As people look for a break from digital entertainment, both to rest their eyes and their minds, tabletop board gaming becomes more and more popular. Using elements such as figurines, cards, dice, cubes, and meeples, players are increasingly introduced to interesting worlds and fantastical scenarios through this game type. While some board games will focus on pure skill or luck, the best-stocked game cabinets will contain titles all across the spectrum. As the board games of the current year have gone way beyond the abstract board games of years past, players can also look forward to a variety of scenarios — from haunted houses to dirt track racing and everything in between — to meet their gaming needs. As a result, there are tons of games to sort through, in various styles and settings, to sort out the best of the best for each player type.

When choosing a great board game to play, it's important to consider these things:

• How many players can participate
• The estimated play time
• The complexity level
• Whether the game can be played virtually

These are the most common questions for any given tabletop game, and they can determine whether a board game is a perfect fit or critical fail.

Flamecraft is a charming tabletop game that got its start on Kickstarter. The game revolves around flamekeepers (players) and their dragon artisan partners who are working to grow their businesses and become the best in their trade. The super cute art and vibrant design might suggest that this game is solely for newcomers, but players used to tabletop games will find plenty to love about the engine building mechanics. Every round, players gather items, place dragons, and cast enchantments to enhance their shops or grow their reputation. There are 200 items and 42 different artisan dragons, along with dozens more enchantments and fancy dragons. All this adds up to a lot of options every turn on how best to defeat your opponents. The replayability of this game is incredible thanks to the wide variety of play styles that can result in a win. In addition to all this, the game is fairly affordable, so players don't need to commit much to give Flamecraft a try.

Wingspan, originally released in 2020, was received with rave reviews. This 1-5 player game can be a bit complicated to play the first time, but after that it’s a superbly fun resource management game that moves quickly between turns. Using objective cards to guide players towards individual goals, the competitiveness of the gameplay is often less antagonistic than other resource management games. This unique game not only provides lots of real-world information about various species of birds, but also features exceptionally beautiful art. Every card is wonderfully illustrated in a style similar to zoological sketches, but with bright watercolors added. If players opt for the deluxe edition, the game also comes with high quality tokens that fans of tabletop minis will adore. The replayability is high with this game, plus there are three expansions adding oceanic birds, European birds, and, just released earlier this year, Asian birds!

Cascadia was chosen as the winner of the American Tabletop Awards for strategy games, but it often feels like some kind of cozy resource management game instead. While it’s a bit pared down compared to other strategy games, it does make for a great introduction to more serious tabletop gaming and can also offer a lighthearted break to veteran strategy game players. With puzzle elements baked into the tile-laying and token-drafting mechanics, this game is a quick and fun experience for new players, even including kids! Plus, all the cards feature wonderful art and provide basic information about the various creatures living in the Pacific Northwest. Overall, this un-intimidating nature game presents a good opportunity to bridge the gap between absolute beginners and more experienced players.

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea takes players on a cooperative, underwater adventure with low communication and high stakes. Using the familiar trick-taking mechanics of hearts, spades, and similar games where players must use finesse (and a touch of luck) to pass the right cards to the right player. As the players are deep under the sea, communication is done in short bouts, with supplied chips being the only allowed way to signal a hand's weakness. If teammates misread others' cues, the objectives will slide to the wrong player and the mission will be lost. Note that which cards are the right cards is set to change each time, with nearly all the game's 50 missions having a bit of variability in their puzzles, making The Crew: Mission Deep Sea a game the family can play again and again. Speaking of family, this board game works great for families due to the familiarity of the rules and the possible player count. While the game officially supports 2-5 players, four will tend to be best for the most balanced experience and other player counts should be considered as a challenge only.

The first expansion for one of 2021’s best board games of the year, Dune: Imperium – Rise of Ix adds even more depth to this 1-4 player deck-building, worker placement tabletop game. Designed as a tie-in for the Dune movie, this game follows the current trend of board games based on media that are actually really fun to play. With two board additions included, part of the original board is completely replaced, and a new section introduces mechanisms for freighters, dreadnaughts, and tech tiles. Also included are a handful of cards for the Imperium, Intrigue, and the solo House Hagel along with six new leader cards. Finally, new tech tiles add even more mechanisms that alter the game enough to breathe new life into it, even for players who may have played it to death over the past year.

Related: Star Wars: Shatterpoint Tabletop Game Reveale

Three Sisters is a unique 1-4 player game that focuses on planning and organization under the guise of managing an adorable little farm. Featuring beautiful writing pads that players use to keep track of their scores through each round and many pumpkin-themed dice, this game brings cottage core to tabletop. Each round, players will plant, harvest, and sell their goods at a farmer’s market, tallying their points throughout the game. This game is certainly not for beginners though, as it does require pretty thorough plotting to beat out other players. However, for veteran players, this game does a surprisingly good job at creating a competitive feel without being too mean to table mates. The playtime can be pretty quick once everyone is familiar with the rules and flow, plus this game offers a rare single-player option that boosts replayability.

Players who have exhausted the many haunts and scenarios of past Betrayal games have 50 new scenarios to plot and betray one another over in Betrayal at the House on the Hill: Third Edition. Of course, Betrayal at the House on the Hill: Third Edition is also a great entry point for new players to the series as the mechanics are more refined and the stories told by the game are more robust than ever. The game plays out in the familiar two-part adventure; one a mad dash collect-a-thon adventure through a haunted mansion, the other a somewhat randomly selected scenario of horror and betrayal. This edition of the game builds on this foundation, bringing more clearly executed rules, better backstories, and updated player models. It's a great game for any player to jump into and get a good dose of unexpected horror.

Holy Grail Games has brought back the classic Rallyman gameplay, along with its Dirt expansion, in this standalone title with updated equipment. In Rallyman: DIRT, players push their luck with dice rolls propelling them along the track. Racers can reroll dice to go great distances or get too greedy and accumulate enough 'warning' dice to spin out of control. A classic simulation game of sorts, players will need to navigate through tight turns, drifts, and, of course, muddy tracks. This edition's new hexagonal track tiles make it easy for players to race through nearly any course they can imagine. In fact, course creation through arrangement of the hex tiles can be half the fun as beautiful tracks emerge in front of the crafter's eyes due to the new artwork, which is much improved over the original 2009 release.

The Merchants of Dark Road is set in a unique world where only some merchants can travel between towns to deliver goods during the half of the year when there is no sunlight. It’s a dangerous job, with monsters and bandits ready to wreak havoc on players. This ultimately means that players need to have a fair amount of strategy game experience to successfully plan for each of their trips during rounds. Besides this unique setting, there are a number of cool mechanics that spice things up for gamers who love to play strategy games. This 1-4 player game is longer than most other titles, but it’s designed for immersive play which it does accomplish. With tons of cards and characters that add different elements to each game, the replayability with this board game is very high, making it one of the best of the year.

A finalist of the 2022 Board Game Awards, Crescent Moon is an area control game that uses rounds to gather points across 3 or 4 in-game years. With its hex-shaped board pieces and the social aspects that include haggling and forming table alliances, this 4-5 player game is like an evolved form of Catan. Managing resources, raising armies, and generally attempting to control the board are the touchstones of the game. There are many different empires that players can lead and tons of strategies for victory, many of which hinge upon collaborating or sabotaging other players. Although it’s a very long game, for those who love to mix resource management, table talk, and unique characters with independent mechanics, there’s nothing quite like Crescent Moon.

How to Choose a Good Board Game

When selecting a new board game for yourself or your group, you know what themes or mechanics are going to shine. For example, if you have Warhammer fans at the table, pulling out a game with gorgeous miniatures makes a lot of sense. No guide writer can help navigate decisions like this unless their guide is tailored to your group. However, these aren't the only factors you need to consider when putting something new on your shelf.

Here, we'd like to make a case for looking closely at player count flexibility, suggested age range, overall game play time, and the game's designer more carefully when looking for a new game.

Player Count Flexibility

How many players are coming to your game night? What are the odds that one will call in 'no show' at the last minute... or, bring a friend? Odds are, at some point or another you'll end up with a different player count than you initially expected. Games with high player count flexibility will make your rules reading efforts not go wasted and keep everyone happy.

A word of warning on player counts. After poking around the internet and forums for a while, you will inevitably find a proudly declared ideal player count. This information can be useful for repeat plays and game experts but is nearly useless for beginners. For example, Catan aficionados often decry 3-player Catan, saying it is an RNG fiesta in comparison to the more cramped 4-player game. Beginners, who aren't playing a tight game anyhow, are unlikely to feel the same. Stocking up on games like Catan is another great way to make up for a missing fourth player.

Granted, juggling between three or four players isn't usually too difficult, as most board games can handle this amount of players. More extreme player amounts can be more daunting. What if you have no one to play with, for example? Many solo games exist, just look for a player count range that starts with '1'. These games use an automata that simulates an opponent, often play a bit differently than the standard game for a new challenge, and serve as a great way to learn the rules. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you have large groups of players, party games come highly recommended. These games are usually light and can accommodate small crowds of people.

Related: Great Board Games For Couples

Age Range

Age ranges for board games are typically suggestions instead of hard guidance. Unlike video games, it is usually extremely obvious if adult themes are involved from looking at the box. Instead, age ranges for games tend to reflect how much maturity is required to play the title. To highlight this, take a complex title like A Feast for Odin. The age recommendation for this game is 12+. A very mature and focused 8-year-old might make it through the game, but even someone in their 30s might struggle to play well. It isn't reasonable to expect someone under 12 to make it through a game with that intensity level.

Still, some games work best for adults. While some themes can restrict board games to this category, our suggestions are based on other factors. Horror board games tend to be great for adults, as do trivia games that rely on knowledge of decades that start with 19. Want to involve the kids anyhow? Co-op board games for parents and kids are a great compromise.

Play Time

Much like recommended age, a given game's play time is to be taken with a grain of salt. Why is it so hard to know how long a board game will take? Different players play at different speeds, have different levels of knowledge about the game, and have varying levels of chattiness. Nearly every board gamer has a tale of a game that was supposed to last a mere hour and a half that ended up taking three hours or more. Sometimes board game manufacturers and designers don't factor in set up time as a part of the total play time, so picking easy to set up board games can help with consistency as well.

Still, the given time can be a good guide. Board games that take 15 minutes or less (according to the maker) should do just that, with a first playthrough possibly lasting up to 30 minutes. Board games that last under an hour have a good chance of cutting it close if you get chatty, have to consult the rule book, or have a player that suffers from analysis paralysis. The longest board games can take several hours.

Designer

While brand and publisher can hint as to the minimum quality of a game (and its components) few things are as important as the designer. Some board game designers are rather prolific, and seeing their progress can be as exciting for a board gamer as reading an older work of a favorite author can be for an avid reader. Reiner Knizia, for example, has published over 700 board games. On the other hand, if you're looking for more games like another in your collection, going after works from the same designer is a good choice. Looking for board games like Wingspan? The game's designer, Elizabeth Hargrave also made Mariposas, so why not give it a try?

More: Elden Ring is Getting a Tabletop RPG

FAQ

Q: What is the oldest popular board game?

Of games that are still popular today, Go (also known as 'Weiqi') is among the oldest. The game's popularity partly stems from its high strategic depth despite using shockingly simple rules. Modern AI also factors into Go's modern popularity, with artificial intelligence AlphaGo beating Lee Sedol. AlphaGo's unusual moves shocked students and novices of the game, which is over 2,000 years old, for their ingenuity. Ultimately, this sparked an increased interest in the game.

Q: What are the top board games for adults?

The top board games for adults include Azul, Wingspan, and Betrayal at the House on the Hill among others. Games that are good for adults tend to rely less on simple decisions and luck, focusing more on depth and displays of skill. Lighter games for adults often display themes of alcohol use, dirty jokes, and offensive materials. Games that are considered great for kids, such as Connect Four, can be surprisingly suitable for adults as well. Going back to a simpler game that was played heavily in youth and applying strategies gained as an adult can be relaxing and help one see their own growth.