Do you play board games?

I am convinced that all cool people enjoy playing board games, which is surprising for many reasons, but for one: I have never seen any cool people in a board game store. You can find a lot of nerdy and quirky people there, though. In that vein, I still remember how a friend responded when I asked him if he plays board games:

“Board games? You mean BORED games…?”

That was a long time ago, but suffice it to say that we are no longer friends. I mean, not because it’s a prerequisite to be my friend, but ultimately he just wasn’t cool enough for me. 😉

In all seriousness, it’s hard to find a better and easier way of mixing friends and having a great time than playing board games together. I’m often asked which games are my favorite, and it’s always been tough to share a list just off-the-cuff since I don’t get a chance to provide context and reasons why I’m recommending certain board games over others.

Hence, this blog post. Full disclosure: I may earn an affiliate commission through the links on this post. If that bothers you feel free to go to Amazon on your own and buy the item that way (no affiliate links for non-Amazon items at the time of this writing).

Before I go into specific recommendations, first I want to share what I look for in board games…if these aren’t the things you look for then this post probably isn’t for you. In no particular order, my board game criteria is as follows:

1. Play time of ~1 hour or less (preferably less)
2. Right balance of strategy versus luck
3. Not too adversarial (Settlers is a bit too adversarial for me, but I understand if people want to play those type of games)
4. Minimal dead time (players are engaged for most of the game)

Let’s start with the Games I Strongly Dislike. These games are the equivalent of white meat chicken; if any of these are your favorite games then I will no longer take your board game opinions seriously. Also, you owe it to yourself to try other games that are way more fun.

• Carcassonne: it’s basically all luck and highly dependent on the tiles you draw. Plus it’s boring.
• Bang: once you’re dead the game is super boring. Yes there’s a chance you may come back but it’s a small chance. Why play this when you can play Resistance or Avalon?
• Apples to Apples / Cards Against Humanity: I can’t tell you how much I dislike these games…it’s basically all luck and zero strategy.

Next up, Party Games. These are perfect for large group gatherings.

• Taboo / Guesstures / Catch Phrase (6+ players): oldies but goodies. I also like Charades but I haven’t yet found a good board game version.
• Monikers / Celebrity / Time’s Up / Fish Bowl (6+ players): basically a combo of Taboo and Charades…what’s not to love? Bonus points since all players have to be engaged to do well (that is, you should also be paying attention when it’s the other team’s turn).
• Codenames (6+ players): it’s a steal at just $10 (at time of this writing). Highly recommended for the novice gamer or anyone who enjoys a casual game night. There’s also the pictures version, but I personally prefer the original.
• Wits and Wagers (3-7 players): This trivia game is awesome, and I literally just bought this updated edition today…I had the original deluxe version and have introduced it to many, many people. Trust me, it’s a million times better than Trivial Pursuit.
• Just One (3-7 players): just get it. A friend recently introduced this to me and I really liked it. Only downside is the scoring mechanism: I had to make up my own. (You can also get this at Target.)

More Strategic Games. I’m not talking about those hardcore Euro strategy games that take an hour to explain how to play and another 3 hours to play, but if you’re ready for a bit more complexity, here are the games I’d go for:

• Decrypto (6+ players): it’s Codenames on steroids. In general I do prefer it over Codenames, but it also takes a bit more brainpower. Players are also more engaged in Decrypto versus Codenames because everyone takes turn being the clue-giver in a single game.
• Dixit (4-6 players): okay, so this isn’t really a strategy game, but I like that this is a creative, right-brained game.
• Balderdash (4-6 players): again, not a strategy game, but it requires some humorous storytelling and it can make for some hilarious moments. You’ll want to play this game early on because it does require some brainpower to come up with those funny answers.
• Loot (4-8 players): you’re a pirate ship captain looking to get treasure. This game is super easy to learn but maybe too strategic for me because I still have no idea how to win. It’s more fun when you’re playing with 6 or 8 players because you’re on a team of 2. (Unfortunately you can’t play with 7.)
• For Sale (3-6 players): this simulates the house buying process because you’re trying to anticipate how other people will bid. It’s one of my favorites and is also fairly quick (15-20 minutes).
• Saboteur (6-10 players): this is probably the least strategic game in this category, but it’s quick and fun for groups >7.
• Magic Maze (3-8 players): I usually don’t like co-op games when you’re just playing against the game, but Magic Maze is great (some may say frustrating) because of the unique gameplay; there are no turns, you just go.
• Dominion (2-4 players): this is squarely in the strategy game category. There are also a million expansions available should you get tired of the base game. What I really appreciate about Dominion is the simple, elegant gameplay; it’s easy to learn, difficult to master.
• Splendor (2-4 players): like Dominion, this is also a solid strategy game. It’s less adversarial than Dominion, and is also a better two-player game. Get it.

Social Deduction / Lying Games. Are your friends good liars? If yes, you’ll want to explore games in this category.

• Cockroach poker (3-6 players): if you want to practice calling out other people on their lies, this is the game for you.
• Skulls (3-6 players): this is a simplified version of liar’s dice, and has a bit more strategery than the other games in this category. It can take a while, though, if nobody is successful at completing their bid.
• Coup (3-6 players): this is probably my least favorite in this category, but I guess people like it? It’s more adversarial than the others, and once you’re dead the game isn’t that fun.
• Resistance / Avalon (5-7 players): I have many fond memories of playing this game even though I’m a terrible liar. I do think I’ve gotten marginally better since playing it, though.
• Chameleon (5-9 players): this game is tough if you’re the chameleon, but again, it can help you become a better liar. At least it’s quick and you can play a few rounds.
• One Night Ultimate Werewolf (6-12 players): it’s perfectly acceptable to lie in this game, so the sooner you figure out how to do that, the more successful you’ll be in the game. (No moderator needed for this game; you have to download an app that will moderate for you.)
• Werewolf (5-10 players): this is basically mafia with cards, which I usually don’t like since once you’re dead it can be boring, but I enjoy just sitting back and watching other people play. You do need a moderator for this game, though, since it’s multiple rounds (nights) and there’s no app for that (to my knowledge, anyway).

Card games. I never tire of card games, but organizing a spades night with exactly 4 good players can be more difficult than just a regular game night where you don’t need a set number of players.

• Hearts / Spades / Bridge (4 players). In high school I used to play Hearts at lunch all the time. In college I graduated to Spades and Bridge, and nowadays I can still go hours just playing Spades.
• Wizards (3-6 players). It’s similar to Spades and Bridge, but different.
• Mao (4+ players): do not, I repeat, do not play this game after midnight…you will need your full faculties to play this game. You’ll also need somebody who’s good at the whole Mao rule-master thing.

Apple TV Games. This is a new category for me in the last couple years, and I’ve really enjoyed adding it to my game night repertoire. I usually play these games in the middle (rather than the beginning or end) of my game nights. Also, this should be available on platforms other than Apple TV.

• Fibbage (3-8 players): it’s essentially a simplified version of Balderdash.
• Drawful (3-8 players): this is similar to Fibbage, except it also has a drawing element. There’s no erasing on those drawings so make sure you think through what you want to draw ahead of time…
• You don’t know Jack (3-8 players): I used to play this game on the computer in high school, so am glad to see it on Jackbox.

Honorable Mentions:

• Camel Up (4-8 players): it’s a bit more luck-based than I’d like, but can still be fun since anything can happen in this camel racing game. Plus, it’s hard to find a game that scales up to 8 players.
• Captain Sonar (6-8 players): the most intense board game I have ever played. This is perfect if you have some intense, competitive people in your board game group, but if not then I’d skip it.
• Telestrations (up to 12): it’s basically telephone pictionary, and people seem to like this game despite the fact that there are no winners or losers…what are we, in kindergarten?

Additional Resources:

• Shut up and sit down (I guess it’s a board game review site) has a great post on 15 best big family games; that’s how I found Decrypto. Also, it’s a great post because I own 9 out of the 15 games they recommended. Plus, they have a bit more detail on some of the games I mention in this post.
• Wirecutter’s Board Game Recommendations. So I usually trust Wirecutter, but I have to disagree with their recommendation of Betrayal At House On the Hill. To me the game is very much luck-based, and you’re playing more for ambiance than anything else. Plus, once you’re dead it’s kind of boring. But, maybe their other recommendations are better.

I’m always on the lookout for new games, so please feel free to let me know if anybody has any good recommendations that I didn’t mention here! (Note that I do reserve the right to judge you based on whatever board game you mention.) Recently I was just told that I should try Treasure Island, so I’m looking forward to trying that next…