The best games from Matt Leacock 🇺🇸👨 2024

Looking for a really good game from game designer Matt Leacock 👨? Then we have just the thing: the list with the best Matt Leacock games 2024.

Who is Matt Leacock anyway?

Matt Leacock has been designing dice, card & board games since 1995. The game designer hails from St. Paul, Minnesota, USA🇺🇸, was born in 1971, and currently lives in Sunnyvale, California, USA🇺🇸.

Leacock began developing individual games in the 1990s. Leacock's first published game, Borderlands, came out in 1995 when he was 24 years old - so he's actually been designing games for over 29 years. However, after his first game there was a 5 year break until "Lunatic Loops" - and until his third it took until 2008, so another 8 years.

Famous Leacock games are for example Pandemic, Forbidden Island & the Pandemic Legacy Series.

His daughter, Colleen Leacock, has also taken her first steps as a game designer.

From Minnesota to Illinois to California

Leacock grew up in Long Lake, Minnesota, USA. He then studied visual communications in Illinois at Northern Illinois University, graduating in 1995. He was then drawn to the greats in Silicon Valley.

From employee at IT giants to board game designer icon

Leacock initially worked as a developer for various IT giants such as Yahoo!, AOL, Netscape and Apple as a user experience designer. During his time as an employee, he always developed board games on the side. He finally wrapped up his IT career in July 2014 and switched to designing board games full-time.

"I design the games I want to play and teach. It's hard for me to imagine doing game design for a paycheck." -- Matt Leacock

How good are "Matt Leacock" games?

There are 11 games by Matt Leacock in our Top1000 games list, making Leacock the #11 best game author out of a total of 708 authors in our database.

More information about Leacock

More information about Leacock can be found on:

List of best games by Matt Leacock 2024

In this list we have listed the best board games that Matt Leacock either designed himself - or was involved in designing.

Unfortunately, not all of Matt Leacock's games are currently available. In the following list you can find all dice, board & card games by Matt Leacock that you can buy 2024:

This list was last updated on February 25, 2024. We compared 25 board games for this list and selected the top 22. There's also a print version for this list.
  1. Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

    All details for the board game Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 and similar games

    Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 offers an extraordinary gaming experience as a cooperative campaign game, immersing players in an overarching story-arc that unfolds over 12-24 gripping sessions. The duration depends on your group's performance and the fate of the world. Here's an overview of this thrilling journey:

    Nominated for 21 awards and won 12.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2016

    More details for Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Medium difficulty

    Video reviews for Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 1" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 1" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 1" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 1" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  2. Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West

    All details for the board game Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West and similar games
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 20 - 90 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  3. Iberia

    All details for the board game Iberia and similar games

    Pandemic: Iberia is a historical variant of the popular Pandemic series, set in the Iberian Peninsula during the year 1848. This version of the game introduces unique roles and challenges as players work together to combat historical diseases like malaria, typhus, yellow fever, and cholera.

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    🔥 Deal: 20% cheaper than the best Geizhals deal, likely for a short time only!

    More details for Iberia
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
    🔥 Great price!49€ atAmazon.de*

    Video reviews for Iberia

    • YouTube Review for the game "Iberia" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  4. Pandemic Legacy: Season 0

    All details for the board game Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 and similar games

    Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 transports you to 1962, at the height of the Cold War, where a mysterious Soviet bioweapon called "Project MEDUSA" threatens global safety. As newly recruited CIA agents and medical graduates, you and your team are tasked with a critical mission: investigate and halt the development of this deadly pathogen. This game stands alone as a thrilling prequel to the earlier seasons of Pandemic Legacy, immersing players in a tense world of espionage and covert operations.

    Nominated for 5 awards.

    More details for Pandemic Legacy: Season 0
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 45 - 60 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
    🔥 Great price!47€ atAmazon.de*

    Video reviews for Pandemic Legacy: Season 0

    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 0" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 0" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 0" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 0" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  5. Pandemic

    All details for the board game Pandemic and similar games

    Pandemic is a highly acclaimed cooperative board game where players take on the roles of disease-fighting specialists. Their mission is to contain and cure four deadly diseases that have broken out across the globe. The game is set on a board depicting major world population centers and requires players to strategize and work together to manage the outbreaks and develop cures before the diseases spiral out of control.

    Nominated for 29 awards and won 8.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2009

    More details for Pandemic
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    👍 Good price!33€ atAmazon.de*

    Video reviews for Pandemic

    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  6. Pandemic: The Cure

    All details for the board game Pandemic: The Cure and similar games

    Pandemic: The Cure is a dice-based adaptation of the popular Pandemic board game. It offers a quicker setup and playtime while retaining the core theme of disease control and teamwork.

    Nominated for 5 awards.

    More details for Pandemic: The Cure
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    👍 Good price!44€ atAmazon.de*
  7. Reign of Cthulhu

    All details for the board game Reign of Cthulhu and similar games

    Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu is a thrilling adaptation of the classic Pandemic game, infused with a chilling Lovecraftian theme. Players take on the roles of investigators, tasked with a daunting mission to prevent the awakening of ancient evils, known as Old Ones, from their cosmic prison.

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    More details for Reign of Cthulhu
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 40 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  8. Fall of Rome

    All details for the board game Fall of Rome and similar games

    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.

    Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.

    More details for Fall of Rome
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 45 - 60 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  9. Forbidden Desert

    All details for the board game Forbidden Desert and similar games

    Forbidden Desert is a cooperative adventure game where players work together to recover a legendary flying machine from the ruins of an ancient desert city, while surviving extreme environmental challenges.

    Nominated for 7 awards and won 4.

    More details for Forbidden Desert
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Forbidden Desert

    • YouTube Review for the game "Forbidden Desert" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  10. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age

    All details for the board game Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age and similar games

    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.

    Nominated for 10 awards and won 1.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2010

    More details for Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 30 - 45 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  11. Forbidden Island

    All details for the board game Forbidden Island and similar games

    Forbidden Island is a visually captivating cooperative board game that sets itself apart from traditional competitive games. In this thrilling adventure, players must join forces and collaborate to achieve victory instead of competing against each other. The goal is clear: work together as a team to secure a win.

    Nominated for 13 awards and won 5.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2011

    More details for Forbidden Island
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Forbidden Island

    • YouTube Review for the game "Forbidden Island" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  12. Pandemic Legacy: Season 2

    All details for the board game Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 and similar games

    Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 is an epic, cooperative board game that continues the narrative and innovative gameplay of its predecessor. This game is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity struggles to survive after a devastating plague. It offers a unique gaming experience, where players' decisions and actions have long-lasting consequences, making each playthrough distinct.

    Nominated for 10 awards and won 3.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2018

    More details for Pandemic Legacy: Season 2
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
    👍 Good price!50€ atAmazon.de*

    Video reviews for Pandemic Legacy: Season 2

    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 2" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 2" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 2" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 2" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  13. Mole Rats in Space

    All details for the board game Mole Rats in Space and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 7+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  14. Pandemic: Hot Zone – North America

    All details for the board game Pandemic: Hot Zone – North America and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    👍 Good price!15€ atAmazon.de*
  15. Pandemic: Rising Tide

    All details for the board game Pandemic: Rising Tide and similar games
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  16. Era: Medieval Age

    All details for the board game Era: Medieval Age and similar games

    Era: Medieval Age positions itself as a groundbreaking evolution in the realm of roll-and-build board games, inheriting the legacy of Roll Through The Ages but carving out its own niche with a unique build mechanic. Players are transported to the medieval era, tasked with rolling dice to assemble a flourishing city using tangible, 3D components such as walls, keeps, and farms, making each cityscape a distinct creation by the game's conclusion.

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Era: Medieval Age
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 45 - 60 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  17. Thunderbirds

    All details for the board game Thunderbirds and similar games
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 45 - 60 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Thunderbirds

    • YouTube Review for the game "Thunderbirds" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  18. Pandemic: Hot Zone – Europe

    All details for the board game Pandemic: Hot Zone – Europe and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  19. Knit Wit

    All details for the board game Knit Wit and similar games
    • 2 - 8 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  20. Daybreak

    All details for the board game Daybreak and similar games
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 120 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
    👍 Good price!50€ atAmazon.de*
  21. Chariot Race

    All details for the board game Chariot Race and similar games
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Chariot Race

    • YouTube Review for the game "Chariot Race" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  22. Forbidden Sky

    All details for the board game Forbidden Sky and similar games

    Forbidden Sky elevates the cooperative board game experience to new, thrilling heights. As part of the esteemed Forbidden... series, players join forces to brave the dangers of a floating platform, ensconced within the tumult of a fierce storm. The objective is clear yet daunting: forge a circuit of cables to ignite a clandestine rocket, racing against the twin threats of lightning strikes and the perilous wind that seeks to cast players into the abyss.

    Nominated for 3 awards and won 2.

    More details for Forbidden Sky
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Medium difficulty

    Video reviews for Forbidden Sky

    • YouTube Review for the game "Forbidden Sky" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English

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