Best Good Board Games of 2024: Top 7 Picks

Discover 7 good board games perfect for beginners. We've picked the best games our friends and family enjoyed!
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Catan coverTicket to Ride coverPandemic cover

The Ultimate List of 7 Good Board Games for Your Next Game Night

On this list:

7 Catan

Catan cover

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

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This game is a classic and perfect for newcomers. You trade resources, build roads, and try to settle the island. We’ve seen friendships made and broken over sheep trading! It’s simple to pick up but has enough strategy to keep it interesting. Plus, who doesn’t love yelling ‘I’ve got wood for your sheep!’

6 Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride cover

  • Age Range: 8+
  • Players: 2-5
  • Play Time: 30-60 minutes

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Ticket to Ride is like Monopoly, but with trains and way less rage-inducing. You collect cards to claim railway routes across a map. It’s easy to learn and can get pretty competitive. Also, it’s visually appealing with colorful pieces and maps.

5 Pandemic

Pandemic cover

  • Age Range: 8+
  • Players: 2-4
  • Play Time: 45 minutes

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In this cooperative game, players work together to stop global pandemics. This game is all about teamwork and strategy. While it might be a bit too real after 2020, it’s exciting to race against the clock and save the world with your friends.

4 Azul

Azul cover

  • Age Range: 8+
  • Players: 2-4
  • Play Time: 30-45 minutes

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If you love a good puzzle, Azul is your jam. In this game, you draft tiles to complete beautiful patterns. It’s both relaxing and competitive. Plus, the tiles are so satisfying to handle! Perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

3 Carcassonne

Carcassonne cover

  • Age Range: 7+
  • Players: 2-5
  • Play Time: 35 minutes

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This tile-placement game demands creativity and strategy. Players build the landscape of a medieval city, scoring points for creating cities, roads, and farms. It’s easy to learn and perfect for all ages. Plus, adding expansions keeps it fresh and fun.

2 Splendor

Splendor cover

  • Age Range: 10+
  • Players: 2-4
  • Play Time: 30 minutes

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Splendor asks you to become a wealthy merchant in the Renaissance. You collect gems and buy development cards to earn points. The game is simple but strategic. We’ve seen more than a few folks get addicted to collecting those shiny gems!

1 Terraforming Mars

Terraforming Mars cover

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

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This is our top pick! Terraforming Mars is the ultimate strategy game. Players work as rival corporations to make Mars habitable. With deep strategy, diverse paths to victory, and endless replayability, this game keeps you hooked. We spent entire weekends planning our Martian colonies!

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.