The best board games with historical background 2024

Similo is a cooperative deduction game where players work together to guess a secret character from a set of twelve displayed in the middle of the table. Each version of Similo - such as Fables, History, or Myths - comes with a deck of thirty beautifully illustrated cards by Naïade, featuring characters that share a common theme.

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 transports you to 1962, at the height of the Cold War, where a mysterious Soviet bioweapon called "Project MEDUSA" threatens global safety. As newly recruited CIA agents and medical graduates, you and your team are tasked with a critical mission: investigate and halt the development of this deadly pathogen. This game stands alone as a thrilling prequel to the earlier seasons of Pandemic Legacy, immersing players in a tense world of espionage and covert operations.

Undaunted: North Africa is an engaging two-player deck-building game that immerses players in the tactical ground combat of World War II's North African Theater. Building on the success of its predecessor, Undaunted: Normandy, this sequel introduces new mechanics and challenges, focusing on the historical skirmishes between Britain's Long Range Desert Group and Italian forces.

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures is a captivating standalone expansion to the renowned detective game Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective. This expansion brings updated graphics and adds ten new cases set in Victorian-era London for players to solve. It includes essential detective tools such as a "London Directory," a map of London, and newspaper archives to aid in the investigation.

Whitehall Mystery is a thrilling board game that transports players to London in October 1888, a time marked by a gruesome discovery near the future site of Scotland Yard. This game unfolds against the backdrop of a macabre treasure hunt by an unknown murderer, scattering the remains of a victim across Whitehall.

Tokaido is a beautifully designed board game where players embark on a journey across the "East sea road", one of Japan's most scenic routes. The essence of the game lies in experiencing the journey itself, with players encountering various events and collecting diverse items along the way.

Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan is a strategic war game for two players, allowing them to relive the pivotal battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which unified Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate for over 250 years. Players take on the roles of either Ishida Mitsunari, defending the rightful heir, or Tokugawa Ieyasu, the most powerful daimyo, as they gather armies from their allies, all the while questioning their loyalty. With no use of dice, the game emphasizes strategy and loyalty through card mechanics, where cards are essential for motivating armies to fight. Loyalty is a fluctuating resource, represented by hand size, and battles involve deploying hidden units based on loyalty, with the potential for defections. The game aims to provide a historically accurate experience within a concise and intuitive set of rules, focusing on strategic deployment and the significance of loyalty without relying on luck to determine outcomes.

Brass: Birmingham is an economic strategy game and a sequel to the 2007 game Brass. It immerses players in the world of industrial revolution entrepreneurs in Birmingham between 1770-1870.

In Architects of the West Kingdom, set against the backdrop of the late Carolingian Empire around 850 AD, players step into the roles of royal architects. Tasked with constructing important buildings and advancing the construction of the Archbishop's cathedral, this game uniquely combines resource management, worker placement, and moral choices into a rich strategic tableau. Players vie for the King's favor and maintain their noble status in a world where virtue and vice coexist.

Commands & Colors: Ancients is a historical wargame that spans a vast period from the Dawn of Military History to the onset of the Dark Ages. This game, part of the acclaimed Commands & Colors system, offers players a unique opportunity to reenact famous battles with a focus on historical accuracy and strategic depth, all while maintaining streamlined gameplay.

Pandemic: Fall of Rome is a unique cooperative board game that blends the classic gameplay of Pandemic with the historical setting of the Roman Empire's decline. In this game, players work together as citizens, soldiers, and allies of Rome, tasked with defending the empire against various barbarian tribes like the Anglo-Saxons, Goths, Vandals, and Huns. The game requires players to strategically recruit armies, fortify cities, and forge alliances to halt the onslaught of invaders.

Endeavor: Age of Sail invites players to navigate the high seas and earn glory for their empires. Set during the age of exploration, players sail from Europe and the Mediterranean, establishing shipping routes and occupying cities across the globe, all while building their industrial, cultural, financial, and influential power.

Century: A New World is the captivating final chapter in the acclaimed "Century" series by Emerson Matsuuchi. This installment transports players to the rich and uncharted territories of the Americas during the 16th century, offering a unique blend of strategy, exploration, and resource management.

Commands & Colors: Napoleonics transports players to the tumultuous battlefield of the Napoleonic era, offering a unique blend of historical accuracy and strategic gameplay. This game pits the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, against the forces of the British Empire, capturing the intense rivalry and the grandeur of Napoleonic warfare.

Twilight Struggle offers an immersive journey through a pivotal period in history, where the world stood on the brink of nuclear annihilation. This two-player game takes place during the forty-five year rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States. Instead of traditional warfare, players engage in a dance of intrigue, prestige, and the occasional outbreak of hostilities. As the superpowers strive to make the world safe for their ideologies, you'll navigate a complex web of politics, espionage, and strategy. The game begins in the aftermath of World War II, with both superpowers scrambling for control, and concludes in 1989, leaving only one superpower standing.

In Mystery Rummy: Jack the Ripper, players are transported back to Victorian London, tasked with solving one of history's most enduring mysteries. Using a rummy-style card game framework, players collect and meld cards representing evidence, suspects, and victims to build a case against the infamous Jack the Ripper. The gameplay cleverly integrates historical details of the Ripper cases with unique card game mechanics, adding depth and intrigue. With the potential for Jack to escape if all Victim cards are played, the game introduces a thrilling twist that keeps players engaged till the very end.

Mr. Jack Pocket is a compact and strategic card game adaptation of the well-regarded board game Mr. Jack. Designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc, this game transforms the original board game's concept into a more portable format. It involves deduction and strategy, set against the backdrop of a Victorian-era mystery. The game cleverly uses a grid of street cards, with characters like Holmes, Watson, and a dog maneuvering around to catch the elusive Mr. Jack.

Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done delves into the historical period of the Crusades, offering players a strategic board game experience where they lead their knights on holy quests to spread the influence of their Order. The looming threat of King Philip disbanding the Templar orders adds a layer of urgency to the gameplay, pushing players to optimize their actions and expand their influence swiftly.

Condottiere is a strategic game set in 13th century Italy, a period marked by flourishing trade and frequent conflicts among city-states. The game revolves around the theme of mercenary leaders, known as Condottieri, who were hired to fight for different city-states.

Mr. Jack is a captivating two-player board game that delves into the mystery and intrigue surrounding the infamous Jack the Ripper. This game involves a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase set in a historical context, requiring strategic thinking and deduction.