曼卡拉棋

The wooden board has a nice weight to it and the stones fit perfectly in the carved pits, so it stays put on the coffee table. My kids picked up the capture rule in about five minutes and now they beg to play after dinner.

I love that this game has roots dating back to the 7th century—it really feels timeless. The simple rules make it easy to teach, but capturing the opponent’s pieces still takes real strategy. We’ve been playing every evening.

My kids actually put their tablets down for this, which says a lot. The carved wooden pits are deep enough that the stones don't slide around mid-move, and we've already played about a dozen rounds.