How to increase joy on earth? Just create a great mood for yourself and loved ones. Here is a contented child proudly hugging the deftly grabbed Barabashka to his chest! Accurate calculation and strategic planning bring victory to the head of the family in the ancient 7 wonders. Here is a company of friends guessing the associations in magical Dixit. And the hot fight on Pilot Louie turns pleases everyone at once!
The right board game is the key to joy in a single space!
And to make your choice successful, we will tell you about the best board games! We select the most popular games (current sales rating), mix with the opinions of the jury of the most prestigious competitions and season with our own gaming experience — it turns out top best board games from Igroveda
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- Board game hits for all ages
- The best board games for kids
- The best logic board games
- The best family board games
- Board games for kids who don’t like to lose
- The best board games for the company
- The best strategy and economic board games
- The best board games for skill
Criterias of choice
It is better to start a review of board games with a description of their main varieties. It is worth devoting a little time to this issue, which will help to get an idea of u200bu200bthe ideal leisure option. There are many ways to spend time with family, friends and colleagues, including board games. A variety of genres, difficulty levels and subcategories give the buyer the opportunity to choose a gift for himself or a friend. All the most popular board games are divided into:
- Card. The richest category, suitable for all ages. There are both intelligent and simple children’s options.
- With dice, most of them are walkers. Here, a lot depends on luck, which adds excitement to the game. Usually, the start position is the “Start” position and you need to gradually get some kind of resource, accumulate wealth, or be the first to reach the finish line.
- With paper and pencil.
- with a playing field. These are legendary chess, checkers, backgammon and their varieties.
- Role playing. The player takes on the role of a character, each has its own task.
- Verbal. It all comes down to interaction between participants at the word level.
Munchkin
This is a legendary parody of the classic fantasy role-playing game that allows you to go down into the dungeon and play a lot of social roles, and the producers promise excitement, dynamics and gloating. During the game, teenagers will learn the power of suspicious potions, fight monsters, learn martial arts, try on a couple of stylish outfits, and the winner will be the one whose character can be the first to reach, by hook or by crook, the sky-high, tenth level.
Age: 12+
The best popular board games for the whole family that have become classics
Monopoly
Classic tabletop. The goal of the real estate economic strategy is to properly use the start-up capital provided at the beginning of the game and bankrupt your opponents. During the game, you need to buy real estate, receive game money from its rent and thus increase capital. Players take turns making moves by rolling the die. 2-8 people can participate in Monopoly. The game takes an average of 2 hours. The longest game in the world was the game, which lasted 1680 hours.
Advantages
- teaches economic literacy
- flat game board
- great design
Flaws
- understaffing
Lotto
Probably everyone has ever played lotto. This creation does not age and always remains relevant, because it is suitable for both adults and children 2-3 years old (children’s types of loto). In the lotto, it is easy to check how much Lady Fortune favors you, in addition, the game develops attentiveness and reaction. You can play solely for the sake of the status of the winner, or you can make money bets. The package includes kegs, cards and chips.
Advantages
- Suitable for any company
- gambling
- Checks luck
- budgetary
Flaws
- If you play for large amounts, then there may be a minus
Mafia
If a large company has gathered, then the Mafia can become an excellent leisure option. The purpose of this entertainment is to clear the civilian population from criminals. Everyone gets the role that will be on the dropped card. As a result, you can turn into a safe civilian, become a mafioso, commissioner and leader. The process is divided into «day» and «night». Night is the time of mafia atrocities, and during the day, the unfortunate residents find out that someone has died and are trying to identify the villains. «Mafia» is extremely captivating, teaches you to get used to the character and gives you the skills of an excellent bluff, because no one wants to be exposed ahead of time.
Advantages
- Fascinatingly
- Psychological component
- Gives you the opportunity to get to know friends from a new side
Flaws
- It’s sad to drop out in the forefront and be in the role of an observer
Game of Thrones
This is a strategy board game based on the books of the famous saga “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George Martin. Each of the participants will lead one of the Great Houses fighting for supremacy over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. During the game, you need to conquer as many castles and fortresses as possible, gathering armies, seizing lands and entering into alliances, in order to sit on the Iron Throne as a result. The number of players is from 3 to 6. The average game time is 2 hours.
Advantages
- quality printing
- strong carton box
- beautiful figurines
- it’s better to play with six
Flaws
Logic and coordination
A game-based learning format will help to develop logic well in childhood. Most Played Games:
- You can play Cat Island alone or with your family, with children from 8 years old. Rivals will have to fill their ships with bizarre cats, for which you need to buy baskets for the local currency — fish. The latter is also useful for completing tasks that bring the points necessary for victory. Each move must be well thought out with the expectation of the following rounds. They also take into account the goals of rivals, which can interfere with the plans of other players.
- «Detective Chronicles: The Ghost in the Museum». A team of six players can think well and have fun. You need to play the cards leading to the solution of the mystery of the museum, and throw off options with erroneous assumptions. Players who use their detective abilities will be able to determine the desired card.
- «Mysterium». For connoisseurs of mysticism and mysteries. Suitable for a company of seven people from 10 years old. Solving other people’s dreams, players free from the curse of a ghost imprisoned in an old house.
Having fun, the child trains an important skill that will be useful to him in the future. It is hard to live without logic in adult life.
Top Popular Dice Family Board Games
Jenga
In front of the players are 54 wooden blocks stacked in a tower. On their turn, the player must carefully remove one block and place it on top of the structure. If the tower does not collapse, the turn passes to the next participant. By the end of the game, the tower becomes unstable and it is completely unclear where to get the part from. It all depends on the accuracy of the player. There are a lot of towers. They will differ from each other in the quality of the tree and, accordingly, in the price.
Advantages
- simple rules
- develops accuracy
- high quality
Flaws
- not detected
Big Adventure
There is a large field in front of the players. The task is simple. You need to get to the finish line faster than the enemy. The participant rolls the die and go! So that the game does not get bored quickly, it has funny additional conditions. Cells are teleporters that will send players from one point of the field to another instantly. Tadam, which introduces a new rule for all participants at once. Joe’s shop, where you can buy a personal useful bonus. For example, throw the die if the value is completely unsuccessful.
Advantages
- contains no rules
- many fun additional cards that will add excitement to the players
- fast game
Flaws
- there is text on the cards, which means that kids will not be able to play it
Carcassonne. Middle Ages
There is no field in front of the players, only one piece in the center of the table. The task of the participants is to collect their common medieval kingdom. It is built like a puzzle. The player draws a piece and substitutes according to the logic: road to road, castle to castle. Each time you place a part, you can put your subordinate on it. The more buildings there are, the more chances to win. The game ends when the players use all the pieces on the table.
Advantages
- simple rules
- many additions that will make the game more difficult
- you need to plan your actions
Flaws
- not detected
Barabashka
Mindfulness game. There are five items in front of the players. They are all different colors and shapes: a blue book, a green bottle, a red armchair, a gray mouse and a white ghost. In the deck of cards are pictures with these items. Sometimes they are depicted correctly, and sometimes everything is mixed up on them. For example, a blue ghost can rest in a gray chair. The task is to find the right item and grab it. And if the picture is wrong, find the only object that they forgot to depict.
Advantages
- educational game
- simple rules
- nice wooden figurines
Flaws
- not detected
Jenga
Neuropsychologists note that this game is in your closet forever, because it can be used almost from birth. It is necessary to build a tower of wooden blocks. Next, players take turns removing blocks from the base of the tower and placing them on top, making it taller and less stable. The one on whose turn the tower falls apart loses.
Age: 6+ (actually earlier)
The best popular board games for the whole family card games
Uno
Uno is a game with elementary rules and a quick game. It is ideal for those who want to keep themselves busy on the train or just have fun. In front of the players is a deck of multi-colored cards with different denominations. The goal is to get rid of your cards in your hand as quickly as possible. Cards can be discarded by color or value. In the center of the table is a blue 5? You can discard something blue or with a face value of 5. There is no suitable card — you need to take a new one from the deck. The game has additional fun rules. You can force another player to skip a turn or take two cards from the deck at once.
Advantages
- very compact, easy to take with you
- the rules are explained in two minutes
- can be played with children under 7 years old
Flaws
- it will be more interesting to play in a company of 3 people
Dobble
Dobble is a fun game of speed and reaction. In a convenient metal box is a deck of round cards. Each has 8 different images. But one picture on two cards will always be the same. The task of the players is to look for matches on their card and deck in the center as quickly as possible. Whoever found it first got the card. The peculiarity is that the pictures are always located in different ways, their size also changes. Only the most attentive will be able to quickly find the same.
Advantages
- compact, easy to take with you, convenient to play on the go
- simple rules
- develops attention and reaction speed
Flaws
- not detected
Sleeping queens
The participants of this game will have to wake up 5 queens from sleep. The deck has the Pancake Queen and the Cookie King, as well as the Queen of Dogs, Cakes, Starfish and Roses. Whoever collects 5 queens first wins. The game was invented by a 6 year old girl, she is very cute, simple and fun. There are 79 cards in the deck, so you can play with five people, and it will be interesting for both adults and children.
Advantages
- children learn math better
- simple rules
- good quality bright cards
- strong box
Flaws
- better to take with plastic cards
Eternal winter. Paleo-Indians
Short:
strategy about the difficult primitive life
Number of players:
1–4
Game time:
60–90 minutes
Publisher:
GaGaGames
BGG Rating:
7.9
About what:
about the harsh life of the primitive people of North America. Taking care of their own tribe, players will have to fight for the life and prosperity of their wards with hunger, cold and rival tribes.
Gameplay:
this strategy offers a combination of several popular mechanics: worker placement, deck building, and resource management. Your semi-wild wards will hunt, explore the land, set up new camps, develop culture and master new crafts. At the end of the game, you will even build your own megaliths, majestic stone structures that are destined to stand for long millennia.
The game is beautifully designed by popular desktop artist Mihailo Dimitrievski. You can pre-order on the website of the GaGa Games publisher with several additions at once.
The best popular board games for the whole family
Imaginarium
This exciting game is suitable to have fun with friends or sit in the family circle. For children from 12 years old, the game is quite understandable, but if you have younger children, then there are more simplified versions of the Imaginarium, marked childhood. This type of entertainment will be understandable for children 4-5 years old. The Imaginarium gives you the opportunity to develop your imagination, and at the same time there will be plenty of excitement, since victory goes to points, and everyone wants to become a winner. Players are immersed in the world of associations and close people are very pleased to tune in to each other’s wave and get closer through fantasies.
Advantages
- Helps develop the imagination
- Allows for creative thinking
- Suitable for creative people
Flaws
- Price
- Some of the pictures are too dark
The Wizard of Oz
Rolling the dice is not enough to progress along the yellow brick road: you must complete a certain task. For example, roar like a lion, or hide under a table. It will be fun for both children and adults, whom the party of the game will return to their favorite fairy tale.
Advantages
- interesting variations of the movement of spell chips
- hourglass won’t let you relax
- fun tasks and the principle of the game
Flaws
- I would like more tokens with tasks
munchkin
Munchkin is suitable for a group of friends who are ready for role-playing and transformation. This board card game plunges you into a wild fantasy world and requires you to throw off the veils of decency, as you will have to be cunning, incite leaders, support weak players for selfish purposes, and all for the sake of your own victory. When playing Munchkin, you will have to forget about pity and sympathy for the enemy, you need to be dominated only by arguments of profit. The goal is to reach the maximum level, and along the way, magical moments will await, reminiscent of Tolkien’s bizarre world.
Advantages
- Captivates from the first minutes
- Flight of fantasy
- Unlimited players limit
Flaws
- You can quarrel
- Not suitable for 2 people
GAGA Codenames GG041
The game combines simplicity and elegance of rules. Verbal spy find will give you an unforgettable experience of interacting with friends, family and just casual acquaintances.
Advantages
- develops thinking
- unites
Flaws
- required surface 5×5 times
- don’t play together
Far from the sun
Short:
space exploration strategy
Number of players:
2–4
Game time:
60–120 minutes
Publisher:
crowd games
BGG Rating:
8.0
About what:
you will find yourself at the beginning of the space age and will determine the technological progress of mankind, compete for leadership in the economy and science and, of course, fight for influence over the Galaxy.
Gameplay:
the winner will be the player with the most victory points that can be earned by researching and developing technologies, and you will have a new technology tree in each game. As you progress, you will accumulate military power, colonize systems, modernize resource production and do other important things befitting the conqueror of space.
The best popular board games for the whole family verbal
Scrabble
This game is a desktop classic. The Russian-language analogue of the world-famous Scrabble is one of the most interesting board games for the whole family. The essence of «Erudite» is as follows: for each move from a random set of seven letters, you need to collect a word and lay it out in the most successful way on the playing field. Each letter in this educational board game has a certain number of points. The amount of points per word increases when one or more letters “lie” on special cells (colored). The winner of the game is the one who scores the most points by the end. Scrabble can be played by 2 to 6 people. The party of the board game lasts about 1 hour.
Advantages
- expands the child’s vocabulary
- develops quick thinking
- compact size
Flaws
- letters are not magnetic
Activity
The purpose of Activity is to reduce the degree of tension in the company, if its members are unfamiliar, this will be a wonderful way to stir up everyone, ignite a spark of friendliness and fun. From 3 to 16 people can participate. If there are many participants, then there is a division into teams, but if there are only 3, then each for himself. The essence of Activity is elementary, you just need to provide an explanation for the word that has fallen out in just 1 minute of the allotted time. You will have to explain in one of the three ways indicated on the field: in words (but without words with the same root), gestures (silently) or with the help of a picture. The winner is the player who reaches the finish line first. The game is designed to create fun, so it is suitable even for any company.
Advantages
- For any company
- Cheerful
- There are budget options
- Various tasks
Flaws
- Not suitable for two
tick tock boom
The popular game has many versions, there are also for children. The rules are as simple as possible: players name associations on a given topic, passing each other a wound bomb. In whose hands it «explodes», he lost. An explosion of laughter during the game is also guaranteed.
Advantages
- quality material
- beautiful appearance
- compact
Flaws
- small size cards
Alias
“Alias” (“Elias”) is a great game for a large company, which will not only amuse, but also make you strain your brains. To participate, the players are divided into teams and take turns completing the task. In just a minute (counted by an hourglass), one player must explain to his team or partner as many words as possible from the drawn card. This should be done only by speech, without using gestures and cognate words. For clues, teams receive points that move them around the playing field. The group of players that reaches the finish line first is the winner. Elias can be played by 4 or more people. The average duration of a game is 2 hours.
Advantages
- nice compact game
- interesting tasks
- words on both sides of the card
Flaws
- not enough cards
Activity (Activity Original)
It’s simple: teams compete in guessing words with 440 playing cards against the clock. If in «Alias» the explanation goes in one way, then there is a choice: you can explain in other words, you can show with pantomime, you can draw. Time limits and the desire to win make this game action-packed, action-packed and fun!
Age: 12+
The best popular board games for the whole family with a game board
colonizers
Settlers is a family strategy that will make players think about their actions. An uninhabited island spread out before the participants. The task of the settlers is to create their cities there, build roads, extract resources and bargain with opponents as profitably as possible. But the island is not so safe. Rogues live at its very heart and can devastate the player’s lot and prevent their victory.
Advantages
- a lot of interaction between players, you need to constantly communicate and exchange resources
- good strategy with simple rules
- there is an expansion for up to 6 players and additions that will make the game more difficult
Flaws
- Only 3-4 people can play
Scrabble
This entertainment is suitable for a company of 2 to 4 people. The meaning of the lesson is to form words on a special board, which is divided into 225 squares. Scrabble is very similar to Scrabble, that is, it allows you to train your brain and expand your vocabulary. At the beginning, players are given 7 chips and need to make up words. The finish comes when one of the players runs out of all the chips (they can be on hand or on the playing field). Scoring will reveal the winner. Scrabble is suitable for adults and children. The age of children can be from 6-7 years old if they already know the letters and do not have problems with composing words.
Advantages
- Actively trains brain activity
- Allows family members to bond
- Expands vocabulary
Flaws
- Gotta count the points
- Expensive
Hive
The slogan of the game sounds like «Small war, deep strategy» for a reason, because this board game has strategic depth and is aimed at capturing the opponent’s hive queen with the help of your insects: spiders, beetles, grasshoppers and ants. Each insect moves in a different way, just like in chess, so move the pieces and try to surround the «queen» — if this happens, celebrate the victory!
Age: 10+
No. 12. Star Trek: Ascension
Another space 4X (I know), but this time it borrows the street reputations from the Star Trek IP.
In this 3-lane galaxy brawl, players take control of the Federation, Klingons, or Romulans.
This Star Trek 4X game relies heavily on side x exploration. There are a lot of new systems to explore and this is one of the most moving examples of exploration in the game.
One really strange part about Dominance is the number of players. This is specially for 3 players. Not 2 or 4, but exactly 3 players can play this game. This limits a lot of groups, so while it’s a great 4X game, it might not hit the table as often as it should.
Intrigued? Check out our Full Review of Star Trek: Ascendancy before you buy!
Star Trek: Ascension
- Contains 3 iconic races: Federation, Romulan and Klingon Empire…
- Each race has 33 ships and 3 fleet markers.
- Exploration deck of 45 cards
$99.99 $79.66
Buy on Amazon
No. 7. March of the Ants
March Of The Ants reminds me of the old school Super Nintendo game SimAnt. March Of The Ants hits every element of 4X strategy.
Players take control of an ant colony on a farm and explore/expand their colony’s influence on the farm. This is a breath of fresh air family theme different from SPACE WARS, but I may be biased due to my Super Nintendo nostalgia days. Don’t worry, 4X space fans will still find some familiar elements… I mean, there are still wormholes.
The game itself offers many strategic options, and it has simpler rules. Ideal for family games. While direct confrontation is built in, it’s not 100% necessary to win.
March of the Ants
- Package dimensions: 6.858 H x 28.956 D x 21.082 W (cm)
- 70 minutes of playing time
- Package weight: 2.799 pounds
$124.99
Buy on Amazon
«Anachronism»
- 1 to 4 players
- from 15 years old
- 30-120 minutes
«Anachronism» is David Turzi’s economic strategy about the survival of people in the post-apocalyptic future and time travel. The main mechanics of the game are based on the classic interaction with workers: hiring, placing and feeding (specifically for this game — watering). Unusual gameplay adds the need to prepare and use exosuits for action in the outside world and the division of workers into classes depending on specialization. There is a small share of building your own economic engine when beautifying the shelter. Time travel is similar to the mechanics of credit loans, but only to themselves from a more prosperous future, which throws up some good planning tasks. All game mechanics are closely related to the actions performed and logically justified, which, together with the faction asymmetry and artistic description, create a deep atmosphere that is not typical for most economic strategies.
«Anachronism» has become one of the most memorable discoveries of the outgoing year. Thoughtful and balanced in many respects, the game gave a lot of positive impressions. The abundance of high-quality components, 5 additional modules included immediately in the basic version of the localized game, allow you to adjust it to different requirements of the players. A great solo mode with Chronobot’s logarithmic tablet, deftly imitating the game with a real person. Miniatures that attract the eye and make every action of the players visual. The gameplay is varied due to the many variables that make each game unique. All of the above combined makes this game always desirable at the gaming table, despite the sea of novelties in the desktop market.
«Profaned Grail. Fall of Avalon»
- 1 to 4 players
- from 14 years old
- 120-240 minutes
The corruption has taken over Avalon. The round table has ceased to exist. Did Camelot fall? Or still not. You have to find out all this. Along the way, find the first expedition from your village. Find out how to stop the Distortion. How dangerous are Forerunners. And do not forget that you need to rest, eat, fight off monsters. Yes, and try not to die along the way.
The Defiled Grail is another novelty from the Polish publisher Awaken Realms in our top. And one more ameri, only in a dark fantasy adventure setting. A massive narrative adventure awaits you with the most non-linear story possible, a modular adventure map, a cunning character leveling system, and innovative combat and negotiation mechanics. 15 declared scenarios with variable difficulty levels will help, as in modern computer games, to choose the way that suits you personally — from light-scenario to hardcore-epic. As with Nemesis, the components and miniatures are of high quality and literally beg to be painted. And if you do not skimp on a separate box of monsters called the Monsters of Avalon, then your parties will become not only diverse, but also insanely beautiful.
Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road
Short:
euro-strategy about a beautiful city on the Silk Road
Number of players:
1–4
Game time:
90 minutes
Publisher:
GaGa Games
BGG Rating:
7.8
About what:
In this intense Euro-strategy, you will have to achieve power and wealth in the heart of the Silk Road — the ancient city of Merv.
Gameplay:
palace intrigues, lucrative trade deals, the fulfillment of large orders, and even generous donations to the needs of the mosque — all this can lead you to victory. But the beautiful city is threatened by Mongol raids, and from time to time you will have to choose: sacrifice your own brilliant prospects to protect the inhabitants of the city, or pay off the cruel nomads, leaving ordinary people to their fate.
In addition to deep gameplay and various strategies, Merv also boasts beautiful design: the box is filled with figured walls and gates of the city, wooden camels, tokens of scrolls with Arabic script. All this is not just for beauty: every round you have to move along the walls of the city, building up city blocks with buildings, collecting resources and using the opportunities that various sections of Merv give you.
No. 8. alien artifacts
Alien Artifacts is another 4X card strategy game. It has everything you could want from an epic space game: ship battles, technology research, alien civilizations and of course raiding and expanding empires.
It uses a unique double-sided card mechanic to add an insane amount of strategy. Each card has 2 sides that give either an immediate bonus or a permanent bonus throughout the game. It’s pretty easy at first, but after the first few rounds, players will be strategizing with counters and countering those counters… you might as well add a backup plan with a third feint, just in case.
alien artifacts
- Provides a true 4x experience in less than an hour
- With over 200 cards, Alien Artifacts offer players plenty of…
- Easy to learn and fast to play
$45.00 $24.49
Buy on Amazon