BoardGames
Start with who's at the table. Every list here is built around a player count, an age or an occasion, and every game comes with its box facts and our complexity rating.
Who's playing
Best 2-player board games for adults
Nine games built for two, competitive and co-op.
Best board games for couples
Date-night picks for partners who like to team up, and for ones who like to win.
Best board games for adults
Games for three to five grown-ups, from 20-minute card games to a full evening.
Best family board games
Picks that work when the youngest player is seven and the oldest is seventy.
Best party board games
Team games and guessing games for big groups and loud rooms.
Best Halloween board games
Spooky picks from cartoon zombies for kids to haunted-house betrayals for adults.
Board game gifts for people who don't play
Short rules, big table talk, nothing that needs a YouTube tutorial.
Holiday season
Best Christmas board games
Gift picks with a finder table for who's on your list.
Best stocking stuffer games
Small boxes under $20, plus ready-made bundles.
Best games for family gatherings
Thanksgiving and holiday picks for big, mixed-age groups.
Best cooperative board games
Everyone wins or loses together, from easy to brutal.
By age
Best board games for 3-year-olds
First games built around colors, counting and taking turns.
Best board games for 4-year-olds
Co-op games, stacking games and the first real strategy.
Best board games for 5-year-olds
Deduction, dexterity and games parents enjoy too.
Best board games for 6-year-olds
The step up to card hands, maps and simple planning.
Best board games for 7- and 8-year-olds
Real hobby games kids can run themselves.
How to play
How to play Wingspan
Setup, the four actions, egg costs by column and scoring.
How to play Ticket to Ride
Drawing cards, claiming routes and how the final score adds up.
How to play Catan
Building costs, the robber and which numbers actually roll.
How to play Azul
Drafting tiles, filling the wall and dodging floor penalties.
How to play Sky Team
Dice placement, the axis and your first landing at Montreal.
How to play 7 Wonders Duel
The card pyramid, the three victory conditions and the wonders.
How to play Hues and Cues
Giving one-word cues, placing guesses and scoring the frame.