The 23 Top Ranked Board Games
Board games have taken a major leap in the last few decades. Increased complexity, fantastic storytelling, and innovative gameplay structures have revolutionized the way we play. With ever-increasing popularity, publishers have the incentive to make a huge range of games in an ever-expanding array of genres. Take adventures in worlds set in the sea and the sky, space, and other dimensions. Maybe even the world of your favorite comic book or movie. In this article, we’ll discuss what to look for in a board game, where to purchase them, and layout the top-ranked board games out there. The list is based on Board Game Geek’s rankings powered by reviews from fans and players, so rest assured that any of these games will provide hours of family entertainment or an evening of enjoyable camaraderie with your friends.
What To Look For
Board games these days are a far cry from the games of years gone by. Not that games like Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, or Sorry aren’t the right choice for some board gamers ( especially when it’s a group with very young players). Today, though, you can find an endless supply of board games with rich stories and fun game mechanics that are almost as much fun to learn as they are to play. When picking out one of these board games it’s important to look out for a few things, game length, recommended ages, and the ability for expansion.
Length of Play:
Most publishers or sites that sell board games will give an estimated playtime for the products they sell. When looking to buy you should be aware of playtime, some games clock in around an hour, while others like Europe Engulfed: WW2 can take 12 hours or longer to complete.
Recommended Ages:
small game pieces and lengthy sets of rules may be hard for some younger players to manage
This is another metric usually provided for a board game and is an important consideration. Some games, especially the ones that take a lot longer, can be a very challenging experience. Complex rule sets and fragile game pieces make some games a bad choice for groups with younger players. For the most part, the games on the list below are all rated for ages 14+.
Ability for Expansion:
Another big change to the board game industry was the introduction of expansions to popular titles. These expansions usually add new characters, storylines, and hours of additional gameplay to already massive games. It’s a great way to freshen up a game you love and keep people coming back for more play-throughs.
Where To Buy:
Board games have seen a ton of growth in the last few decades and consequently are carried by a lot of major retailers. This is great for having access to board games all over, although there are other options available. A really great place to find board games is at local gaming shops. These shops usually carry a wide range of titles and have very passionate employees who will be able to recommend games for any group or interest. A lot of these local stores also have a gaming area with tables so you can test out new games with friends. Buying from these shops also promotes a local business, which is always a win!
Now that we’ve covered board game basics, here are some of the highest consumer-rated board games for all kinds of players. Most of these titles have expansions available for them too so the fun doesn’t have to stop at the end of the base game!
Wingspan
Rank: # 23
Wingspan is a quirky and fun game for ages 10+. You play as a wildlife reserve seeking out and attracting birds to your aviary. Through card and roll-based turns, you will collect birds with different attributes to add to your point total, enough points after 4 rounds and you win. This game takes a little over an hour to complete, perfect for a shorter session with friends!
Publisher: Stonemaier Games
A Feast for Odin
Rank: # 22
In this Viking-inspired, world-building game up to 4 players work to grow a northern village through pillaging and trade. A play-through will come out to about 2 hours. Give this game a try if you’re looking for something historically based, resource-driven, and super fun.
Publisher: Feuerland Spiele
Terra Mystica
Rank: # 21
Set in the fantastical world of Terra Mystica, this resource strategy game requires the player to terraform neighboring lands and find dominance in the world. Designed for players 12 and up, a regular game clocks in around 2 hours.
Publisher: Feuerland Spiele
Brass: Lancashire
Rank: # 20
In this board game, you play as a cotton entrepreneur in industrial revolution England. Make strategic moves to build your industry and grow your wealth, in the 1 to 2 hr playtime you’ll work to construct mines, railways, farms, and canals. Made for players 14+.
Publisher: Roxley, Warfrog Games
Concordia
Rank: # 19
In Concordia, players work to develop and grow their very own roman empire through trade and other peaceful means. About 2 hours is all you’ll need to build a great empire. Players 13 and up will have a great time with this turn-based strategy board game, building colonies, trading specialized goods, and seeking economic prosperity.
Publisher: PD-Verlag
7 Wonders Duel
Rank: # 18
In this card-based game, players will compete for civilization greatness, by utilizing science or military-based cards players will build wonders and grow their empire. Because it’s designed for players 10 and up and only takes 30 minutes per playthrough, 7 Wonders: Duel is a great game for almost all players and time constraints.
Publisher: Repos Production
Nemesis
Rank: # 17
Here’s a Genre that doesn’t get much love in the board game industry: SciFi/Horror. The publisher Awaken Realms did a great job with it here and made a dynamic and fast-paced game. In Nemesis you must not only pay attention to what enemy aliens are doing on your ship, you also have to watch out for fellow players and their motives. Players 12+ play for up to 3 hours to try and gain back control from the alien invaders and weed out traitors.
Publisher: Awaken Realms
The Castles of Burgundy
Rank: # 16
In this medieval resource and strategy players 12+ will work to grow their influence over the french countryside using all manner of tricks and trades. Over the course of the hour-long game, players will build castles and trade their way to territorial rule. With a huge number of tiles and different strategies, The Castles of Burgundy gives players a lot of room to play over and over.
Publisher: Ravensburger
Dune: Imperium
Rank: # 15
In Dune: Imperium players will work to influence the other houses in the universe of the acclaimed series of novels and screen adaptations of Dune. Through war, political strategy, and trade players will grow their houses and attempt to gain control over the spice trade that controls the galaxy. A game usually lasts an hour or two and is best for players 14+ due to the complex strategy involved.
Publisher: Dire Wolf
Scythe
Rank: # 14
A game set in Steampunk, post-WWI, alternate history Europe? Sign me up! In “Scythe” players compete to build up their farms and factions with diesel mechs, war with neighbors, and work towards their own hidden agendas. This game is best for players over the age of 14 and lasts around an hour and a half.
Publisher: Stonemaier Games
Twilight Struggle
Rank: # 13
In this unique title from GMT Games, the cold war has just started and you will take control of one of the world powers and work to win the decades-long conflict ahead of you. Luckily they are able to condense 30 years of struggle into a fast-paced, 2 to 3-hour game for players 13 and up. By making deft political moves, leveraging nuclear ordinance, and strategically pushing your ideologies you’ll decide who wins out by 1989, The US or the USSR.
Publisher: GMT Games
Great Western Trail
Rank: # 12
Sling on your bandolier, grab your pistol and rope and head out on the open range as a cattle rancher in the old west. You’ll work alongside (or maybe against) other ranchers to build yourself into a cattle baron moving stock across the plains. With tons of resources to reap and many strategies to take, players 12+ will spend hours growing and prospering in the American West.
Publisher: eggertspiele
Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization
Rank: # 11
Building Civilizations is a common theme for board games, but this version of the genre is especially in-depth with cards, tiles, and trackers for everything from population to military resources. Players 14+ will enjoy complex 2-hour gameplay that will test their planning and strategy skills.
Publisher: Czech Games Edition
War of the Ring: Second Edition
Rank: # 10
In this game based on Tolkein’s trilogy, players will play as either the forces of evil or raise an army to stop the invaders from Mordor. With many different avenues to the end game, and rich lore behind every move, the roughly 3-hour playtime won’t be enough to experience the whole game, so be set for some replays!
Publisher: Ares Games
Spirit Island
Rank: # 9
In this truly unique title from Greater Than Games, Spirit pits players against colonizing invaders as elemental spirits protecting their islands. With Colorful game pieces and boards, cool cards for different scenarios, and great attention to detail, this game will be sure to grab players 12+ for hours at a time.
Publisher: Greater Than Games, LLC
Star Wars: Rebellion
Rank: # 8
When you start with such a huge and detailed galaxy like Star Wars, a board game adaptation is bound to be a major affair. This game lives up to the movies, with huge battles, modular game boards, and appearances from all the major characters you love. Buckle up though, this game can take up to 4 hours to complete.
Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games
Gaia Project
Rank: # 7
From the folks who brought you Terra Mystica, Gaia Project follows many of the same conventions, although in a much larger world with more factions. “World” is a bit of an understatement with 10 rearrangeable tiles that make up an entire galaxy, the game space of Gaia Project is endlessly swappable and replayable. For players 12+ this game should take around 2 hours to complete.
Publisher: Feuerland Spiele
Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition
Rank: # 6
In the same vein as Gaia Project or Star Wars: Rebellion, this space conquering game offers a great strategy experience with dynamic and ever-varying battles. If you’ve got a large game group this may be a good option for you as it can accommodate up to 6 players, ages 14+, for a game that will last anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. Now that’s a marathon!
Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games
Terraforming Mars
Rank: # 5
Continuing the space theme, this game brings more economic and industrial strategy, as opposed to all-out war. In Terraforming Mars, you’ll be doing just that, as a CEO of a space-faring corporation you’ll work to turn Mars into a habitable planet and reap the benefits over the course of the 2-hour game. For players 12+.
Publisher: FryxGames
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Rank: # 4
Gloomhaven is a unique title from Cephalofair Games that is designed to get people into the world of Gloomhaven and its library of games. With a ton of lore, great worldbuilding, and unique characters, Gloomhaven promises to suck you into the story. This particular game has 25 scenarios you must play through to solve the mystery. Gloomhaven also has a great community of fans who make and paint awesome minis and whole locations for the game to unfold in. So grab yourself a copy and get sucked into a huge world of fantasy and mystery!
Publisher: Cephalofair Games
Brass: Birmingham
Rank: # 3
Like the Brass games before it, Birmingham provides hours of industrial revolution-centered gameplay. Made for players 14+, Brass: Birmingham adds new gameplay elements and a whole new setting with new industries and more ways to make it rich.
Publisher: Roxley
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Rank: # 2
Pandemic Legacy is one of those games where rather than battling against the other players to win, it’s you and the other players versus the game. In a race against the clock, you and your teammates must figure out how to stop the spread, and eventually cure the viruses that threaten humanity. Players will spend hours working through this first installment of Pandemic Legacy and with additional seasons already released, there’s much more game to explore.
Publisher: Z-Man Games
Gloomhaven
Rank: # 1
Finally, at the top of the list is Gloomhaven. This tabletop RPG turned boardgame is a complex and rewarding experience to play. You play as an adventurer with skills and powers that develop over the game. By the decisions you make, the world unfolds before your group, and every battle and scenario you encounter shapes the world you play in. Between the excellent story and the large community surrounding it, Gloomhaven is sure to delight anyone who dares enter.
Publisher: Cephalofair Games
Now that you know the top selling games, go try one out. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your new favorite past time! And remember if your frenemies swipe all the game pieces off the board and onto the floor you automatically WIN!
