The best games from Kevin Wilson 🇺🇸👨 2026
Looking for a really good game from game designer Kevin Wilson 👨? Then we have just the thing: the list with the best Kevin Wilson games 2026.
Who is Kevin Wilson anyway?
Kevin Wilson has been designing dice, card & board games since 2003. The game designer hails from USA🇺🇸, was born in 1975 and currently lives in Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA 🇺🇸.
Wilson's first game "Magdar" he developed in 2003 at the age of 28 – so he has been designing games for over 23 years. Famous Wilson games are for example Descent, Cosmic Encounter & Arkhom Horror.
Initially Fantasy Flight Games, now self-employed
Kevin Wilson is a game designer and game component developer known for designing games for Fantasy Flight Games. He previously worked for Alderac Entertainment Group and has a degree in artificial intelligence from the University of California, Berkeley. He first got into gaming at the age of 8 with a Dungeons & Dragons boxed set. Magdar was his first major board game design. Bruno Faidutti was one of his favorite game designers.
"For me, the theme of a board game is something like a sales pitch. ... a great game is the marriage of a theme that excites me with mechanics that I'm proud of." – Kevin Wilson
In October 2012, he parted ways with Fantasy Flight Games and has since been an independent game developer.
Cheerful Ghost did an interesting interview with Kevin Wilson.
How good are "Kevin Wilson" games?
There are 11 games by Kevin Wilson in our Top1000 games list, making Wilson the #11 best game designer out of a total of 708 designers in our database.
More information about Wilson
More information about Wilson can be found on:
- Wilson's BGG profile
- Wilson's Twitter feed
- official Kevin Wilson website
- english Wikipedia entry for Kevin Wilson
List of best games by Kevin Wilson 2026
In this list we have listed the best board games that Kevin Wilson either designed himself – or was involved in designing.
Unfortunately, not all of Kevin Wilson's games are currently available. In the following list you can find all dice, board & card games by Kevin Wilson that you can buy 2026:
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A Gentle Rain
All details & ratingBreathe in deeply and relax. You have come to the lake to enjoy a rare and beautiful sight as the water lilies bloom only during rain, and all eight species flower together very rarely. The goal is to place the lake tiles so that all eight lily types bloom before you run out of tiles and the rain ends.
1 15 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Cosmic Encounter
2008 Edition
All details & ratingCosmic Encounter is an iconic board game that combines elements of strategy, diplomacy, and unique alien powers, set in a dynamic universe of shifting alliances and interstellar conflict.
3–5 60–120 min 12+ Medium complexity -
Elder Sign
All details & ratingElder Sign is a cooperative dice game set in the universe of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, specifically the year 1926. Players assume the roles of investigators in a museum filled with occult artifacts and eldritch symbols. Their mission is to prevent the arrival of an Ancient One, a powerful entity from another dimension poised to wreak havoc on Earth.
1–8 90 min 13+ Easy to learn -
Wiz-War
Eighth Edition
All details & ratingWiz-War (Eighth Edition), a reimagining of Tom Jolly's 1983 classic, is a chaotic and humorous board game for 2-4 players, where wizards duel in an underground labyrinth. This edition, enhanced by Kevin Wilson and Tom Jolly, focuses on faster gameplay and clearer card effects, staying true to the original's spirit.
2–4 30–60 min 14+ Easy to learn -
Dungeons & Dragons: Tomb of Annihilation Board Game
All details & ratingTomb of Annihilation is a cooperative adventure game based on the Dungeons & Dragons: 5th Edition storyline. It adapts the classic AD&D adventure, S1: Tomb of Horrors, offering players an engaging experience in that universe.
1–5 60 min 14+ Easy to learn -
Descent: Journeys in the Dark
Second Edition
All details & ratingDescent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is a thrilling, immersive board game that combines elements of role-playing, strategy, and adventure. In this game, players take on the roles of heroes or the overlord, embarking on quests through treacherous landscapes filled with dangers and monsters.
1–5 120 min 14+ Medium complexity -
Awesome Kingdom: The Tower of Hateskull
All details & ratingAwesome Kingdom: The Tower of Hateskull is a light, fast-paced, and humorous card game where players compete to be the most fearsome hero after three days of adventure. Each player chooses from eight epic characters, such as the Ragebarian, Prestidigimancer, or Paladude, each with unique abilities. During the game, players navigate a circular dungeon made up of room tiles, play action cards, and claim treasures, monsters, traps, or magical items to increase their fearsome reputation.
2–4 30–45 min 12+ Immediately playable -
CHEW: Cases of the FDA
All details & ratingBased on the Eisner Award-winning comic series by John Layman and Rob Guillory, the game is playable by 2-5 players in about 30 minutes. Players compete to solve cases lifted directly from the comic, recruiting allies like John Colby and Amelia Mintz while sending out villains and cultists to sabotage their rivals' investigations.
2–5 30 min 12+ Immediately playable -
Arkham Horror
Third Edition
All details & ratingArkham Horror (Third Edition) is a cooperative board game set in the atmospheric backdrop of 1926 Arkham, at the height of the Roaring Twenties. This edition offers a rich narrative experience based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, where players become investigators battling against the encroaching darkness of the Ancient Ones, otherworldly beings threatening to overrun our world.
1–6 120–180 min 14+ Medium complexityVideo reviews 1 -
I Hate Zombies
All details & ratingA greedy horde of terrifying zombies is on the move to devour the living. In "I Hate Zombies," 2-12 players face off in a battle for the world's fate that lasts between 10 and 20 minutes. Some players will be the last noble survivors, while others take on the role of dirty, brain-eating zombies, engaging in a deadly game of Rock-Paper-Scissors with special abilities that influence their strategies.
2–12 15 min 6+ Immediately playable -
Arcane Academy
All details & ratingChallenge rival students to become the top of the class in Arcane Academy, a board game featuring tile-based magic. Young spellcasters duel for honor and prestige as they forge powerful magical items and utilize elemental energies to outsmart their opponents. The game is inspired by the acclaimed all-ages comic series Findet Gossamyr, set in a fantasy world where mathematics is the language of magic.
2–4 30–45 min 12+ Easy to learn -
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past
All details & ratingTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past is a scenario-driven campaign game featuring story elements from the IDW TMNT comic. One player takes on the role of the ultimate villain, Shredder, while others play as their favorite turtle characters. Players progress through a series of missions lasting 60 to 90 minutes, enhancing their characters' strengths, fighting styles, and equipment, all while encountering beloved characters like Casey Jones and Alopex for assistance in battling fierce enemies.
2–5 60–90 min 14+ Medium complexity -
Fury of Dracula
Second Edition
All details & ratingFury 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.
2–5 120–180 min 10+ Medium complexity - + 7 € above the best price52 € at Amazon*
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Magdar
All details & ratingMagdar is a light risk management game featuring a progressively deteriorating board. Players control dwarves that mine mithril and gems on a randomly assembled tile-based board. After each turn, a player rolls dice and chooses a stone to be destroyed by Magdar, sending any dwarves on that tile back to the cave entrance, along with their resources. The game concludes when a row of stones is completely destroyed, and scoring is based on a balanced collection of mithril and gems. An advanced version adds elements like claim jumping.
2–4 20 min 9+ Immediately playable -
Arena Maximus
All details & ratingBrave charioteers face the deadliest racetrack ever conceived in Arena Maximus. The victor will earn the laurels of victory and the cloak of immortality from the Emperor, while the losers will perish and be erased from history. Players must navigate a track filled with traps and hazards, competing to finish first while managing their magical arsenal to overcome challenges and avoid defeat. This thrilling racing game offers excitement and surprises for 2-5 players.
2–5 45–60 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Descent: Journeys in the Dark
1. Edition
All details & ratingDescent: Journeys in the Dark is an engaging and immersive board game that combines elements of adventure, strategy, and fantasy. Ideal for fans of dungeon crawl and fantasy games, it provides a rich narrative experience and a deep strategic gameplay.
2–5 120–240 min 13+ Medium complexity -
The X-Files
All details & ratingPlayers take on the roles of Mulder, Scully, and the X-Files team as they work to uncover global conspiracies and threats while confronting members of the Syndicate. In this game, 1-4 agent players compete against an opponent controlling the Smoking Man and his nefarious network, focusing on material from the show's first three seasons.
2–5 60–90 min 13+ Easy to learn -
Doom: The Boardgame
All details & ratingDoom: The Boardgame transports players into the iconic universe of the DOOM computer game, set within the Union Aerospace Corporation’s Mars base that has been invaded by demonic forces. In this intense and action-packed game, up to three players take on the roles of heavily armed marines, while one player controls the horde of demonic invaders. The game is designed for 2 to 4 players, aged 12 and up, and offers an immersive experience lasting 1 to 2 hours.
2–4 60–90 min 12+ Medium complexityVideo reviews 1 -
Arkham Horror
All details & ratingArkham Horror is a cooperative adventure board game set in the 1920s, deeply rooted in H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. It offers a rich narrative experience as players take on the roles of investigators in the eerie city of Arkham.
1–8 120–240 min 14+ For connoisseurs -
Little Circuses
All details & ratingStep right up! In the small circuses, you will construct your big tent filled with attractions that will thrill the audience. Recruit sword swallowers, daredevils, and mesmerizing mystics to make your little roadshow an entertainment staple!
1–7 30–45 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Mistborn: House War
All details & ratingBecome the head of a Great House in Luthadel in this game of negotiation and betrayal set in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn universe. Players tackle various issues plaguing the Final Empire, such as rampaging colossi and social unrest, while vying for the Lord Ruler's favor.
3–5 60–120 min 13+ Medium complexity -
Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game
All details & ratingSid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game is an expansive and immersive strategy game that allows players to lead historical civilizations through the ages. Inspired by the iconic video game series, this board game version, designed by Kevin Wilson, challenges players to grow their civilizations from humble beginnings to global dominance, offering multiple paths to victory.
2–4 120–240 min 13+ For connoisseurs -
Escape from 100 Million B.C.
All details & ratingPlayers are stranded time travelers racing to rebuild their ship before a nearby volcano erupts. They must evade dinosaurs, close time rifts, and assist castaways from other eras who have been pulled in by paradoxes. Each time traveler has unique abilities and values that aid in repairing the spaceship while ensuring the timeline remains intact.
1–6 60–90 min 13+ Medium complexity -
Senator
All details & ratingThe fall of the Republic is near! Players take on the role of a powerful Roman statesman in a game of diplomacy, betrayal, and resource management. They must protect Rome, advance their families, and ultimately abolish the power of the Senate to claim the title of Caesar while navigating numerous challenges like economic upheaval, uprisings, and wars against Rome's enemies.
3–5 60 min 8+ Easy to learn -
WarCraft: The Board Game
All details & ratingWarCraft: The Board Game brings the epic clash of civilizations from the beloved computer game series to your tabletop. In this game, developed by Fantasy Flight Games in collaboration with Blizzard Entertainment, players take command of one of four iconic Warcraft factions: Humans, Orcs, Night Elves, or Undead. The goal is to strategically harvest resources, construct buildings, and deploy armies to vanquish foes and dominate the battlefield.
2–4 120 min 12+ Medium complexity
Frequently asked questions
Which game ranks first on this list?
A Gentle Rain currently tops our list. The ranking is derived from player community ratings and is recalculated continuously.
How many players do the games on this list support?
Most games on this list support 2 to 5 players. The exact player count is listed with each game.
What age are these games suitable for?
Publisher age recommendations on this list start at 6 years. Each game carries its own age rating.
How long does a game take?
A typical game takes about 60 minutes. Each game's playing time is listed individually.
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