12 Board Games People With Social Anxiety Love

When you live with social anxiety, parties and other social gatherings can often be difficult. Not everyone copes the same way, but for many folks with social anxiety, having something to focus on — something to do — at a party can lessen anxiety significantly.

That’s where board games can often come in handy. We wanted to know what board games people with social anxiety love, so we asked our Mighty community to share some of their favorites.

Here’s what they had to say:

1. Cards Against Humanity

“Cards Against Humanity. All of the answers are ‘messed up’ in some way or sometimes just too perfect. It’s nice to know that some people around you have a similar sense of humor. Or if they think your cards were weird or mean you can play it off as ‘That’s all I really had.’” — Lucy S.

Cards Against Humanity ($25)

2. Scattergories

“Scattergories! You really have to take time to think about your answers so when I play, I’m focused on getting good answers not my anxiety.” — Tara R.

Scattergories ($15)

3. Catan

“I always felt Catan was a good start. Not a lot of rules and more strategy… Forces everyone at one point to talk and takes your mind off whatever is taking up head space.” — Timothy L.

Catan ($44)

4. Dominos

“Dominos and Uno. My Hispanic lifeline is in those games — the love, the passionate and bilingual feud that erupted on our porch as I grew up. My grandfather dying of cancer but fighting through these petty games and passing on to me a list for life. Death cannot beat the ferocity of a good game of dominoes and an Uno game amongst a Hispanic family.” — Autumn G.

Dominos ($13)

5. Apples to Apples

“Apples to Apples! If you do something silly, nobody knows. Everyone just laughs together. It makes some situations a lot easier. It makes everything fun.” — Alyssa B.

“Apples to Apples. I can run my mouth off, argue over the cards and make people laugh, so they don’t know I’m so anxious.” — Cecilia C.

Apples to Apples ($11)

6. Banagrams

“Bananagrams because it allows for some quiet, but also facilitates social interaction. It’s kind of a happy medium.” — Emily N.

“I love Bananagrams. It plays to my strengths, there’s no forced interaction between players and few groups keep track of wins — it’s about the game, not the competition.” — Monica O.

Bananagrams ($10)

7. What do You Meme

“What Do You Meme. I focus a lot less on myself and how I’m feeling around others because I’m too busy laughing at people’s captions and the funny pictures” — Megan B.

“What Do You Meme? Really breaks the ice and makes you laugh ’til you’re crying.” — Allison M.

What Do You Meme? ($30)

8. Checkers

“Checkers! When I was young, my dad taught me how to play checkers and we would play more times than I could count on both hands. He always won, but just playing checkers will put me at peace! So my go-to board game is totally checkers!” — Kari G.

Checkers ($7)