The best games where you damage your opponent but don't take them totally out of the game 2024
Looking for a really good game where you damage your opponent but don't take him out of the game? Then we have just the thing for you: the list of the best "Take that!" games 2024.
What are "Take that!" games?
Competitive maneuvers that directly attack an opponent's progress on the way to victory, but do not directly eliminate characters or components that represent the opponent. Such mechanisms include stealing, nullifying, or forcibly discarding an opponent's resources, actions, or abilities. A take-that maneuver often results in a dramatic change in the player's power position over a relatively short period of time.
Examples of games where you damage your opponent, but don't take them out of the game completely:
A good example of a Take That! game is Dominion and the many dominion-expansions. Here are some cards that can be used to actively damage the opponent, but not completely take him out of the game or throw him out. As an example, consider the following:
- Witch: Each opponent must take a curse card (this takes up space in his deck)
- Dungeon Master: The opponent must discard 2 hand cards and take a curse card
- Possession: A player controls the next move of his left neighbor
- Harlequin: All opponents discard their top card, if it is a point card they must take a curse. For all other cards, the current player decides whether he himself may take this card again from the supply, or the aggrieved player (advantageous e.g. with bad cards).
List of the best "Take that!" games 2024
Love Letter
More details for Love LetterLove Letter is a charming and strategic card game where players vie for the affection of a noble Princess, aspiring to become her most trusted confidant. Utilizing a blend of deduction, risk, and luck, players must navigate the royal court by enlisting influential characters to deliver their love letter to the Princess.
- 2 - 6 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Love Letter
Love Letter
In Love Letter, you must compete with other suitors to deliver a romantic letter to Princess Annette, who has secluded herself in the palace.
Nominated for 14 awards and won 7.
More details for Love Letter- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Love Letter
Star Realms: Frontiers
Star Realms: Frontiers is a dynamic standalone game within the Star Realms series, offering fast-paced space combat with deckbuilding elements. Designed for 1-4 players, it can be enjoyed on its own or integrated with other Star Realms sets for expanded play.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Star Realms: Frontiers- 1 - 4 Players
- 20 - 45 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Star Realms: Colony Wars
Colony Wars is an engaging standalone deckbuilding game in the Star Realms series, offering both an individual gaming experience for two players and an expansion to the original Star Realms for up to four players.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Star Realms: Colony Wars- 2 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Star Realms
Star Realms is a fast-paced, deck-building card game set in the vastness of space. Designed by renowned game creators, it combines the excitement of deck-building with the strategic depth of combat trading card games.
Nominated for 10 awards and won 3.
More details for Star Realms- 2 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Coconuts
Coconuts is a lively dexterity game inspired by the "Monkey King" character from Chinese mythology. In this engaging and playful game, players take turns launching coconuts towards cups positioned in the center of the play area. Successfully landing a coconut in a cup allows you to stack it on your board. Even more strategically, if you land a coconut in an opponent's cup, you can claim it and move it to your board. The game also features "Monkey King Magic" cards, which add a twist by allowing players to disrupt their opponents' shots in various ways. The first player to build a pyramid of six cups on their board is the winner.
Nominated for 3 awards.
More details for Coconuts- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 6+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Coconuts
Dune: Imperium
Dune: Imperium is a strategic deck-building game inspired by the iconic Dune universe, incorporating elements from both the recent film adaptation and the classic novels. Players lead one of the Great Houses in the interstellar political landscape of the Landsraad.
Nominated for 20 awards and won 8.
⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2022
More details for Dune: Imperium- 1 - 4 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Hero Realms
Hero Realms is a captivating, fantasy-themed deck-building game that builds on the mechanics of the highly acclaimed Star Realms. It offers a versatile gaming experience suitable for different player formats and styles.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.
More details for Hero Realms- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
King of Tokyo: Monster Box
- 2 - 6 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Coloretto
Engage in the colorful and strategic gameplay of Coloretto, where simplicity meets tactical decision-making. The game revolves around drawing cards to play into rows or claiming entire rows to expand your collection. As the rounds progress, players aim to create extensive sets, but there's a catch – exceeding three colors incurs penalties, adding a layer of strategic depth.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 3.
More details for Coloretto- 2 - 5 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Unmatched: Jurassic Park – InGen vs Raptors
- 2 Players
- 20 - 40 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
Survive: Escape from Atlantis!
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.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Survive: Escape from Atlantis!- 2 - 4 Players
- 45 - 60 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
ICECOOL2
- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 6+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for ICECOOL2
ICECOOL
ICECOOL is an energetic and playful flicking game set in a penguin school, where players assume the roles of rascally penguins trying to snatch fish and the vigilant Hall Monitor trying to maintain order.
Nominated for 14 awards and won 6.
⭐️ Kinderspiel des Jahres 2017
More details for ICECOOL- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 6+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for ICECOOL
Radlands
Radlands 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.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 4.
More details for Radlands- 2 Players
- 20 - 40 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
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- 2 Players
- 15 - 25 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Lovecraft Letter
More details for Lovecraft LetterLovecraft Letter transports you into the eerie world of H.P. Lovecraft in the 1920s. This card game, a unique take on the Love Letter system, blends mystery with an "insanity" mechanic that adds depth and intrigue to the gameplay.
- 2 - 6 Players
- 5 - 15 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Lovecraft Letter
Watergate
Watergate thrusts players into the historical tug-of-war between the Nixon Administration and a determined journalist from the Washington Post. This game recreates the infamous political scandal, requiring strategic card play and keen decision-making.
Nominated for 9 awards and won 4.
More details for Watergate- 2 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for Watergate
Coup
Coup is a strategic bluffing game set in an Italian city-state. Players, as heads of rival families, seek to outmaneuver and eliminate others to be the last one standing. Influence is key, represented by face-down character cards, each offering unique powers.
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for Coup- 2 - 6 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Coup
Exploding Kittens: Party Pack
- 2 - 10 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 7+ years old
- Immediately playable
Ca$h 'n Guns: Second Edition
Ca$h 'n Guns: Second Edition is an action-packed board game that combines strategy, bluffing, and a touch of luck, capturing the essence of classic gangster movie showdowns. In this game, players are members of a gangster band, aiming to outsmart each other in a bid to end up with the most loot after eight intense rounds.
Nominated for 3 awards and won 2.
More details for Ca$h 'n Guns: Second Edition- 4 - 8 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Ca$h 'n Guns: Second Edition
Lords of Waterdeep
Lords of Waterdeep immerses players in the vibrant and politically charged city of Waterdeep, the Crown Jewel of the Forgotten Realms. In this strategic board game designed for 2-5 players, you assume the identity of one of the enigmatic Lords of Waterdeep, the city's clandestine rulers. As a Lord, you'll navigate a web of intrigue and compete with other powerful figures to exert control over this remarkable city. Let's explore the game's key features:
Nominated for 9 awards and won 3.
More details for Lords of Waterdeep- 2 - 5 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Terraforming Mars
Terraforming Mars is a strategic board game set in the 2400s, where players, representing giant corporations, embark on the colossal task of terraforming Mars. Sponsored by the World Government on Earth, each corporation competes to contribute most effectively to raising the planet's temperature, oxygen level, and ocean coverage to make Mars habitable. While players work together in the terraforming process, they also compete for victory points awarded for their contributions to terraforming, advancing human infrastructure throughout the solar system, and other notable achievements.
Nominated for 27 awards and won 14.
⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2017
More details for Terraforming Mars- 1 - 5 Players
- 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for Terraforming Mars
Dominion
In Dominion, you step into the shoes of a monarch, much like your ancestors, ruling over a small, picturesque kingdom. However, your ambitions stretch far beyond the peaceful realm you've inherited. Your goal is to expand your territory, transforming these modest lands into a vast dominion filled with diverse landscapes and resources.
Nominated for 32 awards and won 17.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2009
More details for Dominion- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Botanik
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for Botanik- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Linko
Linko! is a dynamic card game, also known as Abluxxen, that combines strategy and luck. The objective is to play your cards wisely to score points while using your turns to disrupt your opponents' plans.
Nominated for 7 awards and won 3.
More details for Linko- 2 - 5 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Dungeon Mayhem
More details for Dungeon MayhemDungeon Mayhem drops you into the heart of an action-packed Dungeons & Dragons card battle where the last adventurer standing claims victory. Choose from four unique, quirky characters—be it the barbarian, paladin, rogue, or wizard—and dive into a dungeon brimming with treasures and challenges. With a lively mix of strategy and luck, you'll sling spells, swing weapons, and strategize to outmaneuver your opponents. The vivid illustrations bring each character's personality to life, making every match not just a battle, but a story unfolding right before your eyes.
- 2 - 4 Players
- 10 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Virus!
Virus! is a fast-paced and competitive card game where players race to stop a pandemic by isolating a healthy body. The game is a blend of strategy and sabotage, as players work to protect their own organs while attempting to infect their rivals' organs. The use of tactical card play makes Virus! an engaging game for players looking for a mix of strategy and interaction.
Nominated for 1 award and won 1.
More details for Virus!- 2 - 6 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Jamaica
In the swashbuckling world of 1675 Jamaica, Captain Henry Morgan, after a notorious career in piracy, becomes the Governor of Jamaica. In a surprising turn of events, he invites his former pirate comrades to join him in retirement, celebrating their plundered treasures in the annual Great Challenge – a thrilling race around the island. The cunning Captain with the most gold at the end of the race claims the title of Grand Winner. Jamaica is a pirate-themed tactical race game that combines strategic ship movement, treasure hunting, and player interaction.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 2.
More details for Jamaica- 2 - 6 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Hansa Teutonica: Big Box
More details for Hansa Teutonica: Big BoxHansa Teutonica: Big Box is an expansive edition of the acclaimed strategy game "Hansa Teutonica," renowned for its deep strategic gameplay and interactive mechanics. This edition not only includes the base game but also all its expansions, offering an enriched experience of the historical Hanseatic League trading theme.
- 3 - 5 Players
- 45 - 90 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
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