The best games released in 2022๐Ÿ“† 2026

Looking for a really good game from the year 2022? 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:

List of the best new games releases in 2020

This list was last updated on June 6, 2026. There's also a print version for this list .
  1. HITSTER

    With HITSTER, the ultimate music card game, you can instantly throw a party! Listen to over 100 years of fantastic hits, arrange them chronologically on your music timeline, and relive unforgettable memories. The first player to collect 10 hits is crowned the HITSTER.

    Nominated for 6 awards and won 4.

    More details for HITSTER
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 10 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 16+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  2. MicroMacro: Crime City 3 โ€“ All In

    MicroMacro: Crime City โ€“ All In is the latest installment in the MicroMacro: Crime City series, offering players a new district of the black-and-white, crime-ridden metropolis known as Crime City to explore. This edition comes with a fresh, large city map that connects seamlessly with the maps from previous games, presenting 16 new and more complex crime cases for players to solve.

    More details for MicroMacro: Crime City 3 โ€“ All In
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 15 - 45 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 12+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  3. Ready Set Bet

    Players and their friends head to the races to cheer and bet on their favorite horses, with outcomes determined by dice rolls. The game is played over four rounds, each consisting of a race followed by a betting resolution. Players can place their betting tokens freely on the board during the race and earn money based on their bets, with a chance to gain a VIP club card for greater winnings in subsequent races. The player with the most money after four rounds wins.

    Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.

    More details for Ready Set Bet
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 9 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 45 - 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  4. The year 2022 brought exciting card games to players. These games capture the card gaming highlights from this notable year.

    The Best Card Games of the Year 2022 in Comparison โ†’
  5. Sea Salt & Paper

    Sea Salt & Paper is a set collection card game that combines strategic decision-making with the excitement of timing your moves just right. Similar to Rummy in gameplay, it involves collecting sets of cards to score points, while also navigating the timing of when to end the round for optimal advantage.

    Nominated for 10 awards and won 3.

    More details for Sea Salt & Paper
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 - 45 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  6. Heat: Pedal to the Metal

    Heat: Pedal to the Metal is a dynamic and strategic racing board game that simulates the thrill and intricacies of car racing. It offers players a chance to experience the excitement of racing while managing crucial elements like speed, car upgrades, and varying track conditions.

    Nominated for 17 awards and won 7.

    More details for Heat: Pedal to the Metal
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 6 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 - 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  7. Dorfromantik: The Board Game

    Dorfromantik: The Board Game transitions the charming and strategic essence of the beloved video game into a tactile family board game experience. Designed by Michael Palm and Lukas Zach, this game invites up to six players to collaboratively construct a picturesque landscape using hexagonal tiles. Players aim to satisfy community demands while strategically extending rivers and tracks, and optimizing points through clever area enclosure with flags.

    Nominated for 6 awards and won 2.

    โญ๏ธ Spiel des Jahres 2023

    ๐Ÿ’ฐ 7% cheaper on Amazon than at other retailers

    More details for Dorfromantik: The Board Game
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 6 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 - 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  8. Splendor Duel

    Splendor Duel is an intriguing two-player game that builds upon the foundation of its predecessor, Splendor, enhancing it with new layers of strategy and competitiveness. Designed specifically for two players, this standalone game maintains the core elements of Splendor while introducing novel twists and mechanics, making it more dynamic and interactive.

    Nominated for 14 awards and won 3.

    More details for Splendor Duel
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  9. Phantom Ink

    Renowned mediums compete to decipher a secret object and prove their connection to the "spirit world." The first team to identify the secret object wins.

    Nominated for 3 awards.

    More details for Phantom Ink
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 8 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 10 - 15 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 13+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  10. Next Station: London

    Next Station: London invites players to take on the role of project managers tasked with the ambitious job of redesigning London's iconic underground network. The game challenges players to strategically optimize connections, incorporate as many of the city's landmarks as possible, and efficiently use the tunnels under the Thames, all while adhering to the city's specific requirements.

    Nominated for 9 awards and won 2.

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2023

    More details for Next Station: London
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 25 - 30 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  11. Clank!: Catacombs

    The catacombs of the skeleton dragon Umbrok Vessna are mysterious and dangerous. Portals lead you through the depths of the dungeon, while shrines offer great riches to fearless explorers. Each trip into the catacombs is unique as you tile the dungeon layout, and you can play with the new dungeon deck or incorporate cards from previous games.

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    More details for Clank!: Catacombs
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 45 - 90 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 13+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  12. Looking for a good game that won or was nominated for the UK Games Expo Awards? Then we have just the thing for you: A list of the best UK Games Expo Awards winners and games that were on the nomination list.

    The Best "UK Games Expo Awards๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง" winners and nominees โ†’
  13. Spots

    Players roll dice and place them on dog cards during their turn. Dice that cannot be placed are buried in their garden. If too many dice are buried, the player goes bankrupt. Completing 6 dogs wins the game!

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 2.

    ๐Ÿ’ฐ 23% cheaper on Amazon than at other retailers

    More details for Spots
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 25 - 30 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  14. Fun Facts

    Each round, a question is placed in the center of the table, such as "How long is the perfect nap?" Players secretly write their answers on colored arrows and place them face down on the table.

    Nominated for 4 awards.

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2023

    More details for Fun Facts
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 4 - 8 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  15. Star Wars: Jabba's Palace โ€“ A Love Letter Game

    Jabba's lair is a place of danger and deception. Players compete with members of the Rebel Alliance and the residents of Jabba's Palace, using the abilities of iconic characters while trying to outsmart their opponents. The game retains the simple and fun mechanics of the original, introducing Agenda cards that offer new victory conditions and additional strategic depth.

    More details for Star Wars: Jabba's Palace โ€“ A Love Letter Game
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 6 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 20 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  16. Lands of Galzyr

    Lands of Galzyr is an adventure game set in an open and persistent world where players' actions have consequences in both current and future sessions. Players take on the roles of cunning adventurers, navigating the lands, completing quests, and striving for fame and prestige. Each game continues from where the last left off, thanks to a clever save and load mechanism, allowing for seamless play even with different players in between sessions.

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Lands of Galzyr
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 60 - 150 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 14+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  17. Azul: Master Chocolatier

    • Family GameFamily Game
    • Tile-LayingTile-Laying
    • AbstractAbstract
    • PuzzlePuzzle
    • DraftingDrafting
    +4 more

    Players take turns drawing colored tiles from suppliers to place on their boards. Points are awarded based on how the tiles are arranged to decorate the palace, with extra points for specific patterns and completing sets. Wasted resources will reduce a player's score, and the player with the most points at the end wins.

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Azul: Master Chocolatier
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 - 45 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  18. Green Team Wins

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    More details for Green Team Wins
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 3 - 12 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 15 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  19. Catch Sketch

    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 3 - 6 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 20 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  20. Trekking Through History

    Players embark on a three-day journey through human history, traveling through time to experience significant moments from the past. Each day represents a round in which players choose historical events to spend hours on, gaining advantages like ticking off points on their itinerary and collecting time crystals to manipulate the space-time continuum in future turns. Points are also earned for visiting events in chronological order, and the player with the most points after three rounds wins.

    Nominated for 3 awards and won 1.

    More details for Trekking Through History
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 - 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  21. Kites - Time to Fly

    The sun is shining, the wind is blowing, and it's time to gather your friends to fly some kites! Players collaborate to keep all their kites, represented by colorful hourglasses, in the air by playing cards, flipping the hourglasses, and coordinating with each other. If any hourglass runs out, a kite crashes, adding a fun challenge to the game. Play all the kite cards in the stack to achieve a collective victory!

    Nominated for 8 awards and won 2.

    More details for Kites - Time to Fly
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 6 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 10 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  22. Wandering Towers

    Players aim to bring all their wizards home to the Raven Castle before their opponents. The game board is set up in a circle with towers placed in a specific order, and each player starts with a certain number of wizards and movement cards. Players move their wizards or towers based on their played cards, capture opponents' wizards to fill their potion bottles, and ultimately try to place their last wizard in the Raven Castle to win. The game can also be played in teams with a variant that adds various spells.

    Nominated for 10 awards and won 8.

    More details for Wandering Towers
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 6 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  23. Akropolis

    Akropolis is a strategic board game set in ancient Greece, where players take on the roles of skilled architects competing to build the most prestigious city. The game focuses on urban planning, resource management, and tactical tile placement.

    Nominated for 20 awards and won 10.

    More details for Akropolis
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 20 - 30 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  24. Secret Identity

    Players must guess their opponents' hidden identities while trying to make them guess theirs. At the start of each round, a key card indicates your character from eight on the table. Using double-sided "Picto" cards, you give hints about your identity while trying to deduce others. New characters appear each round, adding variety, but your supply of Picto cards is limited. After the fourth round, the player with the most points wins.

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.

    More details for Secret Identity
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 3 - 8 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 20 - 40 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  25. Quacks & Co.

    It's race day in Quedlinburg, and with the right mix of food and luck, you ride your mount to victory and win the golden cauldron. Players build their own bag of tiles throughout the game, drawing them to advance on the race track. They will collect resources, gain bonuses, and strategize until someone crosses the finish line first.

    Nominated for 8 awards and won 4.

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2022

    More details for Quacks & Co.
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 25 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 6+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  26. Mindbug: First Contact

    Mindbug: First Contact is an innovative and strategic duel card game where players summon unique hybrid creatures to battle their opponent. However, the twist lies in the Mindbug cards, which can turn the tide of the game by allowing players to take control of an opponent's creature.

    Nominated for 6 awards.

    More details for Mindbug: First Contact
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 15 - 25 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  27. Foxy

    Nominated for 1 award and won 1.

    More details for Foxy
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 5 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 15 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Immediately playable
  28. Planet Unknown

    Planet Unknown is a competitive and strategic game for 1-6 players set in a future where Earth's resources are depleted. Players are tasked with developing the most efficient and habitable planet among a series of newfound worlds. Using polyomino-shaped tiles, each representing vital infrastructure, players work to efficiently cover their planets and build an effective support system for life.

    Nominated for 11 awards and won 4.

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2023

    More details for Planet Unknown
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 6 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 60 - 80 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  29. Port Royal: Big Box

    Port Royal: Big Box includes the base game and its two expansions, offering new graphics and artwork. It also features Gambler promo cards and the standalone game. This edition will be released in Germany in January 2022.

    Nominated for 1 award and won 1.

    More details for Port Royal: Big Box
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 5 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 20 - 50 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  30. Bohnanza: 25th Anniversary Edition

    The 25th Anniversary Edition includes a new bean variety and three game variants, one featuring a collector's coin. Players plant and harvest bean cards to earn coins, managing their hand without changing the order of cards. On their turn, a player lays down cards, trades with others, and eventually collects coins based on their beans before the game concludes with a final harvest.

    More details for Bohnanza: 25th Anniversary Edition
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 7 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 45 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  31. Wingspan Asia (3rd Expansion)

    • BGG Top 100BGG Top 100
    • 2-Player2-Player
    • Solo ModeSolo Mode
    • Economy & TradeEconomy & Trade
    • Push Your LuckPush Your Luck
    • AnimalsAnimals
    +5 more

    Wingspan Asia is the third expansion of the acclaimed game Wingspan, introducing a captivating collection of Asian bird species to the existing lineup. This expansion not only adds diversity with birds chosen from over 2,800 species native to Asia but also brings versatile gameplay options.

    Nominated for 4 awards.

    More details for Wingspan Asia (3rd Expansion)
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 2 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 40 - 70 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Medium difficulty
  32. The Guild of Merchant Explorers

    The Guild of Merchant Explorers is a unique and engaging strategy game that blends exploration with city-building elements. Players begin with a single city on their personal map and must skillfully expand their territory by placing cubes based on terrain cards drawn from a shuffled deck. The game emphasizes strategic planning and adaptability, with players aiming to efficiently complete areas, connect cities, and maximize their score through various means.

    Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2024

    More details for The Guild of Merchant Explorers
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 45 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 14+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  33. Medium-weight board games offer the perfect balance between accessibility and strategic depth. They are complex enough to captivate experienced players, but not so complicated that beginners are deterred. We have selected the best medium-weight games for you.

    The best medium-weight board games โ†’

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