9 Of The Best Modern Classic Board Games To Play

Sitting down with a board game can be one of the very best ways to bring together friends and multiple generations (at least, until the arguments about cheating arise). Every year, new board games hit the shelves, and when some rocket to cult popularity, others linger on the shelves too complicated or dull to take off. Monopoly and Scrabble will always hold a place close to our hearts, but there’s more to board games than those nostalgic classics. Put a pause on screen addictions and pass the time with the likes of Herd Mentality and Mapominoes.

Perfect for summer holiday fun, here is our round up of the nine best board games that your family will actually want to play.

Best Card Game: Exploding Kittens

The best games are often the simplest. And silliest. Case in point with card game Exploding Kittens which is a highly strategic version of Russian Roulette. Players draw cards until somebody draws an Exploding Kitten, at which point they explode and leave the game. Buy it.

Best Simple Game: Herd Mentality

This is a ridiculous strategy game with a simple mission: write down the same answer just as you think everyone else will. Blend in, don’t stand out. Effortlessly fun and ‘udderly addictive’. Get it? Buy it.

Best Thinking Game: Wordle The Party Game

Inspired by the addictive digital version of the word-guessing game, this physical board game version for two to four players helps connect competitors in person. Buy it.

Best Imagination Game: Listography

May the best list win! Rather like a more exciting version of Scategories (also a good game), Listography invites players to create and share lists on thought-provoking and fun topics. Buy it.

Best Kids Game: Qwirkle

Don’t be fooled by its simplicity. This colourful tile-matching game takes seconds to set up, has very few rules and basic scoring. It relies on a little luck, pattern recognition and a competitive spirit. Obsessively enjoyable. Buy it.

Best Educational Game: Mapominoes

Think dominoes, but with maps. All you must do is connect countries that share a common border as you build a map of Europe. Competitive, highly addictive and easy to learn, it’s intellectually rewarding, too. We love it. Buy it.

Best Strategy Game: A Game of Thrones

This fairly complex strategy board game goes on for several hours and won’t be for everyone. The objective is to crush rival houses of Westeros and to claim the Iron Throne. Brutal. Buy it.

Best Team Game: Pandemic

Inspired by the 2002 to 2004 SARS outbreak, Pandemic is a board game where players work to assist each other in eliminating four new diseases, stamping out epidemics and developing cures. Of course, we’ve all learned a little more about that since then. A reminder that working together is crucial. Buy it.

Best Party Game: Throw Throw Burrito

A go-to game of speed and fury! From the creators of the wildly popular Exploding Kittens, Throw Throw Burrito is a fast-paced, fairly chaotic card game based on dodgeball. It’s a riot and can turn quite raucous. Best played standing up in a room without valuables. Buy it.

By Annabel Jack
August 2023