Best Board Games (Updated 2020)
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- 9.20/101.Editors choice:
Ravensburger Disney Villainous Strategy Board Game
- 9.60/102.Premium pick:
Catan
- 9.60/103.Best value:
Chutes and Ladders Board Game
- 9.60/104.
Dragonwood
- 9.40/105.
Photosynthesis Strategy Board Game
- 9.99/106.
Pandemic
- 8.80/107.
Ravensburger Labyrinth Family Board Game
- 8.60/108.
Brain Freeze
- 8.30/109.
The Oregon Trail
- 7.90/1010.
Monopoly Socialism Board Game Parody
If you love a good game night, you’re probably always on the lookout for the best board games. Determining which board game will create the most fun involves a number of different factors. Traditional games like chess and checkers will entertain but what about a game that can be played with a group? Are you someone who loves a good mystery? Do you prefer to spend your game night laughing from your belly? What age range are you working with? How long of a game are you looking for? And do you gravitate towards complex games over silly ones?
We compiled a list of some of the best board games to give you some inspiration. The following list was designed to include a variety of board game types so that whether you’re looking for a board game to entertain yourself with, or you want to add another gem to your family game night, there is something here for you!
1. Ravensburger Disney Villainous Strategy Board Game
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If you’re a Disney lover, we have just the board game for you. Ravensburger’s Disney Villainous Strategy Board Game is designed with some of Disney’s most iconic characters in mind. You get to choose one of 6 villains — Captain Hook, Maleficent, Jafar, Ursula, the Queen of Hearts and Prince John — and during the game you’ll use cards to create action-packed events. Playing certain cards allows you to do things like gain power, mess up your opponent’s strategy or you can even vanquish heroes. While you get to be the bad guy, there are still heroes involved.
Disney Villainous Strategy Board Game has a very different take on traditional board games. Instead of saving the world or fixing problems, you get to create them for your opponents. On top of this, it’s a story-telling game. Each villain has his or her own story embedded within their decks, and you get to discover pieces of it throughout your journey.
Some players complain that this board game isn’t particularly easy to learn. It takes a bit of time and patience to understand the mechanics of the games. Because of its complicated nature, this game is most ideal for children who are ten years old or older. Once you understand how everything works, you’re guaranteed to enjoy the process. Whether you’re looking for a unique way to interact with Disney characters or you love story-telling games, the Disney Villainous Strategy Board Game offers a wonderful board game experience.
- Choose from 6 iconic Disney villains
- Clear instructions
- Combines cards with a board
- Caters to a large range of skill levels
- Type of Game: Board Game
- Age Recommendation: 10+
- Number of Players: 2-6
- Game Duration: 45-60+
- Brand: Ravensburger
- Great for Disney lovers
- You get to be the villain
- Can be paired with other games
- 2019 Game of the year award
- Might be complicated for some players
![](https://static2.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/vill.jpg)
2. Catan
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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of “Catan the Board Game” (previously known as Settlers of Catan). This addictive board game is incredibly popular for an array of reasons: It creates a very strategic and competitive environment where you’re trying to build civilizations. There’s a villain involved, and the game options create new environments just about every time, making it a timeless board game. By using a mixture of skill, strategy, and luck, you’ll be on your way to taming the path to civilization.
Catan the Board Game is easy to learn how to play, and you’ll be playing this game for many years to come. Unlike games that lose their charm, Catan offers a new experience every time you play it. And this makes it riveting every time you sit down. Within this game you might experience robbers, or sabotage from your competitors. You might come out on the short end of a trade battle. Or maybe you’ll divide and conquer. The charm of the game is that you never know what the outcome is going to look like.
If you’re looking for a game that can entertain anyone aobe the age of 10, this one is guaranteed to do the trick. The manufacturers say that it takes about 60 minutes to play, but that’s a very conservative estimate. It’s more likely that you’ll be glued to the game for 1.5 or even 2 hours. But every second is worth it if you’re trying to scratch a board game itch!
- Popular game
- Competitive
- Strategy-based for those who want more of a challenge
- Can be addictive
- Type of Game: Board Game
- Age Recommendation: 10+
- Number of Players: 3-4
- Game Duration: 60 minutes
- Brand: Catan Studio
- Easy to learn
- Satisfying to play
- Involves risk management
- Great game for everyone
- Time consuming
- Minimum 3 players
![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/cat.jpg)
3. Chutes and Ladders Board Game
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It can be tough to include your smallest kids in family game night. A lot of board games incorporate complicated strategies and skills. And those types of games tend to deter the little ones from focusing. However, incorporating a classic game like Chutes and Ladders into your family game night might help. This game is designed to accommodate children as young as 3. There’s no reading involved so you can use it to practice numbers. Landing on “good deeds” helps you to excel along the track, teaching a moral lesson to all who play.
The classic board game theme here is time-tested. It addition, this game is both colorful and kid-friendly. Rather than worrying that your children are running around or coloring on the walls, you can play Chutes and Ladders with them to educate and inspire their attention. A typical game doesn’t usually last much longer than 20 minutes, so you won’t have to worry about quitting in the middle of a game because of lost attention.
Whether you’re looking for a game that can target a wide age range or you want to be sure that the littlest children will have something to do during game night, Chutes and Ladders is a terrific option. Use this beautiful board to teach and entertain, and once your kids are hooked, it won’t be hard to get them to play over and over again. Best of all, it’s lightly competitive, while being simple and easy to learn.
- Doesn’t require reading
- Allows you to practice numbers
- Colorful graphics
- Light competition
- Type of Game: Board Game
- Age Recommendation: 3+
- Number of Players: 2-4
- Game Duration: 20 minutes
- Brand: Hasbro Gaming
- Great for pre-schoolers and up
- Inclusive for littlest kids
- It’s a classic
- Good deeds help you accelerate
- Can be difficult for kids to tell which way is forward
![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/chut.jpg)
4. Dragonwood
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If you’re someone who loves colorful illustrations, wit and humor, Dragonwood is worth considering. This is a mystical dice and card game that adds fun and adventure to a single game. With a simple roll of the dice, you’ll collect cards that allow you to strategize your next move. Along the way you’ll encounter ogres, trolls and even fire ants! But, in this game, the hero can win as long as she or he has enough courage to keep fighting.
Dragonwood’s fantasy theme brings your imagination to life, and the ever-changing landscape makes it easy to become totally transfixed. It comes with 108 cards, 6 specialty dice and instructions. It wont take long for you to fall into the sea of fantasy, becoming mesmerized by your own journey.
Some gamers note that it can take a little bit of time to get the hang of the process, which makes the length of the game longer than desired. But once you know how the flow of the game works, it’ll be easy to charge into the future!
Dragonwood is recommended for children ages 8 and older. But generally speaking, the instructions are straightforward and easy to understand. Whether you’re playing with 2 people or 4, you’re likely to enjoy the journey. The more people who join, the faster the time will fly.
- Collect adventure cards to excel
- Fight your foes with a roll of the dice
- The landscape continuously changes
- Game time is about 20 minutes
- Type of Game: Dice Game
- Age Recommendation: 8+
- Number of Players: 2-4
- Game Duration: 20 minutes
- Brand: Gamewright
- Mystical theme
- Rich illustrations
- Simple to learn
- Imaginative
- Game play can be slow
![](https://static2.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/dragon.jpg)
5. Photosynthesis Strategy Board Game
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If you’re looking for a board game that introduces environmental science into your strategy, check out Photosynthesis Strategy Board Game. This game incorporates science into a classic board game to educate and inspire players. By planting your trees in strategic places and growing them from seed to photosynthesis, you’ll achieve your goal of getting points. You’ll also learn pretty quickly what the wrong strategies (like planting trees in the shade) can do to your project.
Photosynthesis Strategy Board Game offers a really innovative take on gaming. By applying real science and strategy to this game, you can teach kids the importance of agricultural growth. Because it’s a little heavy on the strategy, it’s best to keep this game in the hands of kids ages 8 and up, and it’s important to note that winning often involves heavy competition and potential sabotage. If you’re looking for a peaceful board game, this might not be the perfect option for your needs.
You’ll love the Photosynthesis Strategy Board Game if you’re someone who values the educational components that are available in the gaming world. Talk about strategy, science, and the health of our planet at the same time! Use this play opportunity to educate your kids. Regardless of your needs, this board game is likely to create a fun and invigorating environment for anyone who partakes.
- Pick where to grow trees
- Take your trees through their life cycle
- Earn points for photosynthesis
- Strategy-oriented
- Type of Game: Board Game
- Age Recommendation: 8+
- Number of Players: 2-4
- Game Duration: NA
- Brand: Blue Orange
- Educational game
- Environmentally-minded
- Beautiful artwork
- Easy to learn
- Cut-throat strategy
![](https://static3.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/blu.jpg)
6. Pandemic
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If your family prefers not to compete with each other, you might want to consider a non-traditional board game. Pandemic is a board game that bonds its players together. Rather than competing against one another, you operate as a team to combat a world-wide pandemic. This clever setup allows competitive players to work with a team to save the world. And everyone either wins or loses. If you prefer a tense and competitive environment, Pandemic might not be the right board game for you. However, when the competition becomes too much, it offers a great way to bond without becoming too intense.
Pandemic is a strategic board game that facilitates an empathetic setting where you’re trying to save the world rather than gain monetary benefits. Although it does take a bit of time and explanation to become fully oriented, and small children probably won’t enjoy participating in this game.
Some players feel that repetitive use of this game loses its charm because it becomes much easier to crack the code. Once you have a feel for the mechanic of this board game, you’re likely to find a resolution relatively quickly. Because of this potential problem, it might be good to change your teams up continuously. If you play games with different friends, it might provide the perfect entertainment. If you have a game night with the same crowd every week, it might be better to look for a product that has endless outcomes.
- Collaborative game
- Strategic
- Continuous challenges
- Cards allow you to travel between cities
- Type of Game: Board Game
- Age Recommendation: 8+
- Number of Players: 2-4
- Game Duration: 45 minutes
- Brand: Z-Man Games
- It’s a team-oriented game
- Removes competition from each other
- Requires strategy
- Easy to learn
- There are alot of counterfeit copies of this game floating around
- Limited to 4 players
![](https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pand-1.jpg)
7. Ravensburger Labyrinth Family Board Game
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If you’re looking for a board game that will entertain children around the ages of 8-12, it might be worth looking into Ravensburger’s Labyrinth Family Board Game. This board game is designed to be easy to understand and to play. Use your cards and cute little wizard pieces to move around the labyrinth board until you reach the finish. You only need as few as 2 people to play this game and you can include as many as 4.
While classic games are always fun to introduce into your household, sometimes it can be helpful to find lesser-known games to entertain kids. Ravensburger’s Labyrinth Family Board Game does just that. Without complicating the gaming process, you’re likely to have tons of fun competing for the finish line. The design is mysterious and fun. And the pieces are different than competitive gamer pieces.
Labyrinth Family Board Game offers you a way to interact with young kids in an educational and fun environment. Games like this one will help you teach children how to take turns, how to plan future movements, how to associate and how to explore cause and effect. It’ll build skills that can be applied in many different environments. Whether you’re looking for a simple way to engage your kids or you’d like to be able to entertain a wide age range, the Labyrinth Family Board Game offers a great place to start. Put on your wizard cap and get to playing!
- Kid-friendly
- Pairs cards and a board
- Best for kids age 8-12
- Four-player adventure
- Type of Game: Board Game
- Age Recommendation: 8+
- Number of Players: 2-4
- Game Duration: 20-30 minutes
- Brand: Ravensburger
- Easy to understand
- Lighthearted fun
- Not too challenging
- Just a 20-30 minute game
- Kids might lose interest after a while
- Short duration compared to other games
![](https://static2.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/lab.jpg)
8. Brain Freeze
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Including little ones in your game night can be a challenge of its own. How do you captivate interest for more than a few minutes? Are there educational games that are available? Can you tie learning with fun? With Mighty Fun’s Brain Freeze, you can! This two-person game creates a collaborative environment between players where you have to focus on strategic gaming. Exercise your memory, use a little logic and you’ll be on the road to success in no time!
Brain Freeze offers a simple setup and it targets education. Instead of investing in mindless activities, you can target your child’s development by incorporating different learning strategies into the game itself. This game has few pieces to keep track of, so you wont have to worry about losing them over the course of time. And it’s similar to favorites like Guess Who and Mindflash, so it’ll be easy to teach your child how to play.
Whether you’re looking for a way to keep the kids focused for a while or you want to take the next step in their education, Brain Freeze offers a fun tool to stretch you child’s abilities. While it only comes with two boards, you could create teams to make a more inclusive environment. That way, everyone will end up entertained. Brain Freeze is optimal for kids between the ages of 5 and 10, but if you’re looking to entertain kids who are a little bit older, you might want to look at games like Magic Minds.
- Similar to Guess Who
- Minimal pieces
- Emphasizes logic and deduction
- Energizes the mind
- Type of Game: Board Game
- Age Recommendation: 5-10
- Number of Players: 2
- Game Duration: NA
- Brand: Mighty Fun
- Can be used with teams
- Emphasis on educational
- Quick setup
- Collaborative or competitive
- Can be a lot for a young players
- Limited to 2 players per board
![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/brain-1.jpg)
9. The Oregon Trail
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If you’re reading this, there’s a good possibility that you’ve encountered the computer game version of the Oregon Trail. The classic game swept across homes in 2000, and the journey continues with this board game edition. It takes you back to the Western front in 1848, where explorers faced calamities like illnesses, broken wheels and more! But the will to seek the American Dream propelled thousands of people across the United States. This board game has equal parts fun and education.
Oregon Trail takes you back to a simpler era. Without having to teleport, you can experience a little bit of what our ancestors might have experienced nearly two centuries ago. While the directions aren’t particularly straight-forward, and it can be tough to get all of your kids on board, the rewards are worth it. Before you know it, you’ll have the game down and you’ll be more focused then ever. By the end of your journey, your strategy skills will be off the charts. And you’ll have learned a few things about living in the West before it was tamed.
The Oregon Trail board game features lovely illustrations, historical facts and plenty of challenges. Whether you’re looking for a unique way to educate your kids about historical events or you’d like to tackle some strategic agendas, the Oregon Trail is likely to meet your needs. Pick up a game if you’re ready to face the challenges associated with the long journey West!
- Seek your fortune in the West
- Calamities might snatch you during your journey
- It’s a representation of an old computer game
- Historically educational
- Type of Game: Board Game
- Age Recommendation: 13+
- Number of Players: 2-4
- Game Duration: 20 minutes
- Brand: Pressman
- Likely to educate your kids
- Based in history
- Strategy-oriented
- Beautiful illustrations
- Complex directions
![](https://static3.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/oreg.jpg)
10. Monopoly Socialism Board Game Parody
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If you’re looking for an adult board game that’s guaranteed to cause some ripples during game night, you should check out Monopoly’s Socialism Board Game Parody. This board game takes a classic game and spins new topics within the system. The blend between capitalism and socialism makes space for heated discussion among adults. Should we work together to create a utopia? Or fight for our own interests? Is three stars enough for everyone? Or should one person get one star while another gets five?
Monopoly’s Socialism Board Game Parody offers a new take on an old game. As long as you have a tribe of people who can agree to disagree during heated discussions, this should be a safe and entertaining game for you. While you’re trying to construct your utopia, you can discuss topics like the merits of a community fund.
One feature of this game that has raised criticism is that it tends to focus on people’s chosen lifestyles. For instance, you might pick a card that mentions something that relates to being a vegan, even though being vegan doesn’t have anything to do with socialism.
If you’re ready to go into game night to discuss politics with your friends, Monopoly’s Socialism Board Game Parody will offer the perfect platform. You should check this one out if you’re interested in challenging your friends to a funny and unconventional battle.
- Adult twist on the classic Monopoly
- Blends capitalism and socialism for humorous effect
- Chance cards can shake your utopia up
- Addresses issues like greed
- Type of Game: Board Game
- Age Recommendation: Adults
- Number of Players: 2-4
- Game Duration: 30-60 minutes
- Brand: Monopoly
- Great presentation
- Clever take on an old game
- Offers a platform to discuss real issues
- Gives you options to work together or not!
- Some don’t like the associations the game makes
![](https://static3.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mon.jpg)
Playing board games can be incredibly fun and entertaining. Maybe it’s the holiday season and you’re looking for a good way to entertain all of your relatives, or maybe you’re interested in starting a college game night? Whatever the reason, there are tons of different types of games that are guaranteed to keep everyone engaged. However, before choosing your next epic board game, you might want to think about a few different gaming qualities to ensure you get the most out of your purchase.
Play Together Or Against Each Other?
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Do you like to play with or against your friends and family? Games like Pandemic can offer a really interesting take on gaming because you work as a team to solve a problem. This essentially means that everyone wins or loses, together. For families who take competition too seriously, sometimes investing in a game that creates camaraderie can be a great team-building exercise. If you want a break from the normal competitive streak, think about alternative board games.
Do you want to play a game that lasts all day long? Some gamers are very serious about playing and while it can be an addictive hobby, not everyone wants to spend hours playing Monopoly or Risk. Before choosing your next best board game, think about how much time you think you’ll be playing for as that can make a big difference to the type of game you should choose.
Consider How Many Players & Their Ages
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What’s the average age of everyone who will be playing? If you’re hoping to find a game that’s all inclusive for your group, it’s important to consider how old everyone is. Chances are that small children won’t love strategic games, while serious board game players will probably welcome the challenge. Is there a middle ground for your intended gaming group? Some games, like Apples to Apples, can be fun for people of nearly all ages.
How many people will want to play? Some games require very specific numbers of participants. Many card games, for instance, require exactly 4 people. But there are lots of games that can accommodate as few as 2 and as many as 8-10. Before making your selection, it might be helpful to think about how many people will generally be playing the game. Will you entertain a small group or a large one? Or do you want to have the flexibility of entertaining different-sized groups on different occasions?
Selecting the right board game for your needs will ensure years of fun! After deciding what kind of vibes you want to create, you’ll be able to narrow down the options, and soon you’ll be sifting through some of the best board games of all time.
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