Best board games 2025: must-have games for adults and families

Are you eager to show off your focus and have some fun challenging your loved ones with a classic board game? There’s nothing quite like the timeless joy of gathering everyone for a friendly competition!

Instead of relying on technology when you need a break, a wonderful option is a captivating board game that provides off-screen fun no matter the time, weather, or age group. Whether you’re spending a leisurely Sunday afternoon at home with loved ones or craving an exhilarating Friday night out by challenging your friends, there’s always a board game suitable for every situation.

Some games have stood the test of time, such as Monopoly – a timeless favorite that consistently delivers enjoyment. However, there are also fresh contenders emerging, like The Traitors Board Game, inspired by the popular television series, designed to challenge even the most seasoned players.

Gather comfortably either around the kitchen table or on cushions spread across the living room floor, with no pressure or judgment. Engage in the epic battle that is a board game, preparing for the exciting finale where the ultimate champion will be crowned and celebrated in their well-earned triumph.

Here are some top-notch board games we’ve handpicked for your enjoyment, ranging from those involving conversation and sketching, all the way to games that test your deduction skills and deception abilities.

  • Best for all generations: Articulate, £32.99 £17.99 (save £15 or 45%)
  • Best for thinking like the rest: Herd Mentality, £19.49 £14.99 (save £4.50 or 23%)
  • Best classic board game: Monopoly, £25.99 £16.99 (save £9 or 35%)
  • Best new board game: The Traitors Board Game, £19.99
  • Best wacky board game: Taskmaster, £25
  • Best for bluffing: The Chameleon Game, £24.99
  • Best quick-action board game: Six Second Scribbles, £14.99
  • Best for competitiveness: Confident, £22
  • Best simple board game: Linkee, £25
  • Best imaginative board game: Dixit Odyssey, £34.86
  • Best for wordsmiths: Scrabble, £21.99 £10.99 (save £11 or 50%)
  • Best for general knowledge: Trivial Pursuit, £33.99 £27.19 (save £6.80 or 20%)
  • Best for mystery solving: Cluedo, £25 £20 (save £5 or 20%)
  • Best for head-to-head battle: Battleship, £21.99 £15.99 (save £6 or 27%)
  • Best for concentration: Operation, £25
  • Best cooperative board game: Pandemic, £35
  • Best party board game: Wordle, £30
  • Best fast-paced board game: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, £11.99 £9.99 (save £2 or 17%)
  • Best pop-culture board game: The LOGO Board Game Second Edition, £33.99 £17.99 (save £16 or 53%)

Best board games to play in 2024

Articulate

Best for all generations

For ages: 12 and over
Number of players: 4 to 20+ players

Let’s challenge each other in a speedy and witty board game called Articulate! Form teams by pairing up or grouping together and strive to describe various subjects such as well-known individuals, items, natural scenes, and global landmarks to your teammates as quickly as possible.

Herd Mentality

Best for thinking like the rest

For ages: 10+
Number of players: 4 to 20 players

Test your deep understanding of your friends and family with Herd Mentality! Here’s how it works: Read off various questions, privately note down your answers, then compare with others. If your answer matches the most common one, you score a win (cows). If your answer is unique, you get the pink cow. This game promises endless family fun and laughter!

Monopoly

Best classic board game

For ages: 8+
Number of players: 2 or more players

As a board game enthusiast, Monopoly is undeniably a classic that stands the test of time. I love navigating the game’s landscape as I acquire, develop, and monetize properties within the fictional town – from prime real estate like sites, stations, and utilities to testing my opponents with strategic property trading. Building houses and hotels brings in the big bucks, but always keep an eye on your competitors and their cunning strategies!

The Traitors Board Game

Best new board game

For ages: 12+
Number of players: 4 to 6 players

Have you heard? You can actually bring the game of Traitors to life with the help of the Traitors live event!

Taskmaster

Best wacky board game

For ages: 8+
Number of players: 3+ players

Transform your cozy abode into a lively setting for the beloved TV series Taskmaster, right at home! Gather your cherished companions – friends and family alike – to engage in a whirlwind of laughter and camaraderie as you take part in an array of zany challenges. The ultimate goal: emerge victorious and earn the prestigious title of Taskmaster Champion. Bonus points: You’ll find some video tasks straight from the ingenious mind of Alex Horne, the series creator!

The Chameleon Game

Best for bluffing

For ages: 14+
Number of players: 3 to 8 players

In this entertaining game, there’s only one camouflaging chameleon among the players, and its mission is to remain undetected while figuring out the hidden Mystery Word. The rest of the participants should strive to find the disguised chameleon without revealing the Mystery Word. This engaging game combines elements of bluffing and reasoning; challenge your loved ones and friends to see how well they can think on their feet!

Six Second Scribbles

Best quick-action board game

For ages: 8+
Number of players: 2 to 8 players

Challenge your artistic abilities by quickly sketching 10 images within a minute! With over 1000 diverse objects categorized across 100+ topics, there’s something for everyone – from easy-to-draw items like common foods and animals, to complex subjects such as challenging tourist attractions or intricate cheeses. Earn points if others can correctly identify your artwork, and enjoy endless hours of entertaining guessing games!

Confident

Best for competitiveness 

For ages: 10+
Number of players: 2 to 30 players

In this engaging game, the key is to showcase your self-assuredness. When confronted with trivia questions and intriguing facts, participants should provide a broad spectrum for their answers, but strive for the narrowest range compared to others. The game features 180 cards for exploration and six quick-wipe answer boards, which make it fast-moving and increase the overall competition.

Linkee

Best simple board game

For ages: 14+
Number of players: 2+ players

In Linkee, your goal is to accurately answer four questions related to each card, then figure out how the answers are connected. The first player to exclaim “linkee” wins that card. There are hundreds of questions designed to challenge your ability to make connections, listen carefully, and engage in friendly competition.

Dixit Odyssey

Best imaginative board game

For ages: 8+
Number of players: 3 to 12 players

Delve into the boundless realms of creativity with Dixit Odyssey, as you marvel at the exquisitely designed cards. One participant acts as the narrator, selects a card without revealing it to others, and summarizes its essence in a single word or phrase.

In simpler terms, each player draws a card based on the storyteller’s description, and afterwards, everyone tries to identify which card was originally described by the storyteller among the ones displayed.

Scrabble

Best for wordsmiths

For ages: 10+
Number of players: 2 to 4 players

Dive headfirst into the well-known game called Scrabble, where you compete against others by arranging seven random letters into words. Every letter holds a specific value, and the winner is determined by having the highest total at the end of play. Let your spelling skills and vocabulary shine!

Trivial Pursuit

Best for general knowledge

For ages: 16+
Number of players: 2 to 6 players

Delve into the rich tapestry of history, geography, art, literature, sports, and nature! Engage in friendly competitions with your loved ones using Trivial Pursuit, a game that tests knowledge across various fields. With over 2,400 intriguing questions at your fingertips, each correctly answered advances you closer to filling your wedge holder and securing victory.

Cluedo

Best for mystery solving

For ages: 8+
Number of players: 2 to 6 players

A crime has occurred – a heinous act of taking a life. Yet, the question remains unanswered: who committed this deed, where did it happen, and what tool was used? Engage in an intellectual battle against fellow detectives to collect evidence, unravel the mystery, and crack the murder case. The first one to piece together the truth triumphs. Gather your detective gear and let the game begin!

Battleship

Best for head-to-head battle

For ages: 7+
Number of players: 2 players

Compete alongside a partner in a naval warfare-themed duel when playing Battleship. Locate one another’s hidden fleets consisting of submarines, patrol boats, and battleships, and eliminate them to win the game. The game is compactly designed for easy transportation in portable battle boxes, making it perfect for playing on-the-go.

Operation

Best for concentration

For ages: 6+
Number of players: 1+ players

Task: Remove 12 humorous health issues from Cavity Sam without triggering the alarm. Use tweezers to get items like a wishbone or Adam’s apple, aiming to make him feel better. Earn points by avoiding the buzz, and the player with the most points at the end is the winner.

Pandemic

Best cooperative board game 

For ages: 10+
Number of players: 2 to 4 players

In this board game, all players collaborate or face defeat collectively, assuming roles as global disease-fighting experts aiming to prevent pandemics worldwide. By drawing cards, they navigate between cities, provide care for the sick, search for cures, and construct research centers to combat diseases. However, beware of Epidemic cards that can exacerbate the situation.

Wordle

Best party board game

For ages: 14+
Number of players: 2 to 4 players

This board game adaptation of the widely known Wordle lets you engage in face-to-face competition with friends and relatives, as opposed to the digital variant. In this version, one player writes a five-letter secret word, and others attempt to guess it. The player who makes the fewest attempts emerges victorious. You can play at different paces like fast mode, timed mode, or even collaboratively in team mode for an exhilarating experience!

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Best fast-paced board game

For ages: 8+
Number of players: 2+ players

This game could seem quite unusual at first glance, but it’s guaranteed to keep everyone entertained for a long time. Here’s a quick rundown: Learn by heart the sequence Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza, and when a corresponding card is turned over, be ready to quickly place your hand on a central stack of cards. The goal is to get rid of all your cards first. Be careful, though; watch out for the Gorilla, Groundhog, and Narwhal as well!

The LOGO Board Game is a must for the Christmas dinner table. Both simple and challenging, this game requires you to answer a series of questions about world-famous brands and, of course, their logo’s. From naming all the flavours of Skittle to trying remember the history of cleaning brands, it’s relevant and varied enough to be played by all ages.

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2025-01-07 16:08