The best games released in 2016๐ 2024
Looking for a really good game from the year 2016? Then we have just the thing for you: our recommendation list with the best board games that were newly released in 2016.
More lists from similar periods
A list with the best games from other years can be found at the end of the page.
In addition, we have created several more lists of card & board game awards:
- The Best Games by Decade.
- The best board game awards
- The best current games-new releases
- The best classic games
List of the best new games releases in 2016:
Sushi Go Party!
Sushi Go Party! is an expanded version of the popular card game Sushi Go!, offering more variety and accommodating more players for a larger, more dynamic game experience.
Nominated for 7 awards and won 2.
More details for Sushi Go Party!- 2 - 8 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Kingdomino
Embark on a noble quest to expand your kingdom in Kingdomino. As a lord, your mission is to explore vast lands filled with wheat fields, serene lakes, and towering mountains. Competing with fellow lords, you must identify the choicest plots to claim as your own.
Nominated for 17 awards and won 7.
โญ๏ธ Spiel des Jahres 2017
More details for Kingdomino- 2 - 4 Players
- 15 - 25 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Kingdomino
Junk Art
In Junk Art, creativity knows no bounds as players transform a pile of junk into stunning works of art. With more than ten engaging game modes and over sixty vibrant wooden or plastic components, this game invites you to explore your artistic talents like never before.
Nominated for 3 awards.
More details for Junk Art- 2 - 6 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Codenames: Pictures
Uncover the mystery behind peculiar symbols on the map in Codenames: Pictures, where these enigmatic codes signify locations where spies connect with secret agents. In this clandestine world, two rival spymasters possess knowledge of the agents in each location, communicating coded messages to guide their field operatives to discreet meetings. Operatives must navigate these visual puzzles with utmost precision, as a decoding misstep might lead to an unfortunate encounter with an enemy agent โ or worse, an encounter with the deadly assassin! The race is on for both teams to contact all their agents, but only one can emerge victorious.
Nominated for 3 awards and won 3.
More details for Codenames: Pictures- 2 - 8 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Codenames: Pictures
Flamme Rouge
Flamme Rouge presents an exhilarating bicycle racing experience where strategy, timing, and tactical decisions are paramount to success. This fast-paced game captures the intensity of a real bike race, offering players a blend of excitement and strategic gameplay.
Nominated for 10 awards and won 2.
More details for Flamme Rouge- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for Flamme Rouge
Secret Hitler
Secret Hitler is a compelling board game set in the tumultuous political landscape of 1930s Germany. This game of deception and deduction requires players to conceal their identities while working towards opposite goals, depending on whether they are liberals or fascists.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Secret Hitler- 5 - 10 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Easy to learn
Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure
Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure is an exciting board game where players become daring thieves, sneaking into a dragon's lair to steal artifacts while avoiding making noise to prevent waking the dragon.
Nominated for 11 awards and won 3.
More details for Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Santorini
Santorini is a beautifully re-imagined strategy game that combines abstract elements with accessible gameplay, suitable for a wide range of players.
Nominated for 7 awards.
More details for Santorini- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Tempel des Schreckens
- 3 - 10 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Tempel des Schreckens
Hero Realms
Hero Realms is a captivating, fantasy-themed deck-building game that builds on the mechanics of the highly acclaimed Star Realms. It offers a versatile gaming experience suitable for different player formats and styles.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.
More details for Hero Realms- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Insider
Insider is a unique board game that offers a fresh and engaging experience for players. With its distinctive gameplay and innovative mechanics, it stands out in the world of board games.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Insider- 4 - 8 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 9+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Insider
Archaeology: The New Expedition
Archaeology: The New Expedition revitalizes the classic thrill of discovery with a fresh twist on the original Archaeology: The Card Game. As an intrepid archaeologist in the Egyptian desert, your quest is to unearth fragments of ancient artifacts and assemble complete treasures, from torn parchments to shattered pots. Brave the risks of sandstorms and thieves to excavate valuable relics, then astutely trade your finds at the marketplace or exhibit them at the museum for profit.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Archaeology: The New Expedition- 2 - 5 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
ICECOOL
ICECOOL is an energetic and playful flicking game set in a penguin school, where players assume the roles of rascally penguins trying to snatch fish and the vigilant Hall Monitor trying to maintain order.
Nominated for 14 awards and won 6.
โญ๏ธ Kinderspiel des Jahres 2017
More details for ICECOOL- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 6+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for ICECOOL
Krazy Wordz: Nicht 100% jugendfrei
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Krazy Wordz: Nicht 100% jugendfrei- 3 - 7 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 16+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Krazy Wordz: Nicht 100% jugendfrei
Encore!
More details for Encore!Encore! (originally published as Noch mal!) is a dice-based board game that challenges players with strategic choices and a touch of luck. In this game, players use dice to determine the colors and the number of spaces they can mark off on their playing sheets.
- 1 - 6 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
๐ Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Encore!
When I Dream
When I Dream is a whimsical and imaginative board game that delves into the world of dreams, blending elements of storytelling, deduction, and teamwork in a playful setting.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 2.
More details for When I Dream- 4 - 10 Players
- 20 - 40 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for When I Dream
Scrawl
- 4 - 8 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 17+ years old
- Immediately playable
Terraforming Mars
Terraforming Mars is a strategic board game set in the 2400s, where players, representing giant corporations, embark on the colossal task of terraforming Mars. Sponsored by the World Government on Earth, each corporation competes to contribute most effectively to raising the planet's temperature, oxygen level, and ocean coverage to make Mars habitable. While players work together in the terraforming process, they also compete for victory points awarded for their contributions to terraforming, advancing human infrastructure throughout the solar system, and other notable achievements.
Nominated for 27 awards and won 14.
โญ๏ธ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2017
More details for Terraforming Mars- 1 - 5 Players
- 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for Terraforming Mars
Mansions of Madness: Second Edition
Mansions of Madness: Second Edition is a cooperative, app-enhanced board game that combines elements of horror and mystery. It's set in the same universe as Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign, offering an immersive narrative experience.
Nominated for 9 awards.
More details for Mansions of Madness: Second Edition- 1 - 5 Players
- 120 - 180 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Captain Sonar
Embark on an adrenaline-pumping undersea adventure with Captain Sonar, a board game that plunges you into the heart of intense submarine warfare. In this gripping scenario, every move and decision can be the difference between victory and defeat. Form a skilled crew aboard a cutting-edge submarine as you strive to locate and eliminate an enemy sub before they do the same to you. The underwater battlefield is unforgiving, and effective communication and coordination are paramount for success.
Nominated for 8 awards and won 3.
More details for Captain Sonar- 2 - 8 Players
- 45 - 60 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for Captain Sonar
Happy Salmon
Happy Salmon is a delightfully simple and frenetic card game that promises loads of laughter and fast-paced fun. With no turns and rapid-fire gameplay, it's perfect for parties and family gatherings.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Happy Salmon- 3 - 8 Players
- 2 Minutes
- 6+ years old
- Immediately playable
Tyrants of the Underdark
Tyrants of the Underdark is a strategic board game that combines elements of territory control with deck-building. Set in the iconic Dungeons & Dragons setting of the Underdark, players lead Drow houses vying for power and influence beneath the Sword Coast. The game stands out for its integration of card-driven gameplay with spatial control on the board.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Tyrants of the Underdark- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
๐ฅ Great price!Check for best price now at*Iberia
Pandemic: Iberia is a historical variant of the popular Pandemic series, set in the Iberian Peninsula during the year 1848. This version of the game introduces unique roles and challenges as players work together to combat historical diseases like malaria, typhus, yellow fever, and cholera.
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for Iberia- 2 - 5 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for Iberia
Hive Mind
- 3 - 12 Players
- 30 - 90 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Valeria: Card Kingdoms
More details for Valeria: Card KingdomsValeria: Card Kingdoms is a tableau-building game set in the fantastical land of Valeria, besieged by monstrous hordes. Players take on the roles of Dukes, tasked with fortifying their kingdoms, recruiting citizens, and fighting off the encroaching enemies.
- 1 - 5 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Easy to learn
District Noir
Nominated for 5 awards and won 2.
๐ฅ Deal: 6% cheaper than the best Geizhals deal, likely for a short time only!
More details for District Noir- 2 Players
- 10 - 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
๐ฅ Great price!Check for best price now at*Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle is a cooperative deck-building game set in the beloved world of Harry Potter. Players join forces as Hogwarts students to protect the castle from dark forces.
Nominated for 8 awards and won 1.
More details for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 11+ years old
- Easy to learn
Krazy Wordz
๐ฅ Deal: 95% cheaper than the best Geizhals deal, likely for a short time only!
More details for Krazy Wordz- 3 - 7 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
๐ฅ Great price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Krazy Wordz
Spyfall 2
Spyfall 2 elevates the intriguing and humorous party game Spyfall to new heights. This game is all about deception, quick thinking, and trying to pinpoint the spy among your friends. Each round, players find themselves at a secret location, except for the spy (or spies, in this version), who has no idea where they are. Through clever questioning, players must figure out who the spy is while the spy tries to blend in and guess the location to win points.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Spyfall 2- 3 - 12 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Spyfall 2
Didn't find the game you were looking for?
We're positive that you'll find it in one of our other lists! To make the search easier for you, we split our website into different categories. The following board game categories will help you find the right list: