When you see what the best board games are you will understand why everyone wants to play. Of course, you may already be playing these top board games yourself!
Best Board Game Options
Most Fun Board Games
Cool Board Games
Great Board Games
Best Party Board Games
Best Old Board Games
Fun Family Board Games
Best Classic Card Games
Best Cheap Board Games
Best Rainy Day Games
Board games are back! Well, they never really left, but after years of being shunned for electronic games and elegant cocktail parties’ board games have made a long awaited reappearance on the trend setters list of things to do with friends and family. Why wouldn’t board games be popular?
Risk Legacy Boardgame
Unlike with the original game of Risk the aim of the game is not solely world domination through various tactical means. What makes the new Legacy version so much better than the original is that the board itself changes with every game, so your game can span over weeks or even months. This makes it perfect for those with a dedicated group of gaming friends, or a family with older members.
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The Battle of Five Armies
Based on the final Hobbit movie, this is a tactical game and an absolute must for Tolkien fans. Although you don’t have to be a Tolkien fan to enjoy hacking up Orks and slaying opponents with special powers. Because of the special dice and event cards every game is different and open to a certain amount of chance.
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Voyages of Marco Polo
This is a four player, strategic dice rolling game of trade and acquisition. It is set in the 13th century on the Silk Road to Asia. Players have to gain points while dealing with unfortunate blows from the dice of chance, much like the trade routes would have dealt merchants with unexpected turns in the 13th century. The voyages Marco Polo is suitable for teens and adults.
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Ghost Busters
The ultimate ghost busters fan game. Weather you were around for the original movie or if you watched it as a classic golden-oldie, if you get a kick out of things that go bump in the night this game is definitely for you! The game is played by up to four players who can customize theor game experience as they go along. Each of the four ghost busters has his own abilities and handicaps and gains extra abilities as he goes along. Suitable for all levels of gamers from beginner to advanced.
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Dead of Winter Crossroads Game
Dead of Winter is the Zombie apocalypse game of the year. There have been many zombie games over the years and you may be thinking “Oh no, not another one” but Dead of winter has a few tactical elements that make it more co-operative and ultimately more fun to play with your friends than your average run-of-the-mill zombie game. With multiple skill levels and variable no two games are quite the same. A must for your zombie-fan players.
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Star Wars X Wing Miniatures Game
Star wars gaming fans will be over the moons about this latest, stunningly detailed Star wars space battle game. Featuring painted miniatures and meticulous attention to detail the game will not only satisfy your need for strategic take overs and freedom fighting, but also appeal to the purist Star Wars fan for being so down-right cool!
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Exploding Kittens Edition Explicit Content
Definitely not for kids and not for sensitive viewers, Exploding kittens is possibly the best fun card-based game of the year, provided that you are into a bit of humours gore and disgusting noises. Perfect for those guys who just want to blow things up and joke about their bodily functions. Save this one for boys night, guys, because most of your girlfriends (aside from that occasional tom-boy girl buddy) are not going to want to play this game!
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Pie Face
Last but not least if you are looking for a fun new game for the whole family then you have to try Pie Face right away. Suitable from ages 5 and up this game might just get you sticky, so lay down your old towels and newspapers and get ready for some roll-on-the-floor-laughing whole family fun.
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Boardgame Buying Guide – 15 FAQs
Board games are fun, and the right one can bring together the entire family, turn them against one another and cause everyone to have a great time all together, however buying a board game is a different story completely.
There are a lot of things to keep in mind when purchasing a board game, and it can be quite easy to make mistakes and purchase the wrong one.
The main thing that you must always remember is the fact that you must know the people that you are intending to buy the game for and play the game with, and as such know what makes the have fun and what bores them at the same time.
1. Are there specific age ratings on these games?
Yes, various games have various ratings assigned to them based on the mechanics of the game, the complexity of the rules as well as the content and the writing style used.
2. Is there a surefire way to find the perfect game?
There is no such thing as the perfect game or a surefire formula that can lead to said perfect game.
At the end of the day, it boils down to the tastes and preferences of the people that play the game, and whether they enjoy it or not.
3. How can you be certain that the board game that you are about to buy will be received positively by the people that you are playing with?
Unless it is a gift or surprise, and they are not supposed to know about it, you should talk to them about the game, discuss it, the rules, the story line and the mechanics.
This is the best way to tell if the game would be well received or not.
Here is a video that can provide some additional information in this regard:
4. How many players should be able to play the game?
Different games have a different number of maximum and minimum players.
It is easy to think that a game that can be played in as many as 8 people is a great choice even though it will be played by 2 or 3, however in that case most of the mechanics will lose their value and become charmless.
Games can be played on average by a minimum of 2 players and a maximum of 4 or 6 players, some larger and more complex board games going as far as 8 or 10 players as a maximum.
Simply go for the one that has the maximum number of players closer to the number of people that will be able to play it.
5. Are the rules set in stone?
Most of the times yes, because the rules are the ones that dictate how the game mechanics flow.
There are games with flexible rule sets or even a wide selection of rule sets, however these games are few and far between.
6. Where should I buy board games from?
Only the specialized retailers can be trusted to offer the proper and complete board games.
Convenience stores and super markets tend to have either cheaper incomplete versions or the wrong version all together.
7. What about buying them second hand?
In theory it is a valid way in which you can obtain the board game that you are after while saving some money.
Most of the time either the prices are inflated because of “sentimental value” or “collectable value”, or the board game comes with certain problems such as wear and tear issues, stains, rips or even missing pieces.
It’s worth taking a look, however it is not reliable enough to count on.
8. I am buying a board game for small children to play with, what should I look for?
Make sure that there are no small pieces that can either be ingested, present a choking hazard, or get lost easily.
Make sure that the rules are few in number and easy to grasp.
Make sure that the game is happy and fun, instead of grim and depressing.
Make sure that the game is fair without any mechanics that can be exploited.
9. Are board games dangerous from a psychological point of view?
No.
There have been studies conducted in the past on both children and teenagers, which have proven that board games enhance certain cognitive skills, as well as help the kids develop better social skills.
10. How can I decide which board game to buy?
Board games are quite popular around the world.
Simply check out websites that cover and review board games, and pick the one that sounds appealing to you.
You should also discuss the games that you have found to be appealing with the people that you will be playing the games with.
11. What about buying board games online?
Truth be told, the stores themselves have small physical selections, however they have a lot of variety on their websites.
You could purchase the games online yourself, or simply go to a store, pay for the game and have it be either delivered to your door when it arrives or to the store that you bought it from.
12. Are there any things that I should buy extra?
Yes, there is one thing that you should always have on you at all times, and it does not usually come with board games, a set of dice from D3 (3 sides) all the way to D30 (30 sides).
13. How many board games should I have in my house?
A rule of thumb dictates that you should have about 4 different board games. One for 2 or 3 players, 1 for 4 players and 2 for 6 players, in order to provide some diversity and choice for your guests.
There is no maximum amount of board games, some enthusiasts even claiming that the more board games there are, the better.
14. What board game should I start with?
You can start with some of the most popular board games out there.
You could go for famous titles such as Monopoly, Risk or even Settlers of Catan, or you could go for some more unknown and obscure titles.
It mostly depends on who you will be playing them with.
Here is a website that can provide a lot more in-depth information in this regard: Which board games should I buy first
15. What makes a good board game?
First of all, a good board game must not be too short nor too long, however this is mostly dependent on the people that you play with.
A rule of thumb dictates that 30 – 45 minute rounds are optimum.
Second, the game must keep all the players interested and engaged. If the mechanics are too repetitive, or the game simply lacks content then you will get bored with it fast.
Lastly, the art style used, which varies immensely from game to game. Learn what you and the other people that will be playing it are into, and stick to that route.
Hope this list of the best board games for 2015 was helpful. Do you have others you would like to add to the list? Please leave us a note below.
