While board games are a form of entertainment often associated with kids, they’re also a great way to keep adults engaged, especially during social events like game nights, holiday parties and birthday celebrations. The best board games for adults can liven up a group of reserved people by challenging them with fun trivia questions, creative tasks and scenarios and strategic prompts.
I spoke with multiple experts, including professional trivia event organizers, to find the best board games for adults and tips for looking for the best and most entertaining options.
SKIP AHEAD How I picked the best board games for adults | The best board games for adults | How to shop for board games for adults | Why trust NBC Select?
There are a few important aspects to keep in mind when choosing a board game for adults. Here’s what our experts recommended I prioritize when curating this list:
Similar to the original Ticket to Ride board game, this version takes place across the countries of Europe. Players compete to build trains and railways across the continent to see who can build and claim the most routes and stations. Aside from the board, the game comes with 100+ train car pieces and playing cards, a rulebook and 46 destination tickets. While the game is appropriate for kids 8 years old and older, it’s also great for adults, especially ones with more of an interest in European geography.
Player amount: 2 to 5
Wits and Wagers comes recommended by Shaw, who says it’s easy to play and set up. The game is a mix of trivia and chance, and you don’t actually have to know all of the correct answers to win the game, you just have to be good at guessing, according to the brand. Players read a question and then come up with their best answer, then they simply guess which of all the answers is the most accurate, and the winner earns cash tokens. This is a great option for a group that has a mix of people who are both good or not so great at trivia.
Player amount: 4+
What we like
A classic board game inspired by trivia, Trivial Pursuit is ideal for people who enjoy putting their knowledge to the test. Both Jacobson and Shaw highly recommend Trivial Pursuit because of its simple rules and intuitiveness. “Partygoers can also play in groups of 2, 3 or more to create a team trivia experience, which will help raise the overall competitive energy level in the room,” says Jacobson. “There’s also a nostalgia component which people enjoy, because how often do adults today really get to sit around and play Trivial Pursuit?” There’s also many different editions and themed versions of it, according to Jacobson.
Player amount: 2 to 6
What we like
Wit’s End is another trivia-based game with multiple categories, such as brainteasers, matching challenges, sequences and “odd one out” questions. While the game requires at least two players and as many as six, you can also switch things up and play as teams, so you can help each other out by playing to your strengths. In addition to having multiple question types, the game’s questions also come in a range of categories, such as pop culture, science, art and culture and more, according to the brand. With a 4.5-star average rating from 1,935 reviews on Amazon, the game comes with a board, playing pieces and playing cards with trivia questions.
Player amount: 2 to 6
If someone turned a game like Mad Libs into a group-friendly board game, it would be Blank Slate. Rather than relying on trivia-based questions, this game leans into players’ creativity and guessing skills. Players fill in the blank in a sentence based on what they believe the other players would say. The person who predicts the most accurate answers earns points to win. The game, which also has elements of a card game, comes with a board, playing cards with word cues, multiple dry erase slates and a rulebook. It has a 4.8-star average rating from 11,199 reviews on Amazon.
Player amount: 3 to 8
What we like
P for Pizza is a mix of a guessing game, a card game and a letter association challenge. The game, which has a 4.6-star average rating from 3,163 reviews at the brand’s site, comes with triangle-shaped cards that resemble pieces of pizza, and each one either has a letter next to each side of the triangle or a particular category. Players have to shout a word that starts with the letter in the triangle but also falls under the category in the other triangle. The player that shouts an accurate answer the fastest wins the slice of pizza and earns points.
Player amount: 2 to 4
While many people love the classic game of Clue, which is the go-to board game for murder mystery game enthusiasts, this rendition of the game uses similar elements but with themes that are made for adult players. With a 4.3-star average rating from 683 reviews on Amazon, the game revolves around characters at a resort who become suspects following the disappearance of one of the resort’s guests. Players can team up and test their mystery-solving skills or practice their bluff.
Player amount: 4 to 10
What we like
Derby Day Horse Racing is a competitive board game ideal for players who love a quick game with elements of racing and animals. Inspired by the Kentucky Derby, the game calls for players to split shares of playing money for each of the 12 racing horses on the board and use the dice and playing cards to move the horses along the track. The game comes with a wooden board, and play money including bills imprinted with illustrations of famous racing horses like Seabiscuit and Secretariat, according to the brand. The game has a 4.6-star average rating from 1,627 reviews on Amazon.
Player amount: 2 to 6
What we like
It’s difficult to find someone who hasn’t played at least a few rounds of Monopoly, especially if they’re a board game enthusiast. With a 4.8-star average rating from 1,178 reviews on Amazon, this edition of the game uses typical aspects of Monopoly but is inspired by the different National Parks of the United States. Instead of the typical playing pieces, players use ones in the shape of Western cultural symbols, such as a bison, a park ranger hat and a canoe. The board includes spaces with illustrations of historic sites such as Mount Rainier, Zion and The Grand Canyon.
Player amount: 2-6
Sequence is a straightforward game that’s easy for just about anyone to get familiar with. The object of the game is to get a matching sequence of five face cards. When a player gets a match, they lay a playing token on the face card of the board. You can either play as an individual or work together as a team to get the required sequence to win. The game, which has a 4.8-star average rating from 42,459 reviews on Amazon, is perfect for particularly large groups.
Player amount: 2 to 12
This board game, which comes together via wooden puzzle pieces, is a fun and challenging racing board game that uses chance and time restraints to make the game more competitive. Players use multiple tokens to move around the board, based on the face card they draw; the players that get all of their pieces to the end of the board first win the game. It has a 4.8-star average rating from 44 reviews at Uncommon Goods.
Player amount: 4 to 6
What we like
Something to note
If you and your friends are fans of the History channel, then consider turning it into an immersive board game, with this trivia-style one. With a 4.7-star average rating from 483 reviews on Amazon, the game has more than 2,000 history-based trivia questions from categories such as science, technology, historical events, famous people, sports and more. It also has a gameplay time of around 30 to 45 minutes, so you can plan a fast game with just a couple friends or play multiple rounds with a group.
Player amount: 2+
What we like
A classic adventure game, Catan is great for playing with a small group of people. It only takes around 15 minutes to explain the premise of the game, according to the brand, which revolves around establishing settlements on the fictional island of Catan. Players gather resources such as lumber, ore and wool, by trading with each other. Players then use those materials to develop roads and other infrastructures to create entire cities until they win the game and take over the board.
Player amount: 3 to 4
What we like
Something to note
If you enjoy bird watching or are interested in bird feeders, you may be interested in Wingspan, a bird-collecting board game. The premise of the game is to gather the most points from various species of birds that you collect in your aviary. Players use different strategies such as food tokens and laying eggs to grow their habitats, learn about different types of birds and ultimately win the game.
Player amount: 1 to 5
What we like
If there’s one tile-laying board game you can’t go wrong with on game night, it’s Scrabble. A familiar board game with a simple premise. Scrabble is great for players who love grammar-based challenges. This deluxe version of the game comes in a carrying case and with a rotating board that has a non-slip grip to hold letters in place. Each player gets an elevated version of the typical letter holder, and since the board spins, you don’t have to reach over awkwardly to try and place your tiles while spelling words.
Player amount: 2 to 4
What we like
Something to note
The Pandemic board game comes recommended by NBC Select associate SEO editor Ashley Morris, who says it’s the ideal board game for friends and family who love strategy games with an element of sci-fi. “My family is extremely competitive, and although it’s all in good fun, most board games we play usually involve disagreements, bickering, and (usually accurate) accusations of cheating,” she says. “When my cousin first purchased this game for us to play, it totally flipped the script, because instead of trying to beat each other, we had to work together in order to beat the game.” Players work together to help control a pandemic and find a cure for the disease, while also playing as individual characters with their own unique characteristics.
Player amount: 2 to 4
Our experts recommend using the following factors when you’re ready to shop for a board game for adults in particular:
If you enjoy playing board games with friends or family but don’t have any plans of playing in a professional league or aren’t competitive, it’s best to remember the main objective of hosting an event with board games is entertainment. “Typically the goal for people hosting informal board game parties is to have fun and socialize, rather than create a serious competitive environment,” according to Jacobson. “As such, I recommend keeping it simple and starting with “classic” games that people know from their youths.”
While many board games have a wide range of topics and categories, it’s important to choose a board game that suits the strengths of many different plates and personalities, especially if you’re playing with people you aren’t close with. Try and choose “games that offer players the ability to let their creativity and/or knowledge show in a spontaneous way,” says Jacobson. This will help ensure that the party or event is inclusive and will encourage players to return for another game.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m commerce editor at NBC Select, where I write about home life, cooking, cleaning and wellness. I spoke with multiple game event organizers for this story.
Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.
