7 Wonders Architects

Taught this to my 9-year-old in about five minutes and she beat me our second game, so the low rules overhead actually works. The way you draft cards and pass them around keeps everyone involved even when it's not their turn.

The wonder boards are gorgeous and the rules click after one round, so we were playing within five minutes of opening the box. My 9-year-old beat me twice, which says a lot since there's real strategy in choosing which cards to pass.

The drafting mechanic where you pick a card and pass the rest keeps everyone engaged the whole time, no downtime between turns. My group finished a full game in about 25 minutes, which is perfect for a weeknight. Building your wonder piece by piece actually feels like an accomplishment.