The best grid-movement board games 2025

The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition revitalizes Stefan Feld's classic strategy game for 1-4 players, where participants embody aristocrats managing their princedoms. This special edition, a collaboration between Ravensburger and Awaken Realms, elevates the game with a full art redesign, premium materials, and enhanced components, offering a luxurious playing experience as players build their settlements, castles, and engage in trade.

The Quest for El Dorado is a strategic and adventurous board game that immerses players in the exciting journey of discovering the legendary city of gold, El Dorado. Set in the lush South American jungles, this game combines deck-building and racing elements, challenging players to be both cunning and quick.

Outfoxed! invites you into a whimsical detective chase after Mrs. Plumpert's missing prized pot pie. It's a cooperative game where players work together to gather clues, eliminate suspects, and catch the cunning fox before it escapes. The game introduces a unique evidence scanner mechanism that adds a fun twist to deducing the thief among a lineup of potential foxes.

Immerse yourself in the world of Onitama, a dynamic two-player abstract game offering perfect information and a randomized starting setup on a 5x5 board. Both participants begin the game with five pawns each, strategically placing the main pawn at the board's center.

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

Karuba is a tile-laying race game that combines strategy with a touch of luck, as players navigate their explorers through a dense jungle to reach temples and collect treasures. Each player's decision-making skills are put to the test as they create paths and vie to be the first to explore the riches of Karuba.

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.

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.

War Chest is a distinctive bag-building war game that requires players to skillfully manage their army both on and off the battlefield.

Players must escape from a temple after awakening an ancient curse. They navigate through the temple by rolling dice and matching symbols to gain access to adjacent rooms. Each exploration is unique, and all players must find the exit before the curse traps them forever, all while racing against a soundtrack that acts as the game's timer.

Players assume roles in a secret role deduction game featuring three asymmetrical factions. While everyone is on the same ship, their goals diverge: loyal sailors aim to navigate safely to shore, pirates want to lead the ship into the Bermuda Triangle, and a crazed cultist seeks to summon their dark ruler, the Kraken. Each round, the ship sails in one of three directions, determined by the captain's often conflicting orders, while the crew engages in discussions and possible mutiny amid their quest for control.

Escape: The Curse of the Temple is a cooperative, real-time board game that offers an exhilarating and unique gaming experience. The game's theme centers around players working together to escape a cursed temple before it collapses.

Players engage in a deceptively cute and challenging abstract strategy game for two. Each time a player places a kitten on the bed, it shifts other kittens on the board, creating a dynamic gameplay experience. Align three kittens to transform them, and then align three cats to win. The game features a fabric board that fits over the game box and includes 32 adorable wooden cat figures.

Embark on an adrenaline-pumping undersea adventure with Captain Sonar, a board game that plunges you into the heart of intense submarine warfare. In this gripping scenario, every move and decision can be the difference between victory and defeat. Form a skilled crew aboard a cutting-edge submarine as you strive to locate and eliminate an enemy sub before they do the same to you. The underwater battlefield is unforgiving, and effective communication and coordination are paramount for success.

The Magic Labyrinth is an enchanting board game that tests players’ memory and skill as they navigate through a tricky maze. Designed for younger players, this game casts participants as little magician apprentices who must recover lost magical objects from within their master’s labyrinth. The catch? The walls of the maze are invisible, and players must rely on their memory and careful maneuvering to avoid them.

Memoir '44 is a historical board game that recreates some of the most iconic battles of World War II, allowing players to engage in strategic warfare with a focus on simplicity and historical accuracy.

Istanbul: Big Box consolidates the captivating experience of the original Istanbul board game and its expansions into a comprehensive package, inviting players to immerse themselves in the bustling activity of a bazaar. This all-encompassing edition not only streamlines the game collection process but also enhances the gameplay experience with a variety of new options and strategies brought by the expansions Mocha & Baksheesh and Letters & Seals. The addition of the Istanbul: Caravan Leader Mini Expansion further enriches the game, albeit in a more compact form.

Takenoko is a charming board game set in the Japanese Imperial court, revolving around the care of a giant panda gifted by the Chinese Emperor. Players, as court members, are tasked with managing a bamboo garden for the panda.

Summoner Wars (Second Edition) revitalizes the classic tactical dueling card game with new art, streamlined rules, and an expandable game system. Players take on the roles of summoners, commanding unique factions in a strategic battle to dominate the war-torn planet of Itharia. This edition not only updates fan-favorite factions but also introduces new ones to the fray, ensuring fresh and engaging gameplay for newcomers and veterans alike.

Players act as the captains of the coast guard. They work together to control buoys and lighthouses to ensure safety along the North Sea coast. The goal is to explore as many tiles as possible by connecting them on all four sides.

The Downfall of Pompeii is a thematic and tactical board game that transports players to the ancient city of Pompeii, just before and during its catastrophic destruction by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The game combines strategic planning with an element of luck, as players attempt to save as many of their pieces as possible from the disaster.

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.

Players engage in a tactical battle inspired by pebbles stacked along paths. Each player begins with eight colored pebbles, while a neutral colored set is placed in the corners of the board. On their turn, players stack a pebble on a chosen pile and then shift it, leaving one pebble on each space crossed. The first to stack four pebbles of their color wins the game.

Cubitos presents a thrilling and colorful dice-racing game where players engage in the annual Cube Cup race, balancing strategy and luck to emerge as the champion.

Magic Maze presents an unconventional and exhilarating cooperative gaming experience where players embody a mage, a warrior, an elf, and a dwarf. Stripped of their possessions, this diverse group embarks on a unique adventure: robbing the local Magic Maze shopping mall to gather equipment for their next quest.

SHŌBU is a beautifully designed abstract strategy game for 2 players. The game features 4 square wooden boards in two colors and 16 natural river stones for each player, along with a rope dividing the playing area. Players take turns moving their stones in a passive and then an aggressive manner, aiming to remove all four of their opponent's stones from one of the boards to win.

Players have reached the legendary city of gold and begun to explore it. They can play this game as a standalone or in combination with the 2017 title. What will they find there?

Players are members of the ELITE team on a mission to stop the invasion forces of an alien empire. They must quickly roll dice during two-minute real-time combat rounds against waves of terrifying enemies. The game continues in this fast-paced tactical sequence until the scenario is won or the aliens conquer Earth. This new edition features updated artwork, miniatures, card designs, weapons, ELITE members, enemies, and more.