The Best Board Games For Adults

In my group of friends, game nights have become the de facto party setting. We’re all in and around 40, have kids/pets/general responsibilities and have entirely moved on from bars/house parties or just anything where jogging pants aren’t allowed.

One of the great things about prolonged interest and exposure to new board games is that you sort of level up in your ability to handle more complex game mechanics. It’s not as easy to play games like Scythe, Eldritch Horror or Risk and the setups can be time-consuming; the payoff, however, is completely worth the effort. Rich game designs and thoughtful rules help to remove luck and give more power to the strategist inside you.

Once the glamour and shine has worn off the big Saturday nights out and crazy house parties, we still need an anchor point for social get-togethers. Here’s a list of fun games that can be enjoyed over a glass of wine, in a dim, but not too dimly lit room. Enjoy.

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Anomia

Age: 10+
Number of Players: 3 to 6
Time to Play: 30 min

So off the hop, I know Anomia states 10 and up as the suggested age but this game really shines with an older crowd. With several awards under it’s belt including a Mensa Select award, Anomia tests your ability to conjure up all the random, fragmented information you’ve got locked up in your brain. The real test is how quickly you can scour the recesses of your mind for answers while under pressure.

Players draw and play cards with various symbols on them. When players match symbols, they must quickly give an example of the person, place or thing on the other player’s card. The winner of each contest collects the other players card and moves on. Wild cards provide unexpected twists to this already exciting game of quick thinking mayhem.

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Betrayal at House on the Hill

Age: 12+
Number of Players: 3 to 6
Time to Play: 60 min

The House on the Hill: Betrayal is a chilling, thrilling game that puts players in control of their own haunted mansion, where they must unravel a centuries-old mystery and avert disaster. Betrayal at House on the Hill has a one-hour playing time, making it ideal for family parties or informal fun with pals.

Betrayal is a tile-laying game in which players construct their own haunted house room by room, tile by tile, producing a unique thrilling board every time. The game is meant for three to six players, each of whom takes on the role of one of six distinctive personalities.

Almost always, one of the characters betrays the rest of the party, and the good members must defeat their traitor before it’s too late! Betrayal at House on the Hill will appeal to any game player that enjoys a thrilling, suspenseful, and strategic experience.

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Scythe

Age: 14+
Number of Players: 1 to 5
Time to Play: 90 – 115 min

If you’re looking for a game with more depth, more rules and a longer playtime, Scythe is the game for you. This baby rocked the gaming world when its Kickstarter campaign raised over 1.4 million dollars and it definitely delivered on the hype.

Scythe is a game set in an alternate-history 1920s period that focuses on engine construction. Each player in Scythe represents a character from one of five Eastern European factions vying to acquire their fortune and seize their faction’s stake in the land surrounding the enigmatic Factory. Players take control of territory, attract new recruits, collect resources, create villagers, construct buildings, and activate enormous mechs.

Scythe has its roots in engine construction from top to bottom. Players may enhance their efficiency by upgrading actions, creating structures that help them take strategic control of the territory, recruit new members to expand character capabilities, use mechs to keep rivals at bay and extend their borders for greater kinds and quantities of resources. The engine-building aspects throughout the game provide a feeling of forward momentum and development. Even when players play one faction numerous times, the order in which they improve their engine ensures that each game is distinct.

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Brass: Lancashire

Age: 14+
Number of Players: 2 to 4
Time to Play: 60 – 120 min

The game of economic strategy, Brass, is a narrative about competing cotton entrepreneurs in Lancashire during the industrial revolution. You must construct, grow, and establish your industries and network in order to profit from the demand for iron, coal, and cotton. The game is divided into two halves: the canal phase and the rail phase. Score the most victory points (VPs) to win the game, which are tallied at the conclusion of each half.

This game has a rich and deep rule system: The order of players in turn is determined by the amount of money they spent on their previous turn, from least to most. The turn order scheme allows for strategic choices to be made by players who go later in the sequence. Back-to-back turns are a possibility as a result of this mechanism.

If you’re looking for a game of expansion with a bit of a steampunk vibe, where timing and strategy are given more value than luck, Brass is going to be a blast.

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Tikal

Age: 10+
Number of Players: 2 to 4
Time to Play: 90 min

Tikal is a game of exploration in Central American jungles looking for lost temples and their riches. Players send their team of explorers into the jungle, revealing more and more of the landscape. You come upon temples that require further investigation and riches along the journey. This is a tile-laying game meaning every play-through is going to be different. A huge part of this game is resource and point management. Getting the most out of each turn is a key factor in winning.

Players compete to score points by defending their temples and attempting to locate missing ones. It’s a game of searching for hidden treasures in the humid jungles of Central America. Teams of explorers are sent into the jungle, revealing more and more of the area. Along the way, you’ll discover temples that require further exploration and riches. Players compete to earn points by controlling temples and gathering treasure. This is one of those games that has a way of keeping the score close and players glued to the action.

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Arkham Horror

Age: 14+
Number of Players: 1 to 8
Time to Play: 120 – 140 min

Arkham Horror might be one of the most rulesy games I’ve played in a long time. This is also the only fully cooperative game on the list making it a perfect game for a bunch of experienced or quick learning board game enthusiasts.

This cooperative adventure game is anchored in H.P Lovecraft’s Cthulhu universe. Players select from 16 Investigators and go on the adventure of their lives. One of the eight Ancient Ones is chosen before the game, and it’s up to the players to keep it from coming into our reality.

Participants will enhance their characters throughout the game by learning new abilities, forming companions, gathering equipment, and casting spells. It’s up to the players to clean out Arkham’s streets by fending off a variety of creatures, but their major objective is to close gates that are appearing across town. The Ancient One awakens if there are too many barriers down. The players have one final opportunity to save the world – defeat the Ancient One in combat!