The best storytelling games - making up stories 2023

Looking for a really good game where you have to invent stories? Then we have just the thing for you: the list of the best storytelling games 2023.

What are storytelling games?

In narrative games, players are given conceptual, written, or pictorial prompts that must be incorporated into a creation story by the players. Once upon a time uses an assortment of words, while the Rory's Story Cubes series include ambiguous symbols. Some games, such as Snake Oil and The Big Idea, ask players to design a product, which often takes the form of a short story or vignette.

Other narrative games include titles such as Tales of the Arabian Nights and Above and Below, game concepts in which players do not create their own stories but experience a story from within as one of the participants. Games in this sense might present players with a specific narrative situation, after which the player makes a choice that affects which end of the narrative is told - with the results of that narrative affecting the player's position in the game.

List of the best storytelling games 2023

This list was last updated on November 27, 2023. We compared 1789 board games for this list and selected the top 30. There's also a print version for this list.
  1. Dixit: Odyssey

    All details for the board game Dixit: Odyssey and similar games

    Nominated for 5 awards and won 3.

    More details for Dixit: Odyssey
    • 3 - 12 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    👍 Good price!24€ atAmazon.de
  2. MicroMacro: Crime City – Full House

    All details for the board game MicroMacro: Crime City – Full House and similar games
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  3. Dixit

    All details for the board game Dixit and similar games

    Nominated for 20 awards and won 10.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2010

    More details for Dixit
    • 3 - 8 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    👍 Good price!25€ atAmazon.de
  4. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong

    All details for the board game Deception: Murder in Hong Kong and similar games
    • 4 - 12 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  5. Lands of Galzyr

    All details for the board game Lands of Galzyr and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Lands of Galzyr
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 150 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  6. Detective Club

    All details for the board game Detective Club and similar games

    Nominated for 6 awards and won 3.

    More details for Detective Club
    • 4 - 8 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Detective Club

    • YouTube Review for the game "Detective Club" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  7. Destinies

    All details for the board game Destinies and similar games

    Nominated for 8 awards and won 3.

    More details for Destinies
    • 1 - 3 Players
    • 90 - 150 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  8. Legacy of Dragonholt

    All details for the board game Legacy of Dragonholt and similar games
    • 1 - 6 Players
    • 60 - 999 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  9. Forgotten Waters

    All details for the board game Forgotten Waters and similar games

    Nominated for 8 awards and won 1.

    More details for Forgotten Waters
    • 3 - 7 Players
    • 120 - 240 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    👍 Good price!30€ atAmazon.de
  10. My First Adventure: Finding the Dragon

    All details for the board game My First Adventure: Finding the Dragon and similar games
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 10 - 20 Minutes
    • 4+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  11. Chronicles of Crime: 1900

    All details for the board game Chronicles of Crime: 1900 and similar games
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  12. Mutabo

    All details for the board game Mutabo and similar games
    • 3 - 6 Players
    • 25 - 45 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    👍 Good price!19€ atAmazon.de
  13. Chronicles of Crime

    All details for the board game Chronicles of Crime and similar games

    Nominated for 15 awards and won 5.

    More details for Chronicles of Crime
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Chronicles of Crime

    • YouTube Review for the game "Chronicles of Crime" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  14. When I Dream

    All details for the board game When I Dream and similar games

    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

    • YouTube Review for the game "When I Dream" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  15. Hidden Games Tatort: Königsmord

    All details for the board game Hidden Games Tatort: Königsmord and similar games
    • 1 - 6 Players
    • 90 - 180 Minutes
    • 16+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  16. Kids Chronicles: Quest for the Moon Stones

    All details for the board game Kids Chronicles: Quest for the Moon Stones and similar games
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 30 - 45 Minutes
    • 7+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  17. The Adventures of Robin Hood

    All details for the board game The Adventures of Robin Hood and similar games

    Nominated for 9 awards.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2021

    More details for The Adventures of Robin Hood
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    👍 Good price!34€ atAmazon.de
  18. The King's Dilemma

    All details for the board game The King's Dilemma and similar games

    Nominated for 7 awards.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020

    More details for The King's Dilemma
    • 3 - 5 Players
    • 45 - 60 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for The King's Dilemma

    • YouTube Review for the game "The King's Dilemma" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "The King's Dilemma" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  19. Witness

    All details for the board game Witness and similar games
    • 4 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Witness

    • YouTube Review for the game "Witness" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  20. Chronicles of Crime: 1400

    All details for the board game Chronicles of Crime: 1400 and similar games
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  21. Mysterium

    All details for the board game Mysterium and similar games

    Nominated for 14 awards and won 6.

    More details for Mysterium
    • 2 - 7 Players
    • 42 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    👍 Good price!32€ atAmazon.de
  22. Unlock!: Timeless Adventures

    All details for the board game Unlock!: Timeless Adventures and similar games
    • 1 - 6 Players
    • 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  23. Mysterium Park

    All details for the board game Mysterium Park and similar games

    Nominated for 3 awards and won 1.

    More details for Mysterium Park
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 30 - 45 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  24. Unlock! Kids: Detective Stories

    All details for the board game Unlock! Kids: Detective Stories and similar games

    Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.

    More details for Unlock! Kids: Detective Stories
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 20 - 60 Minutes
    • 6+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  25. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Baker Street Irregulars

    All details for the board game Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Baker Street Irregulars and similar games
    • 1 - 8 Players
    • 90 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Baker Street Irregulars

    • YouTube Review for the game "Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Baker Street Irregulars" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  26. Mini-Mutabo

    All details for the board game Mini-Mutabo and similar games
    • 3 - 6 Players
    • 25 - 45 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  27. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures

    All details for the board game Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures and similar games
    • 1 - 8 Players
    • 60 - 120 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures

    • YouTube Review for the game "Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  28. Snake Oil

    All details for the board game Snake Oil and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award and won 1.

    More details for Snake Oil
    • 3 - 10 Players
    • 20 - 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  29. Unlock!: Heroic Adventures

    All details for the board game Unlock!: Heroic Adventures and similar games
    • 1 - 6 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  30. Sleeping Gods

    All details for the board game Sleeping Gods and similar games

    Nominated for 13 awards and won 4.

    More details for Sleeping Gods
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 1200 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Medium difficulty

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: