Slower, more thoughtful word games suit older children and adults who like to plan a high-scoring play. These reward a wider vocabulary and a bit of tactics, so they are better kept for players who enjoy taking their time. If you are buying for a mixed-age family, a fast game is usually the safer bet, since it keeps the youngest involved rather than left behind.

A good travel game earns its place in the bag by being compact and quick. You want something that sets up in seconds, plays in a few minutes and does not rely on a large board or dozens of loose pieces that scatter across a car footwell. Card games and self-contained puzzle games tend to win here, because everything stays in one small box or tin.

Difficulty is worth checking before you buy. A puzzle that is too easy gets solved once and put away, while one that is far too hard can end up back in the box. Many puzzles carry a difficulty rating, and it helps to match that to how much time the person likes to spend. Someone who wants a ten-minute coffee-break challenge needs something different from a person happy to pick away at the same puzzle over several evenings.

If you want a shortlist of games tested for family play and grouped by how long they take, browse the family and party games chosen by https://stressedmum.co.uk/keeping-busy-with-the-happy-puzzle-company/.

To see jigsaws grouped by piece count and theme, from first puzzles for toddlers to harder pieces for adults, take a look at the jigsaw collection at https://stressedmum.co.uk/keeping-busy-with-the-happy-puzzle-company/.

The image matters as much as the count. Scenes with plenty of variety, such as busy street scenes or landscapes with lots of colour, give you clear areas to work on and tend to feel achievable. Puzzles that are all one colour, or that repeat a pattern, are far harder because you cannot rely on the picture, so save those for someone who likes a proper challenge.