The best games where the map is gradually reduced in size 🗺 2025

Santorini is a beautifully re-imagined strategy game that combines abstract elements with accessible gameplay, suitable for a wide range of players.

Survive: Escape from Atlantis! is a thrilling and competitive board game where players aim to evacuate their pieces from a sinking island. The game is known for its intense gameplay and strategic decisions.

In the midst of Ragnarök, the cataclysmic end of the world, seize your opportunity for glory in Blood Rage. Each player commands a Viking clan, complete with fearless warriors, a formidable leader, and a mighty ship. As the world crumbles, it's the Vikings' last chance to seek Valhalla, to be forever remembered at Odin's side. In this epic battle, there are myriad paths to honor, from plundering the land and crushing opponents to fulfilling quests, enhancing your clan's strength, or embracing a glorious demise.

Embark on a frigid escapade with Hey, That's My Fish! as players compete to secure the most fish using their waddle of penguins. Each turn unfolds a strategic journey as players guide their penguins in a straight line across hex-shaped ice tiles, each adorned with 1, 2, or 3 fish.

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.

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.

TZAAR is a compelling abstract strategy game that emphasizes the delicate balance of weakening your opponent versus strengthening your own position. With 30 pieces each, divided among Tzaars, Tzarras, and Totts, players navigate a game of tactical decisions where every move counts. The core challenge lies in managing these three distinct types of pieces, each essential to the game's strategy, as players aim to either deplete one type of the opponent's pieces or trap them in a position where they can't capture anymore.

The 2010 edition is more than just a reprint of the original Survive! from 1982. It combines the original gameplay with new figures and rules from Waddington's Escape from Atlantis. Additionally, it includes the Dolphins & Dive Dice mini-expansion that was removed from the 30th Anniversary Edition released two years later.

That's Life! (also known as Verflixxt!) revitalizes the traditional roll-and-move game genre with elements that give players more strategic control. In this game, players navigate a path laid out with tiles, aiming to collect as many positive tiles as possible while avoiding negative ones. The addition of guards and clovers introduces strategic depth, turning what could be a game of chance into one of tactical decision-making.

JAWS is a suspenseful and strategic board game that captures the essence of the classic film. In this game, players are immersed in the iconic struggle between the monstrous great white shark and the determined crew of the Orca. The game is designed for 2 to 4 players, where one player assumes the role of the shark, while the others take on the characters of Brody, Hooper, and Quint.

DVONN is a strategic board game that is part of the renowned Project GIPF series of abstract games. The game is played on a unique hexagonal board and involves a mix of piece placement, movement, and stacking, with an aim to control the tallest stack by the end of the game.

Good morning, campers! Sensei Saru has a full day of training planned, so learn your lessons well and outpace your fellow campers. In Ninja Camp, players compete as animal martial artists to become Sensei Saru's personal ninja apprentice. Each player starts with two cards representing ninja skills and navigates the game board to gain new abilities while limiting their opponents' movements. With unique ninja powers and quick playtime, this game promises hours of fun for families and aspiring ninjas!

An island made of 37 hexagonal plastic tiles is slowly sinking into the sea as tiles are removed from the board. Each player controls 12 Atlantean tribespeople who must navigate to safety on surrounding islands before the main island disappears. Players can swim, cling to dolphins, or travel by boat while avoiding sea monsters, krakens, and sharks.

Win duels by playing cards of equal or higher value to defend your hand or sacrifice your lowest card. When you're down to your last card, the lowest card wins the round and brings Tacocat closer to victory.

A children's game that is also fun for adults. Players move their moles in search of the Golden Shovel to dig underground. The game features a multi-layered board with holes that lead to the next level. Players navigate their moles to these holes, and when a board is full, it is removed from the game along with any remaining moles. They continue descending through each layer until they reach the final level with a single hole leading to the Golden Shovel. It's a simple race to the finish with colorful game pieces that are enjoyable for both kids and adults!

In the jungle of Costa Rica, players take on the role of explorers collecting rare and exotic animals to protect them from poachers while navigating diverse terrains and the constant threat of mosquitoes. Collecting as many specimens of one species is valuable, but having one of each species can also be advantageous. Each turn, players must decide whether to leave the expedition to gather encountered animals or to stay with the group for the chance to collect more later.

ZÈRTZ, the third installment in the GIPF Project series, is an abstract strategy game that involves players competing to collect sets of multi-colored balls. The gameplay takes place on a hexagonal board and incorporates elements reminiscent of Checkers. Players jump over balls to capture them, with the added twist of placing new balls on the board and strategically removing empty spaces from the edges.

Players take on the roles of court members during the chaotic period following King Arthur's death in Britain. Each player must navigate diplomacy to unite the Scots, Welsh, and Romano-Britons, using their influence to gain power within the factions. The player who achieves the greatest influence in the most powerful faction will be crowned the new ruler of Britain.

The game is played with 48 pieces in six colors. At the start, all colors are neutral and belong to no player. Players must choose two colors as the game progresses, aiming to create stacks of five stones with their color on top. Strategic planning and utilizing multiple moves effectively lead to victory by having the majority of five-stone stacks.

Players take on the role of a scientific organization focused on climate change. They collect data to influence government energy policies while preventing polar bears from sinking into the icy waters. Each player controls a rescue ship with unique abilities, and they must work together to succeed; if too many bears sink, everyone loses.

Welcome to the pinnacle of technology and comfort, the Atlantis space station, combining the luxury of a five-star hotel with the thrill of space adventure. When the station is suddenly attacked by aliens, the crew rushes to evacuate guests while some escape in limited rescue pods and fighters, battling alien forces along the way. The game expands on the classic mechanics of Survive: Escape from Atlantis! with new features like a double-sided game board, new combat ships, laser defense turrets, and evolved alien creatures.

Players control a tribe of four hunters and gatherers in the Stone Age. The game has two main phases: summer and winter, where the aim is to collect as many stones as possible. Players can move twice per turn and must visit all four summer camps to store supplies for winter; failure to do so results in fewer hunters in the winter phase. Various stones have different values, including food tiles, rare artifacts, weapons for hunting mammoths, and cave tiles that offer mobility advantages.

It is April 14, 1912. Players accompany the good Dr. Lucky on the Titanic's maiden voyage, where they must desperately try to save him as the ship sinks. While he believes his luck will save him and refuses help, players navigate the doomed vessel, collecting items to aid in his rescue while other players attempt to hinder their efforts with failure cards.

There are two main areas on the board. The first consists of a row of spaces representing one, two, or three half boxes of tea in four varieties. Players move their markers to pick up tea each turn and compete for the coveted spaces.

In a mysterious and isolated Utopia high in the mountains, a peculiar struggle for dominance has begun. Players take on the role of tribal leaders competing to control empty villages by strategically moving their leaders and recruiting students. As they expand their influence, players must navigate the risk of losing leaders to rival tribes, with the ultimate aim of having the most leaders on the board at the end of the game.

A power struggle has erupted in Siam as the king initiates reforms that provoke conflict among the Malays, Laotians, and royalists. Players use action cards to compete for influence over these rival factions while trying to shift the power struggle in favor of their strongest backing. Care is needed, as excessive conflict can lead to British intervention and new victory conditions. The game accommodates 2-3 players or four in partnerships, with no elements of chance after the initial setup.

Players aim to claim land by moving control markers and placing fences. Each turn consists of three actions: moving a control marker and then performing two additional actions from given options like moving another marker or placing a fence adjacent to a moved marker. Areas are scored when they are enclosed and contain no more than three terrain types, with points awarded based on the number of game pieces and terrain types, favoring fewer types for higher scores. The game concludes once all areas have been scored.

Players control massive, immortal frog-like creatures that gather terrain from the remnants of a shattered world called Aeth. They collect land to fill their vast gullets and then return to an interdimensional vault to store it, all while competing to prove themselves as the greatest gatherers by maximizing their treasures' value. Throughout the game, players can choose to harvest at their own pace or engage with others to steal land directly, but they must adapt their strategies to the chaotic nature of the ethereal realm and unexpected disruptions.

Players move their pawn one space and then remove a square from a 6x8 grid of removable tiles. The goal is to isolate the opponent so they cannot make a move. This game is part of a collection of two-player strategy games from the 1970s by Lakeside.

Players take on the role of furious northern gods trying to sink the city of Vineta under crashing waves. Each player is secretly assigned one of nine districts to protect, as well as a color of houses. Using cards, players unleash waves against the districts, collaborate to sink them, and move houses in and out of threatened areas. At the end of each round, the district that received the most waves is removed, along with all its houses. After eight rounds, only one district remains, and players score points for conquered houses and bonuses for secretly protecting the last district.