The best games with irregular and/or unpredictable events 2024

Become a cunning charlatan or a quack doctor in the whimsical world of The Quacks of Quedlinburg. In this quirky board game, each player concocts their own secret brew, one ingredient at a time. But beware, for a careless addition could spoil the entire mixture!

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong offers a riveting game of deduction and deception designed for 4-12 players, providing an immersive experience in approximately 20 minutes.

Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated is an innovative extension of the deck-building game Clank!, incorporating legacy-style elements. Players get the opportunity to establish and grow their own franchise of Acquisitions Incorporated, leading a team of intrepid adventurers on a quest for treasure and corporate fame. The game evolves uniquely across multiple play sessions, creating a personalized adventure campaign.

PARKS is a visually stunning board game that celebrates the beauty and splendor of U.S. National Parks. With artwork from Fifty-Nine Parks, this game offers players a unique blend of strategy and adventure as they embark on a journey through nature.

Forgotten Waters is a captivating board game that plunges players into the whimsical and unpredictable world of pirate adventure. Blending storytelling and strategy, this game stands out for its immersive narrative and engaging gameplay.

Planet Unknown is a competitive and strategic game for 1-6 players set in a future where Earth's resources are depleted. Players are tasked with developing the most efficient and habitable planet among a series of newfound worlds. Using polyomino-shaped tiles, each representing vital infrastructure, players work to efficiently cover their planets and build an effective support system for life.

Port Royal is a competitive card game that immerses players in the world of Caribbean trade during the era of pirates and merchant ships. It combines elements of risk-taking, resource management, and strategic planning.

Orléans is a strategic board game set in medieval France, where players compete to gain supremacy through trade, construction, and science by assembling a diverse following of characters like farmers, merchants, knights, and monks.

The Downfall of Pompeii is a thematic and tactical board game that transports players to the ancient city of Pompeii, just before and during its catastrophic destruction by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The game combines strategic planning with an element of luck, as players attempt to save as many of their pieces as possible from the disaster.

Embark on an epic journey through the Marvel Comics universe with Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game. Assemble your team to combat infamous mastermind villains such as Magneto, Loki, Dr. Doom, and Red Skull. Customize the game by selecting hero decks from iconic characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine, and more. The dynamic gameplay evolves as players recruit powerful hero cards, enhancing their decks to face the ever-growing threats.

Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game is a fully cooperative deck-building game that immerses players in the suspenseful and thrilling universe of the Alien movie series. The game features original art and gameplay mechanics that encourage teamwork and strategy.

Galaxy Trucker is a fast-paced, tile-laying board game that combines space adventure with ship construction and navigation challenges.

Sleeping Gods is a cooperative, narrative-driven board game that immerses players in an expansive and mysterious world. Set in 1929, players take on the roles of Captain Sofi Odessa and her crew, who are lost at sea aboard the steamship Manticore in the mystical Wandering Sea. Their mission is to awaken the gods to find their way home.

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.

Pan Am is an engaging board game that immerses players in the era of pioneering air travel, where they compete to build and expand their own airline empires. The game cleverly integrates strategy, bidding, and economic elements, allowing players to navigate through the historical landscape of the aviation industry.

Galaxy Trucker (Second Edition) is a lively, family-friendly game where players race against time to build spaceships from scavenged parts and then navigate them through perilous space adventures. The game combines real-time strategy, tile placement, and a bit of chaos as players grab components from a shared pool to construct their vessels before launching into space for a series of hazardous journeys.

Star Wars: Rebellion is a grand strategy board game set in the Star Wars universe, offering an epic conflict between the Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance for two to four players.

Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age is a captivating dice game that immerses players in the task of building and advancing their civilizations. This game combines elements of luck, strategy, and resource management, making it an engaging experience for players who enjoy civilization-building themes.

Discworld: Ankh-Morpork is a board game designed by Martin Wallace and Treefrog Games, set in the imaginative universe of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, specifically in its largest city-state, Ankh-Morpork. The game captures the essence of the Discworld novels with its thematic elements and diverse characters.

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.

Beyond the Sun is a strategic board game that places players at the forefront of humanity's technological advancement into the Spacefaring Era. Here, players shape the progress of human civilization in space while competing to become the dominant faction through scientific development, economic growth, and galactic influence.

Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a Lovecraftian horror card game that blends role-playing and card game elements. Set in the eerie town of Arkham, players face mysterious, monstrous, and maddening challenges.

Nations: The Dice Game is a fast-paced, dice-driven game that captures the essence of civilization-building. Designed for 1-4 players, it condenses the expansive experience of the original Nations board game into a more streamlined and quicker format, ideal for players looking for a shorter playtime without sacrificing strategic depth.