10 Best Adventure Board Games to Play in 2025
Adventure board games let us explore wild jungles, haunted castles, and spooky caves, all from our kitchen table. Ready for adventure?
Top 10 Adventure Board Games To Transform Your Game Night
Adventure calls, and we always answer—with snacks, rules questions, and too much table space. We love games that whisk us off to wild islands, forgotten ruins, or mysterious worlds. When picking adventure board games, we look for strong stories, smart mechanics, and that WOW moment when someone survives (or totally blows) a risky move. Replay value matters, and we need choices that feel epic every time, whether we’re battling monsters, exploring new lands, or just trying not to set the rulebook on fire. Grab your dice and courage—our top 10 adventure board games are ready!
On this list:
10 Talisman: Revised 4th Edition
Talisman is like that buddy who always brings snacks and chaos to adventure night. We played this classic after a long week, and by the third round, someone had become a toad (not naming names, but Dave). The randomness means everyone gets a shot at the Crown of Command. It’s a great way to introduce new players to adventure board games because you don’t need a rulebook thicker than your arm. The perfect mix of luck, laughter, and light rivalry, Talisman makes evenings fly by whether you’re slaying dragons or just trying not to land on a space with a vulture.
9 Above and Below
Above and Below combines village building with choose-your-own-adventure vibes. We once spent half the game exploring caves and the other half arguing about who got to build the apple orchard. The adventure aspect shines in the storybook encounters, and the choices you make actually matter. There’s plenty for beginners—easy rules, fun stories, and quick turns. It’s the sort of board game that works for lazy Sunday afternoons, when you want the thrill of adventure but can’t face a full-on rule slog.
8 Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island
Robinson Crusoe is pure survival adventure—think campfire stories, but with more arguing about who has to gather wood. We nearly starved playing this one, and the tension had us yelling about coconuts. Each play-through feels different, and the game’s scenarios mean you’ll always have a fresh adventure to survive. There’s a steep learning curve, but even our friend who thinks ‘meeple’ is a type of fruit managed after a round or two. It’s tough, fun, and a fantastic team builder (or destroyer, depending on your friends).
7 The 7th Continent
The 7th Continent lets us play explorers with a serious case of ‘just one more turn’ syndrome. We spent one game session searching for a way off the cursed land, only to get eaten by a plant. The adventure comes from the mystery and discovery on every turn, with hours of exploration packed in. It’s a solo or group board game, so you can set off on adventure no matter your player count. Every play feels epic, and the puzzle-solving fits right into the adventure theme.
6 Sleeping Gods
Sleeping Gods puts you and your friends on a ship, lost in a fantasy world. We spent an entire game session arguing about which weird sea monster to poke first. The storybook adventure is strong, with decisions that really shape your journey. It’s like being dropped inside a novel, but with more snacks and occasional sea monster panic. The open-ended exploration means there are always new secrets to discover. It makes for rich, memorable adventure nights, and we’re still talking about the time we sunk the boat (again, not naming names).
5 Destinies
Destinies is a story-driven adventure with app support that actually works (a rare thing). Each player has their own secret goal—leading to some classic ‘I swear I’m helping!’ moments. The app gives a fresh spin to the adventure genre, making things smoother for new players. One time, we narrowly beat the game by convincing a priest to hand over a magic sword. The puzzles and branching story paths keep every game interesting, and things move quickly, making it a solid choice for adventure fans and app skeptics alike.
4 Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Jaws of the Lion is like Gloomhaven’s younger, friendlier cousin. We brought this out for friends new to adventure board games, and the onboarding worked like a charm. The campaign-based adventure is deep but doesn’t require turning your table into a war zone. Each scenario feels different, and the cooperative puzzle-solving had us high-fiving and groaning in equal measure. Jaws of the Lion packs a lot of adventure, but is accessible enough that you won’t lose your friends to rule overload.
3 Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure
Clank! is the board game equivalent of a heist movie with a group of bumbling amateurs—us, basically. Race into a dungeon, grab treasures, and get out before the dragon wakes up. We screamed and laughed when someone set off a ‘clank’ and nearly got everyone caught. It’s easy to learn, fast-paced, and beginner-friendly, making it a top pick for new adventure seekers. No two games feel the same, and there’s always a silly story to tell at the end.
2 Lost Ruins of Arnak
Lost Ruins of Arnak is what happens when Indiana Jones meets deck-building and worker placement. We got hooked on the adventure theme right away, arguing over which temple to raid next. The mix of strategy, luck, and discovery is perfect for both new players and those who like to plan five moves ahead. We’ve ended every session swapping stories about our biggest finds and silliest missteps (why did we ever trust monkeys?). The fun, fast turns and vibrant board make this a modern adventure classic.
1 Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 earns the top adventure spot because it changes with every game, making your choices matter in a big way. We started out saving the world, only to mess things up and create even more drama. The legacy system means the story and board evolve, so you really feel invested in the adventure. It draws everyone in, and even our friend who’s allergic to rules had a blast. If you want pure adventure that’s easy for new players but keeps you coming back for more, this is the one.
