We've tested dozens of games with a small army of testers and board game experts – who own more than 300 board games between them – to help you find the best board game to buy (or ask Santa for) this year.
After many hours of researching, playing and arguing over who won, we can reveal the best board games for adults, two-player games, family board games and card games.
Discover the hot new board games and the most popular classic games if you're in the mood for an oldy but goody.
Jump to:Get your Christmas celebrations started with our pick of theBest for new gamers: Carcassonne
Type of game Need to knowHow to play
Each tile shows a section of field, a bit of road, a chapel, some castle, or a combination of these things.
The tile needs to correctly connect with a tile that’s already been put down, sort of like dominoes.
You then choose whether to put one of the wooden figures (called a meeple) down on the tile you’ve just placed to score some points.
Each length of road, single chapel or sprawling castle scores you points: the bigger these completed areas become, the more points you’ll end up scoring.
What we likeOur board games experts said: 'Each turn presents a tricky decision to the player about where to place a tile and whether the time is right to put down a meeple to score some points.
'Do you lengthen a road to score more points for yourself or do you place your tile to block your opponent's castle expansion?'
It also joins our shortlist of the best board games for adults because, if you love it as we reckon you will, there are dozens of expansions to sink your teeth into when you’re ready.
Expansions (for those new to board games) are extra sets you can buy that come with new components and rules you can bolt onto the base game to add complexity.
Best for rule-reading refusers: Ticket to Ride
Type of game Need to know How to play
You score points for the routes you build, and even more points if you complete your 'destination cards', which you do by linking up one city to another with your train routes.
The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
For extra challenges, Ticket to Ride Europe introduces building ferry and tunnel routes, which have extra elements that make them trickier to build.
If you fancy a faster-paced version of the game, Ticket to Ride London has you building bus routes and it takes less than half the time to play.
What we likeAt first glance it can feel like there's a fair amount going on, but it never gets too complicated.
Here are some other reasons why our board game experts love it and why it joins our picks of the best board games for adults: 'The turns go relatively quickly for each player, so everyone feels involved all the time and you won't get bored easily,' they told us.
'Completing routes gives a strong, even smug, sense of satisfaction, and there’s a nice bit of strategy – you’re essentially balancing the temptation to complete the routes you want with trying to block other players so they don't complete theirs.
'However, it doesn't push players to be too competitive with each other, so there shouldn’t be too many arguments breaking out over Christmas.'
undefinedBest for co-operative gaming: Pandemic
Type of game Need to knowHow to play
You work together to do this, before any of the diseases spread too far and cause a pandemic.
Each turn a player performs four actions. These include travelling around the world, trading cards, building research stations, getting rid of diseases or using your special ability.
At the end of a turn you draw cards, and reveal new cities from the 'infection deck' to see where the diseases are spreading to next.
When a player has five cards of the same colour and they are at a location with a research station, they can discover the cure for a disease.
What we likeThe production quality of the game is fantastic, with lots of components that you interact with throughout the game, making it nice and tactile to play.
It’s truly co-operative: whether you’re a seasoned gamer or it’s your first time, everyone has a role to play in beating the game, so no one ever feels left out.
Our expert board gamers love the brain-teaser nature of the game: 'Every turn feels like a mini-puzzle, with everyone working together to solve it.
'If you figure out how to prevent an outbreak, while also getting to the city your friend is in to give them the card they need to cure a disease, and do it all in one turn, you really do feel a wave of pleasure come over you.
'The mechanisms work extremely well: outbreaks occurring randomly every game, usually just when you think everything’s under control. It's a challenge to beat the game, but it's hugely satisfying when you do.'
Best for strategy: Settlers of Catan
Type of game Need to know How to play
Next, you take your starting settlements, cities and roads, placing two roads and settlements each.
On each turn, you roll a dice to determine what resources are produced – you can also trade them with other players and have the option of building roads, settlements or cities.
As you start to develop your presence across the game board, you will also acquire victory points. The first player to acquire 10 or more on their turn wins the game.
What we likeSettlers of Catan manages to buck this trend, while still providing a game packed with complexity and variation (you can change the board with each new game).
Our expert board gamers said: 'It’s a game that encourages cooperation through making trades with other players as you build roads and cities. However, you don’t want to give too much away or others can beat you to those all-important victory points.
'If you develop your skill enough with the classic game, there are plenty of expansions and variants to buy and keep you interested.'
Best for imaginative thinkers: Dixit
Type of game Need to know How to play
A verbal clue is given by the active player relating to one of their cards, and the other players choose a card from their own set that best matches the clue.
The active player's clue card is shuffled together with the cards chosen by each of the other players in relation to that one, then revealed at randomly. Each non-active player then votes on which one they think the active player put down.
The active player then reveals which card was theirs. Players score points based on whether they guessed right and if they managed to convince other players to pick their card.
A Disney edition of the game has also been released this year.
What we like'Each lovingly created image can be seen differently depending on who’s setting the clue.
'Once you’ve been playing together for a while, you can start to tune into the way the other players think, and this can be immensely rewarding as you get to know your friends and family on a more subconscious wavelength.'
Best for light strategy: Jaipur
Type of game Need to know How to play
At the end of each round, the player with the most points wins the round, and the overall winner is the first to win two rounds.
You score more points for selling more than one of the same goods in one go – but watch out because as the round goes on you'll score less if you keep selling the same type of goods repeatedly.
What we likeThe game plays quickly and, although you're simply collecting cards and selling them for points, there are a few different ways to buy and sell. This adds a nice flavour of strategy, without it becoming too much.
One of our testers summed it up nicely, saying: 'The first round felt like there was a lot to learn, but once you've done that first round the game's incredibly moreish, and it feels like there are lots of ways to win, which kept me really engaged.'
These are all good reasons why it joins our shortlist of the best two-player board games.
Best for fast-paced fun: Klask
Type of game Need to know How to play
You score a point by hitting the ball into your opponent's goal.
You'll give a point to the other player if your magnetic striker falls into your own goal, or you get two or more of the small white magnets stuck to your player – so move carefully.
We tested the two-player version. However, if you want to up the ante, there is a four-player version available as well.
What we likeThe rules are simple, but have enough of a spin on classic air-hockey to feel fresh. The table isn't too big either (45cm long, 35cm wide) so should easily fit on a dining room table.
All our testers really liked this game, so it's likely to appeal to most people – an excellent reason for it to join our pick of the top two-play board games.
'It's not too demanding on your concentration either,' one of our testers told us, 'so you can still have a chat or a drink with the other person while playing the game.'
Best for co-operative strategy: Fox in the Forest Duet
Type of game Need to know How to play
You do this by playing tricks (as in the classic card game Bridge).
The catch? You'll have to work together so that sometimes you win the trick, sometimes the other player. That way you can move through the whole forest and collect all the gems.
What we likeThe way the game works to make you collaborate on playing the tricks is clever; if you win a trick, you move on the forest track towards yourself, by the number of pawprints on the winning card,
Some of the gems are towards you, but some are on the track towards your opponent, so you have to work together to move back and forth along the forest track by allowing both of you to win tricks, or you'll both lose the game.
Best for gentle-paced gaming: Patchwork
Type of game Need to knowHow to play
You buy pieces using buttons, and then fit them to your personal board.
Play continues until each player has reached the centre of the time board, at which point the highest-scoring quilt wins.
Want to get into the festive mood? Patchwork also has a Christmas edition with present-themed pieces.
What we likeOur expert board gamers said: 'You take patches from the same pool of tiles to build your own quilt, but you can’t steal any from another player so it's quite a relaxed, non-confrontational game.
'Plus, you have to make all these different-shaped patches fit together to form your quilt, so there's a bit of Tetris in there for retro gamers as well.
'The rules can seem a little complex when you first start, but after a couple of turns you'll be sewing your quilt as smoothly as a sewing machine.'
Best for meaty decision-making: 7 Wonders Duel
Type of gameNeed to know How to play
On each turn you select a card and play it. Some give you points, others money, some let you move up the war track and others give you materials.
Each age has flashier cards with more points, money and materials, so you’ll always feel like your civilisation is growing and getting more powerful.
The game can end in one of three ways:
It doesn’t take long to play, and the pyramid of cards, laden with attractive art, symbols and potential, looks exciting on the table.
You’ll use those cards to construct the ancient world’s greatest monuments, make scientific breakthroughs and even wage war.
Our board game experts said: 'The genius of 7 Wonders Duel is in how you collect those cards for your civilisation. Initially only the bottom row of cards can be taken, but as they are collected, the rows above become available.
'These later cards are initially upside down, so you don't know what cards are coming. When you take the bottom row cards covering these later cards, they are flipped up and revealed.
'This constant cycle of revealing cards means you could inadvertently give your opponent first dibs on a card that would have been perfect for you.
'That's the really thrilling element and extra layer of strategy: do you take the card you need, or stop your opponent from getting one that’s perfect for their civilisation?'
Best for a break from competition: Telestrations
Type of game Need to knowHow to play
You can play just for fun, or score points if you want to play competitively.
The spin is that you draw your picture, pass it to the next person, who writes the word they think you saw, then the next person draws based on that person's guess.
So by the time your pad comes back to you, the final guess can be miles off from where you started.
What we likeWhile you can score points in Telestrations, the game works just as well, if not better, as a fun spin on games like Pictionary.
Our testers fell in love with this game, which is why we're recommending is as one of the best family board games: 'It's such a nice break from super-intense board games, as a round just consists of either laughing at other players' awful drawings, or wondering how on earth people guessed the correct starting word from these scribbles,' they told us.
'It's definitely better with more people, but it's so easy to understand and guaranteed to get people laughing.'
Best for the whole family: Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza
Type of game Need to knowHow to play
If the card flipped matches the word spoken, then it's snap and the last player to put their hand on the pile has to collect the cards.
The winner is the first to get rid of all their cards.
Watch out for some special cards that have everyone performing actions before snapping.
What we likeThe artwork is cute and, as well as the titular items, there are gorilla, groundhog and narwhal cards in the mix.
If these additional animal cards are turned, you have to perform a special action (such clapping your hands over your head for the narwhal) before slamming your hand on the pile of cards.
Sometimes silly actions in games can feel like forced fun. However, our testers felt they worked brilliantly in this game.
As one of our testers put it: 'Simple, fun and zany, without being too silly. A great game for all ages.'
Best for stupid fun: Throw Throw Burrito
Type of game Need to know How to play
All players draw and discard cards at the same time, but if someone plays a set of three burrito cards then be prepared.
Depending on the type of burrito cards played, a burrito war, battle or duel will commence – the first player to get hit by a burrito loses points (and pride).
The base game comes with two burritos, but you can buy extra ones for even more madness.
What we likeIt's a bit like trying to rub your stomach while patting your head. You need to combine the energetic side of the game (chucking burritos at each other. We recommend playing in a large, clear space), while also focusing on making as many three-of-a-kind tricks with the cards in your hand.
Testers told us, between panting breaths: 'It's so stupid, but fun. Everyone is playing at the same time so you're always switched on, but you have to be paying attention to others in case a burrito fight starts.'
Best for little ones: Pigs on Trampolines
Type of gameNeed to know How to play
If you get a pig in the pit, you get a mud token. Whoever has the most mud tokens is the winner.
The pigs can go flying, so we recommend playing this in an open space, so you don't have to go retrieve the little squealers from under the sofa.
What we likeOur testers found it quite difficult to bounce the pigs off the trampolines into the central mud pit. Maybe the trampolines are a bit too bouncy.
However, for many this was a plus, as one tester put it: 'Every time I failed I just wanted one more go.'
Adults may find the fun doesn't last as long as it does for the kids, but while it does it's enjoyable for everyone. And that's why it's one of our picks of the best family board games.
Best for breaking the ice: Herd Mentality
Type of game Need to know How to play
Each round starts with a random question card, for example: 'What’s the best pasta shape?'
All players write an answer in secret and then players reveal their answer.
Everyone who wrote the most common answer scores a point: everyone else gets nothing. The first to eight points wins.
But if you put an answer that no one else writes, you get the pink cow.
As long as you have the pink cow you can’t win the game, so you’ll need to try and get rid of it.
What we likeThe cards and components are colourful and the game’s simple to understand. Plus, it comes with more than 300 questions, so you’re unlikely to get the same question twice.
One board game expert said: 'This makes it a fantastic game to get people comfortable, whether it’s a party where some people won’t know each other, or extended family over for Christmas.
People can bond over thinking the same Disney film is the best, and equally there can be lots of laughter as Dad has to explain why he thinks being abducted by pirates is better than aliens. Yes, that’s a real card in the game.'
Best for groups: Codenames
Type of game Need to know How to play
Spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their codenames. Those codenames are all on the board
Spymasters take turns giving one-word clues to help their team mates guess which of the codenames belong to their team.
The first team to guess all their codenames wins.
If you want a version that's more kid-friendly, Codename Pictures has you associating words with pictures (instead of words with other words) and is suitable for players aged 10+.
What we likeAs one tester said: 'It's a mix of strategy and knowing your fellow players, tactics and reading the room. It's an excellent game because, as good as any individual may be, the win only comes from the wavelength between team-mates.'
We found testers enjoyed playing it most with three to four players in each team. That's because this number creates good conversation between the team-mates without voices getting too lost in the mix – keeping everyone involved and engaged.
Best for high-tension gameplay: Exploding Kittens
Type of game Need to knowHow to play
If you draw an exploding kitten, you explode (metaphorically) and lose. Unless you have a card in your hand that means you can stop the explosion happening.
The winner is the last player standing.
There is also a party pack edition, which lets you play with up to 10 players at a time.
What we likeHowever, our testers really loved the simplicity of this game, which was why it gets the thumbs up and joins our shortlist of the best card games. 'It was very useful having the instructions on each card, so you always know what each card allows you to do, and made the game fast and fun,' our testers told us.
You're trying not to draw an exploding kitten card, and as the game goes on and fewer cards remain in the deck, the odds of that happening ramp up.
In the end, it's two surviving players scrambling desperately to make the other player draw the last exploding kitten, creating a real spectator sport for the remaining players.
Best for replay value: Sushi Go Party!
Type of game Need to know How to play
You start by all choosing which menu the round will be playing from, and then dealing out cards to each player.
You keep one card from your hand, then all players pass the remainder of their hand clockwise simultaneously – moving the sushi around like it's on a conveyor belt.
Everyone can see what cards everyone else has kept hold of.
You want to hold onto cards to score big, but also take cards your opponents may need to prevent them from scoring a big combo.
What we likeOne of our testers said: 'The cards are very cute, with funny drawings.
'Scoring can be a little complex but you play three rounds and after the first round it’s easy to understand.'
The game comes with lots of different types of sushi, all with their own rules and ways of scoring, so there is tons of replay value in this metal box.
It's worth noting that, while some testers found the size of the game a bit daunting at first, after just one round most were eager to keep playing.
Best for a fast twist on a classic: Monopoly Deal
Type of game Need to know How to play
You do this by drawing property cards, putting money in your bank, and playing action cards to help you or hinder your opponents.
The game plays fast, so expect your family to want to play a few rounds of this over Christmas.
What we likeThat's why this card version is perfect for getting the flavour of Monopoly, without the calories.
Our testers really liked the speed of this game, and felt it was much more evenly matched than the classic game. They told us: 'There's good player interaction, and a few cards easily change the status quo, so it feels whoever is winning can change quite quickly.'
Our testers also found the rules quick to pick up and the quick reference cards really useful for jumping straight into the game, without having to pore over the rule book for half an hour before starting.
Best for a unique experience: The Mind
Type of game Need to knowHow to play
As with any brilliant board game, there's a catch. You can't communicate with each other in any way. And you don't know what numbers are on your opponents' cards.
You don't play cards in turn, just when you feel yours is the next numbered card that needs to be laid down.
Higher levels of the game have you laying down a longer sequence of numbers, so this game needs concentration, co-operation and some low-level psychic abilities.
What we likeThe Mind explicitly makes you zip those lips to try and tune into each other's wavelength to beat the game.
It makes for a unique experience, one that some of our testers really loved. They told us: 'Some players are quite quick to play, while others you notice are quite cautious and you start to feel what that means they are about to play.
'It made us all want to try one more time to beat the game, which is a sign of a game that's simple and engaging.'
Find the perfect gift in our Christmas gift guides:What is the most used and loved board game? The one where the board has started to scuff at the corners, and cards are lovingly bent and faded.
1. Best for family drama: Monopoly
Type of game Need to knowHow to play
The classic board has stood the test of time, but there are many other editions out there. This year's new releases include Barbie and the Super Mario Movie.
If you want a spin on the classic game. there is Monopoly: Cheaters Edition, where breaking the rules is actively encouraged (so long as other players don't catch you).
What we likeNothing beats the feeling of asking your parents for thousands of pounds when they land on your property; or the rage of continually getting sent to jail and watching as all the good property gets snapped up.
If you're happy to commit hours to playing it, there aren't many other games that will get everyone round the table like this one.
2. Best for tickling your brain cells: Connect 4
Type of gameNeed to knowHow to play
The first player to get four in a row (vertically, horizontally or diagonally) wins.
If you want to increase the challenge, Connect 4: Spin lets you also spin the columns as well – making you think in an extra dimension.
What we likeWhen you drop the token, there's no going back, and one wrong move can ruin even the best winning strategies.
It's also a brilliant spectator game, as others watch and spot moves, perfect for arm-chair commentators to also get in on the action.
3. Best for young ones: Guess Who?
Type of game Need to know How to play
On your turn, ask the opponent a yes or no question (are they wearing glasses, for example) to help you rule characters out and flip their pictures down.
As well as the classic version, there are themed editions for little ones who are fans of Marvel, Animal Crossing or Football.
What we likeIt's extremely simple to learn, and a brilliant game for little ones to start thinking logically.
It's quick to play as well, so a top choice to fill in any lulls in a family game night or post-Christmas dinner.
4. Best for large parties: Articulate
Type of game Need to know How to play
One member of each team is nominated to be the describer, and their team-mates are guessers.
The describers have to describe words on cards without using the word itself; when the guessers gets it right you move forward one space.
You only have until the timer runs out, so describers need to be clear and guessers quick off the mark.
What we likeThe rules are simple, but having a tight time limit on each round really ramps up the fun, as people give crazy descriptions under pressure, or make absolutely wild guesses in a panic.
5. Best for the whole family: Scrabble
Type of gameNeed to know How to play
You have to link your new word to existing words on the board already, although there are various ways to do this.
There is also a large-print edition of Scrabble, developed in association with the Royal National Institute for Blind People. It has larger tiles, a board that sits on a turntable to allow all players to see the board more easily, and a framework to securely lock the tiles on the board in place.
What we likePerhaps this is why Scrabble remains one of the most popular games of all time.
How we test board games
More than 30 volunteers of different ages and genders took up our challenge to play, feed back on and vote for their favourites from the most popular board games.
Our testers included some self-confessed board game addicts who own more than 300 board games between them.
Everyone gave us expert insight, gleaned from hours of playing these games, to help you decide the right game to add (or start) your collection this year.
We aren't able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available. Top five classic board games analysis carried out October 2023: bestselling board games at retailers may change over time.source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/best-board-games-aat7R4d4eSoz