5 Best Negotiation Board Games to Try in 2025
Negotiation board games bring wild deals, sneaky trades, and frantic chatter to your table. Perfect for players who love testing their negotiation skills.
The 5 Best Negotiation Board Games for Beginners and Friends
On this list:
5 Catan
Catan is the classic gateway game for negotiation fans. Picture us, a bunch of friends, frantically swapping sheep for wood like we’re in a barnyard flea market. Negotiation is the heart of the game—no fancy talk, no win. You’ll haggle, plead, and possibly question friendships, all in the name of building the longest road. It’s easy to learn, and newbies can pick it up in one round (though they’ll still get fleeced on that first brick deal). Catan keeps things friendly but never boring, except when that one guy refuses to trade. There’s always one.
4 Chinatown
Chinatown is an all-out negotiation street fight in cardboard form. We once spent a whole turn just trying to figure out who got the tiny bakery. Every single card, tile, and building on the board can be haggled over, so expect wild deals and double-crosses. It rewards smooth talkers, and punishes those of us who accidentally say, ‘sure, take it all.’ If you love negotiation and chaos, this is your jam. Just be prepared for some deeply suspect deals, because everything is for sale—except maybe your dignity.
3 Bohnanza
If you think bean farming can’t be exciting, you’ve never traded beans with our slapdash group. Bohnanza is sneaky: you must negotiate with your friends while planting beans in strict order. The game becomes a wild bean bazaar, with everyone wheeling and dealing to avoid planting unwanted beans. Negotiation is front and center, and making creative trades is the only way to win. It’s quick, silly, and has beans—what more could anyone want? Plus, yelling ‘I’ll give you two stink beans!’ is just fun.
2 Diplomacy
Diplomacy isn’t just a negotiation game—it’s a friendship test disguised as a history lesson. We once spent five hours plotting and backstabbing, and somehow the group chat survived. There’s no luck, just pure negotiation and betrayal. If you want something to talk about for years, play Diplomacy. You’ll lie, you’ll charm, you’ll scheme, and you’ll probably lose some friends (but gain legendary stories). It’s intense and not for the faint of heart, but the negotiation is unmatched. Also, be ready for grudges.
1 Cosmic Encounter
Cosmic Encounter is the king of negotiation games, and it deserves the crown. Here’s why it takes the top spot: Every turn, you’ll need to make deals, break them, and argue for alliances with a straight face. The alien powers mix things up, so every game feels fresh. In our group, the negotiation is wild—alliances shift, promises get broken, and no one ever really trusts anyone else. It’s negotiation chaos, but in the best way. Cosmic Encounter is fast, fun, and gives everyone a shot to win, thanks to clever diplomacy and sneakiness. It’s the best because it’s negotiation distilled into pure, joyful mayhem.
