10 Popular Board Games for Adults, Families, & Coworkers

April 25, 2024January 20, 2025 Diane Wang 0 Comments

Get in on the action! Board games are a new trend and here to stay. Looking for the most popular board games in 2020 for your next Game Night, to play over Thanksgiving, or for a White Elephant party, or to host a casual get together? See our top picks of the year so far to impress your friends, family, and co-workers, along with TONS of the other best board games to play in specific categories such as strategy, cooperative, family, and party games in our board game lists.

1- Azul

This is one of the most popular board games and Azul has come out with many expansions following winning the ‘Game of the Year’ in 2018 as voted on by the Spiel des Jahres in Germany so you rest assured that this is a fantastic recommendation. A board game that can be learned in 10-15 minutes, if you like colored tiles, and the option of occasionally screwing over your fellow other players, then this is the game for you. Pick and place tiles on your board accordingly over several rounds, and gain points. Beware – this isn’t as easy as it looks!

Check Price – Azul, 2018 Game of the Year Winner

Ages 8+, 2-4 Players
Playing Time: 45 minutes
Designer – Michael Kiesling
Publisher – Next Move Games

2 – The Mind

The Mind was also a nominee for Game of the Year in 2018, and it might just blow your mind. Though it can be played with 2-4, I would recommend 3 or 4 players. Without giving too much away, let’s just say, the set-up is simple, with a deck numbered 1-100 being the majority of the game contents. This is an absolute mind blowing game, and one of the most popular board games trending in the community right now. I also make an analogy to how playing this game is like playing the traffic game.

Check Price – The Mind, 2018 Game of the Year Nominee

Ages 8+, 2-4 Players
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Designer – Wolfgang Warsch
Publisher – Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag

3 – Qwirkle

This game has an old time feel, and seems like it could be a game from decades ago, but only came out in 2011. The wood tiles give it texture, and players have to consider which tiles to play as part of a larger strategy, since what you lay down affects other players. Players have 6 tiles at a time, and play as many as they can on the community board at a time. This is a great game for all ages, with a simple yet dynamic mechanic that all players interact with which makes it a super interesting and fun game, and one that doesn’t get old.

Check Price – Qwirkle, 2011 Game of the Year Winner

Ages 6+, 2-4 Players
Playing Time: 45 minutes
Designer -Susan McKinley Ross
Publisher – MindWare

4 – Codenames

One of the most recent well-known and popular board games, the title of this game is apropos. Teams compete against one another giving hints about their respective cards using limited information and want to convey as much about the cards as possible without confusing their teammates. Once you play Codenames, you’ll wish you did more brain exercises in your off time to get better at this game.

Check Price – Codenames, 2016 Game of the Year Winner

Ages 14+, 2-8 Players
Playing Time: 25 minutes
Designer – Vlaada Chvátil
Publisher – Czech Games Edition

5 – Sushi Go

Super fun, super light, super fast, and with a focus on one of our favorite cuisines – sushi! – Sushi Go is an epic and winning game from the start. Focus on getting points from collecting certain sets of cards, or types, and deducing what other players might want – Sushi Go keeps the energy levels high while still being a challenging game. A fun crowd pleaser with tons of expansions to keep you entertained.

Check Price – Sushi Go

Ages 8+, 2-5 Players
Playing Time: 20 minutes
Designer – Phil Walker-Harding
Publisher – Adventureland Games

6 – Dixit

This is an absolute must play for a fun loving group that likes to use their imagination and on our list of family board games . Make no mistake though, despite art cards, and coming up with fantastical clues or quotes to give other players hints about your card, there is massive skill involved in this game. Winner of the Spiel des Jahres in 2010, Dixit is an absolute must play and phenomenally fun and one-of-a-kind experience.

Check Price – Dixit, 2010 Game of the Year Winner

Ages 8+, 3-6 Players
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Designer – Jean-Louis Roubira
Publisher – Libellud

7 – Splendor

One of the most elegant games out there, board game critics and reviewers, often praise Splendor, and there is good reason for that. Board Game Geek calls it a ‘Family’ game and, the Publishers describe it as a fast, tactical, and addictive game. Enticing and enchanting, once you play Splendor, you will understand why it’s one of the most popular best-selling games out there. Like, you may become obsessed so don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Check Price – Splendor, 2014 Game of the Year Nominee

Ages 10+, 2-4 Players
Playing Time: 45 minutes
Designer – Marc André
Publisher – Space Cowboys

8 – Settlers of Catan

This is the most classic of all the “euro” games out there, despite having been published in 1995. Having been out for over 20 years, one might think Settlers of Catan would be on the way out, however the opposite has been the case. A game friends and groups play 100+ times, the dynamics, dice, and resource distribution, and competitive element changes every game and the thrill never ends. It also helps that the designers published a Game of Thrones version. The staying factor of Settlers, and the fact that it is partially responsible for making board games a hobby for thousands of children and adults is the reason it is the first game listed on our best strategy board games article.

Check Price – Settlers of Catan, 1995 Game of the Year Winner

Ages 10+, 3-4 Players
Playing Time: 60-120 minutes
Designer – Klaus Teber
Publisher – KOSMOS

9 – Pandemic & Pandemic Legacy

The best cooperative game out there, and everyone knows it. Matt Leacock left a career in Tech and Silicon Valley to design board games and we’re sure glad he did. There are now many versions of Pandemic from Pandemic: In the Lab to Pandemic: Iberia changing the setting, though the game mechanics remain super fun, challenging, and maddening, and are able to uniquely bring out many different skillsets in players. Fight outbreaks and epidemics of the virus and contain and cure the disease to save humanity with your team and have a lot of fun in the process.

Check Price – Pandemic, 2009 Game of the Year Nominee; 2016 Connoisseur Game of the Year Nominee

Ages 8+, 2-4 Players
Playing Time: 45 minutes
Designer – Matt Leacock
Publisher – Z-Man Games

10 – Werewolf

This game requires a somewhat larger group, and though the game can scale up to 20 or 3o, a great game can be played with 8 players including 1 who must act as a Moderator, which is an equally fun role. The only ‘social deduction’ game on this list, if you’re interested in seeing what it’s like to lie, persuade, outmaneuver, attack, and defend, all in the name of claiming victory for either the Villager team or the Werewolves, then Werewolf is your game. For more games in the deception category, see our full list of the best social deduction board and card games.