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Now, I know what you’re thinking. A top 10 board games list of all time (as in every board game ever…) is a pretty bold claim to make. So, rather than jumping right in at number 10, why don’t we take a look back to December, 1935 to see how we got to this point…
For those of you who don’t have the release dates of every board game memorised, December 1935 was the month of Monopoly (worthy of a national holiday in my opinion). The now ubiquitous winner-take-all board game has since been translated into 37 languages and evolved into over 200 licensed and localized editions for 103 countries across the world. So, a pretty big move in the board gaming world.
This was, simply put, the start of board gaming. There’s a formative time in every young persons life where they lose their first game of monopoly, and learn the truly harrowing truth of debt and the housing market (even the early 1900’s could see that economic crisis from a mile off).
Moving on, we get the release of such classics as Jenga, Snakes and Ladders and Ludo which you’ll find covered in dust in your family home, or only brought out for Christmas Day (personally, there’s nothing I get more competitive about than winning a game of Ludo, it’s not as boring as you think!)
So, we’ve got the board game classics, the board games that anyone of any age would be able to recognise. Fast forward a few years and, pause your collective shuddering, we arrive at the Pandemic. How else are you supposed to spend hours shut inside on the edge of stir crazy without a good ol’ board game? That’s what a lot of creators seemed to think anyway, as the gaming market boomed around this time.
And from all this, we arrive to this blog. From the classic strategy, dice rolling games of the 20th century, to campaign, tile laying, engine building, co-op games and more. I present to you, the top 10 board games of all time.
#1 Wingspan:
If we’re talking about big impact games, then I can’t ignore Wingspan. Released in 2019, Wingspan opened a lot of eyes to the ‘modern board game’ genre of today.
At its core, Wingspan is a 1-5 player, tile-laying and resource management game with a twist. Players take on the role of bird enthusiasts seeking to attract diverse species to their aviary. Through strategic placement of tiles representing different habitats like forests, mountains, and wetlands, players call birds to their respective habitats. As the game progresses, players must balance acquiring new birds, managing resources, and adapting to a changing environment.
So, What Sets Wingspan Apart From The Rest?
Wingspan did so well in the board game scene, even more so than its publishers expected, because of its theming– in other words, it really went ham on the birds! From the beautifully illustrated bird cards to the intricately designed habitat tiles, every component is a tight link to the avian world it’s trying to create. In fact, it even birthed a whole genre of nature centric board games – such as Cascadia – and popularised the tile laying mechanic – such as Azul.
This isn’t just any old board game that happened to do well, it’s a template for many of the board games we get today, and well deserving of the top spot in my Top 10 Board Games of all time.
#2 Ticket To Ride:
As soon as I got my hands on a copy of Ticket To Ride it became a family favourite, and a weekend just doesn’t feel complete without a game (as long as I win, of course). But what makes it so addicting?
Ticket to Ride stands proudly in the pantheon of modern board game classics; as a gateway game, it introduces newcomers to the world of modern board gaming while maintaining that depth that seasoned players come back for.
Simply put, it’s a 2-5 player set collecting and route building game where players compete to connect cities across the map with colour coded train routes – relying on both strategy and luck to win.
So, What Sets Ticket To Ride Apart From The Rest?
It’s exactly this combination of strategic decision-making route building with a dash of luck that calls back to the likes of monopoly, but this time in a refurbished, higher value production. It’s replayability is, and I can vouch for this as an avid player, endless, and the huge variety of expansions mean if you did want a change of scene, you’re not limited for options. This is a modern classic building on everything that made a great board game in the past!
#3 Terraforming Mars
Set in the not-so-distant future, 1-5 players assume the roles of competing corporations tasked with transforming the Red Planet into a habitable home for humanity.
Now, Terraforming Mars has a lot going for it in terms of the kind of game it is: from card drafting, resource management, engine building to strategy, risk and chance – but it’s all this that makes it the perfect game.
So, What Sets Terraforming Mars Apart From The Rest?
Unlike many board games that rely solely on chance, Terraforming Mars offers players a deep strategic experience, allowing them to craft their path to victory through careful planning and decision-making. The game's mechanics really does pile the pressure on – I mean, the future of humanity is quite literally in your hands here – and it effortlessly simulates the challenges of real-life terraforming, from managing resources like energy and water to placing cities and greenery across the Martian landscape.
All these elements, coupled with the game's strategic depth, keeps players coming back time and time again.
#4 Pandemic
We’ve had a lot of every-man-for-himself, only one can take the crown kind of board games so far – so what about the games that let you take the pressure of how you’re playing, and think about the whole group instead? You guessed it – it’s a co-op game, and it’s none other than (drumroll please) Pandemic!
Pandemic is a cult-classic at this point – if it’s not pride and centre on your board game shelf then you need to make some room.
Maybe a bit too on the nose for what seems like a Pandemic that just ended, Pandemic (the board game) is a brilliant 2-4 player game, with the simple goal of working together to find the cure for each of the four diseases before time runs out. Seems simple, but you’ve got a lot to juggle. Watch out for epidemics, build vital research centres and prevent infection spreading across cities…once again, the fate of humanity is in your hands (these board game makers do love a post-apocalyptic theme).
So, What Sets Pandemic Apart From The Rest?
It’s pretty simply – the co-operative play, where players must strategize to achieve victory, is brilliantly immersive; if you’re not shouting at each other at least once about the best next move then you’re definitely doing it wrong!
#5 Codenames:
We’re halfway through now, and we’ve already had the fate of humanity in our hands at least twice, so let’s put the brakes on and check out a party game. I know, a party game in the top 10 board games of all time. Really?! But don’t let the ‘party’ tile fool you!
My #5 pick is Codenames – a lot of you have probably already heard of it, a lot of you maybe not – but it’s definitely worth a mention.
In Codenames, players split into two teams (of at least 2 players), each led by a spymaster who provides cryptic clues to guide their teammates to uncover the identities of hidden agents. Through clever wordplay and quick-thinking, teams race to identify their agents while avoiding the opposing team's spies and assassin.
So, What Sets Codenames Apart From The Rest?
Why is Codenames so popular, when even I can think of 20 other similar games. Well, not only is it easy to learn and even easier to play, but you literally need no skills to do so. This is the perfect game for those who claim to be bad at word games, or those who have no confidence with deduction – it’s just too easy to mess up! It’s also an instant laugh generator, without needing any major creativity from players – there’s no need to act the words out like charades, or use some abstract concept to get your point across – the simpler the better.
Codenames just works, you literally can’t go wrong!
#6 Kites Time To Fly
We’re putting our foot down on the accelerator a bit now and turning to a card game. This one might divide the room a bit, as it’s not a majorly complex or ‘thinky’ card game, but boy is it fun. Kites put you and your team against… well, against 5 sand timers. Now this might sound strange, but bear with me:
You’ve probably played your fair share of time sensitive games – from 5 Second Rule to 60-minute or less Escape room games – but nothing quite as intense as Kites Time To Fly. The premise is simple: there are six timers and the game ends immediately with a loss if any of the timers runs out of sand. 2-6 players keep the timers active by playing cards which have matching colours to the timers, and this allows you to flip them. You win when all cards have been played and all timers are still running.
So, What Sets Kites Apart From The Rest?
Kites sounds simple enough until you give it a go yourself. Never have a I nearly broken a sweat over a literal card game before – Kites is so simple yet so brilliantly intense I couldn’t not include it in the top 10 board games line up. It’s really ruined card games for me, nothing is as fun anymore – so this one comes with a caution, only buy if you’re willing to never play another card game again
#7 Twilight Imperium:
We’re shifting gears now with a heavy tabletop game – it’s none other than Twilight Imperium. This really is the strategy games of strategy games: as the quintessential 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) game, Twilight Imperium thrusts 3-6 players into a universe of politics, military might, and strategy on a scale unmatched by any other tabletop experience.
With players taking on the role of alien races vying for control over the galaxy via negation, warfare, and resource management, this game is all about logic and outmanoeuvring your rivals to ascend to dominance. Terraforming Mars unfolds over multiple rounds (which might be a bit of an understatement…you really can dedicate hours and hours to just one game) each punctuated by intense conflicts, negotiations, and decisions that shape the course of history (at least it’s not the human race that rests on your shoulders now, just an alien one…)
So, What Sets Twilight Imperium Apart From The Rest:
To break it down, you’ve got around 17 different factions with unique abilities to juggle, a unique map that is generated by players, technologies, units, capabilities, laws that can change the game state, objectives that vary with each game and so many in other in depth variables to consider. This truly is a beast of a game, and one that cannot be attempted without concentration, strategy, tactics, diplomacy and a sprinkling of luck in between. If you’re a heavy tabletop lover – then this will undoubtedly be a new favourite, it’s just so immersive, you’re truly in the world of Twilight Imperium!
#8 Catan:
Catan is often credited with being the forefather of the present-day Euro game. It’s been printed in 39 languages and sold over 27 million copies – the stats speak for themselves.
In Catan, 3-4 players compete to reach 10 victory points, by building towns and cities on a randomised board made of hex tiles. You all start the game with limited resources, with the aim to acquire more materials to construct roads linking your settlements, with the end-goal of upgrading them into cities.
Resources are allocated each turn based on a dice roll, and players can negotiate trades with one another (which can turn into a brutal sport of good ol’ fashioned bartering)
So, What Sets Catan Apart From The Rest?
First up, its replayability is basically endless – the boards tiles can be randomised, as can the numbers used to determine what roll produces what resources – so it’s an entirely new challenge each time.
It’s also the perfect gateway game for new gamers, the rules are easy to pick up, it’s not too complex or heavy, and it you can be packing it away in about an hour – it’s a board gaming staple!
#9 Carcassonne:
A 2-5player tile-placement and area control game released in 2000, Carcassonne has made its name as a must-have in the board game world. It was the Spiel des Jahres winner in 2001 and has been nominated for, and won, several other awards since being published.
For such an award sweeping game, the premise is deceptively simple: players select a face-down tile from the centre of the table, and place it to continue the landscape of the already set tiles on the table, aiming to develop an area of the South of France. On the surface, it’s your run of the mil tile-placement game…
What’s the kicker then...
So, What Sets Carcassonne Apart From The Rest?
Well, it’s a tile placement with its intensity ramped up to 1000. The key rule with Carcassonne, is that roads must continue roads, castles must continue castles; you cannot cut off a feature. Each tile placement matters, and your brain will be working hard to try and figure out the best moves – but that’s half the fun!
Despite its minimal components and simple gameplay, the game offers some tough tactical and strategic decisions. And for once the fate of humanity isn’t in your hands – what’s not to love!
#10 Earth
As we come to the finale of our top 10 board games run down, it’s the perfect time to focus not just on the why the mechanics of a game make it great, but why the aesthetics of a game are just as important. At #10 is Earth, famous for its strategy, even more well known for its good looks.
An open world engine builder for 1 to 5 players, in Earth each player is creating their own island made up of a grid of 4x4 flora and terrain cards. Plants sprout, grow, die and return to the earth as compost, which is a nice thematic nod to nature’s cycle. You can sit back, relax, and focusing on sprucing up your terrain to make it as aesthetic as possible, but there’s plenty going on beneath the surface to keep your brain busy as well.
So, What Sets Earth Apart From The Rest?
Overall, Earth ticks a lot of boxes: it’s pretty, fun, and doesn’t lose it’s charm no matter how many times you play – it’s the perfect board game staple.
Final Thoughts:
So, this was my rundown of the top 10 board games of all time – my personal crème da le crème. Obviously, there are some games that couldn’t make it onto the list, and some that you’ll probably disagree with – but this is the perfect time for you to give them all a go! Check out our huge range of games over at Zatu, and check back in for some future change ups to the Top 10 board games….Happy gaming!