The best board games with hidden draw 2025

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.

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.

Players take on the role of a mummy attempting to catch treasure hunters, while others aim to retrieve as many treasures from the pyramid as possible. The game features magnetic pieces on a vertical board, allowing the mummy player to obscure the hunters' movements. Players use dice to guide their movements, while the mummy must deduce their positions and try to capture them.

A crime has just been committed, and players must grab their investigation licenses and sharpen their deductive skills to catch the suspect. As multiple private detectives race to solve the case, only one can handcuff the culprit and claim the reward, which can lead to a sunny retirement on a tropical Caribbean beach.

Players take on the role of a sniper who must sneak past or overpower German guards. Up to three other players control squads of German soldiers, balancing between defending objectives and hunting the sniper. The game features a bag-drawing mechanism, where the sniper draws tokens to target defenders, while clever tactics can reduce the likelihood of a hit.

Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space is a suspenseful card game set in the dark and treacherous confines of a space research ship afflicted by an alien plague. This game uniquely combines strategy, bluffing, and a claustrophobic science fiction theme.

JAWS is a suspenseful and strategic board game that captures the essence of the classic film. In this game, players are immersed in the iconic struggle between the monstrous great white shark and the determined crew of the Orca. The game is designed for 2 to 4 players, where one player assumes the role of the shark, while the others take on the characters of Brody, Hooper, and Quint.

Letters from Whitechapel is a thrilling and suspense-filled board game that transports players to the grim streets of London's Whitechapel district in 1888, the setting of the infamous Jack the Ripper murders. The game pits one player, taking on the role of Jack the Ripper, against others who play as police detectives. Their goal is to catch Jack before he claims his fifth victim.

Players take on the role of Princess Jing in a bluffing game for two players or two groups. The palace transforms into a labyrinth, where mirrors can either reveal an escape or conceal traps. Each player maneuvers their princess while strategically placing allies and mirrors to uncover the opponent's princess, blending cunning and stealth for a successful escape.

Specter Ops is a thrilling, sci-fi themed board game that plunges players into a tense world of stealth, strategy, and hidden movement. In this game, players are divided into two distinct roles: a solo secret agent of A.R.K infiltrating a high-security Raxxon facility, and the team of genetically modified Raxxon Hunters tasked with tracking down and capturing the agent. The game is reminiscent of classic hidden movement games like Scotland Yard, but with a futuristic twist.

Players assume the roles of detectives trying to catch a thief in a semi-cooperative game set in a private art museum. The thief secretly plans movements while detectives attempt to locate them using their eyes, cameras, or motion sensors. After stealing a painting, the thief can move before it is removed from the board, adding urgency as detectives must strategize and respond quickly. The game concludes when the thief successfully escapes after stealing three paintings, with unique challenges based on the locked exits and the random movements of the detectives.

Specter Ops: Broken Covenant is a standalone game set in the Specter Ops universe, involving two to five players in a shadowy conflict. In the abandoned headquarters of Raxxon, a lone A.R.K. agent must navigate through shadows to achieve secret objectives while being pursued by hunters from Raxxon’s Experimental Security Division. Players must employ strategy, deduction, and stealth to outmaneuver their opponents and secure victory.

The game is based on the book by Erich Kästner, where Emil's money is stolen while he is asleep on the train. He recruits other children to help him find the thief.

One player takes on the elusive role of Mister X, while others act as detectives searching for him across Switzerland. Players draw starting station cards to determine their initial locations, and each turn involves traveling by bus, train, or airplane. Mister X writes down his moves without revealing his destination, and the game continues until a detective reaches him or Mister X completes 24 moves undetected. This localized version modernizes the classic game, incorporating new features and a map of Switzerland's ski areas and boat routes.

Nuns on the Run is a unique and engaging board game that combines elements of stealth, strategy, and hidden movement. Set within the thematic confines of a grand abbey, players take on the roles of novices attempting to fulfill their secret wishes under the cover of night, all while avoiding the vigilant Abbess and Prioress who patrol the corridors. The game is a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase that requires cunning, stealth, and careful planning from the novices, as they navigate the abbey's corridors in search of keys and treasures, while the Abbess and Prioress use strategy and deduction to catch the wandering novices before they achieve their goals.

One player takes on the role of Mr. X, navigating through London using taxis, buses, or subways. The detectives, who are the other players, work together to deduce Mr. X's location and catch him. The game features an app that provides limited tools for the detectives, such as radio towers that hint at Mr. X's proximity and a 3D view of the game board.

One player takes on the role of Max, the ghost, while the other players are ghost hunters searching for him in the castle. Max moves invisibly from room to room, revealing himself only occasionally. Ghost hunters can enter any room as many times as they like to trap Max; if a hunter enters the room where Max is hiding, they all win. However, if the last animal is removed without finding Max, that player wins.

Fury of Dracula (Second Edition) is a thematic board game that immerses players in a suspenseful chase across Europe as they either embody Dracula himself or the intrepid vampire hunters from Bram Stoker's renowned novel.

One player takes on the role of Mr. X, moving through the streets of Tokyo using various forms of transport. The detectives attempt to track him down, but his exact location is only revealed occasionally. If there are fewer detectives, an extra "police" figure is added to the game that moves without needing movement cards.

This is a revised version of an older game with additional features and a new map. One player takes on the role of Mr. X, trying to evade capture in Downtown Manhattan, while the other players work to locate and apprehend him. The game offers a more balanced experience for detectives, who gain roadblocks and a helicopter, can share tickets, and do not pass their used tickets to Mr. X.

He managed to escape the detectives from Scotland Yard in London, but this time all of Europe is on his trail. Will he be able to escape them again?

Players take on the role of young campers trying to survive a terrifying weekend, while one player secretly embodies an immortal psychopath lurking in the shadows. The game's objective for the murderer is to remain hidden and eliminate the campers, who must band together to fight back and stop the killer. It unfolds over four chapters, each with a unique narrative twist as the roles shift and vengeance rises from the dead.

Players take on the roles of powerful characters and factions from the series, rewriting the story of El Patrón's rise and fall. One player acts as El Patrón, managing a growing drug empire while keeping their location a secret. The other players lead hunter factions, working together to uncover El Patrón's hidden position, sharing information and strategies to achieve their mission.

One player takes on the role of Frodo and his companions, traveling from the Shire to Rivendell, while up to four other players represent the Nazgûl, trying to hunt them down. The game features hidden movement and is played in two chapters on different boards. In the first chapter, the player controlling Frodo must reach Bree within sixteen rounds to avoid gaining corruption points. If successful, they can choose to proceed immediately to the second chapter or save their progress for later. In the second chapter, the Frodo player uses a travel deck to navigate to Rivendell instead of directly controlling the Hobbits.

There are always 5 characters in play: Dracula and 4 hunters. If there are fewer than 5 players, some will control multiple hunters, working together as a team.

Players take on the roles of the Musketeers, working to thwart Milady and protect the Queen's supporters before the game ends. Each round begins with Milady secretly setting a target while players can choose from various actions like moving, drawing cards, or fighting guards. The game also includes rules for playing against an AI-controlled Milady, allowing for a fully cooperative experience.

One player takes on the role of an escaped student, working to rescue friends and escape Innsmouth. They use movement cards to navigate the board, visiting various locations, battling Deep Ones, and searching for items. The other players control groups of Deep Ones, aiming to thwart the student's escape by laying traps and summoning additional creatures.

The night is calm, but shadows move in the darkness. A ninja and a samurai, each playing a double game, sneak into the Lion Clan's castle to fulfill their treacherous missions while the guards remain unaware of the looming threat.

Submarines and surface fleets battle for dominance of the seas. One team uses submarines to infiltrate enemy ports and destroy strategic targets, while the other team deploys a surface fleet to hunt submarines and protect crucial supply lines. Designed by a retired Royal Navy officer, this asymmetrical strategy game features two boards: one for surface actions visible to both players and another for underwater movements visible only to submarine commanders. Specially designed control boards help players track important information such as fuel, ammunition, and current depth.

Players aim to locate and sink the Bismarck through three game levels. Advanced gameplay involves miniature combat rules and hidden movement using separate search boards. The game ends when the Bismarck is sunk, arrives in strategic ports after a patrol, a point threshold favors the German player, or time runs out.