01
Exploding Kittens
The most crowdfunded game in Kickstarter history at the time of its launch, the irreverent card game's simple rules, hilarious illustrations, and pure chaos make it the perfect party game for non-gamers.
▲ Steady·Score +17
Board Games
Best Board Games for Strategy and Families
The most beloved, replayable, and highly rated board games for game night — from family classics to complex strategy masterpieces.
Pick your favorites · Every vote moves the ranking · Results update live
02
Codenames
Vlaada Chvátil's word association party game for 4+ players is the ultimate game night choice — brilliantly simple to explain, infinitely replayable, and generates both laughter and genuine tension.
▲ Steady·Score +16
03
Splendor
The gem-collecting Renaissance merchant game with its satisfying poker chip components offers the ideal balance of accessible rules and satisfying strategic depth for gateway gamers stepping beyond family classics.
▲ Steady·Score +12
04
Pandemic
The cooperative game where 2-4 players work together to eradicate global disease outbreaks teaches systems thinking, communication, and the satisfaction of collaborative problem-solving versus competition.
▲ Steady·Score +10
05
Azul
Michael Kiesling's abstract tile-drafting game with stunning Moorish ceramic tile components won the 2018 Spiel des Jahres and is one of the most visually beautiful, elegantly designed games ever published.
▲ Steady·Score +8
06
Catan (Settlers of Catan)
The game that launched the modern board game renaissance, Catan's hex-tile resource trading and road building has been translated into 40+ languages and played by over 40 million people worldwide.
▲ Steady·Score +8
07
7 Wonders
Antoine Bauza's drafting game of ancient civilization building plays 2-7 players in under an hour despite its rich strategic depth. The simultaneous drafting mechanism makes it one of modern gaming's most elegant designs.
▲ Steady·Score +7
08
Dixit
The beautiful card game of abstract art and storytelling where players describe cards through creative clues without being too obvious or too obscure creates imaginative, uniquely personal game experiences.
▲ Steady·Score +6
09
Wingspan
Elizabeth Hargrave's bird-themed engine-building game won the 2019 Kennerspiel des Jahres and has sold over 3 million copies. The combination of accessible gameplay and beautiful bird art cards makes it uniquely appealing.
▲ Steady·Score +5
10
Gloomhaven
The behemoth cooperative dungeon crawl RPG board game that topped BoardGameGeek's rankings for years offers hundreds of hours of legacy campaign content for dedicated groups. The most ambitious tabletop game ever designed.
▲ Steady·Score +4
11
Terraforming Mars
The heavyweight strategy game of colonizing the Red Planet rewards long-term engine building, corporation drafting, and careful resource management. One of BoardGameGeek's highest-rated games ever produced.
▲ Steady·Score +4
12
Ticket to Ride
Alan Moon's elegantly simple train route-building game for families has won multiple Game of the Year awards and consistently tops recommendations for introducing non-gamers to the modern board game hobby.
▲ Steady·Score +3
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Board GamesTop 100 Board Games of All Time
Top 100 board games ever made — from Catan and Ticket to Ride to Gloomhaven and Twilight Imperium. Every complexity level and group size covered.
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