A Better Family Game Night: CATAN, a Small Speaker, and Homemade Ice Cream

Game night survives when it feels like an event rather than a chore you schedule around homework and phones. The trick isn't a pile of new games; it's one game good enough to argue about, a little music in the background, and a dessert that's part of the evening instead of an afterthought. Here's how we'd put that together from three things already on the site.

The game: CATAN 6th Edition

CATAN Board Game (6th Edition) is in the site catalog; check its product page for the current price. Per the product page, it's the classic trade-build-settle strategy game: players gather brick, wood, wheat, ore, and sheep to build roads, settlements, and cities in a race to 10 victory points. The modular hex board means the map is different every game. It's designed for 3–4 players ages 10 and up, and it can expand to 5–6 players with the separate extension. Catalog rating: 4.6 / 5.0.

What makes it work for families is the trading. Even when someone is behind, they're still negotiating ("two wheat for one ore, final offer"), so nobody spends half the game waiting for their turn to matter.

The soundtrack: Anker Soundcore 2

The Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker, 24-Hour Playtime, IPX7 Waterproof is also in the catalog; its product page has the current price. The listing highlights 12W of sound from dual drivers with Anker's BassUp technology, IPX7 waterproof protection against splashes, a 5,200mAh battery rated for up to 24 hours of play, and easy pairing with phones and tablets. Catalog rating: 4.5 / 5.0.

On a game night, its job is modest: a shared playlist at low volume so the room doesn't feel silent while someone counts cards. Let a different person pick the playlist each week. Because the listing rates it IPX7 against splashes and up to 24 hours per charge, it can move from the dining table to the kitchen counter to the patio without much worry about a spilled drink or a dead battery halfway through the second game.

The dessert: Ninja CREAMi

The Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker (NC299AMZ) is the big-ticket piece here; check its product page for the current price. Per the product page, it turns frozen pints into ice cream, gelato, sorbet, milkshakes, smoothie bowls, and lite ice cream with seven one-touch programs plus Mix-In. Its Creamify Technology shaves through a frozen base for a smooth result, a Re-spin option softens texture further, and the pints, lids, and paddle are top-rack dishwasher safe. Catalog rating: 4.3 / 5.0.

The planning step is the freezer. The machine works from a frozen base, so mix your bases a day or more ahead (follow Ninja's freeze guidance) and let each player claim a pint: one vanilla, one fruit sorbet, one wild card. During a break between games, spin them, use Mix-In for crushed cookies or chocolate chips, and serve.

How to make it stick

Pick one night and protect it. Same day each week, phones in a basket, game on the table before dinner dishes are done.

Teach once, then play. For first-timers, do one open-hand practice round of CATAN where everyone talks through their choices. After that, play for real.

Rotate jobs. One person picks the music, one sets up the board, one runs dessert. Teens are far more invested when they own a piece of the evening.

Keep a scoreboard. A running season tally on the fridge turns one game into a rivalry, which is exactly what brings people back next week.

Who this is for

Families with kids around 10 and up, roommates, and friend groups of three or four who want a regular screen-free night. Skip the CREAMi if your freezer is already packed or you'd rather just buy a pint; the game and speaker carry the night on their own. And if your group is regularly five or six people, plan on the CATAN extension.

What we're not claiming

We didn't play-test this edition, measure the speaker's volume or battery, or time the CREAMi's programs ourselves. CATAN's gameplay, player count, age range, and extension note, the Soundcore 2's 12W output, BassUp, IPX7 rating, and up-to-24-hour playtime, the CREAMi's seven programs, Mix-In, Re-spin, Creamify Technology, and dishwasher-safe parts, and the ratings above come from the product pages and catalog. Pick a night, freeze the pints, and let somebody finally beat Dad at trading sheep.