Recap

Adam’s Favorite Board Games 2025

Sharing Adam’s 2025 updated list of all-time Favorite Board Games!

A few years ago, Adam began a new tradition where every birthday, he’ll gather up his current favorite games for a big group photo. What began as just holding a few favorites morphed into holding one game for each year, all stacked together precariously, documenting the games he loves today.

It’s been fun to see some of the games stay year after year, while others have dropped off and been replaced. (You can see last year’s list here!) Below we’ve collected this years’ list! And I must say, if there ever was a list of the best games available – it would look something like this!

Top Five Game of All Time in 2025

5. Spots

This is the best push your luck dice game. This is a family game collection essential. It is simply to learn, tons of variety in the base game, and design to have stand up dice rolls at the end of the game as plays push their luck one more time.

4. Quest for El Dorardo by Ravensburger

This game combines decking building, racing, and a exploration theme making it perfect combination for me. The decision space of going slow in the beginning to craft the best deck or blaze ahead and hope you don’t get caught is my favorite time of game tension.

3. Planet Unknown

Polyomino tile placement is my 2nd favorite style of game and Planet Unknown is the best of bunch. From the innovative use of a Lazy Susan, to simultaneous play to reduce downtime, and asymmetric boards to allow for varied strategies each game. This chunky boxes is well worth the space it takes up in the our collection.

2. Cover Your Assets

Overall this is our extended family favorite game. This game I have near 100% success rate with people having a fun time playing. Quick to learn, simple to play, high amounts of table talk and player engagement. This is perfect family card game and one that should be a staple in every game collection.

1. Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game by Upper Deck

Still my number one game for over a decade now Legendary mixes my favorite game style, deck-building, with my favorite theme Marvel heroes. With 35+ and counting expansion there an endless hero/mastermind combinations. You can play the game solo, cooperatively, or semi-coop mode making easy to match the prefer play style of my group. This is not a perfect game due to long set-up/take down and endless number of keywords, but it a perfect for me.
Note: In 2025 a 2nd Edition of the base game will be release fixing some art issues with the original. If you can’t wait and want to get a taste of Marvel Legendary, I recommend getting Marvel Studios What If…? which is fully standalone game that is an excellent value, but also works as an expansion since everything is compatible. Then snag the 2nd Edition when it releases later this year!