Every January, my husband Adam does something a little ridiculous. He stacks up one board game for every year he’s been alive, takes a photo, and calls it his birthday list. This year that’s 38 games.
Adam plays more board games in a year than most people play in a lifetime. These aren’t games he reviewed once and moved on. These are the ones he keeps pulling off the shelf, the ones he talks about at dinner, the ones he hands to guests and says “just trust me.”
If you’re looking for a place to start or trying to find your next great game, this is the list.
Top Five All Time Favorite Board Games in 2026
5. Planet Unknown
Polyomino tile placement games are my 2nd favorite type of game after deck-building, and Planet Unknown is the best of the bunch. From the innovative use of a Lazy Susan, to simultaneous play to reduce downtime, and asymmetric boards to allow for varied strategies in each game, this chunky box is well worth the space it takes up in our collection.
4. Toy Battle
This two-player war game manages to be both cute and cunning. I love sending out my toy troops to battle in tactical challenges against my kids. Toy Battle is instantly approachable, genuinely strategic, and fun across all ages. It packs in serious tension and tactical decisions into quick rounds that stay light thanks to its adorable theme, while remaining dynamic and fresh thanks to the multiple battle maps. It is by far the game I played the most in the last year.
3. Marvel United
A fun cooperative game featuring Marvel heroes. There are tons of expansions available if you can’t get enough, like me. Additionally, the minis are chunky, making them perfect for beginning painters like myself. I love how this game allows for great core memories with the boys, pretending to be heroes around the game table.
2. Quest for El Dorado
This game combines deck building, racing, and an exploration theme, making it a perfect combination for me. The decision space between going slow in the beginning to craft the best deck or blazing ahead and hoping you don’t stall out toward the end is my favorite thing about this essential family game.
1. It’s a Wonderful World
The best game that mixes strategic card drafting and engine building. The satisfying cascade of resources at the end of each round, combined with the tough decisions about which cards to draft and which to recycle, creates an incredibly engaging experience that keeps me coming back game after game. I love playing this as a group or as a solo experience, and the expansion campaign is a great way to continue enjoying the game.
The Following Games Are Presented Alphabetically
Barenpark
The designer Phil Walker-Harding creates some of the best family games, but this one is my favorite among them. This essential family game challenges you to build your bear park out of polyomino tiles and race to get the best tiles to maximize your score. It’s quick, clever, and perfect for a weeknight game.
Can’t Stop
A classic push-your-luck dice game that never gets old. The tension of deciding whether to press on or play it safe creates memorable moments every time it hits the table.
Castle Combo
A delightful tableau-building experience that’s quick to learn but rich in possibilities, allowing up to five players to craft their own medieval kingdoms while enjoying the charming artwork and satisfying card synergies. Try this game out on Board Game Arena, and you’ll love it.
The Castles of Burgundy
A masterclass in dice placement and strategic planning. Every decision matters as you build up your estate, and the variety of tiles and starting maps ensures no two games feel the same. There is a fancy deluxe edition linked, but since this is a 15-year-old game, you should be able to find a used copy online.
Cartographers
My favorite “Flip-and-Write” game challenges you to create efficient and aesthetically pleasing maps while adhering to dynamic scoring objectives. The base game and sequel Cartographers Heroes both play the same, so you can start with either game. This is also the game I played the most all-time on Board Game Arena.
Clank!
A thrilling deck-building adventure that perfectly captures the tension of pushing your luck in a dragon’s lair. The noise you make matters, and that dragon gets angrier with every stolen treasure. I love the mix of mechanism and theme, and I’m excited to play it more with kids this year.
Cover Your Assets
Overall, this is our extended family’s favorite game. This game has a near 100% success rate with people having a fun time playing. Quick to learn, simple to play, with high amounts of table talk and player engagement. This is a perfect family card game and one that should be a staple in every game collection.
Duel for Cardia
Duel for Cardia feels like War got a glow-up! Bigger combos, smarter decisions, and tons of unique setups. Each battle is punchy and exciting, with lots of great tension and a ton of variety. You’re constantly reading your opponent and timing your strongest plays. It’s quick, clever, and deliciously competitive.
First Rat
Combining strategic gameplay with a charmingly unhinged theme of building a rocket to the moon made of cheese. What is there not to love. This is a criminally underrated game.
Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters
A fantastic cooperative game for families that strikes an ideal balance between being a challenge and still being accessible. Working together to collect treasures while managing the ghost threat creates exciting moments for all ages. The new version is great, and this is a game you will play all year, not just in October.
Guild of Merchant Explorers
Exploration games are my favorite theme, and this simple yet rewarding gameplay offers a unique blend of individual player powers and maps that keep each game fresh and engaging. It has a great implementation on Board Game Arena if you want to try it first, since the bland box cover may keep you away.
Heat: Pedal to the Metal
This race game features light deck-building and simultaneous card play, which vividly captures the thrill and strategy of racing. The best car racing game I’ve played.
Istanbul
A brilliant puzzle of movement and resource management set in a bustling Turkish marketplace. Planning your route to collect rubies while managing your assistants creates satisfying strategic depth. I love the app version of this game as well, since there is so much to manage.s game as well, since their is
Karuba
A great tile-placing race game that is perfect for families. It takes careful planning and a bit of luck to create an addictive experience. A family game essential for any Bingo lovers.
Kinfire Delve Series
Whether playing solo or in two-player mode, I loved playing Kinfire Delve. I recommend Scorn’s Stockade, but all three are excellent.
Lord of the Rings Duel
This tightly designed two-player contest offers multiple paths to victory and deep strategic decisions that enhance both the theme and the gameplay foundation it is inspired by.
Marvel Legendary Deck Building Game
This was my number one game for over a decade. Marvel Legendary mixes my favorite game style, deck-building, with my favorite theme Marvel heroes. With over 35 expansions and counting there are 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 its long set-up/take down and endless number of keywords to memorize, but it a perfect for me.
MicroMacro: Crime City
A combination of hidden object gameplay on a detailed map and crime-solving makes for the best immersive detective experience.
Mists Over Carcassonne
A fresh take on the classic tile-laying game with a spooky twist. The ghost mechanic adds a new layer of strategy while maintaining the accessible gameplay Carcassonne is known for.
Mythical Dice
A dice-drafting game that combines luck and strategy in a compact package. The mythical creature theme and simple yet engaging gameplay make it a perfect filler game.
Port Royal: Big Box
Featuring engaging push-your-luck mechanics and the inclusion of all expansions, cooperative, and campaign modes, making it a comprehensive package.
Quacks (of Quedlinburg)
Push-your-luck fun with high variability in the ingredient powers makes this the best bag-building game of all time.
Qwixx
Fast-paced and simple dice game that keeps all players engaged on every turn. A game we played so much we had etched X’s into our dining table. Whoops.
Ready Set Bet
All the thrill and excitement of a real horse race played at home. My favorite party game experience.
Regicide
A brilliant cooperative card game using a standard deck with a unique twist. Defeating the court cards feels like a true accomplishment, and the scaling difficulty keeps it challenging.
Spots
This is the best push-your-luck dice game. This is a family game collection essential. It is simple to learn, with tons of variety in the base game, and designed to have stand-up dice rolls at the end of the game as players push their luck one more time.
Survive the Island
The newest version of the family favorite Survive: Escape from Atlantis. Perfect for anyone who enjoys a bit of chaotic fun.
Ticket to Ride
The gateway game that introduced millions to modern board gaming. Simple route-building mechanics combined with the tension of competing for routes makes this a timeless classic.
The Vale of Eternity
A beautiful card-drafting game with satisfying tactical choices. Building your army and managing resources creates engaging decision points throughout.
Viticulture Essential Edition
My favorite worker placement game only gets better when you add in the Tuscany expansion and cooperative Viticulture World expansion.
Wandering Towers
Part memory game, part racing game all wrapped in a whimsical package where careful planning and spatial awareness are key to outmaneuvering your opponents in a constantly shifting magical landscape.
Warp’s Edge
A solo bag-building game with a unique time-loop mechanic and a ton of cool ships and unique alien motherships to defeat.
Witchcraft!
A fun trick-taking game with a magical twist. The witch powers add strategic depth to familiar mechanics, making each round feel fresh and full of surprising moments. You can play this solo or cooperatively — it made for some fun game nights in October!
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