What is the best family board game for beginners?

Across the reviewers we read, Catan (6th Edition) and Azul are the two most consistently recommended gateway games. Catan teaches resource trading and negotiation in about 60–90 minutes, while Azul is faster (30–45 minutes) and easier for non-gamers to pick up. Specialist community threads on r/boardgames generally suggest Azul for mixed-age groups and Catan for households that want a longer strategic session.