6 Best Board Games for Friends in 2026 Reviewed
Laugh, shout, and scheme your way through the best board games for friends. These games promise wild nights and epic stories.
Looking for the best board games for friends that guarantee laughs, friendly banter, and memorable nights? We’ve played enough games to fill a small garage, but not all of them hit the right note when friends gather. For this list, we focused on fast setup, easy rules, and serious fun factor. We also paid attention to how well the games work with different group sizes and personalities. Whether you want to test your teamwork, bluff your buddies, or just shout weird clues across the table, our picks for the best board games for friends are sure to make your next game night a hit.
On this list:
6 Codenames
We picked Codenames because it nails everything needed for the best board games for friends. You get to split into teams, read each other’s minds, and—if you are our group—argue over the weird hints for half the game. It’s simple to learn and easy to get even that one friend who hates rules to join. Laughs happen a lot, especially when someone shouts a clue so vague only a psychic could guess it. Codenames works for big or small groups, and the replay value is high. Every game ends with at least one person saying, ‘let’s play again!’
5 Just One
Just One gets on this list because it brings everyone together, even if you suck at spelling (we do). You cooperate to give one-word clues so a friend can guess a secret word. But if two people write the same clue, it gets tossed! This is when the room gets loud and people claim, ‘I thought no one else would write “banana!”’ We love it because it’s quick, there’s no real stress, and everyone can play—even grandma or anyone who can’t handle complicated rules.
4 Wavelength
Wavelength is pure gold for best board games for friends. The game has a weird wheel thing that looks like a cross between a fortune teller and a radio dial. One person gives a clue, and the rest of us argue way too hard about how on Earth ‘pizza’ is supposed to be closer to ‘junk food’ than ‘healthy food’. The best part is the wild debates, and you seriously learn how your friends think. It’s the kind of game where nobody stays quiet, and you spend half the night laughing about who guessed ‘cat’ was close to ‘dangerous animal’.
3 Decrypto
We love Decrypto because it’s like Codenames’ sneaky cousin. You’re trying to send secret codes to your team without the other team figuring them out. Our group gets way too clever, and half the time the clues end up as inside jokes. If you like word puzzles but also want to mess with your friends, Decrypto is perfect for you. The best board games for friends list needs something challenging, fun, and surprising—this one delivers every time. It works for those who love words, not just those who love winning.
2 Secret Hitler
Secret Hitler made us question if we could actually trust each other. In this game, you bluff, lie, and try to figure out which one of your friends is the traitor. We had people covering their faces and sweating more than a Thanksgiving turkey. If you have a group that loves drama, this is a must. Every round is different, and no one ever leaves the table without wild accusations and dramatic reveals. If you want a social deduction game for your group, Secret Hitler is top-tier.
1 The Resistance: Avalon
We chose The Resistance: Avalon as our top pick for the best board games for friends. Why? Because no game turns a chill evening into a Shakespearean drama faster than Avalon. Trust us, after a few rounds, you’ll question every friendship. Table talk is wild, and betrayals cause more groans than dad jokes. It has all the fun of bluffing and deduction, but unlike other games, no one gets eliminated early, so everyone stays involved until the end. If your crew loves social games with epic twists and a lot of laughs, Avalon rules the table.
