Similar to cards against humanity, but appropriate for kids.
Apples to Apples Juniors Edition is a hilarious party game will have you and your family laughing at how ridiculous the comparisons are!
To get started, choose a player to be the first judge. The judge deals seven red apple cards, face down, to each player (including him or herself). The judge picks one green apple card, reads it, and places it face-up on the table.
Players take turns being the judge, selecting the card from their hand that they think is best described by a card played by the judge. If the judge picks your card, you win that round!
14. Pass the Pigs
A great travel game for kids, Pass the Pigs is the classic dice game of pigs that you know and love, but with a fun new twist!
Instead of using dice, you’ll be using miniature model pigs to determine your fate. It all packs down into a small plastic case making it perfect for travel.
Take turns throwing pigs like dice and see if you can score big – or end up with a real pig out of luck! Earn points based on your throws, and see who can rack up the most by the end of the game. With so many combinations possible, no two games are ever alike.
With every turn, players must decide whether to keep rolling or cash in their points. But be careful – if you roll wrong, you’ll wipe out your score. First to 100 wins!
15. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Looking for a fun and unique game to keep your kids entertained?
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is the perfect RV Game for Kids.
Each player places a card from their hand face up into a community pile while saying taco/cat/goat/cheese/pizza in player sequence. When the card matches the mantra, everyone slaps their hand on the deck.
But be careful – if you’re the last one to slap the deck, you’ll end up picking up all the cards!
Best RV Games for Camping
These are just a few of the best RV games that take up minimal space. No matter what your interests are, there’s sure to be a travel game that you’ll love. We hope this list has inspired you to try out a few new games!
Do you have any awesome camping games that we didn’t mention? Share them in the comments below.
