TOP 10 BOARD GAMES TO PLAY IN 2023

Best Board Games

Board games give people a heap of nostalgic feelings, and there is nothing wrong with experiencing nostalgia occasionally. This is the reason why Board Games have been around for centuries and continue to be a popular form of entertainment for people.

Board games are a great way to socialize with friends and family. When playing board games online provides players an opportunity to connect with other players, which can be challenging and rewarding at the same time.

Top 10 Board Games in 2023

Below are some of the most famous and nostalgic board games that will suit every mood. So sit back and glance over the board games below that will demand players to apply strategy, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking to keep the mind sharp and improve cognitive abilities.

1. Snakes and ladders
2. Ludo
3. Chess
4. Monopoly
5. Scrabble
6. Risk
7. Catan
8. Codenames
9. The resistance
10. The Betrayal at the house

1. Snakes and ladders

Age group: 4 years & above

Players required: 2-4 players

Playtime: Approx. 1 hour

Introduction
Snakes and Ladders, a board game of pure chance, dates back to ancient India, designed to teach morality lessons. A game developed for players of all ages is a timeless tale of triumph and defeat embedded in an unassuming board of numbered squares.

Gameplay:The game includes 1-4 players, each starting at the first square on the board, numbered from 1 to 100. The board has several illustrations of ladders that span across different squares and snakes that slide down from a higher number to a lower one. Each player places their token on the starting square (typically the first square, number 1).

As the game begins, the players take turns rolling a dice. The number that comes up on the dice is the number of squares the player can move their token forward. For instance, if you roll a five, you move your token five squares ahead.

If the player lands exactly on a square that's the base of a ladder, their token 'climbs' up to the square where the ladder ends. This is typically a square further up the board. The ladder is a shortcut to get ahead faster, like a stroke of good luck.

While conversely, if a player lands exactly on a square with the head of a snake, their token must 'slide' down to the square where the snake's tail ends. This is usually a square lower down the board, causing the player to lose some progress. The goal of the game is to be the first to reach the final square (number 100). To land on this square, players must roll the exact number needed; if the number rolled is too high, the player must wait until their next turn to try again.

2. Ludo

Age group: 4 years & above

Players required: 2-4 players max.

Playtime: 1 hour - 1.5 hours

Introduction
Ludo, deriving from the Indian game Pachisi, is a classic strategy board game for two to four players. Ludo is another popular board game that has stood the test of time, providing fun and entertainment for all ages. It's a strategy-based game that was derived from the ancient Indian game called Pachisi, which was created around the 6th century.

Gameplay:Each player has four tokens, which must make a full turn of the board and make it to the finish line, i.e. within its own area. Players roll a die, and a token can only enter play with a roll of six. Once a player has one or more tokens in play, they select a token and move it forward along the track with the number of squares indicated by the die roll. Players must always move a token according to the die value rolled. Rolling a 6 earns the player an additional or "bonus" roll in that turn. A token completes its journey by moving into the home column of its color. It is then moved up through the column to the home triangle. A token can only ascend into the home triangle with an exact roll. The first player to get all four tokens to the finish line wins the game. There are also multiple instances where the game becomes thrilling with the possibility of capturing opponents' tokens, setting them back to start. This makes the game go for a longer duration.

3. Chess

Age group: 4 years & above

Players required: 2 players

Playtime: 1 hour - 1.5 hours

Introduction
Chess is an iconic strategy board game of medieval warfare, commanding global recognition and respect. The game starts with players deciding who goes first, traditionally white. Players alternate turns, moving one piece at a time, according to their type's unique movement patterns:

Gameplay :It's a two-player game with 16 pieces each: King, Queen, two Rooks, two Knights, two Bishops, and eight Pawns. The objective is to checkmate the opponent's King by placing it under threat of capture that can't be avoided. Chess aims to trap your opponent's king in a position where it's under attack (check) and cannot move to a safe square without being captured on the next move (checkmate). If a player's king is in check, they must move out of check on their next turn.

The game concludes when a player checkmates their opponent's king, a player resigns, or a draw is declared (due to insufficient material, threefold repetition, 50-move rule, stalemate, or mutual agreement). The ultimate mastery of chess lies not merely in knowing the rules but in understanding the intricate strategies and tactics that emerge over the course of a game.

4. Monopoly

Age group: 8 years & above

Players required: 2-8 players max.

Playtime: 1- 3 hours approx.

Introduction
Monopoly, a classic property trading board game, begins with each player choosing a token and receiving a predetermined amount of Monopoly money. The game board comprises 40 squares, each representing properties, special squares, and chance opportunities.

On each turn, a player rolls two dice and moves their token that number of squares clockwise around the board. If a player rolls doubles, they take another turn. However, rolling doubles three times in a row results in the player going to jail. If the player lands on an unowned property, it gives players a chance to buy it from the bank. If the player chooses not to buy it, the property is auctioned. Owned properties can be improved with houses or hotels, increasing the rent due when opponents land there.

Landing on a Chance or Community Chest square means drawing a card and following its instructions, which can be beneficial or detrimental. Landing on an owned property compels the player to pay rent to the owner based on the property's value and any improvements. The game continues until only one player remains, having bankrupted all others. The strategic crux of a Monopoly lies in acquiring properties wisely, managing money carefully, and negotiating shrewdly with opponents.

Gameplay : You'll be prompted to create a new world when you start the game. You can name your world anything you like. You can also choose the type of world you want - Survival (where you must collect all the resources yourself and where there are hostile mobs), Creative (where you have unlimited resources and can fly), and Adventure (designed for player-created maps, limiting some of the gameplay in Minecraft).

When you enter the world, you'll see a first-person perspective of the character. The game screen shows your 'Hearts' (health), 'Hunger' bar, 'Experience' bar, and 'Armor' bar at the bottom. In the bottom center is a quick-access inventory bar. Use your hand to punch trees and collect logs. This is your first step in crafting. Use the blocks you've collected or crafted to build a shelter before nightfall. This will protect you from the monsters that spawn at night. You can make a bed (using wool and planks) and sleep through the night to avoid this danger. Also, you will have to keep harvesting crops, killing animals, or finding them in chests within the game to eat in order to keep your hunger bar full, which keeps your health bar full.

Also Read About:- 20 Best Real Money Earning Games

5. Scrabble

Age group: 8 years & above

Players required: 2, 3, or 4 players.

Playtime- : 25 - 50 minutes

Introduction
Scrabble is a word game that blends language skills with strategic gameplay. Players take turns creating words on the game board using letter tiles.

Gameplay: Scrabble can be played among 2 or more people. In this game, the players must arrange the tiles (letters) to form a meaningful word, meaning it must be included in a standard dictionary. To start the game, each player lays down words on the board, connecting them to words already in play, much like a crossword puzzle. Words in this board game can be formed horizontally or vertically, but not diagonally. As per the rule, each new word must connect to an existing word on the board by at least one letter.

Also, there are some blank tiles that can be used as any letter, but they carry no point value. When a player uses all their tiles to make a word, they pick up seven new tiles unless the bag is empty. If a player challenges a word and it's found to be incorrect in the Scrabble dictionary, the player who made the word loses their turn. If the word is correct, the challenger loses their turn. Each letter carries a point value embedded in the tiles itself, and the player with the highest score wins after all tiles have been used.

6. Risk

Age group: 10 years & above

Players required: 2-6 players max.

Playtime: 1 hour - 2 hours max.

Introduction
Developed by Guerrilla Games, Horizon Zero Dawn is an action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world where colossal mechanical creatures dominate the Earth. Players control Aloy, a hunter trying to discover her past.

Rally your troops, sharpen your strategies, and embark on a world-dominating quest with Risk, a timeless board game that serves up thrilling conquests drenched in tactical sauce!

In this game, a world map is split into 42 territories across six continents, each yearning for a worthy ruler. You and your 2-5 fellow players, each start with a specific number of colored armies, compete to outsmart each other and conquer it all.

Each player places their armies on their own territories, decided by random distribution or strategic choices. Turns progress in a clockwise direction, with each turn divided into three bold phases: Drafting, Attacking, and Fortifying.

In this game, The more territory you acquire, the larger your draft grows - a sweet incentive to spread your wings. The game marches on until one player colorfully colonizes the entire world or players agree on an alternative victory condition, such as conquering a certain number of territories or continents.

7. Catan

Age group: 10 years & above

Players required: 2-4 players recommended

Playtime: 60 - 90 minutes

Introduction
Catan is a multi-player board game where players assume the roles of settlers seeking to build and develop holdings. The game begins with a board comprising hexagonal tiles representing five resource types: brick, lumber, wool, grain, and ore, along with a desert tile that produces no resources.

Each player starts with two small settlements on the intersections of these hexagonal tiles, and each settlement is adjacent to three tiles. Two dice are rolled on each turn to determine which hexes produce resources. Any player with a settlement bordering a hex that matches the dice roll collects the corresponding resource cards.

Players then use these resource cards to build more settlements, upgrade settlements to cities, buy development cards, or build roads, each costing a different combination of the five resources. The aim is to expand across the board, blocking your opponents and negotiating trades to gain the resources you need for your own settlements and cities. The key to winning in Catan is collecting and managing resources efficiently.

Also Read About: - 11 Most Popular Multiplayer Games

8. Codenames

Age group: 8 years & above

Players required: 4-8 players

Playtime-: 1 hour - 1.5 hours max.

Cost: The game is priced at ₹ 2,490/-

Introduction
Codenames is a social word game where players split into two teams, with each team having a "spymaster." The spymaster provides one-word clues pointing to multiple words on the board, and their team attempts to guess them.

The players are divided into two teams: Red and Blue. Each team selects Spymaster, who will be providing the clues for their team. Begin the game by shuffling the 200 double-sided Codename cards and lay out 25 on the table. These cards contain a word each and represent the codenames of the spies. The Spymasters know the identities of all 25 agents and will give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board.

Their teammates try to guess the words of their color and avoid those that belong to the opposing team. They also want to avoid the assassin (the black square).

The Spymaster gives a clue in the form of a single word followed by a number. The word relates to one or more words on the Codename cards on the table, and the number tells the team how many Codename cards the clue pertains to. For example, if the Spymaster says "animal, three," then there are three codename cards on the table that relate to the word "animal." Teams alternate turns until one team has identified all their agents or until one team has identified the assassin.

9. The resistance

Age group: 13 years & above

Players required: 5-10 players

Platforms: 30-40 minutes max.

Introduction
"The Resistance" is a game of social deduction that allows five to ten players to engage in a covert battle of intellect, misinformation, and strategic manipulation. The game's main objective depends on which team you're on: The Resistance, who are the majority, are trying to successfully complete missions, while the Spies are attempting to sabotage those missions.

Gameplay: AThe game is played over a series of up to five rounds. Each round has a team-building phase and a mission phase. Each player (a leader in a particular round) proposes for a team to go on a mission; if all players agree, the team is sent on the mission. If not, the leadership passes to the next player, and the team building phase starts again.

During the mission phase, players who were approved to go on the mission secretly decide whether to support or sabotage the mission by submitting success or failure cards. Members of the Resistance must always contribute success cards, but the Spies may choose to either contribute a success or a failure card.

The game continues in this manner, alternating between the team-building and mission phases, until one of two end conditions is met: if three missions are completed successfully, the Resistance wins; if three missions are sabotaged, the Spies win.

10. The Betrayal at the house

Age group: 3-6 players

Playtime 1 hour - 1.5 hours

Introduction
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a board game that offers a unique play experience with a dramatic twist. "Betrayal at House on the Hill" is a strategy game for three to six players that takes about an hour to play. The game is played in two phases: the Exploration phase and the Haunt phase.

Gameplay: At the start of the game, each player chooses a character and places their figurine in the Entrance Hall of the game board. The board represents a haunted mansion and is built piece by piece by the players as they explore it.

On a player's turn, they may move through a number of rooms up to their character's current speed. If a player enters a room with a symbol, they must end their movement and draw a corresponding card: event, item, or omen. These cards often force players to make checks against their traits (Speed, Might, Sanity, and Knowledge), give players helpful items, or introduce Omens into the game.

Players must make a haunt roll when they draw an Omen card. The Haunt phase begins if the result is less than the total number of Omens revealed. The player who triggers the Haunt is often (but not always) the traitor for the game's second phase. The game continues with players taking turns, trying to complete their objectives. The traitor and the heroes may have completely different objectives, and the first group to complete theirs wins the game.

Best Board Games FAQs

What are the top 10 board games?

Clue, Scrabble, Monopoly. Checkers, Chess, Catan, Risk, Codenames, Trivial Pursuit, and The Resistance are some of the top 10 board games.

What is a modern board game?

Modern board games, also known as designer board games, represent a recent surge of creativity and sophistication in the world of tabletop gaming. These games often introduce innovative mechanics, complex strategies, and thematic elements

Board Games FAQS

Board games cater to all interests and abilities, with genres ranging from strategy and trivia to adventure and fantasy, providing fun for every type of player. The thrill of strategizing, negotiating, and making game-changing decisions stimulates the mind and encourages critical thinking. Therefore, we have covered a variety of board games, and there is something for every age group. Board games are known to bring an element of tangible, hands-on fun that is often missing in our digital lives, making them a truly special and enjoyable pastime.