Top 20 Best Board Games of the Century (So Far)

Top 20 Best Board Games of the Century (So Far)

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Best Board Games of the Century (So Far).

For this list, we’ll be looking at the best tabletop experiences released between the years 2000 and 2023.

Which modern games are your favorites? Let us know in the comments below.

#20: “Power Grid” (2004)

Considering how dominant “Euro” style games have been this century, it’s fitting that we start off with a game that originated in Germany. An updated version of “Funkenschlag,” a game that utilized crayons, “Power Grid” sees players building a network of connection cities by acquiring power plants and resources. The game features resource-gathering and expansion mechanics reminiscent of popular European games like “Catan.” It combines these features with economic structures that harken back to American classics like “Monopoly.” Its wide appeal and mechanics make it unsurprising that the game remains popular around the world.

#19: “Sushi Go Party!” (2016)

Based on the rather simple deck-building card game “Sushi Go!,” the game was expanded to become a full board game by including something most people would consider essential to board games: namely, boards. “Party” retains all of the charm from the original, keeping the cute sushi characters and fun style, while making it a more complete experience. Despite expanding to a board game with slots for different courses and a new dessert mechanic, the game doesn’t lose its signature simplicity. “Sushi Go Party!” works as a great introduction for younger players looking to get into the hobby or for a more relaxed party game.

#18: “King of Tokyo” (2011)

Drawing inspiration from Japan’s classic kaiju films, this dice-rolling game sees players taking on the role of giant monsters attacking the titular city while vying for dominance. While a number of the games on this list can get fairly complex, “King of Tokyo” is a simple and fast-paced experience. This makes the game easy to pick up for beginners and requires less time investment. A typical game will usually last around half an hour. While the casual nature of “Tokyo” is great, players who wish to change things up can try the spinoff, “King of New York.” This new experience features a larger board that allows for monsters from the original to stomp onto the new game.

#17: “Dice Forge” (2017)

This game takes the core idea of deck-building games and applies it to a core element of classic board games: rolling dice. Player’s dice can give them gold, sun and moon shards, or victory points, with each player starting with two identical dice at the game’s beginning. Over the course of the game, players are able to use gold to upgrade their die faces and spend shards to earn rewards and bonuses. Overspend on victory point dice too early and you’ll be unable to afford necessary upgrades, but do it too late and you’ll have too few points to claim victory. “Dice Forge” manages to throw back to classic games that rely on chance while being modern in terms of strategy, providing a perfect balance.

#16: “Agricola” (2007)

If you’re in the mood for something more in-depth than your casual game night might provide, then you need look no further than “Agricola.” A favorite among the more devoted board game enthusiasts, “Agricola” is frequently praised for the way it uses its theme to tie into the mechanical complexity of the game. Starting as a poor farming couple living in a hut in the 17th century, the game gives you an opportunity to grow and expand into an agricultural empire. However doing so is no easy task, and many beginning gamers may find the game punishing and unforgiving. Seasoned veterans, on the other hand, are handsomely rewarded by mastering its immersive gameplay, begging the game to be replayed again and again.

#15: “SeaFall” (2016)

Any discussion of modern board games would be incomplete without a mention of legacy games. In “SeaFall” and other legacy games, the game is meant to be played a number of times over the course of weeks or more. Each game played has ramifications for future sessions and changes the board itself. This longform style of play lends itself perfectly to a more epic and grand scale contests and an overarching narrative that the players are able to manipulate. The game, which mirrors the age of discovery, sees players slowly revealing more and more of the vast ocean. Over roughly fifteen games, players must make difficult choices, propelling the narrative forward and getting one of them closer to a victorious campaign.

#14: “Machi Koro” (2012)

While many games in this list come from Europe or North America, “Machi Koro” hails from Japan. The city-building game is a great entry point for those curious about board games. It features engine-building mechanics that are often fixtures of more detailed experiences, but delivered in an easy-to-learn system. Its quick pace and play time make it perfect for game nights with friends or family. Players will gather resources after dice are rolled and use them to construct buildings and eventually landmarks. The game ends when a player is able to complete all their landmarks.

#13: “Azul” (2017)

One thing that might not get talked about enough when discussing board games of this century is how good they often look. Inspired by Portuguese ceramic tiles, “Azul” is undoubtedly one of the most aesthetically pleasing board games around. Each player attempts to complete their wall by filling in the variously colored Starburst-shaped tiles to create a work of abstract art. Of course there’s more to this game than just artwork. As players grab tiles and rounds move forward, the game becomes more and more intense. Players who think one, two, or even three turns ahead will often be rewarded with a beautiful board and enough points to claim victory.

#12: “7 Wonders” (2010)

In “7 Wonders,” each of the three to seven players takes on the role of an ancient civilization constructing one of the wonders of the world. But the historical flair isn’t the only thing that’s made this game so memorable. Its mechanics have been massively influential in the years since its release. Many game developers have cited it as popularizing drafting and simultaneous play, both of which are trends that helped shape gaming in the 21st century. One of the games it inspired was its own spinoff, “7 Wonders: Duel,” which was designed for two players and rivaled the original in popularity.

#11: “Forbidden Island” (2010)

The gaming hobby has changed greatly in the 21st century, with most games becoming less directly competitive, or in many cases, cooperative. “Forbidden Island” is one of these great co-op games for a number of reasons, but one of the most important reasons is the diverse roles players take on in a race against the clock. Each player chooses a unique role with distinct powers. They work together to collect all of the island’s treasures before it sinks into the ocean and they escape on a waiting helicopter. The game proved popular enough to receive a number of sequels. The first, “Forbidden Desert,” keeps the core mechanics but gives players new role options and new challenges.

#10: “Carcassonne” (2000)

Easily the oldest game on our list, “Carcassonne” was one of the so-called Eurogames that helped reshape the hobby into what we know today. Many board game enthusiasts credit “Carcassonne” as being a gateway game for them and in fact helped usher in the golden age of gaming. Unlike many older American games, which could go untold hours into the night and eliminate players, “Carcassonne” features quick gameplay where no one is knocked out. While not the first game to introduce these elements, the game helped popularize many things now commonplace in games. These include no rolling dice, a historically-inspired setting, and of course the iconic “meeple.”

#9: “Scythe” (2016)

“Scythe” takes the style and feel of the hugely popular strategy war games of the 20th century and blends them with the modern play and feel of Eurogames. Much like its style of play, the game’s setting, a dieselpunk alternate history of 1920s Europe, combines the old with the new. That setting known as “Europa” has players engage in combat to take their rival’s territory and resources using mechs represented by some impressive miniatures. In fact, the game features a huge amount of pieces, cards, boards and any number of other goodies that make it one of the most extraordinary games to come out of a successful Kickstarter campaign.

#8: “Codenames” (2015)

This espionage-themed party game pits two teams against each other in an attempt to correctly guess a number of codewords. Using clues from their respective “Spymasters,” red and blue teams will alternate guessing words, but a wrong guess can spell disaster. Guessing the opponent’s card gives the other team a point, and worse still, guessing the assassin card means an immediate loss. This makes communication between teammates absolutely key, as those on the same page can rack up huge scores, while those not in sync can quickly fall behind. Hope is not lost for those behind however, as there isn’t a limit to guesses. But the more you guess, the more you risk, making the game a clever balancing act.

#7: “Welcome to…” (2018)

From French publisher Blue Cocker, “Welcome to…” is a roll and write game that swaps out the rolling for card flipping. Each player receives their own sheet, and play happens simultaneously. During each turn, three number cards are paired with three plan cards that possess unique abilities. These abilities give players a number of different options to accrue points. However, players must also be careful to leave themselves options for any number that may come up later in the game or they could rapidly lose points. Of course, no game is truly great without a great premise and aesthetic. While “Machi Koro” perfectly captured the feel of constructing a Japanese city, “Welcome to…” is an ode to ‘50s Americana architecture.

#6: “Betrayal at House on the Hill” (2004)

In a much different take on cooperative gameplay, “Betrayal” has players making their way through a classic haunted house. Drawing inspiration from horror icons like Vincent Price, H. P. Lovecraft, and many, many others, the game features dozens of frightening “haunts.” This means that almost every playthrough is a new experience. There’s also one final twist to this scary experience: the existence of a traitor. One of the players, chosen at random, will often betray the group. Since the true culprit remains a mystery, knowing who to trust can be nearly impossible. With a new scenario and horror plot with each new game, “Betrayal” is one of the most repayable experiences on our list.

#5: “Pandemic” (2008)

While its title may hit a little close to home these days, it’s impossible to deny the impact that this cooperative game has had. Instead of competing against one another, each player takes on a specific role to help stem the tide of four diseases. It’s only by working together that you can prevent an outbreak. A legacy version of the game allows players to enjoy a much longer experience that’s played over many sessions. This update helped popularize the legacy format. Multiple “seasons” of “Pandemic Legacy” have been released and have had no small role in legacy-style games’ meteoric rise in popularity.

#4: “Terraforming Mars” (2016)

When it comes to highly complex board games, balancing an abundance of rules and options with exciting gameplay is easier said than done. But “Terraforming Mars” manages to expertly walk that line. Unlike a number of complicated games from the past that received a reputation for being tedious, “Terraforming Mars” holds players’ attention from the start and never lets up. While players all are working together to make Mars a livable planet, they remain pitted against each other by seeing who can make the biggest impact and make a huge profit. The game ends once the Martian landscape has been significantly altered; increasing the oceans, raising the temperature, and putting enough oxygen in the atmosphere to make the planet livable.

#3: “Lords of Waterdeep” (2004)

Fans of “Dungeons and Dragons” will be familiar with the city of Waterdeep. For those unfamiliar, it’s a sprawling, beautiful, and dangerous city where many adventures have begun. Adventurers typically take on quests given to them by the shadowy figures that control the city known as the Lords of Waterdeep. But rather than being a character setting off on a campaign, this game has players taking control of the titular lords, and sending off adventurers to do their bidding. While the game is certain to be rewarding for “D&D” fans, no knowledge of the RPG is needed to enjoy this strategy game filled with intrigue.

#2: “Wingspan” (2019)

Serving as the most recent addition to our list, “Wingspan” is a perfect representation of modern board games. It’s not overly complex or too simple. “Wingspan” strikes a perfect balance which makes it great both for experienced board game players and those new to the table. Utilizing card drafting and dice rolling, the game sees players trying to score points in a wide variety of ways. This allows for all kinds of strategies. “Wingspan” also just happens to be one of the best-looking games out there. It features impressive artwork, a unique aesthetic, and even scientifically accurate facts for the dozens of birds featured in the game.

#1: “Ticket to Ride” (2004)

Learning the rules of this railroad-themed game is incredibly easy, but mastering the strategy is anything but. While points can be gained by traveling between any two adjacent cities, players need to complete route tickets to earn enough points to claim victory. Over the course of the game, players can take on more route tickets to earn more points. But that strategy comes with a risk. Any routes not completed count against the player’s overall score. And as the board fills up, routes become increasingly difficult to complete. Although the game has spawned countless imitators and a slew of spinoffs, the original has unquestionably earned its spot at the top.