The best games where you play a campaign 2026

Looking for a really good game where you live through a scenario or play a campaign/mission? Then we have just the thing for you: the list of the best campaign games 2026.

What are campaign games?

Campaign or scenario-based games are based on a variety of different maps, starting resources and positions. Most of the time you will be given specific tasks that need to be completed. In some cases, different win and lose conditions can also be applied. These variable conditions can be combined into a broader narrative or campaign - but they don't have to be. They can also be integrated completely independently.

By the way, "campaign games" are also called "scenario games" or "mission games".

Examples of games where you play a campaign game

A good example of a campaign game is The Crew. Here you have to complete progressively more difficult tasks. The whole thing is set in a continuous space scenario.

Most Legacy games are also campaign games - but in contrast to campaign games the game world or the game material changes permanently.

List of the best campaign games 2026

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

    Cozy Stickerville is a gentle adventure and village-building game by Corey Konieczka for 1-6 players, recommended from age 8. Families explore a growing valley together, add buildings, animals, shops, farms, and personal touches with more than 800 stickers, and watch their own village take shape over several relaxed sessions. It is especially appealing for children who enjoy creative choices and parents who like shared storytelling without pressure.

    Nominated for 1 award.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2026

    More details for Cozy Stickerville
    • 👥 1 - 6 Players
    • ⏱️ 30 Minutes
    • 🧒 8+ years old
    • 🧩 Immediately playable
  2. MicroMacro: Crime City

    MicroMacro: Crime City is a unique detective game that immerses players into a detailed and expansive cityscape to solve intriguing crimes. The game centers around a large, detailed map of a city where various crimes have occurred. Players become detectives tasked with unraveling these mysteries using the clues scattered across the city.

    Nominated for 22 awards and won 11.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2021

    More details for MicroMacro: Crime City
    • 👥 1 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 🧒 12+ years old
    • 🧩 Immediately playable
  3. Sky Team - Prepare for Landing

    Players take on the roles of a pilot and a co-pilot in a cooperative game for two. The objective is to work together to land your airplane at various airports around the world. Successful landing requires silently coordinating dice placement in your cockpit to balance the aircraft, control speed, deploy flaps, and even brew coffee to enhance focus. Each airport presents unique challenges, so stay alert for turbulence—it could be a bumpy ride!

    Nominated for 14 awards and won 9.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2024

    More details for Sky Team - Prepare for Landing
    • 👥 2 Players
    • ⏱️ 20 Minutes
    • 🧒 10+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  4. Three-player cooperative games create unique teamwork dynamics. These games are perfectly balanced for trio collaboration and shared victories.

    The Best Cooperative Board Games for Three Players →
  5. The Crew: Mission Deep Sea

    The 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.

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 3.

    More details for The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
    • 👥 2 - 5 Players
    • ⏱️ 20 Minutes
    • 🧒 10+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  6. Bomb Busters

    Nominated for 9 awards and won 3.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2025

    More details for Bomb Busters
    • 👥 2 - 5 Players
    • ⏱️ 30 Minutes
    • 🧒 10+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  7. The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game

    A cooperative card game spans eighteen chapters that guide players through the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. Each player assumes a different character, such as Frodo, Gandalf, or Pippin, each with specific goals to achieve in order to progress through the chapters. The game features a set of 37 cards, and as players advance, new characters, items, and challenges are introduced.

    Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.

    More details for The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game
    • 👥 1 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 20 Minutes
    • 🧒 10+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  8. The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine (Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020 winner)

    The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine is a cooperative trick-taking game that takes players on an adventurous space journey, filled with challenges and strategic gameplay.

    Nominated for 26 awards and won 13.

    ⭐️ Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020

    More details for The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine (Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020 winner)
    • 👥 2 - 5 Players
    • ⏱️ 20 Minutes
    • 🧒 10+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  9. 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.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2023

    💰 7% cheaper on Amazon than at other retailers

    More details for Dorfromantik: The Board Game
    • 👥 1 - 6 Players
    • ⏱️ 30 - 60 Minutes
    • 🧒 8+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  10. Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West

    Players embark on twelve journeys through North America as 19th-century pioneers. Starting on the East Coast, they face challenges while aiming to complete ticket objectives and develop new skills to overcome unexpected events and rivals. As the campaign progresses, players unlock new rules and content, creating a uniquely tailored experience that evolves with their choices, resulting in a game that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

    Nominated for 6 awards.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2024

    💰 5% cheaper on Amazon than at other retailers

    More details for Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West
    • 👥 2 - 5 Players
    • ⏱️ 20 - 90 Minutes
    • 🧒 10+ years old
    • 🧩 Medium difficulty
  11. Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

    • BGG Top 100+11BGG Top 100
    • CooperativeCooperative
    • Nature & FarmingNature & Farming
    • CampaignCampaign
    • LegacyLegacy
    • Strategy GameStrategy Game
    +67 more

    Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 offers an extraordinary gaming experience as a cooperative campaign game, immersing players in an overarching story-arc that unfolds over 12-24 gripping sessions. The duration depends on your group's performance and the fate of the world. Here's an overview of this thrilling journey:

    Nominated for 21 awards and won 12.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2016

    More details for Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
    • 👥 2 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 60 Minutes
    • 🧒 13+ years old
    • 🧩 Medium difficulty
  12. Looking for the best board games with a campaign 🗺️? Then we have just the thing for you: the list of the best in 2026.

    The Best Board Games with Campaigns 🗺️ →
  13. MicroMacro: Kids – Crazy City Park

    • 👥 1 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 🧒 6+ years old
    • 🧩 Immediately playable
  14. Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated

    Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated is an innovative extension of the deck-building game Clank!, incorporating legacy-style elements. Players get the opportunity to establish and grow their own franchise of Acquisitions Incorporated, leading a team of intrepid adventurers on a quest for treasure and corporate fame. The game evolves uniquely across multiple play sessions, creating a personalized adventure campaign.

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    More details for Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated
    • 👥 2 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 90 - 120 Minutes
    • 🧒 13+ years old
    • 🧩 Medium difficulty
  15. 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
    • 👥 1 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 60 - 150 Minutes
    • 🧒 14+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  16. For Northwood! A Solo Trick-Taking Game

    • 👥 1 Players
    • ⏱️ 15 - 30 Minutes
    • 🧒 12+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  17. Cthulhu: Death May Die

    Cthulhu: Death May Die is an intense, cooperative board game set in the 1920s, drawing inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft's universe. Players take on the roles of daring investigators, embarking on a perilous mission to confront and eliminate Elder Gods.

    Nominated for 6 awards and won 1.

    More details for Cthulhu: Death May Die
    • 👥 1 - 5 Players
    • ⏱️ 90 - 120 Minutes
    • 🧒 14+ years old
    • 🧩 Medium difficulty
  18. Vantage

    • 👥 1 - 6 Players
    • ⏱️ 120 - 180 Minutes
    • 🧒 14+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  19. Take Time

    Take Time is a cooperative card and puzzle game for 2 to 4 players ages 10 and up. Instead of competing, children, teens, and adults work together to solve mysterious clock-based challenges. With a playtime of about 30 minutes, it fits well into family game nights, short after-school sessions, or relaxed evenings for players who enjoy logic, teamwork, and clever deduction.

    Nominated for 3 awards.

    More details for Take Time
    • 👥 2 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 30 Minutes
    • 🧒 10+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  20. Legacy of Dragonholt

    Legacy of Dragonholt is an innovative narrative adventure game that transports players to the enchanting Realms of Terrinoth, offering a unique blend of role-playing, adventure, and storytelling without the need for a game master. Designed for one to six players, this game stands out by utilizing the Oracle system to create a rich, interactive story where every decision impacts the unfolding narrative.

    More details for Legacy of Dragonholt
    • 👥 1 - 6 Players
    • ⏱️ 60 - 999 Minutes
    • 🧒 14+ years old
    • 🧩 Immediately playable
  21. Destinies

    Destinies 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.

    Nominated for 9 awards and won 3.

    More details for Destinies
    • 👥 1 - 3 Players
    • ⏱️ 90 - 150 Minutes
    • 🧒 14+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  22. My City

    My City is a groundbreaking competitive legacy game where players develop their own city across multiple epochs. This game uniquely blends city-building with the evolving challenges and narratives of a legacy format.

    Nominated for 12 awards and won 4.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2020

    More details for My City
    • 👥 2 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 30 Minutes
    • 🧒 10+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn

    Video reviews for My City

    • YouTube Review for the game "My City" by BoardGameGeek
      Video
  23. Shadow over Westongrove Manor

    The wealthy patriarch Anthony Westongrove celebrated his 70th birthday with family at his estate. However, the festivities took a dark turn when he fell seriously ill and was hospitalized, later revealed to be due to poisoning. The family gathers again, eager to uncover the events of the previous night and determine who attempted to harm Anthony.

    More details for Shadow over Westongrove Manor
    • 👥 6 - 8 Players
    • ⏱️ 120 - 240 Minutes
    • 🧒 18+ years old
    • 🧩 Immediately playable
  24. Forgotten Waters

    Forgotten Waters is a captivating board game that plunges players into the whimsical and unpredictable world of pirate adventure. Blending storytelling and strategy, this game stands out for its immersive narrative and engaging gameplay.

    Nominated for 8 awards and won 2.

    More details for Forgotten Waters
    • 👥 3 - 7 Players
    • ⏱️ 120 - 240 Minutes
    • 🧒 14+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  25. Undaunted: Normandy

    Undaunted: Normandy is a deck-building war game that immerses players in the pivotal battles of Normandy following the D-Day landings during World War II. It offers a unique blend of strategy, historical warfare, and deck management.

    Nominated for 10 awards and won 1.

    More details for Undaunted: Normandy
    • 👥 2 Players
    • ⏱️ 45 - 60 Minutes
    • 🧒 14+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Undaunted: Normandy

    • YouTube Review for the game "Undaunted: Normandy" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video
  26. A Recipe for Death

    It was New Year's Eve at the luxurious restaurant "The Osgood," perched on a mountain ridge overlooking an upscale ski resort in the Rocky Mountains. Chef George Osgood had closed his renowned establishment to celebrate with family and staff, announcing he would reveal his successor that evening. However, just as the midnight celebration began, George was found dead on the terrace, suggesting foul play amid the festive atmosphere. As heavy snowfall delays the authorities, players must solve the mystery of what happened that night.

    More details for A Recipe for Death
    • 👥 5 - 7 Players
    • ⏱️ 120 - 240 Minutes
    • 🧒 18+ years old
    • 🧩 Immediately playable
  27. Kids Chronicles: Quest for the Moon Stones

    Players 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.

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Kids Chronicles: Quest for the Moon Stones
    • 👥 1 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 30 - 45 Minutes
    • 🧒 7+ years old
    • 🧩 Immediately playable
  28. Dorfromantik: Sakura

    Players are transported to the idyllic landscapes of Japan in this standalone successor to the award-winning board game. With the introduction of cherry blossoms as a new element and over 40 achievements to unlock, there's plenty of exciting challenges to face. Numerous surprises await as players explore the world of Dorfromantik - Sakura.

    More details for Dorfromantik: Sakura
    • 👥 1 - 6 Players
    • ⏱️ 30 - 90 Minutes
    • 🧒 10+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  29. Chronicles of Crime

    Embark on a thrilling cooperative adventure with Chronicles of Crime, a unique blend of crime investigation, board game excitement, and a touch of Virtual Reality. Picture yourself at the heart of criminal investigations, where the seamless integration of an app with physical components creates an immersive experience.

    Nominated for 17 awards and won 5.

    More details for Chronicles of Crime
    • 👥 1 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 🧒 12+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Chronicles of Crime

    • YouTube Review for the game "Chronicles of Crime" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video
  30. Star Wars: Battle of Hoth

    • 👥 2 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 30 Minutes
    • 🧒 8+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  31. Chronicles of Crime: 1900

    You play as Victor Lavel, an ambitious journalist in 1900 Paris, during the vibrant Belle Époque. While others report on events like the Exposition Universelle and the Olympics, Lavel is drawn to solving crimes, including murders and kidnappings. The standalone game challenges players to gather evidence, interrogate suspects, and solve puzzles reminiscent of escape rooms.

    💰 3% cheaper on Amazon than at other retailers

    More details for Chronicles of Crime: 1900
    • 👥 1 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 🧒 12+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  32. The Adventures of Robin Hood

    The Adventures of Robin Hood offers a refreshing and innovative approach to board gaming, immersing players in the legendary tales of Robin Hood and his merry band in 1193 England. This game distinguishes itself with a dynamic game board that evolves and changes, reflecting the players' actions and choices throughout their quest against the tyranny of Prince John and his minions. With a unique movement mechanism and a story-driven gameplay that forgoes traditional cards for a narrative-driven hardcover book, players will find themselves deeply engaged in the forests and villages of Nottinghamshire.

    Nominated for 10 awards and won 1.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2021

    💰 8% cheaper on Amazon than at other retailers

    More details for The Adventures of Robin Hood
    • 👥 2 - 4 Players
    • ⏱️ 60 Minutes
    • 🧒 10+ years old
    • 🧩 Easy to learn
  33. You want to have a really nice game evening - or even a whole board game weekend? Then you've come to the right place with these games: long, not the easy kind - but enormous depth of play. Nobody goes home in less than 90min⏰.

    The best board games that take long⏰ →

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