Best Role Playing Board Games 2025: Top 14 Picks
Role playing board games have a special place at our game nights. We focus on games that spark imagination, create epic stories, and encourage teamwork. From strategic choices to immersive narratives, these games offer endless adventures. We only chose the best, considering gameplay, depth, and fun. Whether you’re new to role playing or a seasoned adventurer, there’s something for everyone. Get ready to explore strange lands, battle fierce foes, and unravel mysteries with our top picks. Grab your dice, gather your friends, and embark on an unforgettable journey into the world of role playing board games!
On this list:
- Gloomhaven
- Twilight Imperium
- Descent: Journeys in the Dark
- Betrayal at House on the Hill
- Scythe
- Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
- Tales of the Arabian Nights
- Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game
- Mage Knight
- Eldritch Horror
- Arkham Horror: The Card Game
- Star Wars: Imperial Assault
- Kingdom Death: Monster
- Dungeons & Dragons: The Board Game
14 Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven is the chunky, epic saga that turns evenings into full-blown adventures. Picture our crew trying to keep our mage from getting squished by demons–fun times! This game has more scenarios than my aunt has cat pictures. The role playing shines as you craft your path through a grim, evolving world. Each decision influences the story, making players feel they’re the authors of their fateful saga. If you like deep stories and complex stratagies, this game will have your name written all over it. Grab some snacks, ’cause you’ll be on the floor for hours!
13 Twilight Imperium
We survived an entire day in space! Twilight Imperium is our go-to escape when we’re yearning for intergalactic exploration. This game offers role playing themes through diplomacy, trade, and space battles. One moment we’re allies; the next, we betray each other for a slice of the universe. It’s got politics, warfare, and the occasional space pizza party. Complex and rewarding, it’s perfect for groups that crave epic sessions full of strategy and surprising alliances.
12 Descent: Journeys in the Dark
Descent gave us weekends filled with treasure hunts and monster slaying. As the Overlord, one gets to kindle their inner villain, plotting against the poor heroes! This game is a treasure for role players thirsty for dungeons and adventures. With modular tiles, every game is a fresh dungeon to conquer. The rich narratives and character development make us feel like we’re starring in a fantasy epic, minus the CGI budget.
11 Betrayal at House on the Hill
This was the first game to turn our living room into a haunted mansion. Betrayal at House on the Hill is a role playing game where horror aficionados can live their wildest nightmares. Each game shifts as players eventually betray each other, creating a spooky plot twist. We never knew who’d be the traitor, keeping everyone on edge. Plus, the different haunt scenarios add a replay value scarier than the Ouija board gathering dust in our attic.
10 Scythe
Ah, Scythe–the game that sprouted our agricultural kingdom and mecha warfare dreams. Set in an alternate 1920s, it combines combat, diplomacy, and strategic planning with unique role playing elements. Admit it, who doesn’t love playing alternate history? We loved controlling our own faction, working the land, and wielding old-timey robots! Every playthrough felt like rewriting a history book, one filled with agriculture and mechanized destruction.
9 Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Several game nights later, we saved the world—or so we thought! Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 serves up an immersive role playing experience, as the board changes over time based on your decisions. It’s like living in a TV show where you are the hero. We loved the legacy aspect, seeing our past choices coloring the present, both good and bad. As much as we clung to our masks and sanitizer, nothing prepared us for this strategic roller coaster.
8 Tales of the Arabian Nights
Tales of the Arabian Nights provided us nights filled with enchanting stories and more plot twists than a soap opera marathon. Role playing here means choosing your adventure, experiencing bizarre and mystical events. It’s a storytelling romp, where one minute you’re talking to genies and the next you’re stranded in a desert. We couldn’t get enough of the narrative arcs and unpredictable journey. The narrative is the heart of this game, and it beats wild and free.
7 Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game
Dead of Winter enthralled us with its eerie, post-apocalyptic zombie vibe. Perfect for role playing fans who enjoy testing human morality amidst chaos. The game pits players against a harsh winter, zombie hordes, and their own self-interests. Cooperative, yet there’s always a hint of suspicion among players. It’s like The Walking Dead came alive on our living room table! The constant tension, survival challenges, and crossroads cards create an intensely immersive experience.
6 Mage Knight
Mage Knight brought our fantasy dreams to life with its complex mechanics and immersive role playing. As a mage knight, you build your deck, conquer cities, and grow in power. Our group loves it for its strategic depth and detailed gameplay. Every choice mattered, keeping us on our toes for hours. It is a solo adventure or a multiplayer challenge depending on what mood strikes. Be warned though; it’s not for those faint of strategic heart!
5 Eldritch Horror
Eldritch Horror hooked our squad with its thrilling tales of mystery and terror. Think of it as striking up a jolly conversation with Cthulhu. The immersive role playing elements turn players into investigators unraveling arcane mysteries. Every game feels like a chapter from a Lovecraftian novel. Travel the globe, gather clues, and head off impending doom. It’s a cooperative challenge that united us, or sometimes resulted in squabbles over saving the world or saving our behinds!
4 Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Arkham Horror: The Card Game turned our nightmares into captivating card adventures. It’s perfect for role playing lovers who rejoice in narrative-rich games. We dove into the eerie world with our investigator’s lens, facing monsters and madness in a way only cards can convey. The episodic nature of the game allowed us to brew fresh coffee and binge-play like we were the Stranger Things cast trying to solve the Upside Down.
3 Star Wars: Imperial Assault
We wielded lightsabers and blasted stormtroopers in Star Wars: Imperial Assault! Role playing blends seamlessly with the tactical skirmishes in this cosmic adventure. As the Rebel and Imperial factions vie for supremacy, players embark on missions reminiscent of the classic saga. Each campaign felt like a blockbuster, with twists, turns, and the occasional ‘I am your father’ moment. It’s a galactic delight for both fans of Star Wars and strategic gameplay.
2 Kingdom Death: Monster
Kingdom Death: Monster is a monster of a game, both in weight and experience. With its dark, haunting themes and robust character development, it captivated our group. It’s a luxury in role playing, with the campaign lasting hundreds of hours, weaving a tale of survival, conflict, and monster hunts. We loved the sense of progression, growing attached to our characters despite their inevitable monstrous demise. It’s not just a game; it’s a commitment. Perfect for those ready for a long, unforgettable journey.
1 Dungeons & Dragons: The Board Game
And the grand finale! Dungeons & Dragons: The Board Game took the crown because it’s the role playing game that inspired countless adventures. We loved how it distilled the pen-and-paper experience into board form, making it accessible for all. Whether crafting our own epic tales or diving into pre-written campaigns, every session felt new and exciting. This game is perfect for players new to role playing or those who cherish the classic magic and mischief of D&D. A timeless choice, and one we always come back to.
