The great thing about board games is that they help families spend time together, get creative, and take a step back from the craziness of modern life. Without the worries of the outside world, you can unwind with your family and find creative ways to work together and think outside the box!
For those who are looking to spice up their game nights, we thought it might be helpful to put together a list of the best board games for your next night in.
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Catan The Board Game | Best Overall |  |
| Czech Games Codenames | Budget Pick |  |
| 7 Wonders | Upgrade Pick |  |
1. Catan The Board Game
Pros:
- The different rules make it more challenging
- The length of the game keeps you challenged throughout
- It’s a great game for hardcore gamers and for those new to the game
- Introduces people to the wide world of board games
- Easy to learn
- Easy to set up and play
Cons:
- The best strategy in the game is land grabbing
- The best strategy in the game ruins the end of the game
- There is a lack of focus on long-term planning
- The game can get a little repetitive for the experienced player
- Board is too big
Catan is a game of strategy and skill and it’s one of the most popular titles amongst friends and family to enjoy a game night with.
The idea behind the game is that you are one of the settlers with a goal of building your land and establishing a respected settlement.
The game is played on a game board of 20 spaces arranged in 5 columns and 4 rows, representing five different possible locations. The players are given building materials like brick, lumber, wool, grain, ore, and brick. The youngest player goes first, moving his pawn from a random number space on the board and around the island choosing whether to settle, trade or found a city.
2. Splendor
Pros:
- A very simple game that is easy to learn
- suitable for all ages
- players have to develop their strategy as they play
The goal of the game is to collect as many points as possible. To do that, you have to help the royalty, merchants and adventurers collect gems, and deliver them to the right spot.
This is an easy to learn game, and is suitable for ages 8 and above.
3. Cards Against Humanity
Pros:
- Be outrageous! Great game to break the ice at parties, get the guests laughing and loosen them up
- Outrageous but entertaining
- A party favorite
- A little raunchy but very funny
- Invite the creative, the outrageous, the witty, the light-hearted, brains, and the comical
- A game for anyone who likes to laugh
- A great game
May take a little watching to get to know the rules. They are very simple.
Taking Bar Card game to a new dimension, this adult game is an easy-to-play, raucous game for horrible people. Each round, one player (the judge) asks a question from a Black Card, and everyone else answers with their funniest White Card.
The face of the Black Card will specify the number of correctly-matching answers required to win the round.
4. What Do You Meme? Party Game
Board games are gathering more and more attention lately, and a great way to play with your family or friends, especially if you’re fed up with video games or don’t want to use real money in gambling. If you’re hosting a game night and you need some good suggestions, take a look at this buyer’s guide to the best board games available.
What Do You Meme? Party Game is the card game that will have you laughing out loud at everything you didn’t expect. You will send your friends into hysterics with memes and a funny caption making them the best caption card ever. This game is very fun for all ages and it only takes about 10 minutes to complete. An added bonus to What Do You Meme? is that it comes with two free booster packs (40 cards in total). You can choose to play the game with just one person or with a group of people.
5. Ticket To Ride
A new board game from the makers of Settlers of Catan is designed to be a real thrill for gamers.
If you’re tired of Monopoly, Life, and other “boring” board games, this one may be more what you’re looking for.
It’s a game where you can play against friends or Alexa.
6. Czech Games Codenames
Far too often, board games can easily lead to things like in-family feuds. You know, this kind of mature conflict where little cousins get punched in the face.
Sure, from time to time you may have to serve as an emergency referee in your family’s favorite board game. But if you really want to take your lifestyle to the next level, why not help your family experience something altogether more poignant? And really, are your games any more advanced than your lifestyle?
The Codenames game is a perfect way to kick-start an evening of organized chaos and fun. You and your family will work together to uncover the secret agents, thugs, and weapons that are hidden in a grid of 25 randomly chosen words.
7. Betrayal At House On The Hill
Betrayal At House On the Hill is a game that has been spooking the bejesus out of explorers ever since it was released. This is one scary game for you and your family to play together. It’s great for a party game or a game night with friends and family.
This is a 3-6 player game where players have to solve puzzles and find the keys to escape. The game takes 20 minutes to play.
One player will choose to become the betrayer who controls the enemies. The other players will explore the house, collect items, and fight monsters and ghosts. But it’s not that easy. The betrayer has his or her own agenda and has the power to turn his friends into monsters and ghosts.
8. Pandemic
Pros:
- Easy to play
- Strategic and thrilling
- Decisions count
- A lot of fun
On the Brink
Pandemic: On the Brink is a cooperative game in which you and your friends take on the roles of different members of the World Health Organizations. You're charged with the task of collaborating with the other players to cure four diseases that are threatening the world.
The diseases are spreading faster than your teams can fight. You're racing against time and running out of options. The only way to get this done is to beat the disease before the next infection hits. It's not easy with limited time and tools, but it's a race you're going to win. Here are other top games in 2020 you can play with your friends.
9. Carcassonne Board Game Standard
Pros:
- It has beautiful art for the tiles
- You play against other players and not the game
- Good artwork
- Unique
As the name implies, each player is a medieval farmer that wants to push their opponents off of the game board.
Players gain points based on the tiles they play onto the playing board, which may consist of friendly farmers, fields, and cities.
The winner is the player with the most points after five or six rounds.
10. Forbidden Island
11. Dixit
Dixit is a clever and creative story-telling game that is great for large groups and game night. The game can be played with between 3 and 10 players.
In each round, one player is the storyteller and selects a card from his hand, which contains an image or short phrase. The other players select a card from their hands that they think will be the most interesting to the storyteller so that they can win that round.
The storyteller then chooses one of the cards submitted by the players to tell part of the story. The other players then finish the story by selecting cards from their hands that seem to continue the story.
12. Lords of Waterdeep: A Dungeons & Dragons Board Game
Pros:
- Nice optimization of the game board
- Excellent replay value
- Pick-up-and-play portable design
- Short tutorials will assist new players
- A lot of noise translates into fun
Cons:
- The rules are a little too complicated
- When the game ends, the game doesn’t say "game over"
- Needs even more explanation of how to set up the pieces
- Needs more instruction about when and how to talk
Lords of Waterdeep is a worker placement game where you take on the role of a Lord of Waterdeep who is controlling his agents in order to achieve various secret objectives. This sounds a little confusing, however, after a few rounds it will become very clear to you and your friends.
To win the game, you must acquire the most victory points which are acquired by completing additional objectives. The rulebook includes a space to write these objectives down and sometimes you need to explain them to your fellow players. You can have multiple missions at a time, but some of the actions you take will reward you with points to be used to win the game.
13. Fantasy Flight Games CE01 Cosmic Encounter
Pros:
- No drawing cards
- No luck
- Hand management
- No player elimination
14. Bezier Games One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Basically, One Night Ultimate Werewolf is an alternative name for the popular game Mafia. When you start playing, you’ll realize how easy to understand rules the game actually has.
In this game, each player is given one card with a character on the face, with some special ways to win on the back. The goal of the game is to find out who should be eliminated by finding out who the character is on the card the player holds is.
The game is divided up into a day and night phase. During the day, everybody finds out who they are and who the werewolf is. The night phase is the preparation for the lynching.
15. Pandemic: Legacy Season 2
Pros:
- Choose your own starting time
- Exciting twists and turns
- Plays up to 4-6 players
- Second Season not required to play separately from original
- Stays fun even for first timers
- Challenging
- Exciting
- Accessible
- Perfect for gamers and non-gamers alike
Cons:
- Gameplay not quite as streamlined as Season One
- Rules difficult to remember
Pandemic: Legacy Season 2 is the sequel to the successful Pandemic, and brings all the fun gameplay of the original with three new major twists.
First off, once you play through the game with the same characters (or once you lose) Season 2 becomes the game Pandemic: Iberia. This introduces a few new rules and adds a few new mechanics to ensure that you still have a good time after losing.
Secondly, when you start a new game you aren’t playing the same characters from the original. These new characters come with their own unique skills and abilities.
16. 7 Wonders
Pros:
- It is a very easy to learn and quick to play game
- The artwork is colorful and inspiring
- The rules for the game are simple and laid out
- The game is fairly short in length
Cons:
- Some could be turned off by the price of the game
- Some could also be turned off by the length of the games
7 Wonders is a card game where players are trying to develop a civilization and erect a Wonder. As the game is played each player will get cards that will either cost them money in order to build their Wonder or will give them more money.
As a player gets money, they will be able to buy the cards from the other players which will cost them money. With enough money, the player can buy their cards from other players.
7 Wonders is an excellent addition to families or afternoons where you just want to have a fun time with a card game.
17. Hasbro Risk Game
Pros:
- Strategy-oriented
- Classic war game theme
If you’ve ever spent any time in a frat house or dorm at a major university, you’ve seen and probably played this game. It’s been around for decades but why is it still so popular in the 21st century?
The short answer: because it’s a great board game. Hasbro deserves credit for keeping up with the times. Newer versions of the board game push trendy elements like interactive apps and online play. These bells and whistles are wonderful but they don’t go very far if the basic core of the game is weak.
This is not the case for Risk. With its straightforward rules and simple strategy, Risk quickly becomes a game you’ll play over and over again with friends. Classic Risk has the same feel as Risk, just updated for the modern gamer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best board game 2022?
I have taken time to compile a list of the most popular board games of 2016. The list is made up of game boards from Carcassonne to Clue with every type of strategy board game in between. Some of the games on the list are for two players and some for the family to play as a group. All of the games are available for purchase on Amazon. After researching each board game I have also provided a handy link to what I believe is the best price for that game.
Before you play it is important to know how each game board is played. Read the game suggestions below and watch the helpful video for each of these to get the most out of your game night.
What are the Top 10 board games of all time?
Below are the top 10 board games of all time ranked by game popularity:
Which is the most powerful on board game?
The most popular board games (as ranked by Board Game Geek) are (in no particular order) Dominion, Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, 7 Wonders, Puerto Rico, Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, Smallworld, Settlers of Cataan, Dominion, Agricola, Power Grid, Eldritch Horror, Mage Knight, Android: Netrunner, and Pandemic.
What are the best board games for adults?
If you're a fan of the HBO series, you'll love this one. Players take on the roles of houses as they jockey for position to win the Iron Throne. As a bonus, it has outstanding artwork that's true to the HBO series.
Conclusion
When playing board games, it can be difficult to find a game that has the right amount of tension and competitiveness for the people involved. So, we set out to find the perfect board games that can be played by any family member. Depending on your gaming preferences, you can choose the best board game for you. We also talk about some of the best board game accessories, organizers, and furniture that will help you make playing board games a pleasure.
Our Recommendation
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Catan The Board Game | Best Overall | |
| Czech Games Codenames | Budget Pick | |
| 7 Wonders | Upgrade Pick | |