Everyone plays. Nobody's bored.

That's the first thing it looks at, because it determines everything else. There are four mechanisms that genuinely level a mixed-age table: cooperative games where everyone wins together, team play pairing an adult with a younger child, dexterity games where small steady hands often beat adults outright, and bluffing games where working out who's lying isn't an adult advantage. Most families only know the first one exists.

No, and the buying step is deliberately last. Most families own several games and play one, so the shelf audit goes through what's already in the house and sorts each into play tonight, try again with one change, wait until they're older, or give away. Plenty of shelved games work fine with a shorter target score or played in teams — "too complicated" often means it was taught badly rather than that it's too hard.

Cooperative games are the reliable answer — everyone plays against the game rather than each other, so nobody loses alone and an adult can help without it counting as cheating. It also flags the known catch, which is one confident player quietly taking over everyone's turns. If that's your household, team play is the better route.

Yes. You describe your ages, player count and time, and you get real titles with the player count each is genuinely good at rather than the range printed on the box — many games claim to work at any number and are noticeably worse at two or six. Availability and editions differ by country, so it flags when it's unsure something is in print where you are, and tells you to check the box before buying.

Board games, card games and anything played around a table. That's deliberate — the problem being solved is everyone in one room doing the same thing at the same time, including the grandparent who won't pick up a controller and the four-year-old who can't.