The 10 Best Party Board Games of All Time

Best Overall

Catan Studio Settlers of Catan: Family Edition

4.7

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Settlers of Catan has been translated into over 30 different languages, so it’s safe to say this one appeals to a range of audiences. This adventure-based board game requires players to battle it out to collect resources and build the biggest settlements on the island of Catan.

The board is made up of 19 hexagonal tiles that are arranged randomly at the beginning of each game—making sure that no two games are ever the same. Each player gets a color-coded settlement, road, and city pieces, and earns “victory points” as they build various structures. The first player to 10 points wins the game. The game relies on tactical thinking and decision-making, and while it is competitive, it ends up pitting players against the game rather than each other.

Users love the more family-friendly version of the classic game but note that it is definitely not as extensive as the original. Still, there are plenty of opportunities to replay this pick and try out different strategies and methods.

Price at time of publish: $29

_{Number of Players: 3-4 | Duration: 60-90 minutes | Recommended Age: 10 years and up}

Best for Large Groups

Czech Games Codenames

4.2

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One of the most popular board games today is Codenames. Described as a “social word game,” Codenames receives ample praise for its unique, easy-to-pick-up gameplay. You can play Codenames with any number of people, easily accommodating large groups by breaking into teams. To play, the two teams race to identify their “agents” with the help of one-word clues from the team’s “Spymaster.”

Price at time of publish: $20

_{Number of Players: 2+ | Duration: 15-30 minutes | Recommended Age: 10 years and up}

Best Icebreaker

Z-Man Games Pandemic

4.2

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This high-stakes board game is a great icebreaker and requires prioritization, communication, teamwork, and creative problem-solving. Everyone gets the chance to participate as all players win or lose together in their battle to protect against a worldwide outbreak.

Despite the game’s challenging premise, it’s easy for players to get engaged because each player has a special ability to help cure the pandemic. Part of the fun is developing a strategy as a team and deliberating amongst each other to figure out what the best approach is and how to best utilize everyone's special abilities.

Price at time of publish: $40

_{Number of Players: 2-4 | Duration: 45 minutes | Recommended Age: 8 years and up}

Best for Adults

All Things Equal Adult Loaded Questions

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Get any party started with a board game designed to answer loaded questions. This card/board game hybrid challenges adults to answer hilarious questions while one player picks their favorite and tries to match the players to their answers, making for hours of eye-opening fun.

Beware that many of the topics discussed in these questions are not suitable for children or for those who get offended easily. But, this game will look completely different depending on the group playing, making for a high replay value.

Price at time of publish: $20

_{Number of Players: 4-6 | Duration: Not Listed | Recommended Age: 17 years and up}

Best Murder-Mystery

Hasbro Clue

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Clue is the classic “who done it” detective game that’s sure to entertain a wide variety. The objective is for players to solve who was murdered, where they were murdered, and with what weapon.

The answers remain in a confidential folder while players move room to room in a mansion and are dealt character, location, and weapon cards. These cards are then used to make an accusation against other characters to uncover clues about who the killer is, the scene of the crime, and the weapon. Through deductive reasoning, players attempt to solve the mystery by guessing all three correctly to win.

Price at time of publish: $12

_{Number of Players: 2-6 | Duration: 10-60 minutes | Recommended Age: 8 years and up}

Best for Teens

Repos Production Concept

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Sleepovers for teens or late nights in a college dorm room require a fun and challenging party game that challenges critical thinking while still being simple to learn. Concept is just that. The interactive guessing game challenges players to decode icons on the game board to discover their true meaning.

Players work in teams and earn points as they discover words and phrases, but you can also forego the scoring system and simply test your communication and deduction skills.

Price at time of publish: $45

_{Number of Players: 4-12 | Duration: 40 minutes | Recommended Age: 10 years and up}

Best for Kids

Days of Wonder Ticket to Ride: First Journey Board Game

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Similar to the adult version, First Journey requires critical thinking and strategy, but this board is an updated map with simplified game rules to accommodate younger players.

Players race to collect train cards, claim routes, and try to connect cities coast-to-coast before their fellow players do. The game ends when one player claims the Golden Ticket by completing six tickets. It’s a game that encourages long-term planning and careful monitoring of your progress and the progress of those around you. Games last about 30 minutes and are easy enough to understand, but it's engaging and challenging enough to keep kiddos interested.

Price at time of publish: $35

_{Number of Players: 2-4 | Duration: 15-30 minutes | Recommended Age: 6 years and up}

Best for Families

Monopoly Board Game

4.8

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This slightly updated edition of Monopoly has the same premise as the original—race to purchase property and amass more than your opponents. Players still have the opportunity to purchase property and charge one another rent, and the game ends when you own enough properties to bankrupt your opponents.

This version includes a few new upgrades, though. For example, the addition of Monopoly Cards (these cards are replacing Chance and Community Chance Cards) which are essentially the same but the new "Location spots" allow you to pay to move to any space on the board. And, for those who remember getting stuck with the less-than-exciting thimble, shoe, or wheelbarrow tokens, this version features a few new tokens (a Rubber Ducky, T-Rex, and Penguin). This highly competitive, family-friendly game can take several hours to complete and can be played with two to six players.

Price at time of publish: $20

_{Number of Players: 2-6 | Duration: 60-180 minutes | Recommended Age: 8 years and up}

Best Two-Player

Smart Zone Games Hive

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When hosting a party, it’s fun to have games that can act as an icebreaker for two people that aren't well acquainted. Hive is a great two-player game that’s simple to learn but also involves some strategy. It's similar to chess, but instead of knights, bishops, and rooks, the pieces are garden insects.

Each player controls an army of bugs—ants, spiders, grasshoppers, and more—that are tasked with protecting their Queen Bee. Like chess, each piece has its own distinct movement style and players have two choices per turn: They can either play a tile from their supply or move an existing tile on the board. The goal of the game is for one player to surround the opposing Queen and prevent her from making a move. Overall, Hive is a fun game that requires both strategy and critical thinking.

Price at time of publish: $40

_{Number of Players: 2 | Duration: 20 minutes | Recommended Age: 9 years and up}