I love board games. This is a completely subjective list of my favourites.
12. Pandemic
2 to 4 players - 60 mins
Maybe it's too soon, but this is a classic! Epidemics are popping around the globe. Your team fight to stop the spread and create a cure before there's a global pandemic.
This was the first cooperative game I played, where you win or lose as a team. Each player has special abilities and you have a lot of flexibility in how to tackle gameplay. Three difficulties keep it interesting and challenging. It's a little complex the first time, but always fun and a proud moment if you win.
11. Colt Express
2 to 6 players - 60 mins
You play a bandit robbing a train at the same time as other bandits, and your goal is to become the richest outlaw of the Old West
This game is exceptional in how well it looks. The dynamic of moving around the train is clever, but the gameplay also adds a very unique strategy. You choose all actions you'll make based on what you think others will do. Then all play out at the end of the round, usually with some surprises.
10. Carcassone
2 to 5 players - 45 mins
As you form a new land from randomised tiles, players compete to claim cities, roads and monasteries. Completing patterns to score points.
This is simple and instantly fun. We play it a lot as a family and every game is different due to the changing board. There's enough scope to back stab one another and it's usually a tight race in the end. There's a few simple tweaks that could have improved this, and scoring can be strange, so it's a little lower on the list. It's always fun though and I consistently go back to it.
9. 30 Seconds
4 to 16 players - 45 mins
The classic word describing game that if you haven't played, you really should.
Perfect with any group. It's fun to see how in sync some people are, and new people to the game always love it. Can be slow at times so I remove the dice roll if so. The cards are very clever and make it the kind of game anyone could enjoy.
8. Ticket to Ride (Europe)
2 to 5 players - 60 mins
Playing on a large map, you take turns to add railroads between cities. Expanding your train lines to both earn points and to join your city combinations that no one else knows.
A uniquely clever game that's always fun. There's a nice puzzle aspect which I enjoy, and it's not difficult to pick up. If I had to fault it, games can be repetitive, but that's probably just how much we've played it.
7. Cluedo
2 to 6 players - 60 mins
Someone's been murdered. Players race to find clues which reveal the killer.
Can't be many who haven't played this. It's one of the few 'classic' games I always come back to because the dynamic is so clever. It's balanced, strategic and always fun.
6. Labyrinth
2 to 4 players - 30 mins
Trapped in a labyrinth, you must navigate to find hidden treasures and be first to escape.
My go to when you want simplicity. If someone says 'I don't play board games' or 'they're too confusing', then this is the one. I've never met someone who hasn't liked this and although the puzzle of it takes a while to get your head around, from the first move everyone knows how to play. I've never seen a game like it before, with an extremely original game mechanic.
5. Azul
2 to 4 players - 30 mins
You're an artisan tasked with decorating the walls of the Royal Palace. Take turns buying tiles from the market and adding them to your wall to complete patterns and earn points.
A simple, elegant and addictive tile placement game. Very quick, intuitive and strategic in an abstract way.
4. Tiny Towns
1 to 6 players - 45 mins
Tiny Towns is a competitive game about building a well-designed township from a shared pool of resources. Space is at a premium, so you must be tactical about your buildings and their locations.
An extremely unique Tetris like game mechanic. This is instantly intuitive and fun, with every game different enough to keep it interesting. I like the pieces and the puzzle aspect. This can be tactical and frustrating, but is one of the most rewarding when your plan works out.
3. Splendor
2 to 4 players - 30 mins
Playing as Renaissance merchants, you acquire gems and stones to become the wealthiest trader.
Elegant, intuitive and fast. This is a strategic card game, with weighty poker chip gems. It's high quality and fun to use, with a novel dynamic of buying resources. Quick to pickup, different every game and always a close race. This gets a lot of playtime.
2. Munchkin
2 to 6 players - 45 mins
Raid the dungeon, kill the monsters, stab your buddy!
Players kick in the dungeon door and either keep the loot or fight any monsters inside. Killing a monster gets you a level and its treasure, but losing sets you back. Build your power with cards, make alliances to defeat monsters and backstab each other to be the first to reach Level 10.
This is the most dynamic game I've played, with endless scenarios. Surprisingly quick to pickup for how much gameplay it offers, and also surprisingly balanced with new players able to beat experienced ones. This is on the more complex side so not for everyone, but for the amount of times this gets played it deserves this spot. I'd highly recommend the deluxe edition which includes the game board. There are dozens of cheap expansions so this can never get old.
1. Catan
2 to 4 players - 60 mins
Players try to be the dominant force on the island of Catan by building settlements, cities, and roads.
Made in 1995, this is said to have redefined board games. This was definitely the case for me. It was in Uganda in 2017 that I was introduced to this game and we played it non stop in the evenings. I bought it within a week of getting home and my family got equally addicted. It was endless nights of playing this that have stemmed the rest of this list. It's always a favourite to go back to and has a lot of sentimental value for me.
There are a few expansions. I can't speak for them all but do have Explorers & Pirates which makes the board a behemoth with three different islands. There's a new dynamic for using the ships to discover and settle lands, and ongoing missions to defeat pirates and collect fish and spices. At first it was a little daunting, and setup is slow requiring original game pieces, but recently I've fallen in love with this. For anyone who's played Catan to death, it adds endless variations and tactics that make each game unique. It's a much longer game (atleast 1.5 to 2hrs) but knowing this, it's always fun.
Honourable Mentions
Rummikub
2 to 4 players - 45 mins
A clever strategy game using numbered tiles. This is very dynamic, quick and easy to learn.
Love Letter
2 to 4 players - 15 mins
A fast card game of risk and deduction. Simple, portable, elegant and unique. I really enjoy this one.
Discovering Ireland
2 to 6 players - 60 mins
A unique travel game across the towns and cities of Ireland. Players race to visit every location on their secret list and leave via their final port. There's roadblocks and backstabbing that always leads to unexpected results, which although frustrating, does make this a fun game.
Jaipur
2 players - 15 mins
From the makers of Splendor this has a similar dynamic with cards and chips. Players take turns to buy and sell at the market, proving your abilities to become the Maharaja's personal trader. A very clever, portable and enjoyable game.
Chess
2 players - 30 mins
Had to get a mention. The Queen's Gambit renewed my interest in Chess, and there's a reason it's been the most famous board game for thousands of years. I find it's a fun mental puzzle that’s unique every single time.
Legendary - A Marvel Deck Building Game
1 to 5 players - 60 mins
A fun cooperative card based game where players fight Marvel villains to save the city. An interesting dynamic which is completely changed in every game based on the villains faced.
Comments