12 best board games of all time
Explore the designers, strengths, and available reviews for our picks, from Chess to Ark Nova.
An editorial shortlist, not a public vote or a ranking by Game Rating.
- Rank 01
Traditional classic
Chess
Tactical combinations and long-term plans on a familiar board.
A compact set of pieces creates room for tactical combinations and long-term plans. Chess earns the first spot for the depth it offers without a deck, a campaign, or an expansion.
- Modern rules
- Late 15th century
- Designer
- Unknown
- Status
- Public domain
Full review not yet available.
- Rank 02
Early modern hobby
Catan
Trade resources and build a growing network.
Trading gives everyone a reason to pay attention between turns. Catan earns its place as an introduction to negotiation and building, with a changing board that keeps familiar rules interesting.
- Published
- 1995
- Designer
- Klaus Teuber
- Publisher
- KOSMOS
Image: Placeholder. Astra will replace with publisher press image - Rank 03
Early modern hobby
Pandemic
A cooperative race to contain global outbreaks.
Shared objectives and distinct roles make coordination the central challenge. Pandemic earns its place for turning a clear set of actions into tense decisions about what the team can afford to leave unfinished.
- Published
- 2008
- Designer
- Matt Leacock
- Publisher
- Z-Man Games
Image: Placeholder. Astra will replace with publisher press image - Rank 04
Early modern hobby
Carcassonne
Build a shared landscape, one tile at a time.
Draw a tile, place a tile, maybe place a meeple. Decades of expansions and the base game is still the right teach for a new player.
- Published
- 2000
- Designer
- Klaus-Jürgen Wrede
- Publisher
- Hans im Glück
Image: Placeholder. Astra will replace with publisher press image - Rank 05
Post-2015 golden age
Brass: Birmingham
An economic game of shared networks and tough investments.
An industrial economy makes each investment depend on the opportunities other players create. Brass earns its place for the tension between building your own network and making use of someone else’s.
- Published
- 2018
- Designers
- Gavan Brown, Matt Tolman, Martin Wallace
- Publisher
- Roxley Games
Image: Roxley Games - Rank 06
Post-2015 golden age
Spirit Island
A demanding cooperative defense of an island.
Different spirits combine their powers to defend an island from invaders. Simultaneous planning and asymmetric abilities create a demanding cooperative puzzle; players can discuss their plans openly.
- Published
- 2017
- Designer
- R. Eric Reuss
- Publisher
- Greater Than Games
Image: Greater Than Games - Rank 07
Post-2015 golden age
Wingspan
Build an engine of birds and habitat actions.
Bird cards build chains of actions across three habitats. Wingspan earns its place for pairing a distinctive nature theme with satisfying decisions about food, eggs, and card combinations.
- Published
- 2019
- Designer
- Elizabeth Hargrave
- Publisher
- Stonemaier Games
Image: Stonemaier Games - Rank 08
Post-2015 golden age
Gloomhaven
A branching campaign built around card-driven combat.
Card-driven combat and a branching campaign make each scenario part of a longer story. The original Gloomhaven earns this spot for its ambition; the related Jaws of the Lion is our recommendation for a more approachable introduction.
- Published
- 2017
- Designer
- Isaac Childres
- Publisher
- Cephalofair Games
- Rank 09
Modern renaissance
7 Wonders
Build a civilization through simultaneous card drafting.
Simultaneous drafting lets everyone choose cards at the same time. Building a civilization through three ages gives 7 Wonders a clear arc without making larger groups wait through long individual turns.
- Published
- 2010
- Designer
- Antoine Bauza
- Publisher
- Repos Production
- Rank 10
Early modern hobby
Twilight Struggle
Two-player grand strategy that reads like a thriller.
Two superpowers compete through a shared deck of historical events. Twilight Struggle earns its place for making an opponent’s event a problem you must manage even when the card is in your own hand.
- Published
- 2005
- Designers
- Ananda Gupta, Jason Matthews
- Publisher
- GMT Games
Image: GMT Games - Rank 11
Early modern hobby
Agricola
Worker placement with a farm to grow and a family to feed.
Growing a farm means balancing new opportunities against the need to feed your family. Missing food costs points, not an automatic defeat. That pressure makes Agricola a lasting worker-placement recommendation.
- Published
- 2007
- Designer
- Uwe Rosenberg
- Publisher
- Lookout Spiele
Image: Placeholder. Astra will replace with publisher press image - Rank 12
Post-2015 golden age
Ark Nova
A deep zoo builder with competing goals.
Animal cards, zoo layouts, and conservation projects compete for your attention. Ark Nova earns its place for making those systems work together while asking you to adapt to the cards available.
- Published
- 2021
- Designer
- Mathias Wigge
- Publisher
- Feuerland Spiele
Image: Capstone Games / Asmodee
