Board games have come a long way from simple roll-and-move games like Snakes and Ladders to complex strategic experiences like Gloomhaven and Twilight Imperium. Whether you’re a casual player looking for some quick fun or a seasoned gamer diving into intricate gameplay mechanics, understanding the types of board games available can help you choose the perfect game for your next game night.
In this guide, we’ll break down the different types of board games, from the classics to modern favorites, so you can find exactly what suits your gaming style.
Understanding the Different Types of Board Games
Before diving into the specific types of board games, it’s important to understand how diverse and vast the world of board games is. Games can range from simple, family-friendly experiences to deeply strategic and immersive worlds. The variety of board games available today allows players to find something that fits their preferences, whether they enjoy quick rounds of fun or hours-long strategic battles.
Each type of board game caters to different tastes. Some focus on strategy, requiring careful planning and decision-making, while others emphasize social interaction or storytelling. Knowing the different types can help you pick the right game for your group, ensuring that everyone enjoys the experience.
Let’s explore the most popular types of board games to help you find the best option for your next game night.
1. Abstract Strategy Games
Abstract strategy games are all about pure logic and planning. These games typically lack a strong theme, story, or random elements, focusing entirely on player decisions. Some of the most famous board games in this category, like Chess and Go, have been played for centuries.
Characteristics of Abstract Strategy Games:
- No random elements: Winning depends entirely on skill and strategic planning.
- Minimalistic design: Simple rules and often basic game components.
- Deep gameplay: While easy to learn, these games often have a steep learning curve for mastery.
Examples:
- Chess: One of the oldest and most recognized abstract strategy games, where players outmaneuver each other on an 8×8 grid.
- Go: A classic game from China that involves placing stones on a board, aiming to control the most territory.
- Azul: A modern abstract game that combines strategic tile placement with beautiful visuals.
If you enjoy games that test your wits and require forward-thinking, abstract strategy games are one of the best types of board games to explore.
2. Worker Placement Games
Worker placement games are all about allocating resources (or workers) efficiently to maximize your score or achieve specific objectives. Players have a limited number of workers to place on various action spaces on the board, each of which allows them to perform certain tasks, like gathering resources, constructing buildings, or advancing on tracks.
Characteristics of Worker Placement Games:
- Resource management: Players must balance collecting and using resources.
- Competition for actions: Limited action spaces mean players may block each other from taking certain actions.
- Multiple paths to victory: Players can focus on different strategies to win, whether through gathering points, achieving objectives, or constructing the best civilization.
Examples:
- Agricola: Players work as farmers, planting crops, raising animals, and expanding their farms to gain the most points.
- Lords of Waterdeep: A Dungeons & Dragons-themed game where players act as secretive lords assigning agents to complete quests and amass influence in the city.
- Viticulture: Players take on the role of winemakers, using workers to harvest grapes, make wine, and build their vineyard.
If you enjoy planning, resource management, and outsmarting opponents, worker placement games will be a favorite among the types of board games you explore.
3. Deck-Building Games
Deck-building games focus on the idea of constructing a personalized deck of cards throughout the game. Unlike collectible card games (where you build a deck before the game starts), players start with a weak deck and add more powerful cards to it during the game. The goal is to create a deck that is efficient and powerful enough to defeat opponents or achieve the game’s objective.
Characteristics of Deck-Building Games:
- Card drafting: Players draw cards from a central pool to build and enhance their decks.
- Dynamic strategy: Each game session feels different depending on which cards are available.
- Resource balancing: Players need to balance acquiring powerful cards while ensuring their deck remains manageable.
Examples:
- Dominion: The pioneer of the deck-building genre, Dominion has players building their kingdom by drafting cards to generate resources and score points.
- Clank!: A deck-building game combined with a dungeon-crawling theme, where players collect treasures while avoiding the dragon’s wrath.
- Marvel Champions: A cooperative deck-building game where players take on the role of Marvel superheroes battling famous villains.
Deck-building games provide variety and replayability, making them one of the more strategic and enjoyable types of board games for players who love the customization aspect of gameplay.
4. Cooperative Games
In cooperative games, players work together to achieve a common goal, instead of competing against each other. These games foster collaboration, teamwork, and communication, as players must combine their abilities and strategies to defeat the game itself. Cooperative games are particularly popular for group settings where everyone wants to work toward a shared victory.
Characteristics of Cooperative Games:
- Shared objectives: Players win or lose together based on the game’s outcome.
- Strategic collaboration: Players need to communicate and plan together to overcome challenges.
- Difficulty levels: Many cooperative games can be adjusted to increase or decrease difficulty, ensuring replayability.
Examples:
- Pandemic: One of the most iconic cooperative games where players work as a team to stop global outbreaks of diseases before they spread uncontrollably.
- Forbidden Island: Players race to collect treasures and escape an island before it sinks into the ocean.
- Spirit Island: A complex cooperative game where players take on the roles of spirits protecting their island from colonizing invaders.
Cooperative games offer a unique bonding experience, making them a popular choice among types of board games for family and friends who prefer working together rather than competing.
5. Party Games
Party games are designed to be light, fun, and engaging for larger groups. The primary goal of party games is entertainment, and they often feature simple rules, fast-paced gameplay, and a focus on humor or social interaction. These games are perfect for gatherings or game nights where the focus is on fun rather than complex strategy.
Characteristics of Party Games:
- Quick to learn: Party games are typically easy to teach and understand, allowing new players to jump in quickly.
- High player count: Most party games can accommodate a large number of players, making them ideal for social events.
- Focus on fun: The objective is usually lighthearted, with less emphasis on strategic depth and more on creating memorable moments.
Examples:
- Codenames: A word-based game where teams try to guess secret words based on clues given by a spymaster.
- Telestrations: A hilarious drawing game where players take turns sketching and guessing, often leading to ridiculous outcomes.
- Exploding Kittens: A fast-paced card game that blends humor with light strategy as players try to avoid drawing an “exploding kitten.”
For casual game nights and large gatherings, party games are one of the best types of board games to ensure everyone has a great time.
6. Role-Playing Games (RPGs)
RPG board games blend the narrative-driven storytelling of traditional role-playing games with the structure of board games. Players usually control a character or group of characters, advancing through a story, battling enemies, and making choices that shape the direction of the game. RPG board games often feature campaigns that can be played over multiple sessions.
Characteristics of RPG Board Games:
- Character development: Players often create and evolve characters over the course of the game.
- Story-driven: RPG board games focus heavily on narrative, with branching paths and decision points that affect the game’s outcome.
- Multiple sessions: Many RPG board games are designed to be played over several sessions, with a continuous story unfolding.
Examples:
- Gloomhaven: A massive cooperative dungeon-crawler where players take on the roles of mercenaries, progressing through a campaign with evolving characters and stories.
- Descent: Legends of the Dark: A campaign-driven fantasy RPG where players explore dungeons, battle monsters, and unlock new abilities over time.
- Mansions of Madness: A horror-themed RPG board game set in H.P. Lovecraft’s universe, with players solving mysteries and battling eldritch creatures.
RPG board games provide deep, immersive experiences, making them one of the most engaging types of board games for players who love character-driven narratives and long-term gameplay.
7. Deck-Building Hybrid Games
While deck-building games stand alone as their own category, some games combine deck-building with other mechanics to create a more diverse gaming experience. These hybrids offer deck-building as one element, while incorporating other features like worker placement, combat, or exploration. Hybrid games take the best of both worlds, providing a more complex and satisfying gameplay experience.
Characteristics of Deck-Building Hybrids:
- Multi-mechanic gameplay: These games blend deck-building with other types of gameplay, adding depth and variety.
- Strategic deck management: Players must still build an efficient deck, but in combination with other game elements like resource management or tactical combat.
- Replayability: The variety of mechanics ensures that no two games play exactly the same.
Examples:
- Dune: Imperium: A deck-building game with worker placement mechanics, where players vie for control over the desert planet of Arrakis.
- Lost Ruins of Arnak: A game that combines deck-building with exploration and resource management as players search for lost treasures on a mysterious island.
- Clank!: A dungeon-crawling deck-building hybrid where players sneak through a dangerous dungeon, collecting treasures while avoiding a deadly dragon.
Deck-building hybrids offer a mix of mechanics that appeal to both deck-building fans and players looking for more complexity, making them a versatile option among the types of board games.
8. Legacy Games
Legacy games are a newer category of board games that change permanently as you play them. The game evolves based on the decisions made by the players, with elements like stickers, sealed envelopes, and destroyed components that alter the game world forever. Legacy games often feature a campaign structure, where players progress through multiple sessions, each with lasting consequences.
Characteristics of Legacy Games:
- Permanent changes: Players alter the game board, components, and rules as they play, creating a unique experience for each group.
- Story progression: Legacy games usually have a narrative that develops across sessions, with player decisions impacting future scenarios.
- High replayability: While the game changes over time, many legacy games allow for multiple playthroughs with different outcomes.
Examples:
- Pandemic Legacy: A cooperative game where players battle global pandemics, with each session permanently changing the game world based on player choices.
- Charterstone: A competitive legacy game where players build and customize their own village over several sessions.
- Betrayal Legacy: A horror-themed legacy game that builds on the popular Betrayal at House on the Hill, with a story that spans generations.
For players who want a unique and evolving experience, legacy games are one of the most innovative types of board games available today.
How to Choose the Right Type of Board Game for Your Group
With so many types of board games available, it’s important to consider the preferences and play styles of your group to ensure a great gaming experience. The key is to match the game with the group’s expectations. Here are a few questions to ask when selecting the right board game:
- How many players? – Some board games, like Twilight Imperium, require a large group, while others, like Codenames, can handle large or small teams. Understanding your group size is essential.
- What’s the skill level? – For a group of casual gamers or beginners, simpler games like party or cooperative board games will be more enjoyable. For experienced players, strategy-heavy games or legacy games can provide a deeper experience.
- How long should the game last? – Some groups may prefer quick, 30-minute games like Exploding Kittens, while others may enjoy the multi-hour sessions that come with RPG or legacy games.
- Competitive or cooperative? – Decide whether your group prefers a collaborative effort (cooperative games) or the thrill of head-to-head competition (strategy or abstract games).
Answering these questions will guide you in picking the perfect game for your session. Selecting the right types of board games can make or break your game night, so understanding what your group enjoys is key.
The Rise of Modern Board Games and Why They’re Here to Stay
Board games have seen a massive resurgence in recent years, thanks to innovative designs, complex mechanics, and a growing community of players. Gone are the days when board games were limited to a handful of family-friendly classics. Modern board games offer a wide variety of themes, mechanics, and player experiences that cater to all kinds of interests and age groups.
The rise of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter has also fueled this growth, allowing game designers to bring creative, out-of-the-box ideas to life. This has given birth to games that are more than just about rolling dice and moving pieces. Games now incorporate deep narratives, unique mechanics like legacy systems, and intricate components like miniatures and modular boards.
The board gaming community is also thriving, with conventions, online communities, and game cafes providing more opportunities than ever to connect with fellow gamers. Whether you’re into deck-building games, RPG board games, or fast-paced party games, the board game industry is constantly evolving to offer something for everyone.
As this industry continues to grow, it’s clear that board games are not just a passing trend. They’ve become a cornerstone of social entertainment, providing rich and engaging experiences that digital games often can’t match. Whether you’re new to the hobby or a seasoned gamer, there’s never been a better time to explore the wide range of types of board games available.
Final Thoughts
Board games offer a vast array of experiences, with different types of board games catering to every type of player. Whether you’re drawn to strategic thinking, cooperative teamwork, fast-paced party games, or deep narrative adventures, there’s a board game out there for you. From abstract strategy to legacy games, each type offers something unique and exciting for both casual players and seasoned gamers alike.
So, the next time you’re planning a game night, consider which types of board games match your group’s preferences and dive into an unforgettable gaming experience!
