18 Great Board Games For Adults In 2023
Here is a selection of 18 great games that are available to buy in 2023. Categories include Cooperative, Dexterity, Murder/Mystery, After Dark Party Games, Movies, Sport, Dice, Strategy and Trivia.
Cooperative Board Games
Working together with fellow players to reach a common goal.
Mysterium
A horrible crime was committed on the grounds of Warwick Manor thirty years ago. Now the mansion is haunted by the ghost of the murdered servant and it’s up to a group of psychic investigators to get to the bottom of the mystery.
One player takes on the role of the victim (who is now a ghost) and the rest play as psychics. Over the course of the game, players work together to solve a mystery by psychically communicating with the victim.
One player takes on the role of the victim (who is now a ghost) and the rest play as psychics. Over the course of the game, players work together to solve a mystery by psychically communicating with the victim.
Each player investigates a case assigned to them to determine who the actual murderer is. Psychics receive numerous visions from the ghost with clues. Can they understand and determine the weapon, location and killer?
Age Range: 10+, Players: 2–7, Game Time: 45mins.
Forbidden Desert
Gear up for a thrilling adventure to recover a legendary flying machine buried deep in the ruins of an ancient desert city.
You’ll need to coordinate with your teammates and use every available resource if you hope to survive the scorching heat and relentless sandstorm.
Find the flying machine and escape before you all become permanent artefacts of the Forbidden Desert!
Age Range: 10+, Players: 2–5, Game Time: 45mins.
Dexterity
Test your hand skill and coordination.
Klask
Fast and frantic! Get your hand under the table! Try to score but watch out for the hole! Use your magnetic handle and striker to defend your half, avoid the biscuits (magnets) and send the ball flying into your opponent’s goal to score. Be careful not to land your striker in your own goal!
Play it anywhere. Like a foosball table on-the-go, Klask comes fully assembled and can be played on any flat surface, making it the perfect tabletop game for the pub.
Klask was ranked as the #1 party game of 2015 in Sweden and Norway! Ideal for parties big and small, families, or just couples having a game night, Klask is fun for everyone!
Age Range: 8+, Players: 2, Game Time: 10mins.
Jaques of London Giant Tumble Tower
Think Jenga on steroids. Setup height of tower is 2ft and can be built to over 3ft during play. Blocks are approximately 9cm x 3cm x 3cm in size.
It has been hand crafted with sustainably and ethically sourced New Zealand pine, and comes complete with a neat canvas bag.
Play inside or outside. Canvas storage bag: Approximately 35cm x 28.5cm x 11cm.
Age Range: 4+, Players: 1+
Murder / Mystery
Fancy yourself as the next Sherlock Holmes?
Cryptic Killers — Murder of a Millionaire
A murder has been committed in the town of Redmond, UK. The body of Chloe Whittle, a millionaire lottery winner, was found with a deadly stab wound to the chest. Play detective to crack this gripping murder mystery game, and bring the criminal to justice.
29 pieces of physical evidence — Inside the case file, you’ll find newspaper articles, crime scene investigation photographs, receipts, betting slips, police reports, train times, CCTV footage, phone/text records, a coroners report, a map, witness statements, photographs and more.
Age Range: 4+, Players: 1+, Game Time: 2 hours
221B Baker Street Detective — The Sherlock Holmes Master Detective Game
Think of it as a more in depth version of Cluedo. Players begin at 221B, where they uncover a mystery that must be solved! From there, players must travel through the streets and alleys of London to uncover cryptic clues, as they attempt to solve the intriguing case that is tying Holmes and Watson in knots!
75 different cases to solve!
Age Range: 10+, Players: 2–6, Game Time: 60–90mins
After Dark Party Games
These games are strictly for adults.
Exploding Kittens NSFW (Adult) Deck
Kitty powered version of Russian Roulette with art much too horrible/incredible to include in a kid-friendly version.
Players draw cards until somebody draws an Exploding Kitten, at which point they explode and are out of the game. To avoid exploding, they can defuse the kitten with a crate or via porkback, OR use powerful action cards to move or avoid the Exploding Kitten. Betray your friends. Try not to explode. The last player left alive wins.
More than 10 million copies sold
Perfect for parties!
Age Range: 17+, Players: 2–5, Game Time: 15mins
Pick Your Poison Card Game
Pick Your Poison is an adult card game of unfathomable “What would you rather do?” scenarios. Three or more players compete to create the hardest scenario possible by combining two Poison cards (326 included).
Everyone anonymously “Picks their poison” — After the reveal, find out who was “right” and who is just as messed up as you thought.
Age Range: 17+, Players: 3–10
Movies
Games based on popular movies.
Jaws
One player menaces the island of Amity, as the three ton great white, while the other players go on the hunt as Brody, Hooper and Quint.
Two thrilling phases of gameplay capture the edge of your seat excitement of the classic film.
Act 1: Amity Island. The shark prowls secretly through the waters around the island attacking swimmers and avoiding capture. Meanwhile the other players try to pinpoint the shark’s location while also saving the tourists.
Act 2: The Orca. Experience the climatic battle aboard the slowly sinking Orca. Brody, Hooper and Quint are well-armed…but they don’t know where the great white will strike next!
Age Range: 10+, Players: 2–4, Game Time: 60mins
Harry Potter — Hogwarts Battle Game
Re-live each of Harry Potter’s 7 years at Hogwarts.
Play as your favourite characters and unlock new secrets and abilities over increasingly challenging adventures.
In this deck-building game, choose new spells to learn that make you a more powerful wizard as the game goes on.
Work together with other players to take down the forces of evil that threaten to overrun Hogwarts so everyone wins or loses together.
Age Range: 11+, Players: 2–4, Game Time: 30-60mins
Sports
Experience the thrill of Sport in board game form.
Football Billionaire
A monopoly style fast moving, high stakes, football trading board game. Your goal (pun intended) is to become the wealthiest and most successful football club owner ever!
Dominate the transfer market: Purchase clubs, buy stadiums and create the perfect team by collecting the best players. Hire and fire managers, close deals with agents, be ready for the transfer window, and swap players with your opposition.
Take your club to the top: Negotiate sponsorship deals, win trophies, and increase the value of your club. You can even increase the original card collection by swapping and adding more trading games to your game!
Age Range: 6+, Players: 2–6, Game Time: 45–60mins
Flamme Rouge
If you’re a fan of the Tour De France, this may be un intérêt pour vous.
A fast-paced, tactical bicycle racing game where each player controls a team of two riders: a Rouleur and a Sprinteur.
The players’ goal is to be the first to cross the finish line with one of their riders. If more than one rider crosses the line in the same round, the one who gets furthest across wins.
Players move their riders forward by drawing and playing numbered cards, which show how far each rider moves.
There’s more to it than a simple game of chase.
Age Range: 8+, Players: 2–4, Game Time: 30–45mins
Strategy Games
Engage your mind and try to outwit, outplay and outstrategise your opponents.
Catan — Trade, build and settle
A strategy game of worldwide popularity, awards and critical acclaim.
3–4 players must compete for the resources on the island of Catan, in combat-free gameplay. Ideal for casual board game players.
Players control their own civilization and look to spread across a modular hex board in a competition for victory points.
The basics of Catan can be learned in just minutes, but it offers enough depth to remain compelling, as you explore strategies and tactics for years to come.
Age Range: 10+, Players: 3–4, Game Time: 60–120mins
7 Wonders
Make the right decisions to lead your civilisation to prosperity with hugely popular strategy game.
You are a leader of one of the seven greatest cities in Antiquity. Develop your city by increasing your scientific discoveries, military conquests, commercial agreements, and prestigious structures to lead your civilisation to glory.
All players play together at the same time, there is no downtime, whether you’re playing with 3 or 7 players.
Age Range: 10+, Players: 3–7, Game Time: 30mins
Dice Games
These pocket sized action packed games make ideal travel companions.
Zombie Dice Game
In Zombie Dice, you are a zombie. You want braaains — more brains than any of your zombie buddies.
The 13 custom dice are your victims. Push your luck to eat their brains, but stop rolling before the shotgun blasts end your turn!
Age Range: 10+, Players: 2+, Game Time: 10–20mins
Farkle
A traditional dice-rolling risk-taking game that includes 6 dice, score pads and pencils.
Take a risk and keep rolling to build your score, or play it safe so you don’t lose your points in a Farkle. It’s a fight to the finish in this fabulously fun game of strategy and luck.
Age Range: 8+, Players: 3+
Trivia
Put your knowledge to the test
Colour Brain
A game where all the answers are colours — but can you pick the right ones?
Think you can remember what colour the five Olympic Rings are? Or the colours in a tube of Smarties? How about the colour of Superman’s underpants?
Includes 300 quiz questions that the whole family can enjoy — whether they’re about Flags, Fortnite, Netflix or Superheroes.
Age Range: 12+, Players: 2–20, Game Time: 30mins
What Came First?
Did Arnie come before helicopters? How about Mayo or Ketchup? Place your bets in this board game for adults and teens.
The aim of this board game for adults and teens is to bet your chips on which is the oldest. The more you bet, the more you stand to win or lose.
Bet on the exact year of origin to win 5 extra moves. Land on one of ten random Time Tokens and you’ll be in for a surprise…
Age Range: 10+, Players: 2–8, Game Time: 20mins
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