25 Best Board Games To Play With Friends And Family
Playing games doesn't always mean that we need a big ground and heavy equipment. Right?
I can barely imagine a situation where you got all your gang or the cousins together finally and the clouds or the sun just shows up saying we are here to ruin your fun and plans!
Well, I would say I am all here to give you guys a solution for your ruined plans with your friends and family.
Board Games are the sort of pastime which anyone just can’t deny. The best part about them is that you definitely don't need an occasion or space to opt for them. You get the players, your board, and bingo!
You can choose them anywhere and anytime you want to have fun. It can be a train, a rainy day, a boring wedding or whatsoever you can think of.
Helping you guys out, I have listed the best board games that you would love to play!
1. MONOPOLY
This US-originated board game has been historically popular.
The minimum number of players required to play this game is 3 and ideally 4-5.
Basically what happens in this game is, you get rich and your opponents go bankrupt. You collect property assets to build a house and can even upgrade to a hotel.
More the number of properties, the more assets you can gather in the form of rent from people who land there.
2. SCRABBLE
This square board game is played by 2-4 players.
It can even be played by two teams. Board is imprinted with a 15*15 grid of cells, each of which accommodates a single letter tile.
Using these letters you have to form words that will add to a certain number of points based on the score of each letter that is written in subscript to it. Again various scoring rules are applied based on your letter position in the table.
Scores earned by a player and the points too, determine the winner at the end.
This game along with building your vocabulary can also improve your brain functioning.
3. 7 WONDERS
7 Wonders is an exclusive deck card game that characterizes ancient civilizations.
The setup time required for this game is only 5 min and the number of players could range from 2-7.
A game of 7 Wonders is played over 3 Ages, each using one of the 3 card decks (first the Age I cards, then Age II, and finally Age III).
These Ages are each played similarly, where each player has the opportunity to play 6 cards per age to develop his/her city and build their own Wonder.
Each player compares their military with their two neighboring cities at the end of a particular age.
The winner is decided when players count their victory points at the end of the Third Age. The player with maximum victory points is said to be the winner.
4. CHESS
Chess is a board game that does not need an introduction. It has its own standard and class of which everyone is pretty aware.
The main object of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king, following the circumstances that the king is under immediate attack (in "check") and there is no way out for it to flee. The king has the rule that it can move only one square at a time in any direction.
It is a game to be played by only two players, so if you have your partner with you just grab a chessboard and go ahead!
5. CODENAMES
Codenames is a game of guessing. We have to guess which words in a set are related to a hint-word, that is given by another player.
Players split into two teams: red and blue. One player of each team is selected as the team's spymaster and the others act as field operatives.
Two teams compete whereby each has a "spymaster" made to give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. The other players on the team try to guess their team's words while avoiding the words of the other team.
In a variant with 2–3 players, one spymaster gives hints to the other player/players.
The game is called to end when all of one team's agents are identified (winning the game for that team), or when one team has identified the assassin (losing the game).
6. GLOOMHAVEN
Gloomhaven is a cross-party board game for a gang of 1 to 4 players. Here players try to triumph in combat-based scenarios which scale in difficulty depending on the number of players.
This game is cooperative and campaign-driven. Players work their way through a branching story that consists of almost 100 scenarios. The campaign develops in a legacy format with stickers that are placed on the board, cards, sealed envelopes that are opened only when certain criteria are met.
The gameplay of Gloomhaven generally involves Characters and monsters that move about on hex tiles representing dungeons and cellars.
Players simultaneously choose two cards to play each in turn, each of which has a top and a bottom half and choose the top half of one card and the bottom of the other to allow their characters to take actions such as moving, healing, and attacking monsters.
Randomization is checked here by a deck of cards not provided by dice.
The game usually longs for 90-180 minutes and is strategic and tactful. So before getting started you better hold a clock near you.
7. HIVE
Hive is a highly compelling and strategic board game for two players which necessarily doesn't require a board and can be played anywhere on any flat surface.
Hive is composed of twenty-two pieces, eleven black, and eleven white, matching a variety of creatures that possess a unique way of moving.
It requires no pre-setting and the game begins when the first piece is placed down. As the next pieces are placed, it forms a pattern that eventually becomes the playing surface.
The main focus of the game is to totally surround your opponent's queen, and at the same time try to block your opponent from doing the same to your queen. The player who surrounds his opponent's queen totally wins the game.
I personally find this game very interesting to play and would recommend giving it a try.
8. KING DOMINO
In Kingdomino, you act as a lord who’s seeking new lands to expand his kingdom.
One must explore all the lands, including wheat fields, lakes, and mountains, in order to spot the best plots, while competing with other lords before they acquire them first.
The game has tiles with two sections, a little similar to Dominoes.
In each turn, each player selects a new domino to connect to their existing kingdom, making sure that at least one of its sides connects to a matching terrain type that is already in play.
Randomization or we could say the order of who picks first depends on which tile was previously chosen, with better tiles forcing players to pick later in the next round.
The game comes to an end when each player has completed a 5x5 grid, and points are counted based on the number of connecting tiles and valuable crown symbols.
The game requires nearly 15 minutes of time and 2-4 players.
9. KLASK
The KLASK game board is designed like a ball field with two deep holes acting as goal holes at each end of the field.
In the middle of the field, three white magnetic pieces act as “obstacles” which you shouldn't add to your own gaming piece!
Black magnet! Yes, you got it right! Our gaming board is just similar to it. We can check it by holding a large magnet under the board.
This magnet is then joined to a small magnet placed on the field.
The whole purpose of the game is to push the small, red ball around on the field with your gaming piece, shoot the ball past the obstacles facing your opponent, into the goal hole.
It’s so much fun when your opponent is all of a sudden covered in white obstacles or you drop your gaming piece into the goal, something which might happen if you get a little too eager!
It is generally a game of 2 players and the maximum time required is nearly 10 min.
So if you have time you can enjoy this awesome board game multiple times and have fun!
10. MACHI KARO
Machi Koro is a 30 min long, fast-paced, fun-full board game for 2-4 players.
Each player wants to develop its city on its own terms in order to complete all of the landmarks under construction in competition with their opponents.
On their respective turn, each player rolls one/two dice. If the sum of the dice rolled matches the number of a building that a player owns himself, then they get the effect of that building; in some cases, opponents will also benefit from your dice and vice versa.
With the money in hand, a player can later build a landmark or a new building, which will eventually add up to the wealth of their city on future turns.
The first player to construct all of their landmarks will be the winner!
11. MARVEL CHAMPIONS: THE CARD GAME
Here goes my favorite one!
The superheroes loved by all surely wouldn't leave us in boredom, we have a board game too; to spend some time with our heroes.
Marvel Champions: The Card Game invites players to realize iconic heroes from the Marvel Universe as they fight to stop ill-famed villains from enacting their devious schemes.
As a Living Card Game, this is also supported with regular releases of new products, emphasizing new heroes and scenarios.
The best part is you can play it all alone also but of course, a group of a maximum of 4 is also fine.
They can last for 1 or 1:30 hours approximately.
12. SNAKE AND LADDER
This famous Indian-origin board game is the one we all have heard of. The game can be played by 2-4 players and can take indefinite time and is fun all along.
In this game, you throw a dice and move forward according to the output. If it’s a ladder then you level up in the game and if it’s a snake you roll down levels.
The first player to reach the century is the winner.
13. SPLENDOR
Splendor is a 45 min game of chip-collecting and card development.
Nearly 2-4 players are merchants of the Renaissance who try to buy gem mines, various transportation means, shops, all just to acquire the most famed points.
If you're wealthy enough, you might even receive a visit from a noble at some point, which will further increase your prestige.
On your turn, you can
- collect chips/gems,
- buy and build a card, or
- reserve one card
If you collect chips, you could take either three different kinds of chips or two chips of the same kind. If you buy a card, you pay its price in chips and then add it to your playing area.
To reserve a card in order to make sure you get it, or, why not, your opponents don't get it, you place it in front of your face down for later building.
This costs you around, but you also get gold in the form of a joker chip, which you can use in the form of any gem.
All of the cards you buy will increase your wealth as they give you a permanent gem bonus for later purchases. Some of the cards also give you prestige points.
You must reach 15 prestige points before your opponents do in order to win the game.
14. CATAN
In CATAN, 3-4 players try to be the controlling force on the island of Catan, through building settlements, cities, and roads.
On each turn of a player, dice are rolled to know what resources the island produces. Players build by the expenditure of resources that are represented by the resource cards.
Points are collected by building settlements and cities, having the longest road and the largest army (from some of the development cards), and accumulating certain development cards that simply award victory points.
When a player has got 10 points, he announces his total and claims his win.
The game can even last for 2 hours.
15. LABYRINTH
In this game its board has a set of tiles that are fixed solidly onto it; the unsettled tiles that make up the labyrinth slide in and out of the rows. These rows are themselves created by the tiles that are locked in place.
One tile always remains outside the labyrinth. Players take turns in taking this extra tile and sliding it into a row of the game, moving all those tiles and impelling one out the other side of the board.
This newly removed tile becomes the element for the next player to add to the twist.
2-4 players move around the dangling paths of the game in a competition to collect various treasures. Whichever collects all of his treasures first and returns to his home space will be the winner.
Labyrinth is simple at first play and an outstanding puzzle-solving game for children, but adults can also go for it and it can last up to 20 minutes.
16. FORMULA D
If you are the one who looks for speed and a similar vibe. Try out this game without a second thought.
You can have a pair or a gang of 10 and it would require an estimated time of 60 minutes.
The game complexities are a simple race, get to the finish line first! However, players have to use a considerable amount of planning, strategy and rely on quite a bit of luck.
Each player manages and checks on when to shift gears, with each gear providing a different speed. But speed isn't the only feature of this game.
There are many others including changing tire types, stop feature, player’s luck, and much more.
17. CLUE/CLUEDO
This board game of 2-6 players is a classic detective game entertaining you for around 45 minutes.
Players move from one room to another in a mansion to solve the mystery of who did it, with what, and where?
Players are allocated character, weapon, and location cards after the top card from each card type are confidentially placed in the secret file in the middle of the board.
Players must move to a room and then make a claim against a character saying they did it in that room with a specific weapon. The player to the left should show one of any cards accused to the accuser if in that player's hand.
Through logical reasoning, each player must figure out which character, weapon, and location are in the secret file. To do this, each player must resolve what cards are in other players' hands by making more and more charges.
Once a player gets to know what cards the other players have, they will know what cards are in the secret file.
A great game for those who enjoy strategic reasoning and thinking things out.
18. KING OF TOKYO
In King of Tokyo, you play freaky monsters, huge robots, and odd aliens all of whom are destroying Tokyo and attacking each other in order to become the one and only King of Tokyo.
At the start of each turn, you roll six dice, which show the six symbols namely 1, 2, or 3 Victory Points, Energy, Heal, and Attack.
Over three continuous throws, choose whether to keep or scrap each die in order to win victory points, gain energy, restore health, or attack other players into understanding that Tokyo is your territory.
The menacing player will occupy Tokyo, and earn extra victory points, but that player can't heal and must face all the other monsters alone!
The game will take nearly 30 minutes of time till your power is back and can be continued with your gang of 6 or even a pair is cool.
19. RISK
This game might be the most famous, mass market war game. The goal is to conquer the world.
Each player's turn consists of:
- earning supplements through the number of territories held the charge of every territory on each continent, and turning sets of bonus cards.
- attacking other players using a simple war rule of comparing the highest dice rolled for each side. Players may attack as often as desired.
The player is awarded a bonus card if one enemy territory is successfully taken. - moving infantry to another adjacent territory.
Go for this game only if you have a good time to spend with your players as it will take nearly 2 hours.
The number of players required is nearly 2-6.
20. PANDEMIC
In Pandemic, several noxious diseases have broken out simultaneously all over the world!
The players are disease-fighting professionals whose mission is to treat severely affected areas while researching cures for each of four plagues before they get out of hand.
Taking a unique role within the team, players must plan their strategy to the web with their specialist's strengths in order to conquer the diseases.
The game board represents several major population centers on Earth. On each turn, a player can use up to four actions to travel between cities, treat infected people, discover a cure, or build a research station.
A deck of cards provides the players with these facilities, but sprinkled throughout this deck is Epidemic! cards that increase the diseases' activity.
Another deck of cards controls the normal spread of the infections.
This game will take approximately 45 min of time and will require 2-6 players.
21. LUDO
This is an Indian-origin game played by almost every college student and known to all.
Ludo is a strategy board game for two to four players, in which the players race their four tokens from start to finish according to the rolls of a single die.
You can play among 2-4 players and your game can carry for about 90 minutes.
22. CANDY LAND
The sweet game of Candy Land collects up fond childhood memories for us.
The fanciful board game features landmarks like a candy cane forest, mountains, and colorful characters like Mr. Mint and Princess Frostine.
The thesis of Candy Land is simple, making this a game that even the youngest family members can enjoy. King Kandy is lost and the gamers are in a competition to find him.
Players take turns drawing from a deck of cards that tell them where to go on the board. Cards dictate the next move by either color for the next square to move to or a picture of a landmark.
The first player who reaches the end of the board and finds King Kandy wins.
23. BATTLESHIP
In this 2-person game of strategy, players confidentially arrange their ships on a lettered and numbered 10x10 matrix and then try to locate and destroy their opponent’s fleet.
There are two grids for each player. One grid is used for placing your own vessels and tracking all hits made against you, while the second grid is for marking the hits that are targeted at your opponent.
Take turns in firing shots by calling out one of the grid’s plot points. If a hit doesn’t strike a ship, it’s considered a miss and fixed with white pieces. If a hit makes contact with a ship, then that strike gets fixed with red.
The number of hits each kind of vessel can survive through before it sinks is varied.
After some initial experimental firing, you are likely to start to figure out the location of your opponent’s ships and begin to deal with the lethal blows.
It’s a battle on the high seas! and could take around 30-40 minutes approximately.
24. STRATEGO
Stratego is like a Napoleonic version of capturing the flag.
It is a two-person game of military moves. Players arrange all 40 of their game pieces in any kind of order they choose.
There are 12 different kinds of pieces, and each has a different role to play that needs to be considered during setup.
There are many layers of strategy and analytical thinking involved in a successful setup, making this game as enjoyable for adults as it is for kiddos.
Once all of the pieces have been arranged, gameplay starts off as you make your way into enemy territory in an effort to locate your opposition’s flag.
Move carefully as there shall be bombs planted to throw you off track and spies looking for the enemy.
One who successfully captures the opposing army’s flag wins.
25. BACKGAMMON
Backgammon is another board game that is known to our ancestors also!
The game has an iconic look that you’ll recognize instantly, whether or not you’ve ever actually played before. The playing area has 24 triangles of alternating colors and a bar down the middle of the board.
The game is often consolidated into a folding case, which makes it easy for cleanup and storage. To play, you are responsible for moving a set of 15 checkers around the board, with moves led by the rolling of two dice.
The first player to successfully remove all of his/her checkers from the game wins.
Backgammon is a two-person game that definitely requires strategy and thinking skills, but there’s a little bit of luck also which could take you off the coast.
Games are always fun when played with your friends and family.
I have myself experienced situations when I needed a whole list of best board games to carry out with my squad because the situations were not favorable.
So, I, with the best research, have provided you with the best board games that shall be helpful to you in every need and will be more enjoyable!
Keep Reading! Have Fun! Happy Board Game Time!
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