The Best Fun Board Games For Adults & Families To Play In 2020

Picking the best board game for adults is not an easy task. There are thousands of board games and no person on earth would be able to play them all. Fortunately, websites like Board Games Geek (BGG) and customer reviews on Amazon make picking the best games a bit easier.

So, we did the hard work for you and selected the best board games for adults (most of these games are perfect for spending high-quality time with your children too!). To make our selection even more convenient for you, we have sorted the board games based on price categories, and we also have a fully dedicated section for those of you, that look for 2-players games only.

Every game in our selection also contains a short description and additional info like the number of players, playing time, price, and rating from Board Games Geek and Amazon. We guess you cannot wait for our selection, feel free to take advantage of the quick navigation below.

Table of Contents

• The Best Board Games for Adults & Families
  • Budget Board Games (Within $25)
  • Affordable Board Games ($25 to $50)
  • Mid-range Board Games ($50 to $100)
  • Board Games For The Most Demanding Ones ($100 and above)
• The Best Board Games for 2 Players
  • Connect 4
  • Codenames Duet
  • Boggle
  • Mastermind
  • Guess Who
• The Best Board Games FAQ
• Conclusion

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The Best Board Games for Families

There are so many fun board games for adults that we could not pick just a few. To make things clear, we divided the board games into categories based on your set budget.

Budget Board Games (Within $25)

The best board games for adults and children within $25 are usually well-known. They don’t take too much time to play, however, you will enjoy a lot of fun with them (at least we did).

1. Sequence
2. Spot It
3. Sorry!
4. Hedbanz
5. Monopoly

Sequence

One of the best strategy board-and-card game has really easy rules but is still entertaining enough, so it is practically for anyone – kids, teenagers, adults, or seniors. The Sequence is very popular for several generations and its creators are developing the game since the ’80s. Each player has to create the strategy to complete 2 sequences of five poker chips on the board by placing the chips on the spaces corresponding to cards played from the player’s hand. The game is really quick so you can play more rounds in one evening or try different variants.

Spot It

This interactive card game is really simple, quick, and loved by everyone. The key is to pay attention, spot the symbols in common on both cards, and to be as fast as possible. There are multiple versions of this game and non of them is boring. You can also create your own rules to have even more fun. Spot it! is the best party board game, but also families with children will love it. Moreover, it is desired also at the party with friends.

Sorry!

This classic board game can’t be missed in any family. Get all of your figures home first, and if you negate the progress of others, just say “Sorry!” and carry on. The Sorry! is almost 100 years old but is as popular as it was new and is a perfect board game for family night. Choose the color of your pawn and wish for the best roll of the dice. The rules can be modified to various variants. If you never tried this game, it is about time to do so!

Hedbanz

With this simple game, you can become whatever you can imagine. The problem is, you never know, what you currently are, and that is your task – to find out. By asking “yes” or “no” questions before the time runs out, you have to guess the animal, food, or object on your headband. This fun question board game is very simple and also educative so the whole family can enjoy the time spent playing the Hedbanz.

Monopoly

One of the most famous and best board games for adults, that everyone should play at least once in their lifetime. There are multiple variants of this game, for various countries, real and fiction worlds or stories. The rules are not hard, but it takes a good strategy to become the winner – the remaining player left after all of the others have gone bankrupt. You can play the shorter or longer (that can take up to several hours) version of Monopoly, create your own rules, but you can be sure it is always a great board game for family nights.

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Affordable Board Games ($25 to $50)

Did you set your budget somewhere between $25 to $50? Good, the following games are exactly for you! The playing time is usually somewhere between 30 to 90 minutes, and the number of players varies depending on the game between 2 to 5 players. This is one of the best categories if you look for family board games.

1. Splendor
2. Settlers of Catan
3. Azul
4. The Game Of Life
5. Scrabble

Splendor

This card-based board game will get you not only with its amazing illustration but also with a story that comes with it. You can become a gem merchant for a few minutes buying gem mines, transportation, and shops in order to acquire the most prestige points. Playing Splendor is great fun but also beneficial experience since you can get some engine-building and resource management skills. The winner is one who collected the most prestige points. This game is mostly for the older kids as it may require thoughtful strategy.

Settlers of Catan

For those who love to create their own worlds is Catan the great option of how to spend a free evening. Players take on the roles of settlers in order to build and develop settlements on the island of Catan, while trading and acquiring resources. As the settlements, cities, and roads grow, you gain points. The first who reaches a set number of points is the winner. There are several expansions and variants of this game, so it should be no problem to find the best for you. It’s the best board game for family nights with younger and also older kids but adults will enjoy it as well.

Azul

The best abstract game for adults is short and fast-moving and great for a small group. Your goal is to embellish the walls of the Royal Palace with beautifully-designed tiles. Players take turns drafting colored tiles from suppliers to their board and score points based on how they place them to decorate the palace. The one who gain the most points at the end of the game wins. Azul is beloved mostly by creative and artistic people but since it is really quick and simple everyone can enjoy it.

The Game Of Life

In the game full of big life decisions you can become rich, have a big family, a great job but also get fired, lost money, and experience other life trials. Luckily, even though The Game of Life can become a little too real sometimes, after the one game you have a chance to start your fictitious life again with different decisions. Players travel through life, from college to retirement while getting jobs, married, or children. The game was created in 1860 and while life changed, the variations of The Game of Life are popular to present. It’s the best board game for adults since they can appreciate the simple stages of life they already went through but it also always liven up the family night.

Scrabble

In this popular word board game, your goal is to create the best word from the single letters you get. However, you have to be careful to spell the word grammatically correct while sticking to all rules! The more interesting and complex words, the more points you get. The best board game for adults who love the games with words and have a wide vocabulary. The players must form words in crossword fashion in the reading direction left to right in rows or downward in columns. The Scrabble is worldwide known and there are variations for 29 languages adapted to the specifics of each of them.

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Mid-range Board Games ($50 to $100)

Games in this price range (double the previous one) require more time to finish. Also, the recommended age is a bit higher because these board games tend to be more complex and require more strategical thinking (in case you want to win of course).

1. Ticket To Ride
2. Scythe
3. Handmade Wooden Chess
4. Trekking The National Parks
5. Cashflow

Ticket To Ride

The goal of Tickets to Ride is to build the train tracks across North America while the longest one wins. There are so many possible strategies and it is only up to you or your team through what cities is your train track build. The rules may seem a little complex at the beginning but after some time even younger kids can enjoy the game. This game is best mostly for adults or teenagers but it is also an awesome board game for family night.

Scythe

Immerse yourself into alternate reality full of pits factions of power-hungry individuals, gaining poImmerse yourself into alternate reality full of power-hungry individuals, gaining power and influence, and conquering territories. Players become characters representing different nation-states, while the character movement can be controlled, you can select actions to increase resource productions and gain global achievements to contribute the final score. Even though the instructions and rules are quite complex, after some time you will learn to create the strategy and improve your skills to become successful in Scythe.

Handmade Wooden Chess

Chess is one of the oldest games from the 6th century but created so perfect that it survived thousands of years and is popular to present. Having good chess skills is a great challenge that is definitely worth it. The game is suitable mostly for people who enjoy long consideration and are able to adapt their strategy to the current situation on the board. Besides the original chess game, there is a lot of other games that can be played with the chess figures and board. This best board game ever is must-have in every household.

Trekking The National Parks

This family fun board game allows you to visit the American country’s majestic parks while the move across the map is allowed by the gathering trek cards. Collected park’s stones and awarding other points determine the winner. During the game, you have to make tough tactical decisions and face the challenges of the adventurous trek through US National Parks full of danger and great experiences. Kids or adults, boys or girls – everyone with the courageous spirit will fell for Trekking the National Parks.

Cashflow

This game is created by investors and businessmen while its main goal is to get basic skills in financial strategies and accounting principles – also its great fun. During the game the player meets various deals – some are good, others are bad. The main issue is a shortage of cash. Players can choose from a variety of starting careers while they have to log each cash change to their financial sheets and make good financial decisions. This educative game is popular around the whole world and is the best board game for adults since it can help them also with the management of their own money.

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Board Games For The Most Demanding Ones ($100 and above)

If you belong among the most demanding players, you are “lucky”, because we have a few board games for you too, some of them even made it to top 10 board games in the Board Games Geek ranking:

1. Twilight Imperium (4th Edition)
2. Pandemic: Iberia
3. Gloomhaven
4. King of Tokyo
5. Arkham Horror

Twilight Imperium (4th Edition)

This strategy board game is in its fourth edition that contains large changes over previous editions – the length of the gameplay can be over 6 hours and the offer creating in-depth strategy including military, political, or technological strategy? The story of the Twilight Imperium takes place in the space while players assume the roles of rising empires of the galaxy until one becomes dominant to take over as a new galactic emperor. Every game is different and is the best board game for adults who love the escape to fictional worlds and also for long family nights.

Pandemic: Iberia

The goal of this game is to discover cures to different illnesses in the Iberian Peninsula in the role of nurse, railwayman, rural doctor, or sailor. The whole group has to create the best strategy to slow the spread of diseases across the whole country during the Spring of Nations. The story of the game is crossed by historical events and shows the conditions of previous periods. Besides Pandemic Iberia there are several variants and extensions of the board game Pandemic. It’s the best board game for adults especially in the year 2020!

Gloomhaven

Another strategy, the thematic game will lead you into the persistent world of shifting motives. During the game, the player becomes wandering adventurer with special skills and reasons to travel to this dark part of the world of Gloomhaven. The whole group works together to clear out menacing dungeons and forgotten ruins while discovering new locations to explore and plunder. Every decision can lead to the expansion of the story. This game is ideally played over many game sessions, best for a group of adults or teenagers.

King of Tokyo

In this board game, you take the role of the mutant monster, gigantic robot, strange alien, or other creatures in order to destroy Tokyo and Whack each other to become the king of the city. The role of the dice decides whether you get victory points, energy, heal or attack. The game is simple and quick and can be the best party board game for young adults but it is also a perfect board game for the family night.

Arkham Horror

This thematic board game brings you to the dark world of the year 1926 where you have to face many different types of monsters while the main goal is to close portals to other dimensions. The key is to cooperate and experience the adventure together while each player can upgrade their character by acquiring skills, allies, items, weapons, and spells. This game is for anyone who has no fear to walk through the streets of Arkham.

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The Best Board Games for 2 Players

Sometimes, it may be difficult to find people for playing games that require 4 or more players. For this reason, we included five 2-players board games too. The following 2-players games made it to our top 5:

1. Connect 4
2. Codenames
3. Boggle
4. Mastermind
5. Guess Who

Connect 4

There are several ways to play this game, so try and choose the best one for you. The game is pretty simple and really quick so you can play it whenever and wherever you are. Create the abstract strategy and try to be the first who drop in 4 checkers in a row, get 4 in a row by popping a checker out instead of dropping it in, or create your own rules. Connect 4 is the best board game for adults to shorten long moments or evenings.

Codenames Duet

The best party board game Codenames became very popular over the world in the last few years and today, there is also a new variation of this game – made for 2 players. The clue of this game is to contact 15 agents on a secret mission that you and your partner are on. It is not so easy since you are attracted by a band of enemy assassins. Each of you knows a number of the agents you can contact safely. By giving each other one-word clues you try to find all agents before your turns run out. This question board game livens up every evening while you can try several variants from different fictional worlds for more players and even more fun.

Boggle

This timed word game is made for every free moment since it is quick and simple. The players have 3 minutes to find out as many connected words as possible from the letters in the 16 cube grid. When the timer runs out, players can compare their words while they remove the words found by multiple players. Boggle is best especially for adults who love crosswords and other word games but also for the families while its great for vocabulary expansion.

Mastermind

The goal of this popular abstract board game is to guess the color of hidden pegs. Each player makes a limited number of guesses, using logic to deduce what pegs the opponent has hidden. One of the best board games for 2 players is easy, relaxing but still fun and can please the long evenings or free afternoons. Mastermind is the best board game for adults who wants to liven up the memories of their childhood.

Guess Who

This easy and funny game for two lies in the principle of guessing what a person has the opponent chosen from the collection of faces. Players ask each other on the color of the hair, eyes, whether the person has hat or glasses to deduce who the chosen person is. Guess Who? is in handy packaging so you can take it wherever you want. This question board game is quick and easy so it is perfect for the youngest ones but is still fun also for the elders.

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The Best Board Games FAQ

Conclusion

We hope our selection of the best board games helped you to make a better decision before purchasing your next game. With some of the board games you will enjoy a lot of fun, with some of them you will have to think more about the strategy leading to victory. Either way, with ANY of above-mentioned games you won’t make a mistake. You can count on it.

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Disclaimer: Prices and ratings were updated in July 2020.