The best games released in 1988📆 2025

Players receive a set of cards numbered from one to fifteen. During each round, a price token is drawn randomly, which can have either positive or negative points. Players secretly choose one of their remaining cards and reveal them simultaneously; the highest card wins the prize if it's positive, while the lowest card wins if it's negative. However, if two players play the same highest or lowest card, they cancel each other out, and the prize goes to the next player.

Ligretto is a fast-paced card game where each player has a unique deck of 40 cards, numbered 1-10 in four different colors. The game is dynamic and requires quick thinking and rapid play. The objective is to empty your Ligretto stack by playing cards to the center of the table, following specific rules. The game is played simultaneously, adding to the excitement and challenge.

Scattergories, first published in 1988 by Milton Bradley, is a classic party game that tests players' creativity and quick thinking under time pressure. The game is ideal for groups and is based on the traditional parlour game known as Categories or Guggenheim.

SET is a fast-paced card game that challenges players to identify patterns and sets among cards with varying attributes. The game tests observation and pattern recognition skills, making it both fun and mentally stimulating.

Players are given a job at the company Crazy & Co., where positions frequently change. Suddenly, a junior employee might find themselves in charge, while the last one remaining on the cards ends up with the dirty work as the dishwasher.

This version of Cluedo features even more twists and turns. The estate of the deceased Mr. Boddy offers twelve possible murder locations, both indoors and outdoors, along with secret passages and new "snoop rooms" to enhance your investigation. With more weapons and suspects, your detective skills will be put to the test as you mix and match suspect, weapon, and location cards to solve the mystery.

Players create objects using modeling clay that others must guess. They take turns moving on the board by rolling dice or spending gems, with the landing spaces determining the actions. Correct guesses earn points, with the object's creator also gaining or losing points based on how many arrows are stuck in it. The challenge is to represent a word that is not too easy or difficult to guess, making the game both engaging and competitive.

Inkognito is an intriguing board game that combines deduction, secret identities, and espionage in a vibrant setting. Players take on the roles of secret agents with hidden missions, navigating a world of intrigue as they try to identify their allies and complete their objectives without knowing who they can trust from the start.

Players start with a fleet of six ships and six cards. As ships are destroyed, hand size decreases. A unique feature is the random disasters represented by red cards that circulate among players until resolved.

Players command blue and gray units representing infantry, cavalry, and artillery formations from the historic Battle of Gettysburg on a detailed game board that reflects the actual battlefield terrain. They can choose to lead Gen. Robert E. Lee’s formidable Confederate Army or Gen. George G. Meade’s determined yet beleaguered Union Army. Players' decisions will determine whether history repeats itself or can be altered.