What are the best board games to play? How about their history?

Board games are a great gift for anyone who wants to spend time with friends and family without staring at the TV. They’re interactive, fun, and you get to tell everyone to put away their phones and tablets for a while. But instead of pulling out the same old classics like Monopoly and Scrabble, we recommend giving some new titles a try. Here, we’ve compiled a list of games that you might not have heard of, but will still make excellent gifts this holiday season. Some are perfect for fantasy and video game nerds, while others are likely to be a hit with the whole family.

The best board games

Sleeping Gods

If your loved one is a fan of open-world video games such as Skyrim or No Man’s Sky, Sleeping Gods could well be the perfect board game for them. In this cooperative game, you and up to three friends play the part of Captain Sofi Odessa and her crew, who find themselves lost in the Wandering Sea. With a game atlas of connecting maps and a thick choose-your-own-adventure style storybook, players will have to explore the land to uncover its secrets, fight beasts, complete quests and make game-changing decisions. It all adds up to an engrossing and immersive experience sure to please anyone who loves a good story.

Marvel United

MCU fans will definitely appreciate it if you give them Marvel United, a game where the player and their friends have to work together to defeat the forces of evil. They can take on the role of one of seven heroes such as Captain America, Iron Man and Black Widow, each with their own unique powers and abilities. To win, players must choose their cards carefully and also collaborate with their partners to combine each other’s actions whenever possible. They’ll have to fight off henchmen, rescue civilians and, of course, take down one of three super villains: Red Skull, Ultron or Taskmaster. If X-Men is more their style, you could get them the Marvel United: X-Men version instead, where they get to play as characters like Professor X, Cyclops and Storm.

Pandemic

The odds are against you from the start in the Pandemic board game, but that’s the beauty of it. This co-op epic is never less than thrilling, and it doesn’t feel hopeless either. Despite being tasked with curing a clutch of super-diseases, good communication (not to mention the ability to think on your feet) will see you through.

That injection of risk and reward keeps Pandemic at the top spot as one of the best board games overall. In fact, its emphasis on teamwork makes it much more engaging than you might expect; we’ve rarely seen our group more invested at the table. As we mentioned in our full review, this modern classic “shows off everything tabletop gaming is capable of”.

Sure, its theme hits closer to home nowadays. But there’s something cathartic about giving a pandemic the boot – even if it’s only in this tabletop world of tokens and cards. That’s why we’d recommend it over spin-offs such as Pandemic World of Warcraft.

Wingspan

As you may have guessed from its name, Wingspan puts birds front and center; you’ve got to attract as many as possible to your preserve. It isn’t as dry as it might sound, though. Clever mechanics form a moreish, satisfying loop that’ll keep you returning to increase your score.

A lot of this is due to the lack of direct competition – players don’t need to worry about opponents undoing their hard work with sabotage or last-minute treachery. Everyone focuses on their own separate board, and others benefit if you use a special ability. This turns Wingspan into a relaxing, zen-like experience you’ll enjoy regardless of whether you win or lose.

It’s also our top pick if loved ones are asking about the best board games. Everyone is able to get something out of it, and that’s why we always suggest Wingspan as a gift for parents that love tabletop gaming or players who want strategy without the pressure that normally goes along with it.

Stratego

The modern game of Stratego, the one that is Napoleon-themed, was originally produced in the Netherlands by a company named Jumbo, and was acquired by Milton Bradley for distribution in the states in 1963.

Stratego is a strategy based game for two opposing players on a 10 by 10 board. Each player commands 40 pieces representing individual soldiers and officers in their army. The goal of the game is to discover and capture the opponent’s flag, or to capture so many enemy units that your opponent can’t make any more moves.

Players aren’t able to see each other’s ranks, so discovery and misinformation are important factors to the game. The game is easy to learn and play, a lot of replay value, and my nephews seem to love this game. Yet another great board game by Hasbro

Battleship

Battleship is essentially a guessing game consisting of two players. It was published by numerous companies as a pad-and-pencil game in the early 1930s, and in 1967 was finally released as a board game by Milton Bradley. Additionally, Battleship was among one of the earliest board games to be developed into a video game.

Before the actual game begins, each of the two players strategically and secretly arranges their ships will be on the play grid. Every ship occupies a set number of consecutive squares, arranged either vertically or horizontally. The type of ship will determine the number of squares it will receive relative to the grid.

The History of Board Games

Board games have been played in nearly all societies’ cultures throughout human history. There are many different styles and genres. Games can be based on strategy, chance, or a combination of the two and, usually, have a goal that players try to achieve before their opponent(s). We grew up in America, with many popular board games, before video games were prevalent in every home.

As the United States gradually embraced urban living in the 19th century, more abundant leisure time and a significant rise in income became available to the middle class. The American household then became the epicenter of entertainment. Young children were encouraged to play board games that aided in developing literacy competence and provided moral guidance.

Many things have been deemed obsolete, yet the humble board game is still in play today. Additionally, many that have been around for literally thousands of years can now be played on your smartphone. It is truly an amazing time to be alive.

What is the #1 board game in the world?

The best board game for adults overall. … Pandemic.

What was the first board game?

The earliest commercially produced board game, the Game of the Goose is a game of chance and luck, involving no strategy at all. Duke Francesco de Medici first gifted the game, then called Gioco dell’Oca to Philip II of Spain between 1574 and 1587, and the pastime quickly spread in popularity throughout Europe.

Are board games still popular?

Board games are more popular than ever right now and they are only going to get even more popular. The global board games market is worth over $3.2 billion and is set to rise to $8.12 by 2021 according to board games market value data on Statistica. That is some huge growth.

What is the top selling board game?

With 3 million copies sold yearly in the United States alone, the best-selling board game ever is Chess. Dating back to 1200 A.D., Chess is all about trying to capture your opponent’s king.