Ever since our childhood, board games have been a great way to pass the time. They offer a fun way to improve our critical thinking while encouraging competition in a friendly manner with friends and family. The world of board games for adults is very diverse, ranging from strategy to economy to tabletop RPGs and much more. When you’re looking for a game that appeals to smaller parties, you need to keep in mind the simplicity and approachability of the game. Here are some great picks available on Amazon that ranges from popular classics to modern innovation.
If strategy games and empire-building is your thing, Risk is a great choice for your group. The final aim in any game of Risk is to take over the entire world. Players can do this by conquering enemy territory through building an army, moving in troops, and engaging in battle through dice rolls. This set comes with updated figures, compelling board art, and improved Mission cards to keep things interesting. Offering flexibility, Risk can be played in up to four different modes. While Risk for 2 Players does what it says, the Capital Mode is a shorter version of the Classic Mode. Secret Mission adds an element of surprise to the mix.
Catan is a board game that simulates the settlement of an island of the same name by competing factions. Featuring a hexagonal game board filled with terrain hexes, the game starts with each player locating their initial settlements on the intersection points of such hexes. Die rolls determine resources gathering, which allows further settlements, upgrades, infrastructure and more. Players can trade resources and continue settling the island to gain victory points up to a predetermined limit for winning the game. Resource management and strategic construction are what make this game highly interesting. It offers the right balance between simple structure and complex gameplay to keep things interesting.
If you’re into strategy games but want to keep things simple, then Germany’s 2017 Game of The Year winner is a great pick. Players place domino tiles next to each other, trying to match terrain types to make properties and get as many crowns as possible while they’re at it. At the end of the game, properties are scored based on how big they are and multiplied by the number of crowns. The game features an innovative turn order system where it makes you plan for future rounds while trying to maximise your chances of winning the current round. This can create complex opportunities to block other players without them realising it, making the whole endeavour a lot of fun.
Driven by its own app, Mansions of Madness 2nd edition is a fully cooperative board game for those with a soft spot for horror and mystery. The game takes place in a fictional universe where the app guides you through the streets of Innsmouth and the corridors of Arkham's cursed mansions as you look for resolution and relief. With four scenarios available for up to eight investigators, the game operates through a collection of tools, weapons and information. Players attempt to solve puzzles and fight monsters in this adventure title to defeat death and win the game. With over 500 detailed components, including 32 plastic figures, the game is also a must-have for tabletop game collectors.
The Viticulture: Essential Edition board game offers one simple objective – turn the Tuscan vineyard you’ve inherited into the most successful winery in all of Italy. Players start with meagre resources, such as a few plots of land, an old crush pad, a tiny cellar, and three workers. By assigning the workers judiciously to seasonal tasks and making the most of helpful visitors, players can continue growing the vineyard. They can do so by building structures, planting vines, and filling wine orders. As an economic game based on strategy and farming, this game can appeal to all the amateur entrepreneurs in the party.
The classic Monopoly is a much-loved game, and the Ultimate Banking Edition reimagines the title for the modern world. The first and probably most significant change you will notice is the game feature no Monopoly money of any kind. The game comes with an Ultimate Banking device that carries out most of the game’s actions. Players now store their wealth in payment cards which are scanned by the device for payments. Even property deeds are scanned by the Banking device for a particular sale. It can also carry out auctions. The new Event cards can cause property rents to change dynamically during the game, keeping things interesting for a long time.