My favorite board games
I have a decent-sized board game collection (~50 games) and have played quite a few more (online, in board game cafes, with other friends). Here are my favorites, roughly organized by time needed by someone familiar with the game to explain it to other people.
I'm assuming you already know about games like Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Scrabble, Codenames, etc. These are timeless, and there's always a time and place to play them.
Party games (10 minutes or less to explain)
- Fishbowl
Players: 4-20
A hilarious party game combining elements of Charades, Password, and Taboo. Players describe and act out words in increasingly challenging rounds.
This game is a classic that works with all types of groups, whether they're close friends or strangers. It's often even funnier when played with people you don't know well.
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Avalon
Players: 5-10
A social deduction game set in Arthurian legend. Players are secretly divided into good and evil teams, trying to deduce each other's identities while completing quests. -
Wits & Wagers
Players: 3-7
A trivia game where players bet on each other's answers. The unique betting mechanic allows players to win even if they don't know the answers.
This is probably my favorite party game that's not in the social deduction or word game category, and also my favorite trivia board game. The very simple mechanic that you can bet on other people's answers makes this game completely different from most trivia games (in a good way). Strongly recommend.
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Just One
Players: 3-7
A cooperative word-guessing game where players give one-word clues. The challenge lies in giving unique clues that don't overlap with other players. -
Poetry for Neanderthals
Players: 2-12
A word-guessing game where clues must be given using only one-syllable words. Players who use longer words get bonked with an inflatable club. -
Cambio
Players: 2-8
A fast-paced card game of memory and deduction. Players try to end up with the lowest point value in their hand by swapping and peeking at cards.
My favorite playing card game to play with a large group of people. Doesn't take too long to explain. Is always interactive, plays quickly, and involves memory, which is especially fun when everyone's drunk.
- Wavelength
Players: 2-12
A party game where teams compete to read each other's minds. Players try to guess where a hidden target falls on a spectrum between two extremes.
This game is ideal for breaking the ice with unfamiliar groups, fostering connections without the awkwardness of explicit "get to know you" activities.
- Gazooks Players: 3-8 Shout, think fast, and battle wits in this cross-platform, IRL mobile party game that turns any gathering into word-slinging pandemonium!
This isn't technically a board game, but it fits in the same category of games as the rest of the games in this section. This game is a fantastic mix of trivia games, reaction-time games, and word games. It's extremely interactive, very funny, and will get people talking. I highly recommend this one.
Medium-complexity games (< 30 min to explain)
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Scotland Yard
Players: 3-6
A one-vs-many deduction game where one player is Mr. X, evading capture in London. The other players are detectives trying to track down Mr. X. -
Wingspan
Players: 1-5
A beautiful engine-building game about attracting birds to habitats. Players collect and play bird cards to score points and trigger powerful combinations. -
The Crew
Players: 2-5
A cooperative trick-taking game set in space. Players must complete missions by winning specific tricks, but communication is limited. -
Castles of Burgundy
Players: 2-4
A strategic dice-placement game where players develop their medieval estates. Players use dice to acquire and place tiles, building a unique kingdom. -
7 Wonders
Players: 2-7
A card-drafting game where players lead ancient civilizations. Players simultaneously select cards to build their wonder and develop various aspects of their civilization. -
Dominion
Players: 2-4
The original deck-building game where players start with identical decks. Players acquire new cards to build more powerful decks and score victory points. -
Star Realms
Players: 2
A fast-paced deck-building game set in space. Players purchase ships and bases to build their fleet and attack their opponent. -
Survive: Escape from Atlantis!
Players: 2-4
A cutthroat game of survival as players try to evacuate their meeples from a sinking island. Players can use sea monsters to attack opponents' meeples. -
Queendomino/Kingdomino
Players: 2-4
Tile-laying games where players build kingdoms by connecting matching terrains. Queendomino adds more complexity with buildings and a tax system. -
Furnace
Players: 2-4
An engine-building game set in the industrial revolution. Players bid on company cards and use them to produce resources and earn victory points. -
Cascadia
Players: 1-4
A tile-laying game about building habitats in the Pacific Northwest. Players place terrain tiles and wildlife tokens to score points based on pattern-building goals. -
Tractor
Players: 2-4
A trick-taking card game popular in China. Players try to win tricks and play combinations of cards to score points. -
Watergate
Players: 2
A two-player game recreating the Watergate scandal. One player is the Nixon administration, the other the Washington Post, in a tug-of-war of evidence and momentum. -
Jaipur
Players: 2
A fast-paced two-player trading game set in India. Players compete to become the Maharaja's personal trader by collecting and selling goods. -
Silver & Gold
Players: 2-4
A flip-and-write game where players cross off spaces on treasure map cards. Players race to complete maps and score points through various means. -
Azul
Players: 2-4
An abstract tile-laying game inspired by Portuguese azulejo tiles. Players draft colored tiles to create patterns on their player board to score points. -
Decrypto
Players: 3-8
A team-based word-guessing game with a twist. Teams must communicate secret codes to each other while preventing the opposing team from intercepting them. -
Citadels
Players: 2-8
A card game of city-building and bluffing. Players draft character cards each round to gain special abilities and build districts in their city. -
Secret Hitler
Players: 5-10
A social deduction game set in 1930s Germany. Players are secretly divided into liberals and fascists, with one player as Hitler, trying to enact their agenda.
Involved games (~1hr to explain)
(May take several playthroughs to fully understand or appreciate the game)
- Brass: Birmingham
Players: 2-4
An economic strategy game set in the English Industrial Revolution. Players develop industries, build networks, and manage resources in a complex economic ecosystem.
This is probably my favorite board game of all time. I've played this five times, and I still feel like I don't know what the optimal strategy is. The game is rich but sharp; every mechanic feels streamlined and necessary for the game to work. The mid-game "soft" reset is unique and fun to play around. I love the economics of the game; I love the area-of-influence mechanics; I love that there are so many different ways to win; I love that there's no randomness -- I love pretty much everything about this game.
- Slay the Spire: The Board Game
Players: 1-4
A cooperative deck-building game based on the video game. Players ascend a spire, battling monsters and building their decks to defeat a final boss.
If you love the video game, you'll love this board game. It's so fun and faithful to the original that I've convinced five friends to download the video game after playing the board version. While it can feel like a simplified version with some token and math annoyances, the designers have made it ergonomic and easy to play. The shared moments of teamwork, close calls, and victory celebrations make it all worthwhile.
- Terraforming Mars
Players: 1-5
A strategic game about making Mars habitable. Players represent corporations, playing project cards and managing resources to raise global parameters.
An oldie but a goodie. I love bringing this one out every few months or so when enough time has passed that I've forgotten how incredible a game this is.
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Scythe
Players: 1-5
A game of area control and resource management set in an alternate-history 1920s. Players lead factions to claim territory and complete objectives. -
Twilight Struggle
Players: 2
A card-driven game simulating the Cold War. Players represent the USA and USSR, competing for global influence through various historical events.
I've played this game 30+ times and I still don't know how to play this game well. If you enjoy history, war games, card games, strategy games, or board games in general, I strongly recommend checking this one out. Bonus points if you have someone to consistently play with you so you can both learn from each other.
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Imperial Struggle
Players: 2
A strategic game covering the rivalry between Britain and France in the 18th century. Players compete for global supremacy through diplomacy, economics, and warfare. -
Dune
Players: 2-6
A game of conquest, diplomacy, and betrayal based on Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic. Players control factions vying for control of the desert planet Arrakis.
Games on my wishlist/yet-to-play list
- Gloomhaven
Players: 1-4
A massive, campaign-based dungeon crawl game with legacy elements. Players control adventurers through a branching narrative, leveling up and unlocking new content.
I've owned both Gloomhaven and Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion for the last four years and have yet to bring them out of the box, unfortunately.
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Spirit Island
Players: 1-4
A complex cooperative game where players are spirits defending their island from colonizers. Each spirit has unique powers that grow throughout the game. -
Root
Players: 2-4
An asymmetric game of woodland warfare. Each player controls a different faction with unique abilities and victory conditions. -
Everdell
Players: 1-4
A worker placement and card tableau building game with a charming woodland theme. Players build a city of critters and constructions over four seasons. -
Dune: Imperium
Players: 1-4
A game combining deck-building and worker placement set in the Dune universe. Players vie for control of the planet Arrakis through political influence and resource management. -
Power Grid
Players: 2-6
An economic game about managing power plants and supplying cities with electricity. Players bid on power plants and manage resources to power the most cities. -
American Revolution
Players: 2
A strategic wargame covering the American War of Independence. Players control either the British or the American forces, maneuvering armies and managing resources.
Games I didn't enjoy, or don't enjoy any more
- Twilight Imperium - Took way too long, played for six hours, and didn't really feel like the game went anywhere. The play-through experience didn't feel very satisfying for me.
- Terra Mystica - Also quite long. I played it once several years ago and didn't enjoy it enough to want to keep playing again or buy it for myself.
- Pandemic - Literally completely stopped playing this game once the actual pandemic hit.
- Dead of Winter - This is an fun concept for a cooperative/competitive game that has an excellent build and well-designed pieces. I remember many small, finicky things to set up, and the gameplay didn't feel consistently engaging. I remember playing this with my family, and there were times when people were making decisions for no reason because they didn't understand what they were supposed to do or have an overarching comprehensive game plan in mind behind all of their decisions, which is something that I think is very important in a game.