Game nights are one of the simplest ways to connect with friends or family; there are no screens, just strategy, luck, and laughter. Whether you’re into competitive classics, cooperative adventures, or quick party-style games, the perfect board game can turn any ordinary evening into a memorable one.
If you’re into games of all kinds, don’t miss our NYT game hint collection featuring daily help for Wordle, Connections, and more brainy challenges.
So grab your snacks, gather your crew, and explore our handpicked list of the best board games to elevate your next night.
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Betrayal At House On The Hill
Pandemic
Ticket To Ride
Wingspan
My brother and his girlfriend are obsessed with this game! I've only played it once and haven't got the hang of it yet, but it was fun. My stepdad thought it was too complicated!
Very good reviews and on my list to buy. Also an unusual subject, which add to the appeal.
Got it last Christmas, it's a great game with an interesting mechanism. Bonus: you also learn about the birds while playing.
Load More Replies...Disney Villainous
It's quite fun if you're into Disney movies. Each player chooses a villain who has their own goal, playing board and cards (all tightly linked to the movies) and you try to achieve your goal while "attacking" (i.e sending heroes to them) other players so they don't achieve theirs. For instance: if you play Captain Hook, your goal is to capture and kill Peter Pan on the Jolly Roger. Your cards will include allies like Smee and other players will use Wendy, Tinkerbell and so on against you. There are also multiple extensions with more villains to play.
Load More Replies...7 Wonders Duel
Jaipur
Sushi Go!
Herd Mentality
Spot It!
King Of Tokyo
That one is as fun to play as it is easy to learn. Each player plays a kaiju (a Japanese fictional monster like Godzilla) and will fight other players to control Tokyo.
Unfathomable
Hey, That's My Fish!
Clue
Horrified
Mysterium
I played this one a while ago and there is a great atmosphere as well as an original gameplay: one player is a ghost who will try to communicate to the other players who killed them so justice can be done. But you have a limited time to do so.
Heroquest
221b Baker Street
I've got this one! Quite good fun, though be warned that the clues can be kinda challenging. There's now way a 10 year old could play this. It should be more like 13+
The Game Of Life
Cards Against Humanity
My siblings and I love this game, but none of our friends really get our humour lol. We did have to stop playing it for a while because we just had played it too many times, but we are enjoying it again now. Not a family game unless your family is already crass around each other :)
Uno
Trivial Pursuit
I collect versions of Trivial Pursuit and wish my family would play it more often with me. The young players edition has questions that are a bit easier (but not as easy as the multiple choice kids version). We often use multiple question packs tailored to each person, so dad gets asked baby boomers and that sort of thing.
Scrabble
Carcassonne
Pictionary
Taboo
Battleship
Risk
We used to play with a regular gang, kept stats. Who went first, who really won. Good times.
Chinese Checkers
Blokus
Twister
Jenga
Rush Hour
Trouble
Yahtzee
I love Yahtzee, but haven't played it for years. Need to bring it out again I think!
Apples To Apples
This is what a game my sister used to play with her friends when they got their ipads for school was based on I think.
Dominion
So many extensions to this game. A smart game with only cards and initially a limited number of possible moves: the key is in making combos.
Monopoly
Chess
Checkers
Operation
Cranium
Dominoes
Agricola
Boggle
Mastermind
Connect Four
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Mouse Trap
This would be so much more informative if the less known games had descriptions.
This would be so much more informative if the less known games had descriptions.
