POWER GRID
Power Grid is my all-time favorite board game. Each player runs a competing utility company vying to provide power to the most cities. This may not seem like the most fun in the world at first glance (unless you are a Berg who is obsessed with industry like me), but Power Grid is an incredibly well-designed game. I have never played a game with such a well-developed marketplace feature as Power Grid. Easy to learn, but with a ton of strategic depth, I think we can scrap Microeconomics and Macroeconomics from curriculums and just have kids play this game.
Good for: Econ nerds
AZUL
Azul is the latest addition to my collection and one of my all-time favorites. Azul falls into the category of “easy to learn, hard to master”. There is a lot of strategy here, but the game is pretty easy to pick up and go even if you haven’t played before. I am a sucker for beutiful games with nice, tactile pieces and azul delivers in spades with its multicolored tiles.
Good for: Everyone
QUANTUM
My little brother got my Quantum for Christmas last year and it has quickly become one of my favorite table top strategy games. It is easy to learn but there is a ton of complexity. It really delivers on the sci-fi fantasy of being a general commanding a fleet of ultra-high tech ships. This game has the potential for insane swing turns and ever game I have played has included drama right up until the end.
Good for: Sci-fi nerds
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Photosynthesis is probably the most beautiful game on this list. Players play as different species of trees all trying to position themselves to get exposure to the maximum amount of sunlight possible. Come on, don’t tell me you are not intrigued after hearing that description! A super fun experience that comes alive with the gorgeous tree playing pieces.
Good for: Your environmentalist friend
CARCASSONE
I think Carcassone is the most accessible and widely enjoyed game I have played. It is very simple and easy to pick up for newcomers, but is always interesting and fun even on repeat plays. It is quick enough to fit in a game here or there, but it winning still feels like a big accomplishment. This is my wife and my favorite game to play together and I think it is the absolute best first step into the tabletop strategy game world!
Good for: Someone’s first board game
CODENAMES
Codenames is definitely one of my favorite party games. Great for all ages (even parents) and any number of people so long as you can agreeably split into two teams. Super easy, but a fun game with infinite replay value. This is the first game I go to whenever I am at a family gathering or have a big group over.
Good for: Big groups
SENTINELS OF THE MULTIVERSE
Sentinels of the Multiverse is a super fun and unique game. You and the other players play as superheroes who have teamed up to stop a super strong supervillain. Cooperative games are always a big hit since everyone works together. I also love the comic book style and back stories of this game. The game has a ton of expansions where you can add heroes and additional villains. My little brother loves to play this game solo simultaneously operating 3 or 4 heroes at once.
Good for: Comic book nerds
CLANK!
Clank! is a super fun game that I recently received from one of my brothers. It is a deckbuilding game combined with a dungeon crawler. It employs a great "noise" mechanic where certain actions cause "noise" and if you are too loud the dragon will wake up and it is game over! A super fun game that is easy to pick up but has a decent amount of strategy. A lot of replay value and quick enough to play a couple of times in one sitting.
Good for: Trying something new
HIVE
Hive is one of my favorite 2-player games. The goal of the game is to surround the opponent’s Queen tile. Each tile has a different kind of bug on it and they can all travel around the game board in different ways. Fun and easy to pick up, but with insane levels of depth. You are going to have to think 3 or 4 turns ahead if you are going to win against an experienced player. I definitely recommend getting the pocket version so you can keep it in your backpack and take it everywhere with you like I do!
Good for: People who always take forever thinking about their turns
SPLENDOR
Splendor is another great beginner board game. Games like Splendor are called “Economic Engine” games were you collect resources and the more resources you have the more resources you can get and so on and so forth. The downside with some of these games is that the person in the lead can get so far ahead that it can get a bit demoralizing for the other players. Splendor is short and sweet so it never feels like hopeless and I can’t remember a time everyone has been satisfied to play just once!
Good for: Your greediest friend
STAR REALMS
Another recent addition to my collection. Star Realms is a 2-player “Deck Builder” game. It is super simple, but a ton of fun. Probably my favorite game that uses the deck building mechanic. The game also has a few expansions to spice things up once you have played it a few times. A ton of fun for anyone that has ever day dreamed about commanding a star fleet.
Good for: More sci-fi nerds
SMALLWORLD
Smallworld is a great game that innovates on the area-conquest game type to make a game that is quicker and with more replayability. Think "Risk" but being able to finish a game in an hour and having every game play out totally different from previous playthroughs. Each player controls a Tribe of creatures from Trolls, to humans, to skeletons. Not only does each tribe have their own special powers, but you also get to pair it up with a unique power-up. The key to winning Smallworld is to know when to send your current Tribe into decline, so you can build up a new civilization without becoming spread too thin!
Good for: If you want to play Risk but don’t have all day
The game that started it all. I didn’t include Settlers in my original favorite board game list, since I figured everyone would know about it already. Based on the number of “What about Catan?” comments, it looks like I was right! I got Catan as a birthday present my freshman year of college. My friends and I proceeded to play the heck out of it in the dorms and it really was what sparked a lot of my love of boardgames. My story is not unique. Catan is most people’s first foray into European-Style board games (think Ticket to Ride instead of Scrabble). It is still a classic for a reason. Super fun game that holds up to play through after play through.