The favorite games of Better Board Games 2020 2026

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.

Patchwork is a two-player game where you compete to create the most beautiful and high-scoring patchwork quilt on your personal 9x9 game board.

Smart10 is a quiz game where players quickly take their turns. Each question has ten possible answers, and everyone must respond. Players earn answer markers for correct answers, but they risk losing them if they hesitate. It works well in teams, adding to the excitement of decision-making.

Point Salad is a dynamic and engaging card drafting game that is suitable for players of all ages. It stands out for its simplicity and the vast array of scoring strategies it offers.

Time's Up! is a lively and entertaining charades-based party game, ideal for playing in teams of two or more. It's particularly engaging when played with teams of two. The game revolves around guessing famous historical or fictional characters, with each player contributing to a communal deck of names used across three distinct rounds.

Detective Club is a social deduction and party game that involves both cooperation and deception. Players are drawn into rounds of intrigue, where one player secretly passes clues to their accomplice to reveal a secret word, while others, acting as detectives, try to unveil the conspiracy. Creativity and persuasion play crucial roles as players discuss and defend their choices to avoid suspicion.

Fantasy Realms immerses players in the role of rulers striving to build the most powerful realm. This card game is all about strategic combinations and choices, with every decision shaping the strength and nature of your realm.

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.

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.

Azul: Summer Pavilion takes players back to Portugal to embark on an artistic challenge of crafting a summer pavilion, a task assigned by King Manuel I. As master artisans, players must use their skills to construct the pavilion using the finest materials while efficiently managing their resources.

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.

Fugitive is a tense, fast-paced two-player card game set in the thrilling universe of Burgle Bros. In this game, one player assumes the role of a fugitive on the run, while the other takes on the role of a relentless agent on the fugitive’s trail. The game involves a strategic cat-and-mouse chase where the fugitive must reach their goal without getting caught.

Nova Luna is an abstract tile-laying strategy game that focuses on careful planning and decision-making. Players are tasked with fulfilling objectives by placing tiles strategically, creating a unique and engaging gameplay experience.

Colt Express is a fast-paced, action-packed board game set in the Wild West, where players take on the roles of bandits attempting to rob a moving train.

Lost Ruins of Arnak is an adventurous board game that blends deck-building with worker placement, set on an unexplored island filled with remnants of an ancient civilization.

Everdell invites players to immerse themselves in the enchanting valley of Everdell, where a thriving civilization of forest critters seeks to expand their territories and establish new cities beneath towering trees, meandering streams, and mossy hollows. As the leader of a group of ambitious critters, you have a busy year ahead, filled with construction, character encounters, and hosting events. Can you ensure that the sun shines brightest on your city before the winter moon rises?

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.

Champions of Midgard is a Viking-themed board game that blends worker placement mechanics with dice rolling for combat. The game is set in a Norse harbor town besieged by mythical creatures, and players lead Viking clans to defend it and earn glory.

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 transports you to 1962, at the height of the Cold War, where a mysterious Soviet bioweapon called "Project MEDUSA" threatens global safety. As newly recruited CIA agents and medical graduates, you and your team are tasked with a critical mission: investigate and halt the development of this deadly pathogen. This game stands alone as a thrilling prequel to the earlier seasons of Pandemic Legacy, immersing players in a tense world of espionage and covert operations.

Paleo is a cooperative adventure game set in the Stone Age, where players work together to ensure the survival of their human characters while completing various missions. The ultimate goal? To paint a woolly mammoth on a wall, leaving a mark of your existence (or just because it looks cool).

Brass: Birmingham is an economic strategy game and a sequel to the 2007 game Brass. It immerses players in the world of industrial revolution entrepreneurs in Birmingham between 1770-1870.

Dungeon Fighter is a whimsical and cooperative board game where players embark on an adventurous journey into a fantasy dungeon filled with danger and humor. As heroes, they delve into a multi-tiered dungeon, facing various monsters, including classic mythical creatures like Medusa, the Minotaur, and dragons, while searching for treasure and acquiring magical items.

Who can create the funniest pictures? Players use small graphical elements such as dots, commas, and lines to create an image. The challenge is to guess what others have drawn while they try to guess your creation.

In the early 20th century, your fate binds you to the newly discovered seventh continent, haunted by a malevolent curse since your last expedition. The 7th Continent, a captivating solo or cooperative "choose-your-own-adventure" exploration board game, beckons you to chart your course. Choose a character and commence your journey alone or alongside fellow explorers. Drawing inspiration from the Fighting Fantasy book series, unravel the mysteries of this untamed land through a diverse array of terrain and event cards.

Nemesis is a semi-cooperative, survival horror board game set in a sci-fi universe, offering an intense and immersive experience as players navigate a spacecraft infested with hostile alien organisms.

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a standalone adventure game that serves as a prequel to the highly acclaimed Gloomhaven. It's designed to be more accessible to a broader audience, with streamlined rules and an integrated tutorial.

The Red Cathedral is a strategic Euro-style board game set in Moscow during the construction of St. Basil's Cathedral. Players assume the roles of construction teams competing to gain the favor of Tsar Ivan the Terrible by contributing to the cathedral's construction.

Kitchen Rush immerses players in the bustling atmosphere of a newly inherited restaurant aiming for success. This innovative, real-time, cooperative board game captures the essence of kitchen management through a unique worker placement mechanism that uses hourglasses as workers.

Rococo: Deluxe Edition transports you to the glamorous Rococo era, where you're tasked with dressing the elite for Louis XV's grand balls. Your goal is to gain prestige and fame through your exceptional tailoring business. Players strategically employ staff to craft exquisite garments, manage resources, and contribute to the ball's decorations, aiming to dazzle at the season's final event.

Stuffed Fables offers a unique and imaginative adventure where players embody heroic stuffed animals ("stuffies") on a mission to protect the child they cherish from an ominous villain. This game stands out as the first "AdventureBook Game" from Plaid Hat Games, blending storytelling, strategy, and a dynamic game board all within a single, vividly illustrated book.

A new galaxy has just been discovered at the edge of the empire! Command your spaceship to explore this treasure-filled Eldorado, planet by planet. Recruit specialists and robots to enhance your crew, and attract empire delegates who will assign you valuable missions. Gather wonders from this new galaxy to become the richest explorer!

Back to the Future: Back in Time is a cooperative board game that transports players straight into the iconic setting of the 1985 film Back to the Future. Set in the year 1955, the game captures the thrill and challenges of creating the perfect time paradox, complete with a DeLorean time machine and familiar characters from the movie.

Anno 1800: The Board Game is an immersive game that captures the essence of the popular Ubisoft PC game, Anno 1800. Players are tasked with developing their home island by building a robust industry, engaging in trade, and meeting the evolving needs of their population. The game emphasizes strategic planning and resource management, set against the backdrop of the 19th-century industrial revolution.

Players cooperate in this card and dice game inspired by events leading to Star Wars: A New Hope. They must recruit rebels and prevent the construction of the Death Star. Each player leads a rebel cell and uses iconic characters to thwart the Empire's rise to power while racing against time. The game includes a custom 3D Darth Vader bust and is designed for 2 to 4 players aged 10 and up, lasting approximately 45 minutes.

You are a researcher exploring space for new planets for the Federation, and you have just discovered an unindexed one. This is your chance to identify new creatures, uncover rare resources, and complete intergalactic missions. The goal is to gather the most victory points to ensure a successful exploration.

Barrage is a strategic resource management board game set in the 1930s, during a time when the industrial revolution has pushed the use of fossil fuels to its limits. The game revolves around the theme of hydroelectric energy generation, where players compete to build and manage efficient hydroelectric dam systems.

Praga Caput Regni immerses players in the era of Charles IV, King of Bohemia, focusing on the construction and expansion of Prague during medieval times. Players act as influential citizens contributing to the city's development, seeking to gain the king's favor through strategic project management and resource allocation.

Kanban EV immerses players in the cutting-edge world of electric vehicle (EV) production, reflecting the shift towards more efficient, AI-enhanced, and environmentally friendly automobiles. In this resource and time management game, players take on the role of ambitious employees in a state-of-the-art EV factory, where they must efficiently manage supplies, innovate car parts, and work on the assembly line to advance their careers and impress the stringent factory manager.

A top-secret Soviet space mission aimed to colonize a distant planet, creating a small communist paradise that still exists today. Players take control of settlers, managing resources and selecting tasks carefully to maintain morale, which is crucial for becoming the most productive leader.

Kingdom Death: Monster is an immersive, fully cooperative tabletop game set in a unique and nightmarish world. This game combines elements of hobby gaming, civilization building, and tactical combat to create a richly detailed gaming experience.

On Mars is a complex and strategic board game that simulates the challenge of establishing and expanding a colony on Mars. Designed by Vital Lacerda, this game is known for its depth and intricate mechanics, appealing to players who enjoy a detailed and immersive strategic experience.

The Gallerist immerses players in the sophisticated world of art and commerce, where they take on the multifaceted role of a Gallerist, combining the responsibilities of an art dealer, museum curator, and artist manager.

In Crystal Palace, players are transported back to the vibrant atmosphere of London in 1851, at the dawn of the first World Fair. Here, nations compete not with military might but with the power of innovation and influence, showcasing spectacular inventions and securing the support of notable figures from the era. This dice-placement game stands out by allowing players to set the values of their dice at the start of each round, presenting a strategic dilemma between aiming high for better outcomes and managing the cost of ambition.

Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun is a strategic board game set in ancient Egypt, where players contribute to building the Temple of Amun-Ra. The game is deeply thematic, involving Egyptian gods and the management of resources and actions influenced by the positioning of an obelisk and its shadow.

Pachacuti, the great Sapa Inca, urges his descendants to worship Inti, the sun god, and to expand the Inca Empire across four regions ready for conquest. Players strategically place workers using their unique skills, climb the steps of the Sun Temple for rewards, and build structures that provide advantages. The game features a board depicting the ancient Inca capital of Cusco, where players compete for resources, military strength, and victory points through various actions and strategic placements.