Articles & Guides
Recommendations, how-tos, and honest takes to help you find the right game and run a better game night.
Catan vs Ticket to Ride: Which Should You Buy First?
A head-to-head on the two games that start most collections, with the player counts, play times and 2026 edition changes that actually decide which box belongs on your table first.
Board Games for People Who Hate Board Games
Somebody in your life says they hate board games. They are usually objecting to one specific thing, and there is a game that does not do it. Our picks, organised by complaint.
The Best Legacy Board Games
Legacy games ask you to tear up cards, write on the board and spend a dozen evenings with the same group. Our picks for which campaigns earn that, which do not, and how to start without wrecking a game you love.
The Best Board Games for 5 and 6 Players
Five and six are the hardest player counts to shop for, and they are not the same problem. Our picks for exactly five, exactly six, and the boxes that claim six without earning it.
Best Games Like Wingspan
What to play after Wingspan, from the three Stonemaier games built out of it to the engine builders, nature-themed tile games and solo-friendly boxes that scratch the same itch.
The Best Worker Placement Games
Our picks for the best worker placement board games, from the gentlest starting points to the heavy euros, with honest notes on which ones actually suit your table.
The Best Board Games for Kids Ages 8-12
Our picks for board games that actually work with kids aged 8 to 12, from gateway strategy to cooperative games, chosen so adults enjoy them too.
The Best Board Games Under $30
The best cheap board games you can actually buy for under $30 in late 2026, with fresh BoardGameGeek data, current US prices, and an honest note about what the last two years of price rises have taken off the list.
The Best Board Games for Date Night
Our picks for the best board games for date night, chosen for teach time, table size and tone rather than rank, with the co-op openers, the quick card games and the real duels that suit two people across a small table.
The Best Social Deduction Games
Our picks for the best social deduction games, from ten-minute werewolf rounds to full evenings of hidden roles, with the player counts each one actually needs and honest notes on which ones leave people sitting out.
Best Board Games for Exactly 4 Players
Our guide to the best board games for exactly four players, using BoardGameGeek's own best-player-count poll to separate the games that genuinely peak at four from the ones that merely allow a fourth chair.
Best Deck-Building Games
Our picks for the best deck building board games, from the 2008 design that invented the genre to the 2025 co-ops breaking out right now, with the edition traps that catch people at checkout.
Best Board Games for Kids Ages 5-8
Our picks for the best board games for kids ages 5 to 8, split by what a five-year-old and an eight-year-old can actually do, with the 2026 award winners and the classics that hold up.
Best Board Games for Small Apartments
Our picks for the best compact board games for small spaces, chosen by how much table they need, how much shelf they eat, and how loud they get through a thin wall.
Best Drafting Games
Our picks for the best card and tile drafting board games, from the Kennerspiel winner that made the mechanic mainstream to the small boxes doing the most with it now, plus the edition traps that catch people at checkout.
Best Push-Your-Luck Games
Our picks for the best push-your-luck board games, from the Kennerspiel-winning Quacks to pocket-sized classics and one brand-new small box, plus the edition and rename traps to watch for at checkout.
Best Games Like Ticket to Ride
What to play after Ticket to Ride, from the boxes still inside the family to the route-building, set-collecting and network-drawing games that scratch the same itch better.
Best Board Games for 7 or More Players
Our picks for board games that genuinely work at 7, 8, 10 or more players, plus the box limits, editions, and player-count traps that decide whether a game survives a crowd.
Best Board Games Under 30 Minutes
Our favorite board games that wrap up in under half an hour: quick two-player duels, sharp bluffing games, and clever co-ops for whenever the night only has thirty minutes to spare.
Best Alternatives to Monopoly
Our picks for the best Monopoly alternatives, matched to the specific reason you are done with it: the marathon length, the runaway leader, or the elimination that benches you for an hour.
Best Board Games for 3 Players
Our guide to the best board games for exactly three players, the odd headcount most best-of lists quietly skip, from fast classics to games that actually need three to work at all.
Best Board Games You Can Learn in 5 Minutes
Our picks for the fastest-teaching board games around, the ones you can open, explain once, and actually be playing before anyone loses interest.
Best Board Games for Solo Play
Our favorite solo board games, from bot opponents and score-chasing puzzles to cooperative games that shine with one player, chosen for genuine challenge rather than a token variant tacked onto the box.
The Best Card Games You Can Play With a Standard Deck
A practical guide to the best games you can play with a single 52-card deck, grouped by player count, with honest picks for two players, parties, and solo play.
The Best Cooperative Board Games
Our favorite cooperative board games where everyone plays against the game together, from easy gateway picks to heavy campaigns, with honest notes.
The Best Party Games for Big Groups
Our guide to the best party games for 6 or more players, chosen for constant involvement, fast rounds, and no one sitting out or getting eliminated early.
How to Host the Perfect Game Night
A practical, field-tested guide to hosting a board game night that flows, from picking the guest list and games to pacing, snacks, and teaching rules.
The Best Board Games for Beginners (Gateway Games)
Our favorite gateway board games that teach in minutes, finish in under an hour, and quietly reveal the real strategy hiding inside modern tabletop gaming.
The Best Board Games for 2 Players
Our favourite two-player board games — from quick 30-minute duels to deep strategy games built for exactly two, with honest picks for couples and roommates.