12 Best Lot of Board Games to Play in 2026
If you love a lot of board games, this list is for you. Try new favorites and classics everyone loves!
The 12 Best ‘Lot of Board Games’ Board Games: Fun for Any Table! We know the struggle of picking just one game when there’s a lot of board games out there. So, we rounded up 12 tried-and-tested picks that pack in replay value, clear rules, fast setup, and real fun. Whether you want to compete, team up, bluff, or just snack on some cards, this list helps new players find their soon-to-be favorite. We didn’t just look at what’s popular—we focused on games that bring people together, offer choices, and bring a table to life. Ready to shuffle up?
On this list:
12 7 Wonders
We picked 7 Wonders because it feels like juggling a lot of board games in one box. You draft cards, build a civilization, and outwit your friends who keep stealing all the good science cards. Every round, we feel like we’re running an empire, hiring the best (and sometimes worst) workers. There’s always a new tactic to try, and no two games are the same. It’s easy enough for new players but has enough depth that our brains sometimes feel the burn. Plus, it’s short enough that you can play a rematch without needing a nap first.
11 Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is like an entire travel agency in a box, and that’s why it’s perfect for fans of a lot of board games. We always end up blocking each other’s routes just for laughs, but there’s a sneaky layer of strategy too. It’s a game that gets people talking (and occasionally grumbling), and we love that every group can learn it in minutes. We still argue over who gets the longest continuous route, and we won’t forget the time someone tried to build across the whole board just for fun. Spoiler: they lost. Gloriously.
10 Codenames
Codenames is what happens when a party game meets a guess-who puzzle. We picked it because it brings out hidden codebreakers among our friends. If you like a lot of board games that test your wit (and your ability to not accidentally blurt out answers), this one’s for you. It turns one-word clues into wild guesses and loud laughter. We always think we’re clever until someone connects ‘fish’ to ‘moon landing.’ It’s great for groups and the rare game where everyone wants to play just one more round. And then another.
9 Sushi Go!
Sushi Go! makes us feel like we’re at an all-you-can-eat buffet, and that’s why we love it for a lot of board games nights. You pass cards, collect sets, and try to sabotage your friends’ dessert dreams. Rounds are quick and always leave us hungry (sometimes for actual sushi). The adorable art is a crowd-pleaser, and everyone laughs when someone forgets to save room for pudding. We’ve played with families and hardcore gamers, and it fits every table. Plus, it’s so small, we actually take it to real sushi bars.
8 The Quest for El Dorado
This one makes us feel like explorers on a wild roadtrip. The Quest for El Dorado is a race, deck-builder, and puzzle all rolled into one. For anyone who likes a lot of board games that offer new maps every time, this is a goldmine (pun intended). We get lost, take risks, and always blame each other for blocking the best shortcuts. It’s easy to teach, fast to play, and different every session. Sometimes we build the board so tough it’s like hiking through actual jungle. Bring snacks.
7 Carcassonne
Carcassonne is perfect if you like to build stuff and then fight over it. We keep adding tiles, making roads and cities, and placing cute wooden meeples everywhere. With a lot of board games you get chaos, and Carcassonne delivers in small box form. The best part is the arguments about who owns that big city (it always gets heated). There’s luck, skill, and the joy of crushing someone’s dreams by finishing their road first. It’s classic, it’s quick, and it keeps coming back to our table year after year.
6 Azul
Azul is a tile-drafting game disguised as art class, and it brings a ‘lot of board games’ vibe in a single box. We argue about patterns, color choices, and who gets to ruin the other player’s tile dreams. It’s beautiful and snappy, and has the satisfying clink of chunky tiles (who doesn’t love that?). Games are close, and new players always have a shot at the win. Plus, no one ever forgets the first time they tanked their score by grabbing the wrong tiles and sending them crashing to the factory floor.
5 King of Tokyo
This one’s here because King of Tokyo is like a city-smashing party stuffed in a tiny box. If you like monsters, dice, and causing chaos, it’s a must. We roll dice, attack each other, and make monster noises (sometimes the neighbors complain). Turns go fast, and everyone gets a chance to feel like the coolest kaiju in town. It’s silly, loud, and packed with ways to mess with your friends—exactly what a lot of board games fans want. Bonus: it’s almost impossible to play only once.
4 Splendor
Splendor makes us feel rich, even when our wallets say otherwise. It’s all about collecting shiny gems, buying cards, and racing your friends to the best victory points. We chose it for this ‘lot of board games’ list because it’s easy to learn but tough to master. You’ll start with humble chips and end up buying cards like a jewel tycoon—if your pals don’t swipe your dream card first. We always end up plotting revenge for a round or two. It’s sneaky, sharp, and perfect for groups who want to think and laugh at the same time.
3 Wingspan
Wingspan tucks a lot of board games’ spirit right under its bird-shaped wing. We love the combo-building, the feeling of discovery, and the peaceful eggs that may or may not be hotly contested. Every time we play, someone declares a new favorite bird and then everyone else forgets who’s winning. It’s relaxing but sneaky-cutthroat if you want it to be. It looks amazing on the table, and non-gamers always end up asking for a rematch. Plus, you can shout, ‘My bird lays more eggs than yours.’ That never gets old.
2 Pandemic
Pandemic takes a lot of board games’ teamwork and turns it up to eleven. We picked it because we always end up shouting advice, panicking together, and then blaming the medic when things go wrong. It’s a cooperative game where everyone actually works together (or tries to boss each other around for the win). Every session feels like a new puzzle, and the tension is real. We’ve beaten it and lost to it, both with equal amounts of yelling. Great for friends who want a challenge and don’t mind sweating a bit.
1 Catan
Catan is the king when it comes to a lot of board games’ experiences. We picked it as the best because it’s the one that turns strangers into frenemies, sheep into currency, and wooden roads into battlegrounds. It’s easy for new players to join, but sneaky enough to keep coming back to the table. We trade, build, and occasionally plot a little too hard. Every session is chaos and comedy—exactly what a lot of board games are all about. This one made us friends for life (and enemies for the night). Nothing beats the feeling of winning by a single point. Classic.
