If you’re suffering quarantine boredom or just enjoy a fun way to pass the time while at home on a rainy day, board games are a good solution. In addition to being educational and fun, they offer the same kind of open-ended amusement and variety as online casino games. Both are universal ways to spend a few minutes or several hours when you’re forced to stay indoors due to weather, quarantines, or the urge to turn the living room or computer screen into a game room. Here are some of the ways that Scrabble, Risk, Sorry, and Monopoly, and hundreds of other classics can help eradicate lockdown boredom.

Here are some of the most popular Board Games the world over:

They’re Educational

There’s no doubt about it, you can learn a lot by taking part in a trivia contest, puzzle solving pursuit, spelling challenges, or strategy-based game. Some products are specially designed to teach kids how to read, write, spell, add, and subtract. But even older children can absorb essential lessons about more advanced concepts like fair play, compromise, negotiation, reward, justice, and survival. Depending on which box you pull from the shelf, the lessons could range from simple phonics for first-graders to important life lessons for teens. Never underestimate the power of play.

A Fun Way to Interact

It’s great what the whole family or a group of all ages can sit down at a table and laugh it up as they take part in their favorite pastimes like checkers, chess, and Monopoly, a favorite in Europe and Asia, according to a recent study from Betway, and could include features like 50 free spins. Even people who usually don’t spend time together or get along can come together over a roll of the dice or the spin of a wheel. The key component to the entire pursuit is that it’s fun, and fun is the most effective cure for the lethargy and apathy that come from too much time indoors.

The Variety is Endless

For those who miss the casino-like play, you can opt for simulated betting and go for Las Vegas-style fun like Wits & Wagers or Murder in Sin City. For families with small children around the gaming table, try Go Fish, Monkey Around, or Spot It. Of course, the older crowd still loves word play, and that means Scrabble, Cross Word, and similar selections. If variety is your thing, there’s something on the shelf for every member of the family and all age groups. If you want to get physical, opt for act out challenges like board-based charades.

Your Choice to Take Up Minutes or Hours

If you want to take your chances with the rising popularity of tabletop games like Risk, Life, or Chinese checkers, it’s up to the group to decide how much time to spend. Have a whole evening and a few large pizzas at your disposal? Consider a full-scale version of Monopoly or one of the many trivia-based contests. Feel like killing a half-hour before dinner? Try a quick round of three-player checkers or Uno. Risk and Monopoly are two options for adults who can choose long versions from the rule book and spend upwards of four hours on a single round.