The best games released in 2021π 2026
Looking for a really good game from the year 2021? Then we have just the thing for you: our recommendation list with the best board games that were newly released in 2020.
More lists from similar periods
A list with the best games from other years can be found at the end of the page.
In addition, we have created several more lists of card & board game awards:
- The Best Games by Decade.
- The best board game awards
- The best current games-new releases
- The best classic games
List of the best new games releases in 2020
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So Clover!
All details & ratingSo Clover! is a cooperative word-association game that challenges players to think creatively and work together. The essence of the game is to generate and guess keywords based on shared features, aiming to achieve the highest possible team score.
3β6 30 min 10+ Immediately playable -
MicroMacro: Crime City 2 β Full House
All details & ratingMicroMacro: Crime City β Full House is a captivating detective game that expands upon the original MicroMacro: Crime City. Players become sleuths, examining a giant city map (75 x 110 cm) filled with intricate details to solve various crimes. This edition includes 16 new cases, each offering a unique story and set of challenges that require players to scrutinize the map to uncover hidden information and trace suspects' movements.
1β4 15β45 min 10+ Immediately playable+ 4 β¬ above the best price24 β¬ at Amazon* -
Trio
All details & ratingTrio is a card game where players search for triplets. The deck consists of 36 cards, numbered from 1 to 12 three times. Players sort their hands from low to high and take turns revealing cards, aiming to collect sets of three matching cards.
3β6 15 min 6+ Immediately playable+ 2 β¬ above the best price12 β¬ at Amazon* -
Cascadia
All details & ratingCascadia is a tile-laying and token-drafting board game that features the rich habitats and diverse wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. It combines strategic tile placement with wildlife conservation themes.
1β4 30β45 min 10+ Easy to learn -
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
All details & ratingThe Crew: Mission Deep Sea is a cooperative trick-taking card game that embarks players on an underwater expedition to discover the lost continent of Mu. Building on the foundations of its predecessor, The Crew, this game combines the familiar mechanics of trick-taking with unique cooperative elements and a compelling thematic narrative.
2β5 20 min 10+ Easy to learn -
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 -
Stella: Dixit Universe
All details & ratingStella: Dixit Universe offers a fresh and competitive twist to the beloved Dixit game, inviting players to dive into a world where interpretation and intuition meet under the stars. As Starseekers, players will explore thematic imagery on Dixit cards, using a shared clue to guide their choices and strategically score points by aligning their interpretations with those of others.
3β6 30 min 8+ Immediately playable -
GROVE: A 9 card solitaire game
All details & ratingGrove is a citrus-themed sequel to the award-winning 9-card solitaire game Orchard. It features orange, lemon, and lime trees, as well as a new "wildcard" elementβgladesβthat enhance gameplay by offering more opportunities to boost your harvest. The game also includes recipe challenges on the back of the cards, providing alternative winning conditions for added variety.
1 5β10 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Carcassonne: 20th Anniversary Edition
All details & ratingCarcassonne: 20th Anniversary Edition celebrates two decades since the beloved tile-placement game Carcassonne won the prestigious Spiel des Jahres award. This special edition not only commemorates the game's lasting appeal but also enhances the classic experience with new and exclusive content. Players continue to draw and place tiles depicting the picturesque landscapes of southern France, aiming to strategically deploy their meeplesβbe it as knights, robbers, monks, or farmersβto score points by completing cities, roads, cloisters, and fields.
2β5 35 min 7+ Easy to learn - + 2 β¬ above the best price9 β¬ at Amazon*
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Marvel United: X-Men
All details & ratingMarvel United: X-Men is an expansion to the cooperative board game Marvel United, focusing on the beloved X-Men universe. This game invites players to embody iconic Marvel heroes, joining forces to thwart the nefarious schemes of a villain who is orchestrating their master plan behind the scenes. With a mix of strategy, collaboration, and superhero flair, this game brings the X-Men's battles and stories to life on the tabletop.
1β5 40 min 14+ Easy to learn -
King of Tokyo: Monster Box
All details & ratingAll the King of Tokyo fun comes in a Monster Box. The battle for dominance in Tokyo has never been more intense, packed with excitement and adrenaline! It includes the essential Power Up! and Halloween expansions, evolution cards to enhance your monsters, and even a new version of Gigazaur with exclusive cards and a new dice tray for stylishly wreaking havoc in Tokyo.
2β6 30 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume Two
All details & ratingUnmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume Two features four heroes: Yennenga, Achilles, Sun Wukong, and Bloody Mary. The game introduces a new battlefield and includes pre-painted miniatures for each hero, along with custom life trackers adorned with stunning artwork.
2β4 20β40 min 9+ Easy to learn -
7 Wonders: Architects
All details & rating7 Wonders: Architects invites 2-7 players into a fast-paced race to leave a lasting legacy in the ancient world by constructing an architectural marvel. Each player starts with an unconstructed wonder and embarks on a journey to gather resources, develop their society, and achieve greatness.
2β7 25 min 8+ Immediately playable1 β¬ below the next retailer39 β¬ at Amazon* -
Destinies
All details & ratingDestinies is a unique blend of board gaming and digital app integration, offering a rich, competitive, story-driven experience set in a dark medieval-fantasy universe. It is the first game in a series utilizing the innovative Destinies system.
1β3 90β150 min 14+ Easy to learn -
Unlock! Kids: Detective Stories
All details & ratingUnlock! Kids: Detective Stories brings the beloved Unlock! game system to younger audiences, allowing families to enjoy the thrill of escape rooms from the comfort of their homes. This edition is tailored for children aged 6 and up, offering a simplified experience that encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and imaginative play without the need for an app.
1β4 20β60 min 6+ Immediately playable+ 9 β¬ above the best price29 β¬ at Amazon* -
Cartographers Heroes
All details & ratingCartographers Heroes embarks players on a new voyage through the storied Western Lands, enhancing the acclaimed formula of its predecessor with fresh challenges and dynamic elements. As royal cartographers, players are tasked with mapping these perilous territories, their efforts now intertwined with the valorous acts of heroes who stand against the encroaching Dragul forces. This sequel not only retains the beloved core mechanics of drawing and mapping but enriches the experience with innovative map sheets, scoring cards, and explore cards, all while introducing ambush cards that bring unique abilities into play.
1β100 30β45 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Catapult Feud
All details & ratingBuild your castles, assemble your troops, load your catapults, and employ clever tactics to emerge victorious! The battle for territory has begun again, as players aim to eliminate all opposing troops and be the last standing.
2 20β30 min 7+ Immediately playable -
Super Mega Lucky Box
All details & ratingThe goal is to score as many points as possible by marking off the nine numbers printed on the cards in front of you on a 3x3 grid. In each of the four rounds, you shuffle 18 cards and reveal nine, marking off the corresponding numbers on your selected cards. Bonuses are awarded for completing rows or columns, and players score points at the end based on their completed cards, stars, and moons.
1β6 20 min 8+ Immediately playable -
The Quacks of Quedlinburg: MegaBox
All details & ratingThe Mega Box includes the original game along with the first expansion, The Herb Witches, and the second expansion, The Alchemists, all in one box. Players assume the role of quacks, crafting their own potions by adding ingredients from their bags. They must strategically place chips to maximize their potion's value without causing their pot to explode from too many explosive ingredients.
2β5 45β60 min 10+ Easy to learn16 β¬ below the next retailer63 β¬ at Amazon* -
Six Second Scribbles
All details & ratingPlayers draw up to ten items from their category card within a minute. Not every drawing is sufficient for scoring; others must guess what was drawn to earn points. At the end of three rounds, the player with the most points wins.
2β8 15β30 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Top Ten 18+
All details & ratingA fun cooperative game! Each player must come up with a response to a topic, ensuring the intensity matches their secret number. If the captain arranges the answers in the correct order, the team wins!
4β9 20β40 min 18+ Immediately playable -
My Gold Mine
All details & ratingDiamonds, gemstones, and gold are hidden deep in the cave of My Gold Mine, and every dwarf player is eager to dig for gold nuggets. However, the mountain guardian, a fire-breathing dragon, is on your tail. Players must find the most nuggets while avoiding being too greedy and getting caught by the dragon.
2β6 25 min 7+ Immediately playable -
Radlands
All details & ratingRadlands is a competitive and tactical dueling card game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Players lead groups of survivors, each fighting to protect their camps from a rival tribe. The game emphasizes the importance of strategic card synergy and resource management, with water being a crucial element in gameplay.
2 20β40 min 14+ Easy to learn -
Kids Chronicles: Quest for the Moon Stones
All details & ratingPlayers take on the role of young wizards in a cooperative family game filled with adventure and mysterious investigations. They explore the fairyland of the Summer and Winter Kingdoms with Nils, the Moon Cat, while searching for four magical moon stones. Using unique QR codes for each game component, players engage with the game through their mobile device to uncover clues and experiences in a virtual world. Each session lasts around 30 to 45 minutes and comes with a tutorial and five unique stories.
1β4 30β45 min 7+ Immediately playable -
Canvas
All details & ratingCanvas is a creative and visually-driven board game where players take on the roles of painters competing in an art competition. The game combines elements of strategy and puzzle-solving, focused on creating and scoring paintings.
1β5 30 min 10+ Easy to learn+ 6 β¬ above the best price28 β¬ at Amazon* -
Meadow
All details & ratingMeadow is a beautifully illustrated set collection game where players become explorers, immersing themselves in nature observation. The game, suitable for 1-4 players, features over two hundred unique cards adorned with hand-painted watercolor illustrations. Players compete to become the most skilled nature observer by collecting valuable species, landscapes, and discovery cards.
1β4 60β90 min 10+ Easy to learn+ 22 β¬ above the best price51 β¬ at Amazon*
Frequently asked questions
Which game ranks first on this list?
So Clover! 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 20 to 30 minutes. Each game's playing time is listed individually.
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: