12 Best Complicated Board Games 2025: Ultimate Guide
If you love complicated board games, this list is for you. We share our top picks for epic, brain-burning fun.
The 12 Best Complicated Board Games for Brave Players
We all know complicated board games can turn a quiet night into a brain-melting, snack-fueled adventure. When picking games for our list, we looked for the heavy stuff: deep strategy, wild rulebooks, and moments where someone at the table asks, ‘Wait, so what does THIS card do again?’ We picked only the most thrilling and rewarding experiences, perfect for players who love a real challenge. If you want complicated board games that will test your friendships and your patience, you’ve come to the right place—just don’t forget the snacks!
On this list:
12 Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition
Twilight Imperium is the Michael Jordan of complicated board games. We spent so long trying to rule the galaxy, I forgot what sunlight looked like. Between diplomacy, war, trading, and tech upgrades, every move feels like a new headache. But hey, if you want a game that makes you lose track of both time and your friendships, this is it. The political intrigue alone will make your brain hurt, and building alliances only to betray your friends is absolutely hilarious. This is the go-to for epic, all-day strategy fun.
11 Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization
If you ever wanted to relive all of human history, minus the plumbing, then this one is for you. Through the Ages is definitely one of the complicated board games that tests you at every turn. We fought for wonders, built armies, and watched our civilizations fall to bad choices—usually mine. It gets intense, with lots of cards, resources, and brain-burning decisions every round.
10 Feudum
Feudum manages to look innocent at first, with its colorful pieces and map. But we learned quick—this game is a pure beast! The rules take a while to digest, but it’s worth it for all the wild combos and deep planning. You’ll manage guilds, resources, explore lands, and sometimes just stare at the board wondering what happened to your last three turns.
9 Mage Knight Board Game
Mage Knight is what happens when someone thinks RPGs don’t have enough rules. Every round, we planned spells, movement, combat, and explored a fantasy world with more charts than my last tax return. It’s solo-friendly, but also punishes mistakes, making it a real brain workout for those who like their complicated board games tough.
8 Lisboa
Lisboa felt like running a city while juggling flaming torches and eating a sandwich. It’s all about rebuilding Lisbon after the great earthquake, with a rulebook thick enough to defend yourself from burglars. There’s a ton of strategy, card play, and resource management. The art is awesome, but the planning will make your head spin.
7 Food Chain Magnate
Running a fast food empire shouldn’t be this hard, right? Wrong! Food Chain Magnate makes you sweat over every burger and milkshake. The economy is brutal, the competition is fierce, and we spent more time debating advertising than actually selling food. Only the sharpest survive in this one.
6 On Mars
On Mars dumps you on the red planet and expects you to survive—and thrive—while managing resources, buildings, and rocket launches. We loved how complicated every choice felt. With multiple phases, and plenty of ways to score, you’ll need to be on your toes. Plus, the board looks amazing with all the tiny pieces.
5 Pax Pamir (Second Edition)
In Pax Pamir, you get thrown into 19th-century Afghanistan politics. And yes, it’s about as simple as herding cats in a hurricane. This game is all about alliances, betrayals, and backstabbing. We loved the constant shifting of power and the lovely components, but wow, the rules took a while to grasp.
4 Brass: Birmingham
Brass: Birmingham is an industrial revolution in a box. You’ll plan, build, and trade your way to riches, or bankruptcy if you’re like us. The rules aren’t light, but the strategy is deep. We loved how every game played out differently, and yes, we argued over coal and beer more than once.
3 Gaia Project
Gaia Project makes you want to start a spreadsheet for your next move. It’s a space civ-builder with so many choices that our brains almost exploded. Every player gets a unique alien race (my friend picked the weirdest one, naturally), and figuring out how to make your strategy work is a real challenge. Definitely a standout in complicated board games.
2 Cerebria: The Inside World
Cerebria looks like something out of a fever dream, but hidden under all the pretty art is a brain-melting struggle between emotions. We spent half the game explaining what we just did to each other, and the other half trying to win. It’s teamwork, competition, and confusion all rolled into one complicated board game.
1 Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven is the king of complicated board games, and for good reason. It’s a giant box of adventure, strategy, and so many rules we had to print a cheat sheet. But man, the stories you create are legendary. The legacy system means your choices matter, and the co-op gameplay keeps everyone engaged. Plus, with endless scenarios, our group never gets bored. If you want the best complicated board game, this is it—just make sure you clear your schedule and stock up on snacks.
