8 Best Modern Board Games to Play in 2025
Looking for the best modern board games? We’ve played and laughed through many. Here’s our pick of the top eight winners!
The 8 Best Modern Board Games To Brighten Your Tabletop Evenings! If you love game nights as much as we do, you know picking modern board games can get tricky. There’s so many boxes and shiny pieces to choose from, it feels like a trap set by a cardboard goblin. For this list, we focused on games that are easy to teach, fun for all ages, and keep everyone at the table awake without caffeine. Whether you love strategy, teamwork, or just collecting little wooden bits, these modern board games have something special to offer. Ready for some cardboard magic?
On this list:
8 Azul
Azul is the game that made us hate each other and love tiles all at once. This is the classic choice when you want to introduce friends to modern board games, but don’t want to scare them off with fantasy or complicated rules. Each turn you grab colorful tiles and try to fit them perfectly on your board, all while plotting how to make your friends take the leftovers. We played this with our family and everyone got way too competitive. It’s a relaxing game until someone blocks your perfect pattern. Then it’s war. Simple to learn, tough to master, and it looks fantastic on the table.
7 Carcassonne
Carcassonne is perfect for folks new to modern board games. In this game, you build a map together from tiles, making cities, roads, and fields. It’s a bit like trying to cram puzzle pieces together, but you can mess with your friends if you’re clever. We’ve brought this one out at family gatherings, and my uncle once tried to build a road that looped into itself. It didn’t work. The game is quick to set up, easy to teach, and offers just the right amount of friendly sabotage.
6 Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is a gateway classic of modern board games and the one we use to lure new players. You collect cards and build train routes across the map. It’s exciting, but not so stressful it makes you sweat through your shirt. The best part: blocking someone else’s route “by accident.” Our friend still hasn’t forgiven us for snatching the Seattle-to-Portland line first. With gorgeous boards, simple rules, and fun ‘aha!’ moments, this one stays in our regular rotation.
5 Sushi Go Party!
If you’re hungry for a fun, light game, Sushi Go Party! fills that spot perfectly on a modern board games night. It’s all about collecting the yummiest sushi combos using a draft system. We once got so distracted by the cute art we forgot to actually play for a round. The rules are simple, the game is fast, and it works with big groups or just a couple of people. The pick-and-pass play means everyone’s got something to do all the time.
4 Splendor
Splendor is what happens when you mix shiny chips, cards, and a craving for precious gems. It’s one of the most talked about modern board games because it’s just so easy to get into, yet offers a real challenge. You collect gems, buy development cards, and try to impress the noble folks. Every game ends up as a scramble for the same card, and we end up trading snacks as bribes. Quick to teach and play, with a satisfying sense of progress.
3 Wingspan
Wingspan is a modern board game that takes bird watching, mixes in eggs, and makes you feel smart for remembering birds exist. We played this with friends who claim they hate nature and they still had fun. The game’s art is beautiful and the engine-building gameplay means everyone’s making combos and cackling over bird facts. It’s chill, clever, and never overstays its welcome. If you want to see someone scramble to hatch eggs, this one’s a winner.
2 Codenames
Codenames is the loudest modern board game in our house because no one can keep a poker face. It’s a word game where teams race to guess their secret agents using clever clues. Every round is packed with laughs, misunderstandings, and accusations of sabotage. We love how it supports big groups and works for all ages. Once, our clue was ‘fruit’ and someone picked ‘tractor.’ Whoops. It’s easy to teach, super replayable, and always hilarious.
1 Cascadia
We picked Cascadia as the best one because it’s the perfect storm of easy rules, relaxing play, and smart strategy. This modern board game has you building your own little piece of wilderness with tiles and adorable wooden animals. It’s got that feel-good vibe, yet gives you plenty to think about. Our group played a round and instantly played again. Plus, it’s just straight up pretty. Cascadia works great with new players and experienced ones alike. The balance of luck and skill makes every game feel rewarding, and nobody storms off in a rage. That’s a win for any game night.
