The Best Food-Themed Games, From Flavortown Monopoly to Fancy Beer Pong

From a Sriracha game to Guy Fieri-themed Monopoly, these games are a great go-to after-dinner-party activity

Food-related board games have come a long way since the Candyland of my youth. These days, there’s a game for practically every niche food obsession, from SPAM to Sriracha. I come from a long line of game-lovers, and I’m smack dab in the middle of a campaign to pass that love on to my two kids, ages 13 and six, so I’m always on the lookout for the next great game I can share with them.

Board games have a knack for sparking conversation and erasing social anxiety, so they’re also a good fit for dinner parties, but finding the right one for your crew is key. Some are silly, get-up-on-your-feet affairs (Hello, Throw Throw Burrito) while others tap into your guests’ keen intellect to keep things interesting (Enter: Murder Mystery Party). Here are my top picks for board games to entertain any kind of crowd.

Best for an Italian Dinner Party: Murder Mystery Party: Pasta, Passion, and Pistols

You don’t have to match your board game to do your dinner, but when the opportunity presents itself, you probably should. In this roughly two-hour long game designed for up to eight players, your guests will become characters in a red-sauced whodunnit as they discover clues and unravel the mystery, bite by bite. It pairs perfectly with a cheesy lasagna and a bottle of Big Red.

Best for Reliving Your Youth: Portable Social Pong

You’ve come a long way since the ill-advised dorm room beer pong nights of your early twenties. You have coasters and a 401k. But let’s face it, you still want — nay, need — to party, and this grown-up version of beer pong (so much more sophisticated when you call it Portable Social Pong!) is here for you. I particularly love that it comes with its own little satchel so you can tote your pong along to wherever the action is.

Best for Old Friends: Yahtzee: SPAM

I’ve always loved Yahtzee, with its perfect balance of luck and skill, and now the classic dice-rolling game is available in SPAM flavor. It’s still the same dear old game I grew up with, but now it includes classic SPAM dishes, from Musubi to a Fried SPAMwich. Whether it inspires you to fry up your own SPAM or just provides a little diversion while you chat with your guests, this one deserves a spot on your game shelf.

Best for Rowdy Guests: Throw Throw Burrito

Ideal for folks who like a little movement with their gameplay, Throw Throw Burrito is part card-matching game and part dodgeball (dodgeburrito?). The goal, ostensibly, is to match up your cards and score points, but in reality, the goal of the game is to get three burrito cards so you can commence pelting your loved ones with squishy plastic burritos. This is best played standing up in a room with ample space and no prized family heirlooms, because things can get a little wild.

Best for A Wide Age Range: Sushi Go

My family’s favorite food-related game, Sushi Go, is a fast-playing card drafting game in which players score points by creating combinations of maki rolls, sashimi, and nigiri, plus the ever-important puddings. A round of this game never fails to make me and my sushi-obsessed 13-year-old hungry. Designed for two to five players, ages eight and up, even younger players (like my 6-year-old) can get the hang of it with a little help. I like that it comes in a little tin, rather than a cardboard box, which makes taking this game to the pool or to a friend’s house much easier.

Best for When You Have An Abundance of Time: Monopoly: Flavortown

Monopoly is kind of like the Oreo of board games in that they just can’t stop releasing new flavors. There’s a different type of Monopoly for just about every interest, from Curb Your Enthusiasm to Queen. But in this version, Mayor of Flavortown Guy Fieri is calling the shots, so naturally, the playing pieces include a cheeseburger, a ‘68 Chevy Camaro, and Fieri’s signature wrap-around shades.

Best for Agents of Chaos: Anarchy Pancakes

From the people who brought us Exploding Kittens (now a Netflix series, because of course it is), Anarchy Pancakes is a slightly unhinged card game that encourages players to create combinations of pancakes and toppings in a mad dash against their opponents. It’s a wild, fast romp that ends with the winner yelling, “Anarchy Pancakes!” and being awarded — what else? — a slab of butter. Designed for two to five players, this is ideal for groups of four or five.

Best for Social Game Skeptics: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Even people who don’t like playing games will get caught up in the lightning-fast Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, a simple slap game in which players are competing to get rid of all of their cards first. Special cards encourage players to do ridiculous things, like slapping their chest like a gorilla, making this the kind of game that brings out the giggles in both grown-ups and kids. I also love the kawaii-style illustrations and vibrant yellow box, which stands out on our game shelf and screams, “Play me!”

Best for Short Attention Spans: Sriracha: The Game

A fun, lively card-slapping game with cute illustrations and neat Sriracha-bottle-inspired packaging, Sriracha: The Game would be an excellent choice to bring along to a family get together in which there’s a chance of boredom ensuing. Each game only takes 10 to 15 minutes, making it a good choice for situations where players may need to come and go.

Game on, and make sure you have a great snack spread!