New titles hit the shelves yearly, but nothing compares to the classic board games’ charm. From timeless favorites like Monopoly and Clue to newer hits like Cards Against Humanity and What Do You Meme?, these classics have stood the test of time for a reason. These board games are necessary if you want to level up your collection or party game.
And while you’re diving into strategy and laughter around the table, don’t forget there’s also a digital way to challenge your brain. Explore our daily NYT puzzle game highlights; they’re the perfect complement for any game lover looking for something more cerebral.
So gather your friends, crack open a few drinks, and enjoy good old-fashioned game night fun. Just don’t be surprised if the competition gets a little intense!
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#1 Scrabble
1938 | 2-4 players | Age: 8+
Scrabble is still a pretty popular board game, and word-puzzle enthusiasts all over the world have fallen in love with it! There’s just something about the way the tiles sound when you lay them on the board or how your brain goes into overdrive as you try to come up with words you’ve probably never used before. The latest editions of the game added new possible words and neologisms.
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44points
#2 Sorry!
1929 | 2-4 players | Age: 6+
Sorry! is a board game based on Pachisi, a cross-and-circle game that originated in ancient India. Sold for the first time in 1929, it’s stood the test of time to the point that it’s soon gonna celebrate 100 years of success! The goal is pretty simple. To win, players move their pieces around a board, attempting to get them all “home” before any other player. A PC video game version was released in 1998.
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42points
#3 Trouble
1965 | 2-4 players | Age: 5+
Trouble is a popular family board game and the perfect way to spend time with your loved ones. Thanks to a device called “Pop-O-Matic,” players compete to push four pieces all the way around a board. Trouble’s concept and gameplay are based on an Indian game called Ludo.
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41points
#4 Trivial Pursuit
1981 | 2-6 players | Age: 16+
Ready to find out which one of you is the real smartass? The classic game of Trivial Pursuit is a staple in many households, and for good reason: it’s fun and challenges you to learn new things! If you haven’t played it in a while, now’s the time to dust off the board game box and start playing.
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40points
#5 Monopoly
1935 | 2-8 players | Age: 7+
A classic among classics, Monopoly has been around since 1935, and it’s still going strong. The franchise blessed us with new versions of the game over the years, like Monopoly Junior, Monopoly Empire, and even a Star Wars edition! But the premise of the game stays the same: it’s all about buying property and making money off other people’s misfortune… and that’s what makes it one of the best board games of all time!
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38points
#6 Clue
1949 | 2-6 players | Age: 8+
If you love a good mystery (and who doesn’t?), then Clue is an excellent choice for your next board game night. It’s a classic game of investigation and intrigue, where players take on the roles of different suspects as they try to solve a murder. The game is all about guessing the victim’s killer, the location of the crime, and the murder weapon. Ready to find out who done it?
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38points
#7 Guess Who?
1979 | 2 players | Age: 6+
Choose your character and keep your identity secret as long as you can! Whether you’re playing with your grandma, your dad, or your kids, Guess Who? has been around for ages and shows no sign of giving up its special place on the podium. Despite how good the game is in its simplicity, it took so long for the creators to finally add some diversity to it: the original edition included only five women out of 24 characters, with the game featuring only one non-white character.
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36points
#8 Boggle
1972 | 2+ players | Age: 8+
You remember Ruzzle, right? The mobile game that took the world by storm in 2013? Boggle is the original game that inspired Ruzzle, and it’s still as fun and challenging as it was back in the 1970s. The best part about Boggle is that it’s easy to learn and quick to play, so even if you’re not much of a board game person, you can still enjoy a game party with your favorite people!
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32points
#10 Rummikub
1978 | 2-4 players | Age: 8+
Pronounced “rummy-cube,” this tile-based game combines elements of other famous games like rummy and mahjong. Players take turns placing numbered tiles, trying to create runs and groups of the same. Don’t have Rummikub at home? Time to visit your local board game store!
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31points
#16 Sequence
1982 | 2+ players | Age: 7+
Sequence is an exciting board-and-card game, part of the ever-popular family of strategy games. The object here is to form rows of five chips on the board by placing them on the board spaces corresponding to cards played from the player’s hand. The first player or team who completes two sequences wins!
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24points
