The best games with players having different skills 2023

Looking for a board game where everyone has different powers? Then we have just the thing: The 30 best games with "Variable Player Powers".

What are Variable Player Powers?

Games where each player has different abilities are called "Variable Player Powers". Each player has special actions that only he can perform or modify his standard actions.

Examples of different powers

Zombie Kidz Evolution](/zombie-kidz-evolution) uses the principle of "Variable Player Powers". Here there are up to four heroes from which each player can choose one. Each of these heroes has its own abilities that only he can do:

  • Heroine 1: Zombies that enter the same room as Heroine 1 are immediately removed from the playing field.
  • Heroine 2: If there is no zombie in the room, she can shoot zombies from one to an adjacent room.
  • Hero 3: If there is no zombie in the space, he can remove up to 2 zombies in adjacent spaces from the board.
  • Hero 4:He can go two spaces (all others only one space).

Other games with different abilities for each player are for example the Pandemic series, Terraforming Mars or Santorini.

List of best games 2023 where players have different skills

This list was last updated on November 27, 2023. We compared 5155 board games for this list and selected the top 30. There's also a print version for this list.
  1. 7 Wonders Duel

    All details for the board game 7 Wonders Duel and similar games

    Nominated for 16 awards and won 9.

    More details for 7 Wonders Duel
    • 2 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for 7 Wonders Duel

    • YouTube Review for the game "7 Wonders Duel" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  2. Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

    All details for the board game Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 and similar games

    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

    Video reviews for Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 1" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 1" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 1" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Pandemic Legacy: Season 1" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  3. Zombie Kidz Evolution

    All details for the board game Zombie Kidz Evolution and similar games

    Nominated for 7 awards and won 4.

    More details for Zombie Kidz Evolution
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 5 - 15 Minutes
    • 7+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  4. Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated

    All details for the board game Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 90 - 120 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  5. Unmatched: Cobble & Fog

    All details for the board game Unmatched: Cobble & Fog and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 20 - 40 Minutes
    • 9+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    👍 Good price!36€ atAmazon.de
  6. Lands of Galzyr

    All details for the board game Lands of Galzyr and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Lands of Galzyr
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 150 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  7. The Resistance: Avalon

    All details for the board game The Resistance: Avalon and similar games

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.

    More details for The Resistance: Avalon
    • 5 - 10 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  8. Cthulhu: Death May Die

    All details for the board game Cthulhu: Death May Die and similar games

    Nominated for 6 awards and won 1.

    More details for Cthulhu: Death May Die
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 90 - 120 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    👍 Good price!83€ atAmazon.de
  9. Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One

    All details for the board game Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 20 - 40 Minutes
    • 9+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  10. Marvel United: X-Men

    All details for the board game Marvel United: X-Men and similar games
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 40 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  11. Werewords

    All details for the board game Werewords and similar games

    Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2019

    More details for Werewords
    • 4 - 10 Players
    • 10 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  12. One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak

    All details for the board game One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak and similar games
    • 3 - 7 Players
    • 10 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak

    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  13. Unmatched: Robin Hood vs. Bigfoot

    All details for the board game Unmatched: Robin Hood vs. Bigfoot and similar games
    • 2 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 9+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    👍 Good price!26€ atAmazon.de
  14. Marvel United

    All details for the board game Marvel United and similar games

    Nominated for 6 awards.

    More details for Marvel United
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 40 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  15. Santorini

    All details for the board game Santorini and similar games

    Nominated for 7 awards.

    More details for Santorini
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  16. Dune: Imperium

    All details for the board game Dune: Imperium and similar games

    Nominated for 19 awards and won 7.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2022

    More details for Dune: Imperium
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 120 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
    👍 Good price!45€ atAmazon.de
  17. Horrified

    All details for the board game Horrified and similar games

    Nominated for 5 awards.

    More details for Horrified
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Horrified

    • YouTube Review for the game "Horrified" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  18. One Night Ultimate Werewolf

    All details for the board game One Night Ultimate Werewolf and similar games
    • 3 - 10 Players
    • 10 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    👍 Good price!12€ atAmazon.de

    Video reviews for One Night Ultimate Werewolf

    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  19. Unmatched: Jurassic Park – InGen vs Raptors

    All details for the board game Unmatched: Jurassic Park – InGen vs Raptors and similar games
    • 2 Players
    • 20 - 40 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  20. 5-Minute Dungeon

    All details for the board game 5-Minute Dungeon and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for 5-Minute Dungeon
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 5 - 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    👍 Good price!21€ atAmazon.de
  21. Planet Unknown

    All details for the board game Planet Unknown and similar games

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2023

    More details for Planet Unknown
    • 1 - 6 Players
    • 60 - 80 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  22. Radlands

    All details for the board game Radlands and similar games

    Nominated for 3 awards and won 2.

    More details for Radlands
    • 2 Players
    • 20 - 40 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  23. Chronicles of Crime: 1900

    All details for the board game Chronicles of Crime: 1900 and similar games
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  24. Downforce

    All details for the board game Downforce and similar games

    Nominated for 3 awards.

    More details for Downforce
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 20 - 40 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  25. 7 Wonders

    All details for the board game 7 Wonders and similar games

    Nominated for 33 awards and won 19.

    ⭐️ Kennerspiel des Jahres 2011

    More details for 7 Wonders
    • 2 - 7 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  26. Final Girl

    All details for the board game Final Girl and similar games

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.

    More details for Final Girl
    • 1 Players
    • 20 - 60 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  27. War Chest

    All details for the board game War Chest and similar games

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    More details for War Chest
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for War Chest

    • YouTube Review for the game "War Chest" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "War Chest" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  28. BANG! The Dice Game

    All details for the board game BANG! The Dice Game and similar games
    • 3 - 8 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  29. 7 Wonders: Architects

    All details for the board game 7 Wonders: Architects and similar games

    Nominated for 8 awards and won 1.

    More details for 7 Wonders: Architects
    • 2 - 7 Players
    • 25 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    🔥 Great price!33€ atAmazon.de
  30. Coup

    All details for the board game Coup and similar games

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    More details for Coup
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Coup

    • YouTube Review for the game "Coup" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English

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: