12 Best Kickstarter Board Games 2025: Top Reviewed Picks
Kickstarter board games offer fresh ideas and great fun. We've picked top games new players will love for their first adventure.
12 Best Kickstarter Board Games to Get on Your Table ASAP! We’ve played our way through mountains of dice and meeples to bring you the best kickstarter board games out there. When picking games for this list, we looked for replay value, unique themes, and whether we could actually explain the rules before someone ran off to watch TV. We also made sure these kickstarter board games are fun for new players, not just folks who live for cardboard and rulebooks. You’ll find all sorts of choices, from strategic epics to quick romps, making it easy to find your next obsession!
On this list:
12 Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven changed the world of kickstarter board games for us. We backed it because everyone was buzzing, and it turned our living room into a battle ground of cards, monsters, and endless banter over who forgot to shuffle. The sheer weight of the box nearly ruined my back, but the content kept us glued to our seats for countless weekends. With its deep story, fun combat, and endless choices, it’s a solid pick for anyone who wants to jump into big Kickstarter games. Just warn your cat—this box takes up its favorite napping spot.
11 Root
Root gave our group more alliances, betrayals, and epic tantrums than family Monopoly ever managed. This kickstarter board game is full of cute woodland creatures, but don’t be fooled—the backstabbing is real. We picked it because of the sheer fun in learning all the factions and realizing none of us remembered the rules right. Every play session feels fresh, and the expansions keep us coming back for more. Plus, who doesn’t want to fight as a bunch of angry birds?
10 Scythe
Scythe is what happens when you throw farming, mechs, and beautiful art into a blender. We picked up this kickstarter board game for the miniatures, but we stayed for the clever gameplay. After a few games, even our friend Dave—who usually wanders off to check his phone—was plotting his next resource grab. The alternate-history setting is great too, even if our cows live in constant fear of being stomped by a giant robot. It’s a gem for players new to big-box Kickstarter games.
9 Nemesis
We only scream this much when we’re out of snacks. Nemesis is pure chaos and horror—a kickstarter board game where trust is low and the aliens are everywhere. We chose it because it’s the closest we’ll get to starring in a sci-fi movie, but with more arguing. There’s nothing quite like watching your best friend jettison someone out the airlock. If you want teamwork, tension, and yelling, pick Nemesis. Just don’t expect to actually survive.
8 Everdell
We thought Everdell would be cute woodland fun, but it soon devolved into debates over who got the best critter. This kickstarter board game stands out for its amazing tree centerpiece and simple but tight gameplay. We enjoy how easy it is to teach yet how much depth lives in each card play. Game night feels like a storybook—until someone blocks you from getting the last berry. It’s one we always end up bringing to the table again.
7 The 7th Continent
The 7th Continent is for anyone who ever wanted to get lost, but safely, at their own kitchen table. This kickstarter board game gave our group the chance to explore, argue, and laugh while we tried to survive mysteries and monsters. The adventure is huge, replayable, and sometimes ridiculous. We picked it because it’s like a box full of ‘choose your own adventure’ books—except with more doom. Highly recommended!
6 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
If you like your kickstarter board games dark and moody, Tainted Grail is the pick. We got this for the art, but we stayed for the story and the endless, desperate choices. Playing it felt like being stuck in a medieval soap opera, but with more monsters. There’s loads of depth, and we kept getting caught up in side plots and forgetting what we were actually meant to do. It’s made our shelves heavier, and our game group nerdier.
5 Too Many Bones
Ever wanted to roll a bucket of dice and argue about tactics? Too Many Bones is our go-to for crunchy, unpredictable fights. This kickstarter board game has more upgrades than our phones, and the dice tower lives in fear of us. The characters are wild, the rules are fiddly at first, but it’s all worth it for the laughs at the table. We always end up quoting the game’s goblins for days afterward.
4 Burgle Bros. 2: The Casino Capers
We love a good heist, even if it’s just cardboard and curses. Burgle Bros. 2 is a kickstarter board game that keeps us on the edge as we try (and fail) to sneak past guards. It’s lighter on rules, but heavy on laughs, especially when our plans fall apart in style. The modular board makes each game feel different, and the art is as jazzy as our group gets. It’s a favourite for lighter nights.
3 Frosthaven
Frosthaven is the colder, meaner sibling of Gloomhaven. We chose this kickstarter board game because we needed new scenarios to mess up. It’s packed with story, upgrades, and new characters, and we always lose at least one friend to a rules argument. The campaign is massive, but we’ve loved every frostbitten challenge. Plus, it’s a workout—just carrying the box inside counts as leg day.
2 Wingspan
Who knew birdwatching could be this competitive? We tried Wingspan after seeing it soar on kickstarter board games lists, and we’re now bird nerds too. It’s smooth, quick to teach, and has some of the prettiest cards we’ve ever seen. It’s always a hit at family gatherings, and even our aunt who ‘doesn’t like games’ played twice. We recommend it for new and seasoned gamers alike.
1 Sleeping Gods
Sleeping Gods takes the sleepy cake as our top kickstarter board game. Why? Because it’s huge, adventure-packed, and makes us all feel like pirates. The group story, the choices, and the feeling of discovering something new every time was just magical. We all got so wrapped up, we forgot about time—and sometimes even dinner. It’s easy to learn and makes for unforgettable game nights, so if you’re picking your first big Kickstarter hit, this is the one.
