As people look for a break from digital entertainment, both to rest their eyes and their minds, tabletop board gaming becomes more and more popular. Using elements such as figurines, cards, dice, cubes, and meeples, players are increasingly introduced to interesting worlds and fantastical scenarios. While some board games focus on pure skill or luck, the best-stocked game cabinets contain titles all across the spectrum.
As the board games of the current year have gone way beyond the abstract board games of years past, players can also look forward to a variety of scenarios — from haunted houses to dirt track racing and everything in between — to meet their gaming needs. As a result, there are tons of games to sort through, in various styles and settings, to sort out the best of the best for each player type.
When choosing a great board game to play, it’s important to consider these factors:
- How many players can participate
- The estimated playtime
- The complexity level
- Whether the game can be played virtually
These are the most common questions for any given tabletop game, and they can determine whether a board game is a perfect fit or a critical fail.
The Best Tabletop Board Games to Play
Terraforming Mars
Best Board Game Overall
In Terraforming Mars, players control giant corporations, sponsored by the World Government on Earth to raise the temperature, the oxygen level, and the ocean coverage on Mars until the environment is habitable.
With over over two hundred project cards and six different resources in play, strategic gamers will love this sci-fi adventure.
- Age Recommendation
- 12+
- Game Duration
- 2 – 3 hours
- Brand
- Stronghold Games
- Number of Players
- 2 to 5
- Designer
- Jacon Fryxelius
- Type of Game
- Strategy
- Can be played with just two players
- Combines lots of fun mechanics from across the board game world
- Has five expansions available
- Has a somewhat long playtime
Terraforming Mars may not be what humans end up doing in the future, but the titular tabletop game is a natural progression path for most board game enthusiasts. The game itself focuses on a fictional future where multiple corporations and private interest groups are seeking to be the first ones to terraform Mars, letting players choose which entity they want to be.
In doing this, Terraforming Mars quickly shows players how many fun and challenging mechanics it packs into its game. Like a mash-up of Catan and Ticket to Ride, Terraforming Mars starts out as a simple resource management game until everyone is ready to start implementing their plans and sabotaging other players. The game also has five expansions available that add new planets and new corporations, ensuring that even veteran players can get a lot of unique playtime out of the game.
Terraforming Mars is the best board game currently because while it is complex enough for very experienced players, it’s also fairly straightforward once the game begins, making it easy to add in new players. The game is also one of those rare titles that can be played by just two people, making it great for a nerdy date night. Terraforming Mars is an excellent addition to a new board game library, or even a well-stocked one, because it will be taken down to be played for years to come.
wingspan
Best Board Game Art
This beautiful resource management game offers a unique look at ornithology with a shockingly high replay value. Players seek to discover and attract the best birds to their wildlife preserves. Each bird extends a chain of powerful combinations in one of your habitats (actions). Featuring delightful watercolor illustrations and real-world facts about dozens of species of birds, this board game is perfect for experienced tabletop players.
- Age Recommendation
- 10+
- Game Duration
- 40-70 minutes
- Brand
- Stonemaier Games
- Number of Players
- 1 – 5
- Designer
- Elizabeth Hargrave
- Up to 5 players
- Beautiful sketch art is realistic and accurate
- Get better with each playthrough
- Not ideal for absolute beginners
Wingspan, originally released in 2020, received rave reviews. This 1-5 player game can be a bit complicated to play the first time, but after that, it’s a superbly fun resource management game that moves quickly between turns. Using objective cards to guide players toward individual goals, the competitiveness of the gameplay is often less antagonistic than in other resource management games.
This unique game not only provides lots of real-world information about various species of birds, but it also features exceptionally beautiful art. Every card is wonderfully illustrated in a style similar to zoological sketches but with bright watercolors added. If players opt for the deluxe edition, the game also comes with high-quality tokens that fans of tabletop minis will adore. The replayability is high with this game, plus there are three expansions adding oceanic birds, European birds, and (just released earlier this year) Asian birds!
cascadia
Best Family Board Game
This laid-back game uses a natural theme to deliver a simple and straightforward strategy game.
- Type of Game
- Strategy
- Age Recommendation
- 10+
- Game Duration
- 30-45 minutes
- Brand
- AEG
- Teaches about wildlife
- Difficulty is largely determined by player skill
- Very affordable
- Not ideal for very young kids
Cascadia was chosen as the winner of the American Tabletop Awards for strategy games, but it often feels like some kind of cozy resource management game instead. While it’s a bit pared down compared to other strategy games, it does make for a great introduction to more serious tabletop gaming. It can also offer a lighthearted break to veteran strategy game players.
With puzzle elements baked into the tile-laying and token-drafting mechanics, this game is a quick and fun experience for new players – even kids! Plus, all the cards feature wonderful art and provide basic information about the various creatures living in the Pacific Northwest. Overall, this un-intimidating nature game presents a good opportunity to bridge the gap between absolute beginners and more experienced players.
TIcket to Ride
Best Board Game for Beginners
Ticket to Ride is the classic train collection and route building game set in Industrial-era USA. Each turn players collect train cards, place tokens on the map to secure routes, or opt to gain secret objectives. The game is a constant balance of trying to take on more to gain more points while also not attempting to do more than is possible.
- Age Recommendation
- 8+
- Game Duration
- 30-60 Minutes
- Brand
- Days of Wonder
- Number of Players
- 2-5
- Designer
- Alan R. Roon
- Quick and simple to learn, yet challenging competitive play
- Game board and pieces are easy to follow
- Fun for almost every age group
- Plays quickly
- Some veteran players may be tired of it
Ticket to Ride is one of the greatest board games of all time for one simple reason: it’s incredibly easy for players new to tabletop to enjoy. The game’s instructions are simply written and easy to parse, while the base board is almost completely self-explanatory. Another great draw to the game is its colorful design, which helps unpracticed eyes follow each player’s movements and find their own pieces amongst a mass of train cars. The game plays through quickly too, so it calls for really low commitment, which new gamers love.
Playing the game can be pretty luck-based, but careful planning is definitely necessary to win. While very young kids won’t have a lot of fun with the game, it is perfectly suitable for anyone over the age of 8, even seniors who may only think of Monopoly when asked about board games. The wide appeal and ease of play, while still offering an engaging experience, is exactly why Ticket to Ride is the absolute best introductory tabletop game.
Wingspan Asia
Best Board Game Expansion
$36 $45 Save $9
In the third expansion to Wingspan, players get a ton of content, including new, magnificent birds of Asia. This expansion also makes it easier for smaller and larger groups to play together. Wingspan Asia adds a stand-alone game for 1 player or 2 players and the new Flock mode, which allows up to 7 players at once. All in all, the game comes with dozens of new cards, new goal tiles, dice, and even a new duet map, among tons of other extras.
- Type of Game
- Strategy
- Age Recommendation
- 10+
- Game Duration
- 40-70 minutes
- Brand
- Stonemaier Games
- Number of Players
- 1-7
- Designer
- Elizabeth Hargrave
- Adds dozens of new birds and other game pieces
- Adds game modes for low and high numbers of players
- Streamlines gameplay for experienced players
Wingspan is already an extremely fun game, but after playing for a few years, it’s time for an expansion. Wingspan has a total of three expansions currently: European, Oceania, and Asia. The most recent one, Wingspan Asia, is by far the best expansion seen in a while. This expansion gives players a lot of bang for their buck, offering more than 150 new pieces, including 90 new bird cards, as well as two new modes that expand the playability significantly.
The game also comes with new player mat that somewhat speeds up gameplay when experienced players are at the table. There’s also a new mode for single players and couples to play, along with new rules for 6-7 players. These player expansions are always a welcome sight when it comes to popular board games, and Wingspan Asia does a good job of keeping the game balanced. That being said, 7 players make the game very slow compared to a smaller group. However, with so many new pieces, nearly 100 new birds, and more ways to play with friends than ever before, Wingspan Asia is tough to beat as the best board game expansion.
Flamecraft
Best Indie Board Game
Flamecraft is a board game that allows up to 5 players to work with dragon artisans in a world of adorable magic. Players operate as Flamekeepers, gathering items, placing dragons, and playing cards to enhance the shops of the town. Competing to win over the hearts and minds of a town this strategy game makes great use of shared engine building. The board and every card offer beautiful art and the wide variety of dragons and artisan roles makes this game perfect for many, many game nights.
- Type of Game
- Engine builder/Strategy
- Age Recommendation
- 10+
- Game Duration
- 1 hour
- Brand
- Cardboard Alchemy
- Number of Players
- 1-5
- Designer
- Manny Vega, Sandra Tang
- Ideal for both beginners and veteran board game players
- Wide variety of roles, goals, and abilities
- Extremely adorable art style is colorful and fun
- Well-designed engine-building mechanics
- First game can take longer than expected
Flamecraft is a charming tabletop game that got its start on Kickstarter. The game revolves around flamekeepers (players) and their dragon artisan partners who are working to grow their businesses and become the best in their trade. The super cute art and vibrant design might suggest that this game is solely for newcomers, but players used to tabletop games will find plenty to love about the engine-building mechanics.
Every round, players gather items, place dragons, and cast enchantments to enhance their shops or grow their reputation. There are 200 items and 42 different artisan dragons, along with dozens more enchantments and fancy dragons. All this adds up to a lot of options every turn on how best to defeat opponents. The replayability of this game is incredible thanks to the wide variety of play styles that can result in a win. In addition to all this, the game is fairly affordable, so players don’t need to commit much to give Flamecraft a try. For players looking to add a unique tabletop game to their collection, Flamecraft is the perfect indie game.
Betrayal at House on the Hill: Third Edition
Best Horror Board Game
The third edition of Betrayal brings even more haunts and twists to the tabletop classic.
- Age Recommendation
- 12+
- Game Duration
- 60-90 minutes
- Brand
- Avalon Hill
- Number of Players
- 3-6
- Designer
- Bruce Glassco
- Tons of fun scenarios for replays
- Lots of lore and extra info are extremely immersive
- Creepy art perfectly complements horror setting
- Each game takes a long time
Players who have exhausted the many haunts and scenarios of past Betrayal games have 50 new scenarios to plot and betray one another over in Betrayal at the House on the Hill: Third Edition. Of course, Betrayal at the House on the Hill: Third Edition is also a great entry point for new players to the series as the mechanics are more refined and the stories told by the game are more robust than ever.
The game plays out in the familiar two-part adventure. One part is a mad dash collect-a-thon adventure through a haunted mansion, the other a somewhat randomly selected scenario of horror and betrayal. This edition of the game builds on this foundation, bringing more clearly executed rules, better backstories, and updated player models. It’s a great game for any player to jump into and get a good dose of unexpected horror.
Rallyman: DIRT
Best Sports Board Game
Dirt and dice, cards and cars — It’s a race to the finish like none other.
- Age Recommendation
- 14+
- Game Duration
- 45-60 minutes
- Brand
- Holy Grail Games
- Number of Players
- 1-6
- Designer
- Jean-Cristophe Bouvier
- Unique setting with impressive art design
- Can support up to 6 players, rather than the standard 5
- Uses lots of dice-rolling
- Not very complex, while also not very quick to play
Holy Grail Games has brought back the classic Rallyman gameplay, along with its Dirt expansion, in this standalone title with updated equipment. In Rallyman: DIRT, players push their luck with dice rolls propelling them along the track. Racers can re-roll dice to go great distances or get too greedy and accumulate enough ‘warning’ dice to spin out of control.
A classic simulation game of sorts, players will need to navigate through tight turns, drifts, and, of course, muddy tracks. This edition’s new hexagonal track tiles make it easy for players to race through nearly any course they can imagine. In fact, course creation through the arrangement of the hex tiles can be half the fun as beautiful tracks emerge in front of the crafter’s eyes due to the new artwork, which is much improved over the original 2009 release.
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Best Legacy Board Game
Pandemic Legacy is a co-operative campaign game, with an overarching story-arc played through 12-24 sessions, depending on how well a group performs. At the beginning, the game starts very similar to basic Pandemic, in which a team of disease-fighting specialists races against the clock to travel around the world, treating disease hotspots while researching cures for each of four plagues before they get out of hand.
- Age Recommendation
- 13+
- Player Count
- 2-4
- Length per Game
- 60 Min
- Plenty of characters to choose from
- Offers players a full year of content
- Often listed at under $50
- Requires a full party to commit to regular game nights
Pandemic Legacy builds upon one of the most popular cooperative tabletop games of the last 10 years. Made for four players, Pandemic Legacy offers a story-based experience that changes as players progress through each mission. Players choose between pre-built characters to begin the game, each bringing with them their own set of unique skills and abilities for fighting disease outbreaks.
This game is seriously in-depth, with the first season designed to last a party an entire year to complete. The game now has three total seasons too, giving even more lasting power to the title. Player groups who are looking for an engaging legacy game to keep them busy during game night should absolutely pick up Pandemic Legacy, especially given the fact that it’s incredibly affordable and often listed at less than $50!
Frosthaven
Best TTRPG
Frosthaven is the follow-up to the smash-hit TTRPG Gloomhaven. Set in a small outpost far to the north of the capital city of White Oak, a group of mercenaries is tasked with averting the outpost’s imminent doom. Dealing with the harsh elements and other dangerous threats, players must survive against the cold world of Frosthaven. Parties must work together and even with some of their enemies in order to defend against even more sinister threats.
- Type of Game
- RPG
- Age Recommendation
- 14+
- Game Duration
- 30–120 Min
- Brand
- Cephalofair Games
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Designer
- Isaac Childres
- Offers hundreds of hours of gameplay
- Includes tons of high-quality physical parts
- Compatible with Gloomhaven and expansion characters
- Extremely in-depth and time-consuming
Following up on the immensely popular Gloomhaven, Cephalofair Games recently released an even bigger and more complicated dungeon crawler: Frosthaven. This massive game sends players to a town in need, each tasked with their own goals along with overarching, cooperative ones.
Just like with Gloomhaven, there are tons of cards, tokens, and other various pieces that make for a pretty intimidating first peek to less experienced players. Veterans, on the other hand, will relish the high-quality parts and attention to detail that can be found throughout the set. Offering 16 new characters and nearly 100 possible scenarios, players can count on enjoying hundreds of hours of adventures. Plus, characters from Gloomhaven, Forgotten Circles, and Jaws of the Lion are fully playable as well, allowing existing parties to seamlessly continue their journeys.
Crescent Moon
Best Board Game for Experienced Players
This highly social game relies on lots of planning and table talk in order to win. Perfect for long game nights among veteran players, this board game offers a unique setting with truly immersive gameplay.
- Age Recommendation
- 14+
- Game Duration
- 150-180 Minutes
- Brand
- Osprey Games
- Number of Players
- 4-5
- Designer
- Steven Mathers
- Resource management mechanics are very well executed
- Allows for a variety of play styles to thrive
- Ideal for more advanced players
A finalist of the 2022 Board Game Awards, Crescent Moon is an area control game that uses rounds to gather points across 3 or 4 in-game years. With its hex-shaped board pieces and the social aspects that include haggling and forming table alliances, this four to five-player game is like an evolved form of Catan.
Managing resources, raising armies, and generally attempting to control the board are the touchstones of the game. There are many different empires that players can lead and tons of strategies for victory, many of which hinge upon collaborating or sabotaging other players. Although it’s a very long game, for those who love to mix resource management, table talk, and unique characters with independent mechanics, there’s nothing quite like Crescent Moon.
Um, Actually
Best Trivia Board Game
Um, Actually is a trivia game made by nerds for nerds to make sure they know all the nitty-gritty details of their favorite franchise. From anime to ’80s and ’90s themes, players can choose between different categories in each game and test themselves against the 690 questions. Plus, the game comes with dry-erase boards for art-based challenges! Based on the Dropout show of the same name, Um, Actually is actually a great time for nerdy friends and family.
- Type of Game
- Trivia
- Age Recommendation
- 12+
- Game Duration
- 25 Min
- Brand
- Wiggles 3D
- Number of Players
- 3-8
- Designer
- AC Atienza, Peter Nesbitt, Connor Reid, Mike Trapp
- Features nine categories of trivia
- Includes activity-based trivia
- Questions are geared toward nerds
- Not ideal with a small group
Nerds like a lot of things, but there’s something they love above all else: correcting people! Fans of College Humor’s virtual progeny, Dropout, have been enjoying one of the best trivia shows airing right now: Um, Actually. Now, the show is available to play at home with this comprehensive trivia card game. The base version of the game comes with five nerdy categories, with the deluxe version adding four more, allowing players to choose from comics, cartoons, fantasy, sci-fi, games, anime, horror, ’80s and ’90s, and community-created trivia every game.
Best played with a group of four or more, each round one player acts as the host while the others scramble to figure out what’s wrong with the statement on the card. The answers are often as nitpicky as, “Um, actually Picard is an admiral, not a captain.” Along with this, players must say “Um, actually” or else their answer doesn’t count, and their friends can steal the answer (almost) verbatim. It’s a ton of fun and leads to great conversations about fan-favorite franchises.
Codenames
Best Party Game
Codenames is a social word game with a simple premise and challenging game play. Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their codenames. The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the table. Their teammates try to guess words of their color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team.
- Type of Game
- Puzzle
- Age Recommendation
- 14+
- Game Duration
- 15 Min
- Brand
- Czech Games Edition
- Number of Players
- 4-8
- Designer
- Vlaada Chvátil
- Quick and easy gameplay
- Light-hearted, yet somewhat competitive
- Supports lots of players at once
- Not ideal for strangers at cons or other public events
Game night often begins with a lot of nonsense chatter and catching up with everyone at the table. Many groups like to get started with quick and simple games. Codenames is perfect for small groups waiting for the rest of their friends to show up.
This easy party game is all about dropping hints and references to try to get teammates to guess which “codenames” are correct. With words like “star” and “Amsterdam” on the board, it can be a challenge to get players to make the right connections. Two players are designated “spymasters” (i.e. team leaders), and they are limited to a single word and a single number to tell their team which cards are their codenames.
It’s a ton of fun that builds with each round, as players begin to learn how to parse clues from each other. Perfect for close friends, double dates, and families, Codenames is the best party board game.
The Best Party Games To Play With Friends
Celebrate your friends and family by playing fun party games!
How to Choose a Good Board Game
The world of board games has exploded in the past 10 years, flooding the market with everything from low-quality card games and super engaging, years-long legacy RPGs. It’s difficult to know which adorable party game is actually a ton of fun or which gritty-looking box calls for strategy versus dumb luck. For the best results, players should choose board games that match their play style, the number of people they want to play with, and how easy or difficult it is to play.
Number of Players
Board games are most often designed for three to five players, and most gamers agree that this is the ideal number. However, smaller and larger groups can join in on the fun too. Board games for two people are especially popular and don’t always pit players against each other, although competitive two-player games like Rallyman are much more common.
Games that allow more than five players are somewhat rare, especially outside of the RPG genre, but plenty of games have expansions that allow for more players to join in. For instance, Wingspan and Catan both have packs to balance in extra players.
Game Duration
Depending on the setting, players will prefer longer or shorter games. Party games are always best if they have play times under 20 minutes so that groups can get warmed up and move on to other games or head out to their event. Similarly, games with kids under 12 shouldn’t run longer than about 45 minutes, as most children will get antsy, bored, and simply won’t take their turns, which is no fun for anyone. Card games and simple board-and-token games are most often the quickest options for parties and families.
On the other side of things, long games are perfect for regular meetups and allow for more in-depth stories to be told. So-called “legacy” games, such as Pandemic Legacy and Axis and Allies Legacy, are designed for long sessions that reveal new adventures or tasks that can be tackled during another game night. Players should think about how long they want to be seated at the table before picking out their next board game.
Complexity
Whether players are beginners or veterans makes a huge difference in the type of games they’ll enjoy. While Wingspan is an amazing game with beautiful art, it’s hardly ideal for complete beginners thanks to its basic deck-building aspects that assume players are familiar with that style of gameplay.
At the same time, easier games such as Cascadia may be too simple for advanced players and lead to everyone waiting for their next turn to do something they planned out four turns ago. Typically, it’s best to choose a difficulty level that serves the majority of a group, as more experienced players can help newcomers and a group of fresh players puts everyone on a level playing field.
