Top 10 Board Games For A Great Game Night
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Board games are a great reason to get friends and families together and spend some quality time. For some people, game nights are all about working together to beat the bad guys. For others, they’re about defeating each other, no matter the cost. Whatever your game night looks like, this list of our top 10 board games will be sure to take it to the next level.
10. Twilight Imperium 4th Edition
Twilight Imperium is an epic space opera that has been a favorite board game among fans of strategy for more than 25 years. It’s a competitive game where each player controls one of seventeen factions competing for dominance over the galaxy. Players trade, fight, negotiate, and form uncertain alliances; each faction has its own skills, expertise, and abilities, meaning that gameplay is varied and complex and no two games are ever alike. Twilight Imperium is the perfect game for players who enjoy tactical, unpredictable games that can last anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. The 4th edition streamlines gameplay and shifts the focus to player interactions and competition, improving on the already stellar 3rd edition. Get Twilight Imperium 4th Edition now on Amazon.
9. Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power
Villainous is a competitive game where players take on the role of a famous fictional villain to foil each other’s dastardly plans, defeat the forces of good, and achieve their evil aim. You might mistake it for a kid’s game but Villainous is more complex than it seems and requires a strategic approach. Each villain has their own cards, objectives, and playstyles, so gameplay gets more complicated the more players you have. That said, it’s still a great 2-player game for nights when the rest of the group are unavailable. Marvel Villanous: Infinite Power is a variation of the classic Disney game and a must for any Marvel fan. It introduces new mechanics and twists compared to the Disney version, so if you enjoyed playing as a Disney villain, taking up the mantle of a Marvel villain will be right up your street! Get Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power now on Amazon.
8. Star Wars: Outer Rim
Less strategic than many other Star Wars board games, Star Wars: Outer Rim more than makes up for it by putting its energy into rich and exciting storytelling. Players take on the roles of scoundrels, smugglers, and bounty hunters traveling across the universe in search of Fame. You can complete jobs for various factions and powers, smuggle cargo, optimize your ship for fighting, explore planets, hunt down bounties, or any combination of these! Suitable for 1-4 players, the game can be cooperative or cutthroat – your choice. Outer Rim is a true love letter to the Star Wars universe and one that any fan will enjoy. Get Star Wars: Outer Rim now on Amazon.
7. Dune: Imperium – Uprising
In the 45 years since Dune was first published, it has been the inspiration for many board games. Dune: Imperium – Uprising is a standalone expansion of Dune: Imperium, a strategic and heavily thematic game that blends deck-building and marker (worker) placement. It’s player’s choice as to whether you focus on political alliances, military force, secrets and intrigue, or economic strength. Uprising adds new mechanics and complexity to an already incredible game, making it more customizable and challenging, even for seasoned players. With so many characters, playstyles, and choices, it’s a game you’ll want to play again and again. Get Dune: Imperium – Uprising now on Amazon.
6. Mysterium
Mysterium could be described as Clue with a ghostly twist. Someone has been murdered and players, who are mediums, must solve the case. The ghost of the murdered person gives clues in the form of abstract visions and players must piece together their narrative to determine the identity of the murderer, the murder weapon, and the scene of the crime. The ghost remains silent throughout the entire game and can only communicate through the abstract artwork – the perfect role for a reluctant game night participant. Mysterium is fascinating and challenging and requires a lot of out-of-the-box thinking. It’s all the better if you can try to guess how the ghost’s mind works! Get Mysterium now on Amazon.
5. Catan
In our article in May, we discussed the board game phenomenon that is Catan. Originally released in 1995, it has cemented itself as one of the best board games around. It’s a strategy game that’s all about resource management, negotiation, and exploration. Catan has countless expansions and extensions, including Cities and Knights, Traders and Barbarians, and Seafarers, but the original game remains a great place to start this epic series. Get Catan now on Amazon.
4. Betrayal at House on the Hill 3rd Edition
Do you love horror and enjoy a challenge? If the answer is yes, this is the game for you. Immerse yourself in horror movie tropes as you and your fellow players are let loose in a haunted house where lots of things are trying to kill you. The house is revealed turn by turn as new tiles are laid down, meaning that new monsters, ghosts, and even your traitorous fellow players may be waiting behind every door. Tensions are high and survival is your only objective. The 3rd edition of Betrayal at House on the Hill is a step up from the previous two versions, with improved gameplay, more scenarios, and great artwork. Get Betrayal at House on the Hill now on Entertainment Earth.
3. Scythe
Set in an alternate version of the 1920s, Scythe is a competitive, asymmetric, engine-building game where each player represents one of five factions attempting to claim land and resources in post-World War I Eastern Europe. It’s complex, strategic, and challenging; the perfect game for deep-thinkers and those who enjoy planning ten steps ahead. The artwork is a beautiful mix of idyllic, rural scenes and towering war machines with a steam-punk aesthetic. Scythe is the kind of game that will take over game night for weeks at a time, as you and your friends or family get lost in the strategic, competitive gameplay. Get Scythe now on Amazon.
2. Gloomhaven: Jaws Of The Lion
Gloomhaven: Jaws Of The Lion is a standalone role-playing board game based in the same vast and riveting world as the original Gloomhaven. In this cooperative role-playing game, players take on the roles of mercenaries who must work together as they travel through the world and face monsters, defeat enemies, and achieve their own secret aims. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion returns us to Gloomhaven’s rich and unique world, with over-arching plotlines and intertwining narratives, as well as a “choose your own adventure” element as players make decisions to determine how the story will play out. The scale, complexity, and customization make this a game that will dominate game night for weeks at a time. Get Gloomhaven: Jaws Of The Lion now on Amazon.
1. Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
When it comes to epic, complex, unpredictable games, Pandemic Legacy rules supreme. This cooperative game pits players against four deadly diseases sweeping the globe. You’re fighting against time, nature, and resources to stop the spread and find a cure before it’s too late. Pandemic Legacy isn’t just a game: it’s a campaign that plays out over the course of a year, with every month bringing new information, new challenges, and new mutations of the diseases. It takes cooperative board games to a whole new level, on a scale we never expected and with stakes that have never been higher. For this reason, Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 is at the top of our list. Lock in your fellow players, choose your roles, and save the world. Humanity depends on you. Get Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 now on Amazon.
So there you have it – all the board games you need to have a great game night for many months to come. Get your friends and family together, pull up some chairs, and experience the awesomeness of a game well played.
Have you gotten your hands on any of the games on our list? Tell us about some of your favorite board games in the comments section! And don’t forget to subscribe to our free newsletter, PopPulse Digest, for all things comics, collectibles, online deals, and more.
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