The best board, card & dice games with role playing elements 2023

Are you looking for a really good role-playing board game or board game with role-playing elements? Especially lately, many interesting and good ideas have been implemented to integrate role-playing elements into "normal" board games.

We have listed the best role-playing games for you.

What is a role-playing game?

A role-playing game (abbreviated as RPG - "Role Playing Game") is a game in which players take on the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through specific action or through a process of structured decision-making regarding character development.

Some board games incorporate elements of role-playing. One variation is that players control a character that improves over time. The second way to incorporate role-playing elements is to stimulate or inspire storytelling.

List of the best role-playing board games 2023

But now to our overview with the best role-playing board games 2023

This list was last updated on December 4, 2023. We compared 1692 board games for this list and selected the top 30. There's also a print version for this list.
  1. Monikers

    All details for the board game Monikers and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Monikers
    • 4 - 16 Players
    • 30 - 60 Minutes
    • 17+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Monikers

    • YouTube Review for the game "Monikers" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  2. Monikers: Serious Nonsense

    All details for the board game Monikers: Serious Nonsense and similar games
    • 4 - 20 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 18+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  3. One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak

    All details for the board game One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak and similar games
    • 3 - 7 Players
    • 10 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak

    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  4. 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
  5. One Night Ultimate Werewolf

    All details for the board game One Night Ultimate Werewolf and similar games
    • 3 - 10 Players
    • 10 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    👍 Good price!12€ atAmazon.de

    Video reviews for One Night Ultimate Werewolf

    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. Mansions of Madness: Second Edition

    All details for the board game Mansions of Madness: Second Edition and similar games
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 120 - 180 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  9. Spyfall

    All details for the board game Spyfall and similar games

    Nominated for 7 awards and won 2.

    More details for Spyfall
    • 3 - 8 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Spyfall

    • YouTube Review for the game "Spyfall" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  10. Sheriff of Nottingham

    All details for the board game Sheriff of Nottingham and similar games

    Nominated for 10 awards and won 1.

    More details for Sheriff of Nottingham
    • 3 - 5 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Sheriff of Nottingham

    • YouTube Review for the game "Sheriff of Nottingham" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  11. Captain Sonar

    All details for the board game Captain Sonar and similar games

    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

    • YouTube Review for the game "Captain Sonar" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Captain Sonar" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  12. The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth

    All details for the board game The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth and similar games
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 60 - 120 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  13. Feed the Kraken

    All details for the board game Feed the Kraken and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Feed the Kraken
    • 5 - 11 Players
    • 45 - 90 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  14. Spyfall 2

    All details for the board game Spyfall 2 and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Spyfall 2
    • 3 - 12 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Spyfall 2

    • YouTube Review for the game "Spyfall 2" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Spyfall 2" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  15. Ultimate Werewolf: Ultimate Edition

    All details for the board game Ultimate Werewolf: Ultimate Edition and similar games
    • 5 - 68 Players
    • 30 - 90 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Ultimate Werewolf: Ultimate Edition

    • YouTube Review for the game "Ultimate Werewolf: Ultimate Edition" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  16. The Werewolves of Miller's Hollow

    All details for the board game The Werewolves of Miller's Hollow and similar games
    • 8 - 18 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    👍 Good price!10€ atAmazon.de
  17. Gloomhaven

    All details for the board game Gloomhaven and similar games

    Nominated for 22 awards and won 10.

    More details for Gloomhaven
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 120 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Hard to learn
    👍 Good price!143€ atAmazon.de

    Video reviews for Gloomhaven

    • YouTube Review for the game "Gloomhaven" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Gloomhaven" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  18. Roll Player

    All details for the board game Roll Player and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Roll Player
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Roll Player

    • YouTube Review for the game "Roll Player" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  19. Funemployed

    All details for the board game Funemployed and similar games
    • 3 - 20 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  20. Freeze

    All details for the board game Freeze and similar games
    • 4 - 10 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  21. Tales of the Arabian Nights

    All details for the board game Tales of the Arabian Nights and similar games
    • 1 - 6 Players
    • 120 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Tales of the Arabian Nights

    • YouTube Review for the game "Tales of the Arabian Nights" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  22. Frostgrave: Second Edition

    All details for the board game Frostgrave: Second Edition and similar games
    • 2 - 8 Players
    • 60 - 120 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  23. Descent: Legends of the Dark

    All details for the board game Descent: Legends of the Dark and similar games
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 120 - 180 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  24. Murder Mystery Party: A Taste for Wine and Murder

    All details for the board game Murder Mystery Party: A Taste for Wine and Murder and similar games
    • 6 - 8 Players
    • 180 Minutes
    • 16+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    👍 Good price!20€ atAmazon.de
  25. HeroQuest

    All details for the board game HeroQuest and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award and won 1.

    More details for HeroQuest
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 90 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  26. Here to Slay

    All details for the board game Here to Slay and similar games
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 30 - 60 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  27. Darksiders: The Forbidden Land

    All details for the board game Darksiders: The Forbidden Land and similar games
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 90 - 180 Minutes
    • 16+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  28. Stuffed Fables

    All details for the board game Stuffed Fables and similar games

    Nominated for 4 awards.

    More details for Stuffed Fables
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 7+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Stuffed Fables

    • YouTube Review for the game "Stuffed Fables" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  29. Arkham Horror: The Card Game

    All details for the board game Arkham Horror: The Card Game and similar games

    Nominated for 13 awards and won 4.

    More details for Arkham Horror: The Card Game
    • 1 - 2 Players
    • 60 - 120 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Hard to learn
    👍 Good price!60€ atAmazon.de

    Video reviews for Arkham Horror: The Card Game

    • YouTube Review for the game "Arkham Horror: The Card Game" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  30. No Thank You, Evil!

    All details for the board game No Thank You, Evil! and similar games
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 5+ years old
    • Easy to learn

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: