Top Must-Try Board Games of 2024 That Will Captivate Every Player!

This year has been yet another magnificent time for board gaming, making it even tougher to compile this list than usual; an abundance of worthy games debuted this year. We continue to experience a renaissance of both creativity and product quality. Game components have reached new heights, featuring beautiful wooden elements and sturdy boards, replacing the lightweight plastic common in the 1980s—but they rely heavily on supply chains from China. With the potential for tariffs looming over the sector, many designers’ websites now indicate that prices may increase. If you’re hesitant about purchasing something, it might be prudent to secure it now.

Here are ten titles you should consider acquiring for the board game enthusiast in your life, or for yourself, while prices are favorable (and manageable!).

Ideal for: Star Wars admirers
Similar to: Twilight Imperium
Suitable age: 14+
Participants: 2-4

Almost everyone I consulted this year suggested Arcs, a fresh science fiction-themed game from Cole Wehrle, one of the most respected board game creators active today. Arcs captures the essence of epic space-opera-themed games such as Twilight Imperium or Star Wars: Rebellion, but allows players to complete a round in one to two hours instead of 12, utilizing a blend of cards and dice to swiftly resolve starship confrontations. “Without the absurd length and intricacy that typically characterizes the genre, you can genuinely play it with individuals who aren’t avid board game fans,” remarks Rowan Evans, a Canadian gamer.

Arcs also features beautifully crafted components and an immediately understandable and straightforward rulebook—as well as a coherent art style by Kyle Ferrin that recalls classic science fiction, yet maintains its own aesthetic. “It’s the game that really helped me appreciate board games as an artistic medium,” reflects Jay Dragon, who operates the Philadelphia-based game studio Possum Creek Games.

However, as enjoyable as Arcs is on its own, it also serves as an entry point for its first expansion, The Blighted Reach, which at $100 remarkably costs more than the base game. The expansion transforms Arcs into a campaign-style game, allowing you to navigate a grand narrative across several play sessions. While most campaign games, like Frosthaven or Pandemic Legacy, notoriously require hundreds of hours to complete, Arcs’ campaign mode concludes in three sessions—or roughly six hours of gameplay—and is crafted for replayability.

Best for: inquisitive children, trivia show enthusiasts
Similar to: Apples to Apples
Recommended age: 6+
Participants: 2-6

A clever party game, Things in Rings draws influence from the U.K. quiz show “Only Connect” and the New York Times’ Connections. Players attempt to determine where various cards in their hand belong in a Venn diagram—but only one player, the “knower,” effectively acting as a referee, knows the rules governing each circle.

A flamingo card, for instance, might fit into “Birds” or “Pink items”—or perhaps both categories are applicable, necessitating that the card be placed into the overlap of the two. As their guesses are approved or denied, players can infer what the rules are. The game claims to be appropriate for those aged 6 and up, but I believe young children may find this more exasperating than enjoyable; older kids, however, appreciate the opportunity to categorize the world.

With just 20 minutes of gameplay, this is a simple game to sample, and it enjoys significant popularity. It also appears to be one of those games you engage in at a gathering and then desire to own for yourself.

Fromage

Ideal for: Francophiles and culinary enthusiasts
Similar to: Stone Age, Tzolk’in
Recommended age: 14+
Players: 1-4

Social interaction is a distinct benefit that board games provide over video games, but tactile engagement is another notable aspect; there’s something fundamentally attractive about moving physical pieces across a table. In a private post on Patreon, Dragon recently introduced the phrase “utilizing every part of the meeple” (the small, human-shaped figures found in numerous board games) to describe games where the physical components enhance the play experience, such as Everdell’s berries and logs or Wingspan’s dice-rolling bird feeder.

Fromage is an exceptionally tactile game involving rival small-town French cheesemakers—played out, of course, on a rotating cheese board. One of the most challenging days I experienced was when my local French market in China, which used to have fresh cheese flown in overnight, shut down, so I’m particularly fond of this theme. “It’s filled with delightful extras like cheese pairing that truly make it enjoyable,” shares Melissa Campbell, a sales associate at the Washington, D.C. board game store Labyrinth.

Nevertheless, even if you’re more inclined toward the mechanics than the specifics, it’s a “gouda” and entertaining design. It takes the classic Euro-style worker placement game, where players decide how to allocate their little Frenchmen, but accelerates it: Each turn, a different section of the board faces the players, presenting various choices on how to produce, age, and sell your cheese, allowing every competitor to make their moves simultaneously before the board rotates again. This keeps gameplay comfortably under an hour—still ample time for all the cheesy puns you desire.

Fromage Board Game

Ideal for board game evenings with loved ones, boasting strategic complexity and captivating rivalry. With varied tactics and shifting game dynamics, no two sessions of Fromage are identical.

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Let’s Go! to Japan

Good for: international adventurers, Japan enthusiasts
Similar to: Ticket to Ride
Recommended Age: 10+
Participants: 1-4

A surge of travel-themed games like Wanderlust and Parks have emerged lately—possibly fueled by the collective frustrations from the pandemic years. Games centered around Japan have also gained popularity, likely due to the aesthetic appeal of traditional Japanese culture aligning well with the top-notch design of contemporary games.

Let’s Go! to Japan fits elegantly into this niche and is unmistakably crafted to be the inaugural entry in a series of similar travel-themed games. Participants place cards (and utilize train tickets, designed to resemble authentic Japanese originals) to curate the ultimate vacation in Japan, hopping between both Tokyo and Kyoto, visiting everything from shrines to cat cafés. It’s the type of game that inspires players to actually schedule a family excursion—or one that can be enjoyed with children prior to departure.

Let’s Go! to Japan

In Let’s Go! to Japan, players assume the roles of travelers competing to design and enjoy the most personally rewarding fantasy getaway in Tokyo and Kyoto.

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Nekojima

Good for: feline aficionados, city planners
Somewhat similar to: Jenga
Recommended Age: 7+
Participants: 1-4

Stacking games are loved by everyone, particularly children, where players strive to balance pieces without causing a collapse. Jenga is perhaps the most renowned example, but Nekojima is a formidable new contender. This game is also themed around Japan, focusing on the country’s numerous “cat islands” where local cats are in charge.

Participants must pile wooden telegraph poles atop one another, mimicking the crowded Japanese towns, with placement in various areas of the board governed by a dice roll. The challenge arises because the wires of the poles cannot make contact, turning the board into a chaotic tangle of stretched wires and dangling connections. However, an additional level of difficulty is introduced, as players occasionally must suspend a hilariously heavy cat from a wire that can topple the entire structure if not handled with care.

Players can engage in Nekojima either competitively, attempting to hinder others with particularly challenging placements, or collaboratively, where everyone aims to place as many elements on the board as possible. Personally, we discovered the cooperative approach to be the most enjoyable. The shared tension as the game progressed, and as the poles became taller and more intertwined, made every action thrilling.

Nekojima

An exhilarating dexterity-based board game that merges the thrill of a stacking game with strategic elements, making it an excellent choice for family board games catering to children aged 8 and up and adults seeking engaging family-friendly rivalry.

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Good for: teens, fans of Hayao Miyazaki
Somewhat similar to: summer camp activities
Recommended Age: 10+
Participants: 1-12

Yazeba is an expansive hardcover book that also serves as a game—or multiple games, in fact. Partly inspired by Studio Ghibli films such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, it invites players to take on the roles of staff and guests at a magical bed and breakfast existing between realms. “Much of it stemmed from my and friends’ experiences at Wayfinder summer camps,” shares game co-creator Dragon, referencing live-action roleplaying camps that are treasured within gaming families.

The charm lies in the blend of whimsical tasks such as ice skating, catching fireflies, and preparing breakfast—each featuring its own mini-game—paired with the diverse cast of characters, among them a literal devil child, bunnies frolicking in the garden, a bumbling evil skeleton, a heartless witch, and an accountant.

Moreover, an overarching narrative framework offers players hundreds of hours of entertainment. The spectrum of stories and prompts is diverse enough to accommodate interactions with both 8-year-olds and 50-year-olds. Dragon identifies as nonbinary, and themes of inclusion and chosen family are central to the broader narrative; reflecting on the question, as Dragon articulated, of: “If I transform into someone new, will this individual continue to love me?”

Nevertheless, my favorite aspect of Yazeba, however,

is the manner in which the rulebook integrates into the game itself, brimming with mysteries, hints, and treasure quests—and crafted to be annotated or adorned with stickers.

Ideal for: nature enthusiasts, fans of asymmetrical board games
Similar to: Unmatched, Stratego
Participants: 2
Recommended Age: 10+

Kelp is a smartly themed game for two players where each role is distinctly different. One participant embodies the octopus, while the other takes on the shark, as each plays according to their own unique set of rules. “It employs such distinctive asymmetrical mechanics, themed around a unique hunt-and-chase scenario,” states Ian Curtiss, a board game designer and strategy consultant.

The octopus’s location on the board remains hidden, utilizing cards to mislead regarding its whereabouts, and stealthily moving around the board in search of food. In contrast, the shark relies on deduction, dice-driven abilities, and determination to hunt down the octopus. The board beautifully illustrates an underwater environment, complete with two elegantly designed miniatures for each player, although the theme might be somewhat graphic for sensitive youngsters.

Ideal for: music aficionados
Similar to: Dropmix
Participants: 2-5
Recommended Age: 16+

Rock Hard is a game centered around aspiring musicians in the 1970s aiming for fame, authored by Jackie Fox, the bassist of the Runaways (and a four-time “Jeopardy!” champion who undoubtedly understands her board games). It’s a delightful game, filled with eccentricities and inside jokes, showcasing the ups and downs of the creative journey. You might find yourself too exhausted from your primary job as a waiter or massage therapist to attend that performance—or perhaps you’ll be hit with a burst of inspiration during your shift.

As a game, it is random, with much of the enjoyment deriving from the experience of weaving a narrative from your musician’s unpredictable journey. Rock Hard offers some strategic elements but is primarily intended for lighthearted fun rather than intense tactics. I appreciated how the game subtly navigated more mature themes, like the mechanic involving “candy,” which musicians utilize to gain that extra surge of energy from a “sugar rush.”

Skyrise

Ideal for: family gaming, Lego enthusiasts
Similar to: Cathedral, Metropolys
Participants: 2-4
Recommended Age: 14+

Skyrise is an architectural game situated in an imagined Art Deco city in the sky. It resonates closely with Francis Ford Coppola’s 2024 Megalopolis, yet unlike Coppola’s film, this project is not a chaotic affair. It’s a sharply designed Euro-style game that blends auction mechanics with board control; players aim to outbid one another for essential areas without depleting their long-term resources.

This game strikes a balance between being straightforward enough for family play yet possessing sufficient depth to satisfy dedicated board game lovers. The fundamental rules are clear, but it takes several sessions to appreciate how intricate the strategies can become and how to thwart your opponents’ intentions.

Skyrise

Skyrise offers an interactive and evolving tale of a developing urban landscape, compelling players to make tough decisions, manage limited resources, and navigate ever-increasing stakes.

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Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth

Ideal for: Tolkien enthusiasts
Similar to: 7 Wonders
Participants: 2
Recommended Age: 10+

Lord of the Rings-themed games abound, yet this one ranks among the finest. While I hold great affection for War of the Ring, it comes in a large box and requires a full day to complete; this one is a conveniently compact version, allowing players to finish a game in under an hour.

Duel for Middle-Earth is a rapid two-player game where one player attempts to transport Sauron’s Ring to Mount Doom while the other aims to get the fearsome Nazgul to the Ringbearer—with effectively similar rules for both sides, accompanied by stunning artwork and board design. Although it may not be immediately clear from the packaging, this game is a spinoff of the blockbuster 7 Wonders. If you’re acquainted with that game, particularly 7 Wonders: Duel, its successful two-player variant, this is a cleverly constructed adaptation with sufficient differences to warrant acquisition while building on well-known mechanics.