Best 2025: Top 10 BGG Highest Rated Games

Explore the bgg highest rated games. Our top picks bring fun, strategy, and excitement to your game nights.

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Terraforming Mars coverBrass: Birmingham coverPandemic Legacy: Season 1 cover

Unlock your gaming potential with our top 10 picks from the ‘bgg highest rated games’. We dive into the wonderful universe of strategy, creativity, and teamwork without the mentioned big words. Our focus? We choose games that offer fun, great themes, and an unmatched social experience. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newbie, you’ll find something thrilling that keeps you coming back. These gems have sparked laughter, friendly rivalry, and some unforgettable moments in our game nights. Ready to explore the best in board games? Let’s see which ones made our list!

On this list:

10 Terraforming Mars

Terraforming Mars cover

  • Age Range: 12+
  • Players: 1-5
  • Play Time: 120 minutes

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Who doesn’t want to play a game about making Mars habitable? This one is a great mix of strategy and a bit of luck. You’ll feel like an alien Elon Musk by the end. Our group had a blast competing to see whose Mars would win the green thumbs up award. While it’s complex, it always leaves us wanting more, and the different paths to victory keep it fresh. It’s no wonder it ranks high on the bgg highest rated games list.

9 Brass: Birmingham

Brass: Birmingham cover

  • Age Range: 14+
  • Players: 2-4
  • Play Time: 60-120 minutes

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If you ever wanted to travel back to the Industrial Revolution era without the cholera, this is your game. Strategy, economic decisions, and beer! What more could you want? Our game nights often involve someone yelling, ‘It’s just like real life!’ as we erase each other’s industries. Hard to stay mad with so much fun, though! It deserves its place among bgg highest rated games for the clever gameplay.

8 Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 cover

  • Age Range: 13+
  • Players: 2-4
  • Play Time: 60 minutes

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It’s a virus! And you must save the world! This game was so intense our group joked about needing hazmat suits. It’s a cooperative game where every decision counts. Each session led to collective cheers and groans as the fate of humanity was at stake. Talk about pressure, right? Pandemic Legacy is one reason the bgg highest rated games list is such a must-check for gamers.

7 Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven cover

  • Age Range: 14+
  • Players: 1-4
  • Play Time: 60-120 minutes

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Imagine D&D met Jumanji and made a beautiful baby. That’s Gloomhaven! The first time we played, we lost a whole weekend. It’s got a brilliant mix of story and strategy. You’ll be stuck in its world for hours, which makes it perfect for our game marathon Saturdays. Definitely a star on the bgg highest rated games list.

6 Root

Root cover

  • Age Range: 10+
  • Players: 2-4
  • Play Time: 60-90 minutes

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Root is a wild ride with adorable woodland creatures trying to dominate the forest. Who knew animals could be so strategic? Each faction plays differently, which made our group’s game night feel like a nature documentary gone rogue. It’s a jungle, or forest, out there! A big hit on the bgg highest rated games list with a reason.

5 Star Wars: Rebellion

Star Wars: Rebellion cover

  • Age Range: 14+
  • Players: 2-4
  • Play Time: 180-240 minutes

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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, our game group battled it out with Star Wars: Rebellion. This game feels like being in the movie. Strategy and story all rolled into one epic board. Every time one of us picked up the dark side, we couldn’t help but add our own theatrical ‘I am your father!’. It’s like a blockbuster on a tabletop, and it’s why it ranks high on the bgg highest rated games.

4 Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization

Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization cover

  • Age Range: 14+
  • Players: 2-4
  • Play Time: 120 minutes

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Building civilizations from the ground up never felt more fun, or nerve-wracking. Each game feels like a history lesson, but one with a lot more excitement. Our group found ourselves quoting historical events and imagining alternate timelines, which means this game always throws unexpected surprises. It’s got the depth you’d expect from bgg highest rated games.

3 Wingspan

Wingspan cover

  • Age Range: 10+
  • Players: 1-5
  • Play Time: 40-70 minutes

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Birds! Who knew watching and collecting birds could be an immersive experience? Wingspan charmed our group with its beautiful components and unique theme. It’s all about finding those elusive birds and scoring big, which led to some friendly rivalries. We even learned about birds, which isn’t something we planned—but hey, bonus! It’s no shocker this game is a part of the bgg highest rated games.

2 Concordia

Concordia cover

  • Age Range: 13+
  • Players: 2-5
  • Play Time: 100 minutes

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We traveled back to the Roman era with Concordia. This game has made us master traders and strategists—or at least we like to think so! It’s a fun yet challenging game where you manage resources wisely. Our group found it to be a light, yet deep experience. The game balance is impressive, and that’s why it shines on the bgg highest rated games list.

1 Catan

Catan cover

  • Age Range: 10+
  • Players: 3-4
  • Play Time: 60-120 minutes

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Catan takes the top spot! This is the reason many of us started serious board gaming. It’s simple but offers endless strategies. Our group spent nights bargaining, trading sheep for lumber, and, of course, blocking each other’s roads. We think it’s the gateway game that hooked countless players, making it the crown jewel of bgg highest rated games.

Jamie in his proper element: With all of his board games
Jamie Hopkins

With years of dice-rolling, card-flipping, and strategic planning under my belt, I've transformed my passion into expertise. I thrive on dissecting the mechanics and social dynamics of board games, sharing insights from countless game nights with friends. I dive deep into gameplay mechanics, while emphasizing the social joys of gaming. While I appreciate themes and visuals, it's the strategy and camaraderie that truly capture my heart.