The favorite games of Better Board Games 2021 2026

So Clover! is a cooperative word-association game that challenges players to think creatively and work together. The essence of the game is to generate and guess keywords based on shared features, aiming to achieve the highest possible team score.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Calico is a delightful, tile-laying board game that combines the art of quilt-making with the charm of cats. It's designed to offer a relaxing yet engaging puzzling experience for players.

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?

Oriflamme immerses players in the cutthroat world of medieval politics. After the king's death, players, as leaders of influential families, vie for the throne using strategy and deceit.

In the immortal words of Stan Lee, "With great power, there must also come great responsibility." Enter the thrilling world of Marvel Champions: The Card Game, where Iron Man and Black Panther unite to thwart Rhino's rampage through New York, and Captain Marvel teams up with Spider-Man to face the looming threat of Ultron and global annihilation. Do you possess the mettle to stand alongside these legendary heroes and emerge as a true champion?

Cryptid is a deduction board game centered around the intriguing theme of cryptozoology. Players take on the roles of cryptozoologists trying to locate an elusive creature known as the Cryptid, using a mix of clever deduction and strategic misdirection.

In the concealed underground city of Gravehold, survivors of a distant invasion find solace. Here, amidst the remnants of a desperate society, they unearth a revelation: the energy emanating from breaches, the very conduits exploited by hostile beings, can be harnessed. Various gems allow them to transmute malevolent energies into beneficial spells and weapons, becoming the last bastion of defense—the breach mages.

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).

In Descent: Legends of the Dark, players dive deep into the troubled realm of Terrinoth, facing off against demonic barbarians, undead servants, and other dark forces threatening the land. This co-operative dungeon-crawling board game, enriched by an integrated free companion app, invites players to embark on the "Blood and Flame" campaign, spanning sixteen quests that weave a rich narrative full of danger and discovery. With its innovative use of 3D terrain and a host of hero and monster miniatures, the game promises an immersive adventure as players build their legends through strategic combat, exploration, and skillful management of their characters' abilities.

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.

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.

Sleeping Gods is a cooperative, narrative-driven board game that immerses players in an expansive and mysterious world. Set in 1929, players take on the roles of Captain Sofi Odessa and her crew, who are lost at sea aboard the steamship Manticore in the mystical Wandering Sea. Their mission is to awaken the gods to find their way home.

Players embody the small-time crook Oz "Hook" Carpenter, who returns from exile seeking revenge. To succeed, he needs a team with unique skills, as taking on the city's most powerful gangster alone is impossible. Explore beautifully illustrated locations, interact with characters, and solve tricky puzzles to assemble your crew in this immersive, narrative-driven game.

Welcome to Sagani, where achieving harmony among the natural elements of earth, water, air, and fire is the main goal of the spirits inhabiting this world. These spirits remain in their vessel-like homes until the elements are balanced, at which point they reveal their true forms. Each spirit represents one of the four elements and plays a role in enhancing their harmony, bringing players closer to victory as they create this vibrant world using sound discs.

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.

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.

Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road immerses players in the competitive economic landscape of the most prosperous city along the Silk Road. As the city thrives, players engage in a strategic blend of resource management, trade, and influence to accumulate wealth and power. The game encapsulates the tension between personal gain and the collective defense against the looming threat of Mongol invasions. Strategic decisions influence both the city's fate and the players' standing, making every choice critical in the pursuit of victory.