The 12 best board games in 2026, chosen by lifelong collectors and industry experts

No matter what you're in the mood for, you'll always find something to suit you amongst the best board games. Long gone are the days when Monopoly was the most interesting thing on the menu; now we're faced with a treasure trove of awesome ideas for every taste or skill-level. Want a quick party game for your next get-together with friends? Try Codenames. Would you prefer an in-depth strategy game that'll really put your skills to the test? Pandemic is a great choice, especially if you like working as a team.

Actually, there's almost too much choice. That's why the GamesRadar+ experts and I have rustled up what we think are the very best board games. No matter what you're into, your experience level, or your budget, you should discover a new favorite here. As an example, our team's top choice - Catan - is the perfect gateway game for newcomers but also serves as a board game night essential for more experienced players due to trend-setting mechanics. Not sure what you're in the mood for, on the other hand? Don't stress. Just head over to our guide on how to choose board games further down the page.

These suggestions aren't picked simply because they're popular, either. I've been reviewing board games as part of my day job for the best part of a decade now (something you can find out more about in the 'how we test' section), and our team's built a career covering industry news alongside conducting in-depth interviews with designers. That means we have a pretty good idea of what makes the best board games tick, so we won't ever recommend a product we don't truly believe in.

Curated by

Curated by

Benjamin Abbott

Benjamin has covered the board game industry on GamesRadar+ since 2018, and has written professionally for well over a decade. He began playing board games as soon as he was able to roll dice, and early favorites included the pirate-themed Buccaneer along with Talisman. He's currently loving Catan on the Road, a portable version of the iconic game.

Quick list

Want to get stuck into the best board games right away? Here's a bitesize roundup of our choices.

Best board game overall

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Benjamin Abbott

"Catan sparked a revolution when it launched in the '90s, and gaming was changed for the better with its arrival. It isn't a relic better left in the past, however; it still holds up. Its core loop remains as engaging now as it was decades ago, and a wealth of ways to win gives you an agency you don't always get with family-friendly games."

Catan is probably the most influential board game on this list, and I'd argue that it deserves a place on every shelf too. For one thing, it's the perfect 'gateway' into more sophisticated games. If you're ready to graduate from the likes of Risk or Clue, it eases you in whilst providing more of a challenge to sink your teeth into (particularly in the new, streamlined 2025 edition).

It also revolutionized the industry back when it was first published in 1995. Its unique ideas gained global recognition and spawned an entirely new genre – 'Eurogames' – which now dominates the industry. With this in mind, it's hard to argue that Catan doesn't deserve a spot here as one of the best board games overall.

Ever dreamt about creating your own slice of heaven? That's a reality here. Players are settling the uninhabited island of Catan and collecting resources to build their utopia, but space is limited. That means you'll have to be clever about where you go. Setting up shop next to the hottest goods doesn't guarantee success, for example; some resources are more likely to pay out than others, so you've got to weigh up your chances ahead of time (or trade with rivals if you can't get what you need, which is its own conundrum - it may help you in the short term, but could also bring your opponents closer to victory). It's all about the bigger picture, and foresight is rewarded.

There are multiple ways to win Catan too, so you'll never feel hemmed in. Players earn Victory Points by creating cities, mustering the largest army, constructing the longest road, and more, so you can choose your own path to glory.

That's why Catan has endured for 30 years – it makes memories, and few board games give you as much freedom to chart your own course.

• Read more: Catan review

Best board game for families

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Tabitha Baker

"A tense but incredibly rewarding experience that opens itself up to strategy and logic just as easily as it does creative thinking and social play."

Ticket to Ride is one of the most laid-back entries on this list, and that makes it the perfect choice if you want the best family board games that aren't going to start a civil war around the table. Thoughtful and relaxing, it's a delight for all ages that lets players tackle the challenge at their own pace. A new 2025 version also reduces the barrier to entry even more.

It does still have tactical bite, though. More specifically, figuring out the best way from A to B whilst working around roadblocks laid by your rivals is an engaging puzzle. Picture the scene; it's the early 1900s, top hats are in, and trains are still of the steam variety. In this quaint landscape of frilly frocks and tail-coats, you've got to plot railway routes from one city to another. Whoever completes the most lucrative lines will win.

Sounds easy, right? Not necessarily. Even though it's laid-back, there's an undercurrent of strategy holding everything together. You need sets of differently-colored train cards to lay down routes, and because these are taken from either a face-up market available to everyone or drawn blind, others might work out what you need and beat you to the punch by grabbing those cards first. Plus, there are limited routes available anyway. If you're too slow, you may get cut off or need to go the long way around. This adds a push-your-luck element to proceedings. What do you prioritize, and when?

It's not overly aggressive, either. There's less emphasis on screwing each other over (which is something I think we can all appreciate after Christmas sessions of Monopoly gone wrong), and while it's possible to ruin someone's day by building across their route, there's usually a way for them to salvage all that time and effort. As such, Ticket to Ride is something I'm more than happy to break out if things typically get heated at family gatherings.

• Read more: Ticket to Ride review

Best board game for 2 players

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Benjamin Abbott

"You might think that not being able to plan out your next move would make a board game for 2 players dull, but it's exactly the opposite. You'll become much more in tune with each other precisely because you can't talk, and the tension of trying to second-guess what your partner will do next has you on the edge of your seat. There's nothing quite like it."

As the runaway success of 2024, Sky Team is taxiing its way onto more than a few wishlists. (That's the perk of winning a prestigious Spiel des Jahres award, I suppose.) Happily, it lives up to the hype; this is an engrossing exercise in teamwork that really makes you feel closer to one another because you're forced to overcome limited communication. That makes it great for couples.

It's also been designed specifically with two people in mind, and is small enough to take on the go. In other words? It's a textbook definition of what the best 2-player board games should look like. Rather than trying to please everyone with mechanics that scale for a crowd, it's laser-focused on providing the best experience for a pair.

Sky Team bundles you into the cockpit and asks you to land a plane without reducing it to a smear across the runway. In true jet-setting fashion, you and your co-pilot will fly across the world to airports which offer unique challenges.

Because each player contributes dice to control everything from speed to angle of approach, being on the same page is crucial. If you aren't in sync, things will quickly go pear-shaped. This is why those dice are rolled in secret and you aren't allowed to tell each other what you've got – you'll need to think up another way of communicating.

Seeing as you can't talk once those dice have been rolled, it's hard not to become invested in Sky Team from the start. This isn't something you can play on autopilot – pun very much intended. Problem-solving together is baked into its DNA.

OK, I'll admit that this can be stressful. But if you want a challenge, you'll find one here. It doesn't throw you in at the deep end, either. Designer Luc Rémond has done a great job of easing you into harder objectives, not to mention drip-feeding new mechanics that shake things up.

The result is a game that seizes you by the collar and refuses to let go. If you can only get one board game for 2 players, make it this one.

• Read more: Sky Team review

Best party board game

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Ian Stokes

"Codenames is the ultimate pick-up-and-play party game. No complex mechanics to trip up new players — just a word association game with some structure around it, and a competitive edge to spice things up. Don't let that simplicity fool you, though. There is a ton of depth and strategy on offer here for experienced players to sink their teeth into.The key to Codenames's success as a party game is that it's all about communication and getting on the same wavelength as your teammates. This means you come away from a game of Codenames knowing your teammates a little bit better, and isn't that the whole point of a party?"

Finding the right party game can be a job worthy of Mission Impossible; it's gotta be a crowd-pleaser, can't take too long to play, and should be easy to understand. That's why I grab Codenames whenever my friends get together.

This spy-themed game challenges you to track down secret agents before your rivals can. It has a really straightforward concept anyone can pick up, but the best thing is how it gets everyone talking. You may just learn a thing or two about each other along the way - few party games are better at breaking the ice.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, involves dividing into teams (red or blue) and laying out 25 randomly-drawn word cards. Spies or innocent bystanders are hidden under each of them, but only two players – "spymasters" – know where. Find all your secret agents to win.

To help their team pick the right card, spymasters take it in turns to give clues. This is a single word associated with one or more cards on the board. (As an example, you might say "war" so that your team picks 'battleship' and 'missile.') If players select the wrong card and hit an innocent bystander, the turn ends immediately.

Even though it's a simple concept, there's an iceberg's worth of depth under the surface. Should spymasters play it safe by going through each card one by one, knowing that their opponents may pull ahead? Or is it better to connect multiple words as best you can, even if there's a risk players will choose the wrong card?

That's the devious brilliance of Codenames. Yes, the cards are randomly drawn. However, plenty of them can be lumped together in the same category – and you may not realize this until too late. I can't tell you the amount of times my team has gotten the right answer… before talking themselves out of it and choosing something completely tangential. It's hilarious, infuriating, and memorable in equal measure. (Tread carefully if you have overly-competitive friends, because they may not take kindly to mistakes.)

• Read more: Codenames review

Best co-op board game

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Rollin Bishop

"There's no real board game canon, but if there were, Pandemic would clearly be included. While the subject matter might sound particularly dark, the actual mechanics of where to place resources are straightforward and serve as a good shift from map-based games like Risk to more crunchy titles. It's a classic for a reason, but is maybe a second step rather than a gateway game."

The odds are against you from the start in Pandemic, but that's the beauty of it. This team-based epic is never less than thrilling, and it doesn't feel hopeless either. Despite being tasked with curing a clutch of super-diseases, good communication (not to mention the ability to think on your feet) will see you through. Want satisfying cooperative board games for your collection? This should be at the top of the pile.

Sure, its theme hits closer to home nowadays. But there's something cathartic about giving a pandemic the boot… even if it's only in this tabletop world of tokens and cards.

You're racing against the clock here; you've got to contain and cure four deadly diseases that are sweeping across the globe. Naturally, this is far from a walk in the park. For starters, new infections are placed on random cities each turn. If enough cases gather in one place, they'll spill into neighboring areas in a devastating domino effect. To make matters worse, the number of infections deployed each turn increases over the course of the game. Spin your wheels and you'll get overwhelmed.

This leaves you with a difficult choice: research a cure by collecting cards (at which point the game stops placing infections for that particular disease), or remove infections at a local level so you can keep things under control.

Such a balance of risk and reward secures Pandemic's throne as one of the best board games overall. Is it better to keep disease levels down so that they don't spread from city to city in the short term, or should you play the long game and go all-in on developing cures? There's no right answer, and this puts the power into your hands. Random chance dictates which cards get drawn from turn turn, of course, but everything else is all down to your strategy.

More importantly, that question will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I've rarely seen our board group more invested than when they're playing Pandemic, and the need to constantly change your battleplan on the fly means that communication is vital - a must for co-op games.

It's true that all this can be stressful. But it's also gripping. As mentioned in our review, such white-knuckle decision-making "shows off everything tabletop gaming is capable of."

• Read more: Pandemic review

Best strategy board game

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Matt Thrower

"Between this mutual yet competitive interdependence, the limitations of your hand, and the impossibly circular demands of building, Brass offers a unique strategic challenge."

There aren't many strategy games with a better reputation than Brass: Birmingham. It's widely considered to be one of the best board games ever made on community forums, and reviews typically glow with praise. I can't help but agree. There's an incredibly clever push and pull between players here; it's a case of keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer.

Although it takes a hot minute to get your head around (this is definitely a heavy-weight game), the effort is more than worthwhile. It's an easy recommendation for anyone wanting a tactical board game.

Set in the smog and soot of industrial revolution Britain, this game is all about forging a business empire. Your goal? Earn the most points by trading in everything from cotton to coal, capitalizing on a blossoming market. To do so, you'll have to build factories or mines, navigate supply and demand, create transport links to shuttle all this around, and work with rivals toward common goals.

The brilliance of Brass lies in how much you need your rivals to advance your own plans. There's a delicious, circular structure of dependencies at the heart of this game; you must outperform your foes to earn points that could win you the match, but will paradoxically need to utilize their resources in order to get what you want. Doing so may benefit you, but at the same time, it'll also give the other players an advantage.

As an example, you need to 'flip' industries to gain points from them. For the likes of an ironworks, that means using up the resource cubes that are placed on it when it's first built. You'll need those resources if you want to build other things, and can take them from another player's properties when necessary… but this means they're one step closer to scoring. Because it's practically impossible to access everything you need yourself, you'll inevitably have to rely on your opponents even if you don't want to (and vice versa). This adds ample tension and plenty to think about.

While all this isn't going to suit everyone, there's no denying that Brass: Birmingham is very, very clever.

• Read more: Brass: Birmingham review

Best board game for kids

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Benjamin Abbott

"I fell in love with King of Tokyo years ago after it was recommended at a board game cafe, and it's been on my favorites list ever since. Those push-your-luck mechanics are darn compelling, and there's a sense of fun here you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else."

King of Tokyo is the ideal choice for both big and little monsters alike. Allowing you to command tongue-in-cheek kaiju (ranging from Space Penguins to classic Godzilla-wannabes), it's all about pushing your luck. You earn points by stomping across Japan's capital, but this opens you up to attack from other players. The trick is knowing when to stick it out or when to make a hasty retreat, and this will keep everyone around the table invested.

It's a great introduction to board game strategy, in other words. When combined with the amusingly silly concept, there's plenty for children to love here – it's one of the best board games for kids by a long way. Even newer entries such as the delightful Sandcastles of Burgundy can't match it.

As you might expect from a board game about wanton destruction, King of Tokyo isn't difficult to understand. You need to earn points by attacking the city, and players do this by placing your character on that board space when it's empty. The longer you stick around, the more points you'll get… and if you can earn 20 points overall, you'll win.

However, victory won't come easy. Anyone in Tokyo is open to attack from rivals, and they can't heal while there. Basically, you're playing a game of chicken with your monster.

Regardless of where your monster is, your actions are dictated by dice rolls. Getting the claw symbol allows you to hurt rivals, hearts let you heal, and rolling three of a particular number earns bonus points. The latter can be tricky, so you're allowed to reroll some or all of your dice up to three times per turn. To translate, King of Tokyo is great for risk-assessment.

Hurling dice across the table and hoping for a good result is always thrilling, and King of Tokyo builds on that by adding a sprinkling of danger. Should you hold on for as long as possible in Tokyo itself to nab extra points, even though it's as good as putting a bullseye around your neck? Or is it better to let your opponents bleed themselves dry before swooping in yourself? There isn't a 'right' answer, and that makes for a tense balancing act that keeps everyone on the edge of their seat.

There's plenty to think about as a result, but not in a way that'll bog kids down. They shouldn't find it hard getting to grips with King of Tokyo's strategy, and newcomers should be able to dive in quickly. After all, playing is a case of rolling dice and deciding which results you want to keep.

Want to delve a little deeper? Ability cards and upgrades keep things interesting for all ages, and if you're anything like me, you'll be hooked soon after.

• Read more: King of Tokyo review

Best RPG board game

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Abigail Shannon

"Jaws of the Lion takes a dungeon-crawling experience that is expansive and epic, and makes it slightly less expansive … but no less epic. This hefty chunk of fantasy co-op goodness will take you through many a session of monster battling and exploration. Narrative does take a bit of a backseat here but I’d argue that looking cool and looting treasure is a sufficient backstory for any adventurer."

If you have a soft spot for fantasy and love nothing more than poring over ye-olde maps while dreaming of adventure, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion should be on your radar. This dungeon-crawling epic taps into all that with branching storylines more commonly seen in the best tabletop RPGs, and it makes skilful use of 'Legacy' mechanics where the consequences of your actions carry across from one session to the next.

Seeing as it's more accessible than the original Gloomhaven (and much less expensive), this is a great place to start regardless of whether you intend to tackle other entries in the series or just want a taste of adventure. Yes, it's more complex than many other board games. But it's also a whole lot better, and the perfect on-ramp for Gloomhaven's 2025 update.

Jaws of the Lion casts you as a mercenary looking for work in the grungy metropolis of Gloomhaven (imagine the world of The Witcher and you won't be far off). As is only right for fantasy RPGs, said 'work' involves swords and/or sorcery. These jobs lead you through a grand narrative where your choices matter, so tread carefully. Decisions can, and will, have consequences.

While that sounds intense, the game has been designed with accessibility in mind. Unlike the full Gloomhaven or its sequel, Frosthaven, this one is smaller in scale and drip-feeds everything you need to know piece by piece. That includes a novel combat system which gets rid of random dice rolls. Rather than leaving success up to luck, all of your movement or attack actions are divvied up onto cards instead. The challenge lies in deciding which ones to use - and when.

Few board games can match the sense of agency in OG Gloomhaven, and it's no different for Jaws of the Lion. Along with upgrades for your character that'll provide a more personal connection with them, battles being so skill-based makes victory all the sweeter. Your clever tactics saw you through, not luck of the dice. And while there is still a steep learning curve, it's far less intimidating than its predecessors.

It's also worth persevering with. Honestly, there's nothing quite like the combat of this series. Trying to figure out the best combination of actions to use at any one time is a compelling mini-game in itself, and juggling your limited resources (you'll lose cards as you progress) makes for a challenging puzzle.

Seeing as you'll have to balance helping your allies with hunting loot that can improve your hero, there's also a sizzling unease to keep you on the edge of your seat. Can your friends be trusted in a pinch, or are they more interested in helping themselves?

• Read more: Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion review

Best horror board game

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Benjamin Abbott

"If you're in the mood for a game you can truly sink your teeth into, Betrayal leads the pack. A randomized board and 50 unique scenarios (all with their own strategy) should keep you on edge for months, and it occupies a Goldilocks zone of gaming even if it isn't always the most balanced. Regardless of whether you're trying to find must-have horror or Halloween board games, this is a house you'll want to visit."

Ever wonder how long you'd last in a horror movie? Betrayal at House on the Hill lets you find out. Setting players loose in a haunted mansion that's quite literally out to get them, it's drenched with tension. It's also unpredictable enough that you're never sure what's going to happen next.

Sure, not all of the scenarios are created equal. But if you're hunting down something more mature in terms of both narrative and gameplay, I'd say that this takes the cake. There are scarier horror games as well, but this will be the best board game for most people due to its blend of accessibility with tactical gameplay.

Your aim here is simple – make it out of the mansion alive. That isn't to say it's predictable, though. Betrayal isn't set up like traditional board games, which is part of its appeal. Your character has been drawn to the house for mysterious reasons (they're following a friend who's gone missing or have received a strange invitation, for example), and each room is selected at random when you enter it. The items or events encountered within are randomized as well. In short? There's no way of telling what lurks behind those doors.

The only thing you do know is that one of the game's scenarios will eventually begin, dictated by the rooms and items you've drawn. This mission turns your allies – or the mansion itself – against you. Seeing as both sides are given secret objectives to follow, the result is an anxious yet exhilarating race against time.

This deadly twist on guess-who keeps you coming back for more. Which player is going to be unmasked as a traitor? And what will their mission be? With several-dozen imaginative scenarios under its belt, the novelty won't wear off anytime soon. Actually, I've still not seen everything these dusty halls have to offer despite playing the game for years. That puts Betrayal one step ahead of more formulaic (though still excellent) rivals like Mansions of Madness, and it ensures you'll have a blast even if you've already played an older version of the game. (To see how previous instalments stack up against the current one, check out our guide to Betrayal at House on the Hill 3rd edition vs 2nd edition.)

Yes, there's a learning curve. Its scenarios aren't always the most well-balanced either. But for the most part, you'll have enough fun that those niggles won't matter. This is perfect for game night with your grown-up friends, and it's one you can keep coming back to time and time again.

• Read more: Betrayal at House on the Hill review

Best puzzle board game

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Tabitha Baker

"The strategy to Azul sneaks up on you, to the point where I'm loathe to go into too much detail around specifics - it's just too much fun discovering each piece of the puzzle yourself."

Azul is downright beautiful, and its mechanics are just as enchanting. For those who prefer more cerebral tabletop experiences, I'd highly recommend this one - it's amongst the best puzzle board games and will keep you coming back for another bite of the apple.

Your aim is easy to wrap your head around; place tiles on the board and score points. In fact, a good description would be "color-based crossword." You've still got to take care, though. While you'll get better results if you manage to complete sets in this chilled-out pastime, wasting tiles on random formations can lower your score.

This leads to good-natured competition in an effort to outdo your previous record... or that of your rivals. Azul can feel more like a personal puzzle game than a head-to-head challenge as a result, which makes it a great 2-player option. There's a joy in lining up tiles to make patterns or by completing the perfect set. You're competing for the highest score, yes, but everyone's running their own race.

That's part of the reason you'll want to keep coming back; there's always something new to try, or another approach you can take. Azul encourages this by forcing you to play differently each time, and your strategy must shift depending on the combinations of colors available early on.

You see, Azul is more than a single grand puzzle. Everything has a knock-on effect to the point that deciding on your next move becomes a satisfying decision tree, and there's a joy in trying to draft tiles with as much efficiency as possible. As noted in our review, "the result of this complex combination of systems and logic is an organic strategy experience that each player shapes for themselves. As in all good drafting experiences, everyone at the table's playing a slightly different game and is developing a greater understanding of exactly what's being asked of you with every round."

• Read more: Azul review

Best classic board game

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Ian Stokes

"Twilight Imperium is the ultimate big board game. It's expensive, takes ages to play, and has a ton of rules to learn, but the reward for your efforts is one of the best board games ever made.There is a ton of strategic depth here, as each player is required to balance diplomacy, trading, economics and good old fashioned space warfare. The size and mechanical depth means it’s not for everyone — I’ve always described Twilight Imperium as a mixture of Risk and a meeting of the U.N. Security council — but if that sounds like your jam then you need to get this game."

Few of the best board games can match Twilight Imperium's reputation; it's beloved and borderline-infamous in equal measure. "Grand strategy" comes close to describing the experience, but even that doesn't do the thing justice.

Having delighted armchair tacticians since it was first published in 1997, Twilight Imperium is a heady blend of negotiation and warfare. The result can eat up a full day if you let it, and few sessions last less than four hours. OK, it's a newer entry compared to other classic board games (1977's Cosmic Encounter, say). But none have lived up to its ambition before or since. This is exemplified by a brand-new expansion for 2025, Thunder's Edge, that adds a new lynchpin to galactic conflict alongside rules which allow you to create your own unique faction.

After setting up your galaxy of planets and stars on the table, players choose one of many factions with their own strengths or weaknesses. The lion-like Emirates of Hacan excel when it comes to commerce, for instance, while the Universities of Jol-Nar are best at researching new tech.

No matter what, your aim is simple: rule the universe. The cosmos' previous rulers have stepped aside, so now everyone's scrambling to park their bums on that throne. You achieve this by completing a variety of secret or public objectives, and the result is political intrigue on an incredible scale. That's why matches can take so long.

When all is said and done, Twilight Imperium isn't a million miles away from Game of Thrones. Subterfuge, betrayal, and vast battles are commonplace.

While the rules powering these galaxy-shaking events aren't overly complex, they can have a big impact. As a case in point, attacks are rolled simultaneously. That means you can't ever guarantee how combat is going to pan out, so you must commit to a fight if you want to win. It's not just a case of rolling to see who gets a higher score, either; each ship has a specific attack value, and you'll roll a D10 for them all. Go over the threshold and you'll do damage.

Equally, players will vote for or against new laws that can change the game's mechanics. This leads to debates where you'll try and convince others to go your way, or an opportunity to spend your valuable 'influence' points.

Again, the downside is how long this all takes to run. You can spend an entire day on Twilight Imperium without much trouble, so be warned if you're short on time. Oh my, is it worthwhile though.

• Read more: Twilight Imperium review

Best trivia board game

Expert verdict

Expert verdict

Benjamin Abbott

"It isn't hard to find trivia board games, but tracking down good ones is a different story. Articulate continues to impress years after it was first published, and I always suggest it to family if they want to play something at a get-together."

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to be a little controversial. Everyone knows about Trivial Pursuit, but I don't think it's the best board game for trivia fans. In my mind, that honor belongs to Articulate.

For starters, it doesn't go 'out of date' in the way its competition does. Secondly, anyone can get involved; it's something of a one-size-fits-all for get-togethers. What's more, it's ideal if you have family or friends descending on you en-masse. Up to 20 people can take part in Articulate so long as you've got even team numbers, and countless people have been enjoying the brain-teasers that follow since 1992.

Once you've split up into teams, one member from each group will draw a card. They've then got 30 seconds to describe something listed there without using those specific words (e.g. for 'king' you might say "man who wears a crown"). Because you get to take another card if your teammates guess correctly, and you move that many spaces along the board once your turn is over, being succinct is key. The quicker you are, the further you'll go.

The space you land on will dictate which category you're reading from too, and these include everything from actions to geography. Some spaces even allow you to move your token forward or put a rival back.

The rush to rattle through as many cards as you can on your turn is, in a word, electrifying. While some won't appreciate the pressure that comes along with the spotlight, it's surprisingly engaging.

I'll admit that the result isn't very tactical, or high-octane. Nevertheless, it is fun. The simplicity of Articulate means that anyone and everyone can get involved as well. You don't need to be the font of all knowledge either, because the categories are refreshingly broad. That also means they don't have an expiry date, unlike many trivia games.

Finally, there are enough cards that you shouldn't get bored any time soon. I've been playing Articulate for well over a decade now and still haven't grown tired of it.

• Read more: Articulate review

How to choose the best board games

If you can't decide what you're in the mood for, or are feeling overwhelmed at the sheer amount of choice (you've got many types of board games to pick from, after all), there are a few questions you can ask yourself to narrow things down. Whenever someone asks about finding the best board games, our experts and I ask:

Longtime contributor and board game designer Katie Wickens has some advice as well. More specifically, she says that "board gaming is all about delighting your inner child – to do that you'll need to learn its language. Start with a theme. Something that brings out that childlike wonder is really important, because it'll give you something familiar, even nostalgic, to latch onto and fuel your immersion. Then you'll need to decide if you're all about playing solo, working collaboratively with others, or crushing your enemies at every turn. Some games will deliver you solitude, while others feed the team player in you, and some will feed your will to dominate, with the latter often landing somewhere on a sliding scale of relationship-endangerment.

"Your gaming group's needs should factor in too. There's no point presenting Grandma with an intensely strategic Eurogame when a simple game of snakes and ladders will do. Most importantly, think about what makes your brain light up. That could be collecting and managing resources, thinking tactically to outmaneuver your opponent, or even building something beautiful – the mechanics we mention will give you an idea of whether a game will speak to you. Remember: everyone games differently, and there's something out there for everyone."

How we test the best board games

The way we test products is incredibly important to the GamesRadar+ team, and our experts (who have years of experience covering the industry) won't ever recommend anything unless they legitimately feel it's worth your time. If we don't think a product is one of the best board games, it doesn't get onto this page.

You can find more details in our dedicated 'how we test board games' feature, but the GamesRadar+ process involves our reviewers spending as much time playing and living with a game as possible, allowing us to go far beyond surface-level judgements. This helps them ascertain what it does well, what it fails at, and its overall longevity. We also run multiple sessions with different player counts, just to see how the experience differs.

For a more in-depth examination of our process sitewide, be sure to see the GamesRadar+ review policy.

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Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

The GamesRadar+ team and I never stop reviewing board games new and old; it's our job, and one we take very seriously. Plenty of games have hit our testing table recently, and as always, we score them out of five stars based on the individual criteria listed above. You can see our most recent reviews below, complete with their ratings.

Sanibel | View at Amazon
This easy-going shell collecting game from the creator of Wingspan is the perfect way to kick off summer, and as our expert review explains, is well worth a look.

Read more: Sanibel review

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Sanctuary | View at Amazon
Do you like sim management games like Zoo Tycoon or Planet Zoo? This is for you. It's also smaller, more accessible version of the incredibly well-received Ark Nova, which is a huge plus in my book.

Read more: Sanctuary review

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Nemesis: Retaliation | View at Gamefound
We've made no secret of the fact that we adore the Nemesis series here, and the latest installment is downright incredible. It's a must-see.

Read more: Nemesis Retaliation review

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The Two Towers: Trick-Taking Game | View at Amazon
We have the first Lord of the Rings Trick-Taking Game down as one of the best in the business, so it's no surprise that our experts adore the follow-up. Actually, we called it a "puzzle-solving masterclass."

Read more: The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game review

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Grimcoven | View at Amazon
This grimdark board game feels like tabletop Bloodborne, and as noted in our review, it's "one of the best boss-battlers" we've ever played.

Read more: Grimcoven review

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Veiled Fate | View at Amazon
Are you a fan of The Traitors? This mythological deduction game needs to be on your radar, as it made us feel like puppet-masters.

Read more: Veiled Fate review

Bomb Busters | View at Amazon
This puzzle game is a five-star must-have in our eyes, so it comes highly recommended. Your task is to dismantle bombs before they explode through observation and deduction.

Read more: Bomb Busters review

Origin Story | View at Amazon
A superhero storytelling game with a trick-taking twist. It provides an excellent blend of theme and gameplay, helping it stand out from the crowd.

Read more: Origin Story review

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Best board games FAQ

Which board games should I look forward to in 2026?

The tabletop gaming world never sits still, and new products are landing on shelves every single month. (It feels like there's a steady avalanche, in fact.) Because there's so much to sift through, the GamesRadar+ team and I have rounded up a few board games we're looking forward to in particular this year. If you put anything on your wishlist over the next few months, we'd suggest making it these entries.

Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons - Ravenloft | View at Target
Following the success of last year's D&D Horrified crossover, we're going back for more... but this time, things are a little more gothic. That's because the franchise is visiting the realm of vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, and you can read all about it in our exclusive reveal.

📅 Release date: June 19, 2026

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Feya's Swamp | View at Fractal Juegos
There's a good amount of chatter surrounding this handsome economics game. Thanks to the enticing mix of trade and exploration, I can see why.

📅 Release date: Q2 2026

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Viking Route | View at Kickstarter
We were very taken with this Viking-themed co-op game delighted us when we had a go at last year's UK Games Expo, so it went onto our wishlist immediately. You should put it on yours too, because it has an ingenious new mechanic using magnets that decides where your longhship goes next. Good forward-planning is essential as a result, providing a fresh challenge I've certainly not seen before now.

📅 Release date: Q2 2026

Flamecraft Duels | View at Kickstarter
It's not entirely clear when this spin-off will hit shelves (it's suggesting a December 2025 release date at the time of writing), but Flamecraft Duels is worth watching out for anyway. It's all kinds of cozy cottage-core, so is perfect for a quiet games night at home.

📅 Release date: Q3 2026

What are the best board games to come out in 2026 so far?

We're only a few months into 2026, but some excellent titles are already jostling for a position on our list of the best board games. Here are a couple that have caught my eye so far.

Cozy Stickerville | View at Amazon
The community is already going nuts for this sticker-based game that leaves you with a completely unique board, and it's only just come out. That makes it worthy of attention off the bat.

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Sanibel | View at Amazon
Any game from the designer of Wingspan is going to draw attention, and rightly so - Elizabeth Hargrave is a legend in the field. Sanibel is a chill but beautiful way to welcome in the summer of 2026, so put it on your radar if it isn't already.

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Grimcoven | View at Amazon
The year kicked off with a massive boss battler from the developers of Nemesis, and we were certainly impressed with it when we went hands-on. It's a standout of 2026 so far in our opinion.

The Two Towers: Trick-Taking Game | View at Amazon
Considering how well this game's predecessor went down when it launched last year, the sequel was always going to create waves. And create waves it has - this seems to be every bit as good as the game that came before.

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Eager for more recommendations? If you want something to play at your next game night, don't miss the best D&D books.