The best board games of the 80s 2024
Looking for a board game classic from the 80s? We have compared the best board games from the 1980s and listed them in an overview.
More lists from similar periods
If you are looking for classic games from other decades, you can find a list of the best games from other decades at the bottom of the page.
Additionally, we have created several more lists of card & board game awards:
- The best games by year.
- The best games by century
- The best board game awards
- The best current game new releases
- The best classic games
The best board game classics from the 80s
In this overview, we've listed the best board games from the 1980s that you can 2024 still buy on Amazon:
Can't Stop
Can't Stop is a classic dice game designed by Sid Sackson, renowned for its blend of luck, risk-taking, and tactical decision-making. It's a game that challenges players to wisely balance their boldness and caution as they aim to complete columns on the game board.
Nominated for 1 award and won 1.
More details for Can't Stop- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 9+ years old
- Immediately playable
Survive: Escape from Atlantis!
Survive: Escape from Atlantis! is a thrilling and competitive board game where players aim to evacuate their pieces from a sinking island. The game is known for its intense gameplay and strategic decisions.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Survive: Escape from Atlantis!- 2 - 4 Players
- 45 - 60 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Bandu
Bausack is a unique and engaging game that combines elements of strategy, dexterity, and auctioning. Players challenge each other to build precarious structures using a variety of uniquely shaped wooden blocks. The game tests your architectural skills and your ability to make strategic decisions under pressure. Players must balance the risk and reward of accepting or refusing blocks, using 'beans' as currency in auctions to influence decisions. The game ends when a player's structure collapses, leaving the last player standing as the winner.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 2.
More details for Bandu- 2 - 8 Players
- 15 - 45 Minutes
- 7+ years old
- Immediately playable
Wizard
Wizard is a captivating trick-taking card game that adds a twist to the traditional deck by including Wizards and Jesters. It's a game of prediction, strategy, and adaptability, where players must accurately gauge their chances of winning tricks.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Wizard- 3 - 6 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders & Other Cases
Embark on a captivating journey through Victorian London alongside the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders & Other Cases. This immersive and challenging game allows you to step into the shoes of a detective, matching wits with Holmes himself.
Nominated for 4 awards and won 3.
โญ๏ธ Spiel des Jahres 1985
More details for Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders & Other Cases- 1 - 8 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Medium difficulty
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Der wahre Walter
- 4 - 10 Players
- 60 Minutes
- Immediately playable
Ave Caesar
Ave Caesar is a race game set in ancient Rome, where players maneuver chariots around the Circus Maximus using cards. The track design includes challenging elements like bottlenecks and lane restrictions, reminiscent of modern racing games like Detroit-Cleveland Grand Prix and Daytona 500. Players must complete three laps and make a strategic stop to 'Hail Caesar' before crossing the finish line. The game balances light strategy with the need for careful planning, especially when navigating corners.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 2.
More details for Ave Caesar- 2 - 6 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Immediately playable
HeroQuest
HeroQuest is a classic adventure board game that blends elements of dungeon crawling and role-playing. One player takes on the role of the game master, unveiling the dungeon piece by piece, while up to four other players assume the roles of different characters (wizard, elf, dwarf, or barbarian) embarking on various quests.
Nominated for 1 award and won 1.
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More details for HeroQuest- 2 - 5 Players
- 90 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
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- 2 - 5 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 7+ years old
- Immediately playable
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- 2 - 16 Players
- 40 Minutes
- Immediately playable
Taboo
Taboo is an engaging party game that challenges players to guess words based on their teammates' clues, with a unique twist: certain obvious clues are strictly off-limits.
Nominated for 1 award and won 1.
More details for Taboo- 4 - 10 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Immediately playable
Labyrinth
Labyrinth, originally known as The aMAZEing Labyrinth, is a dynamic puzzle game that offers a unique combination of strategy and adaptability. It's part of the Labyrinth series of games by Ravensburger, known for their engaging and clever designs.
Nominated for 3 awards and won 2.
More details for Labyrinth- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Labyrinth
A la carte
In A la carte, players don the hats of eccentric chefs embroiled in the culinary showdown of a lifetime. This lighthearted and quirky game, conceived by Karl-Heinz Schmiel, is as much about managing the chaos of a kitchen as it is about the precise art of cooking itself. Each chef is armed with a mini pan and a hotplate, competing not just against time but against each other's culinary shenanigans.
Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.
โญ๏ธ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2010
More details for A la carte- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Orchard
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Orchard- 2 - 8 Players
- 10 Minutes
- 3+ years old
- Immediately playable
Balderdash
Balderdash is a modern twist on the classic parlor game Dictionary, where creativity and bluffing are key. Players encounter obscure words and craft plausible definitions to fool others, scoring points when opponents are tricked into believing their made-up definitions.
Nominated for 3 awards and won 1.
More details for Balderdash- 2 - 6 Players
- 60 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Immediately playable
Take it Easy!
Take It Easy! is an engaging and strategic game that combines elements of puzzle-solving and planning with a touch of luck, offering a unique gaming experience often likened to a multi-player solitaire with a twist. The game's core lies in each player's ability to efficiently complete a hexagon-shaped board using 19 hexagonal tiles, each featuring colored lines and numbers that cross in three directions.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Take it Easy!- 1 - 8 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
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- 1 - 8 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 4+ years old
- Immediately playable
Ligretto
More details for LigrettoLigretto is a fast-paced card game where each player has a unique deck of 40 cards, numbered 1-10 in four different colors. The game is dynamic and requires quick thinking and rapid play. The objective is to empty your Ligretto stack by playing cards to the center of the table, following specific rules. The game is played simultaneously, adding to the excitement and challenge.
- 2 - 4 Players
- 10 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Piratenbillard
- 2 - 4 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
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Heimlich & Co. is a clever and secretive board game where players maneuver a group of spies around a track to earn points, all while keeping their true identity hidden. The game's unique twist lies in the mystery of each player's color, only revealed at the end, making deduction and misdirection key elements of play. With a simple roll of the dice, players decide how to advance the spies, influencing the scoring but trying to conceal their motives.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
โญ๏ธ Spiel des Jahres 1986
More details for Heimlich & Co.- 2 - 7 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
You're Bluffing!
More details for You're Bluffing!You're Bluffing! is a classic game of bidding and bluffing where players engage in the lively auction of farm animals, striving to complete sets for points. The game operates on a simple yet engaging mechanic where each animal type is represented by four cards, and players aim to collect complete sets through auctions and trades.
- 3 - 5 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Scattergories
Scattergories, first published in 1988 by Milton Bradley, is a classic party game that tests players' creativity and quick thinking under time pressure. The game is ideal for groups and is based on the traditional parlour game known as Categories or Guggenheim.
Nominated for 1 award and won 1.
More details for Scattergories- 2 - 6 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Immediately playable
SET
SET is a fast-paced card game that challenges players to identify patterns and sets among cards with varying attributes. The game tests observation and pattern recognition skills, making it both fun and mentally stimulating.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 2.
More details for SET- 1 - 20 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 6+ years old
- Easy to learn
Fireball Island
- 2 - 4 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 7+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Fireball Island
Good & Bad Ghosts
Nominated for 1 award and won 1.
More details for Good & Bad Ghosts- 2 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
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- 2 - 4 Players
- 45 - 60 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Dorada
- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Dorada
Slapshot
- 2 - 10 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Sequence
Sequence is a captivating blend of board and card game mechanics, offering an engaging experience for players. This game uniquely combines strategy and luck, featuring a board that displays the cards of two standard 52-card decks, arranged in a 10 x 10 grid.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Sequence- 2 - 12 Players
- 10 - 30 Minutes
- 7+ years old
- Immediately playable
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