Here's the perfect board game starter set for anyone wanting to get into the hobby

Pandemic board, cards, and tokens on a wooden table — (Image credit: Future)

There's been a real resurgence of interest in board games over the past few years, and it's trendier than ever to roll dice together at game night or in your local board game cafe. However, while the industry is a vibrant and electric place full of incredible ideas that put old favorites like Monopoly to shame, it can be overwhelming if you're new to the hobby - there's almost too much choice. That's why I've gathered up some good starting points here.

I've been reviewing and writing about the best board games on GamesRadar+ for nearly eight years now, but I've been playing them for a lot longer. That means I've got plenty of suggestions for where newcomers should start... and I've listed my four favorite beginner-friendly board games below. For me, these are the ideal starting point and should ease you into the hobby.

It's worth noting that a few of these are on offer for Prime Day, too; most have been heavily discounted as part of the sale, so now's a great time to dive in. Just remember, the event ends tonight (June 26) so you don't have much time to take advantage of the discounts!

If you're looking for a good starting point with modern, more in-depth board games. I'm begin here. As noted in my Ticket to Ride review, it's really easy to understand but has more to it than classics like Clue. You're trying to claim routes across North America for points, but there are limited railway lines available; if you don't think ahead or claim them fast enough, you'll be cut off and then must go the long way around. Plus, there are multiple valid approaches to gaining points - meaning you can chart your own course.

Want something very laid-back, with puzzle-like elements? I'd highly recommend this delightful board game. We gave it a glowing write-up in our Carcassonne review because it's simple to learn, has heaps of replayability, and is easy to expand on if you want to take the experience further. Your aim is to create a patchwork map of medieval cities from randomly-drawn tiles, claiming different landmarks for points - but you only get a payout once that landmark is finished, and you have limited tokens to place. That means thinking carefully about when to strike is vital.

I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that Catan is one of the most influential board games ever made; it basically created a whole new type of game and more or less kickstarted the current trend of hobby board gaming. Your goal is to create the most successful civilization on an island, but you can earn points from a variety of approaches (be that creating cities, the largest army, etc) so there's no single strategy for winning. As we said in our Catan review, it still more than holds up in 2026 as well.

Looking for other tabletop recommendations? Don't miss the best family board games, the best 2-player board games or the best card games.

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