My family spends a significant amount of time playing board games. Although we have played much less in recent years, they have remained our favorite form of family activity. I would not necessarily consider myself a board game connoisseur, but my aunt and uncle are really into board games, and I have gained a lot of experience with many different games over the years. I went into my attic and took pictures of all the games I could find to make a tier list. This is the definitive Tier List of Board Games I Found in my Attic.
S Tier:
These are my favorite games of all time. I strongly recommend any game in this tier, and have played each of them many many times. They are a strong blend of strategy and fun, and are irrefutably lovable.
The Settlers of Catan: This classic strategy settlement game, first released in 1995, is one of my favorites. I am partial to any strategy civilization or portfolio building game, and the changing board each game only adds to its charm. The one thing I would dock from this game is that the building recipes for cities and settlements get stale and annoying after a couple playthroughs.
Unstable Unicorns: This strategy card game is at one time fun, comedic, and endearing. There is something very compelling about “build[ing] a unicorn army” and “betray[ing] your friends.” Unfortunately, I feel like this game is slept on. Many people have told me that they hate the game. I will admit, some features of the game, such as the Baby Unicorns and the Nursery, feel useless, or out of place, but no one ever said a great game had to be perfect.
Exploding Kittens: This card game was the most backed kickstarter in the history of the platform. While I have not played in a while, it was my favorite game for many years. The game has just enough of each strategy, luck, and pure chaos to make it endlessly fun and entertaining. The art on the cards only adds to the game’s overall wacky appeal. Despite all its merits, one could make an argument that there is too much luck and chaos to really be played seriously.
Monopoly: This game was recently dethroned as my favorite game of all time. This classic board game, debuted in 1935, has captured my attention for well over a decade now. I will be the first to admit that the game often drags on for longer than it needs to, and is not the best designed board game ever. I think much of the value this game holds is nostalgia. I sometimes feel like I have the opposite of generational trauma. I can imagine the hours my mom and her sister played this game, using the same copy with which I have played many times at my grandparents’ house.
Sid Meier’s Civilization A New Dawn: This game, released in 2017, became my new favorite game after I received it for Christmas a few years ago. Its innovative strategy elements, combined with a Risk like combat system, is unmatched; unlike anything I have ever seen. The object of the game is determined by three objective cards pulled from a pool of six, so no two games are exactly alike. I am a big fan of the Focus Row and the Focus Card resolving to perform actions, and the different civilization cards only add to the game’s variety. This game is also on the longer side, but fairly predictably takes less than two hours, thereby avoiding the Monopoly problem.
Irresponsibility The Mr. Toast Game: Another Kickstarter/Indiegogo legend, this game is a classic in my family. The art style is awesome, and the gameplay is satisfying. This game is not a standout like Civilization or Exploding Kittens, but it is always solid, and never gets old. I also just learned that there are comics associated with the Mr. Toast universe from the early 2000s.
Rush MD: This is probably the most recent addition to my board game repertoire, and is the lowest game in the S tier. It is definitely an innovative game, and has fairly good replayability. In order for the game to be good, extra containers are needed, which docks some points, but it is a really fun game. It is also friendly to a variety of players, entry level to professional because there are a variety of different elements that can be included or excluded to change up the difficulty.
A Tier:
The games in this tier are solid, and I would recommend all of them, but most often these games will be passed over for those in the S tier. Many of these games are incredible on a slightly more rare occasion.
Codenames: This is a fun party game that is all about using clues to guess words. I have not played it in a while, which is typical for this game. This is a once in a blue moon banger. It is especially fun if you get paired up with someone who thinks on the same wavelength as you, and it seems like you are speaking to each other telepathically.
Risk!: This is like a much less complex Civilization. It is a very similar combat system. The thing with Risk is that it is only a combat system. It is undeniably fun if you get to snowball and take over the whole world, but it can be a little bit of a bummer if you get stuck with nothing. Overall just a really solid pick.
Ticket to Ride: I have actually played more of the video game version of this game than the board game, and I have always enjoyed it, but never found it terribly special. I wish I had played more of the board game: I think it ports really well to the board, honestly even better than the mobile game, but it takes more setup than it is really worth. Overall pretty good though, and I wish I had played it more.
Kingdomino: This is a game about forming a kingdom with a 5×5 square of dominos. You have to place the dominos such that they are touching another similar domino, which means that sometimes you have to waste tiles and cannot put them in your kingdom. It is incredibly satisfying when you can finish the perfect 5×5, and very disappointing when you cannot, but that’s just how the game goes. Definitely would recommend.
The Uzzle: This is another one of the newer games I have played. It is a very simple game about recognizing and making patterns with 5 blocks. It is a really spatial party game, and for some reason I am really good at it. The two or three times I have played I have tripled the points of my competitors. Very simple, yet simultaneously very satisfying.
Terraforming Mars: This is by far the most complicated game I have ever played. I put it here because I think it has a lot of potential. I have only ever played it two or so times, and so I have literally no idea how to play. I have heard a lot of good things about it, but I cannot put it any higher because I have a very limited knowledge of the actual gameplay.
Skyjo: This is a great card game, but it can get old if played too often. Like a sweet treat, it is best enjoyed in moderation. The goal of the game is to have the lowest number in a grid of 12 cards by swapping out cards. The gameplay leads to some luck elements, but there really are no card games without luck.
Scorpius: I played this game for the first time the other day after my brother found it on sale at a local store. This was one I have never heard of before, but I was pleasantly surprised. The gameplay was reminiscent of Civilization, with the added component of three rotating cargo space ships that determine the available actions as well as the length of the game. I would probably put this game higher if I had more experience with it.
B Tier:
These games are enjoyable, and I always have fun when playing them with others, but I would never choose them myself. These games are often picked by family members or friends, and I am never disappointed. Many of these are good party games.
C Tier:
These games are just boring. There is nothing really to say about them. They are board games, and so they can be fun at times, and I do not particularly dislike any of them, but they are certainly nothing special.
F Tier:
The bottom of the barrel.
Candy Land: This game is awful. This game is a classic for little children, and my younger sister is still a casual enjoyer. Similar to Chutes and Ladders, this game is entirely luck, to a point where there is really no point in playing it. Playing this game is just like watching a really boring movie. Nothing interesting happens, and you have no stakes in the plot. It is a complete waste of time.
