It requires a little bit of suspended disbelief and some letting go of your insecurities of sounding like a total dork every time you explain an action you’ve taken in the game. But, as people seem to warm up more and more to nerd culture, fantasy board games are an outstanding way to connect with your inner-dork.

Tabletop games have been a cornerstone of nerd culture since the days of Dungeons & Dragons, but I can’t expect you to go quite that deep on your first venture into fantasy board games. What I would like to do is make your decision easier when looking to buy one of the many great fantasy board games available to you. There are a few different categories that make up the best fantasy board games list: two player, strategy, dungeon crawl, and cooperative.

Best Fantasy Board Games List

Best Fantasy Board Games	Age	Players	Best For	Playtime	Rating (1-5) Stars
Small World	8+	2~5	Strategy	80 min	4.5
Claustrophobia	14+	2	2 player	45 min	4.5
Munchkin Deluxe	10+	3~6	Dungeon Crawl	90 min	4.5
Pandemic Board Game	12+	2~4	Cooperative	60 min	4.5
Talisman: The Magical Quest Game, 4th edition	9+	2~6	Dungeon Crawl	90 min	4.5
Descent: Journeys in The Dark Second Edition	14+	2~5	Dungeon Crawl	120 min	4.5
Shadows Over Camelot	10+	3~7	Cooperative	90 min	4.5
Wrath of Ashardalon: A D&D Boardgame	12+	1~5	Cooperative	45 min	4.5
Hasbro Heroscape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie	8+	2	2 Player	45 min	4.5
Dust Tactics Revised Core Set	12+	2	2 player	45 min	4.5
King of Tokyo	8+	2~6	Party	30 min	5
Betrayal At House On The Hill - 2nd Edition	12+	3~6	Dungeon Crawl	60 min	4.5
Fantasy Flight Games Runewars Revised Edition	12+	2~4	Strategy	180 min	4.5
Mage Knight Board Game	14+	1~4	Strategy	150 min	4.5
Eclipse Board Game	14+	2~6	Strategy	120 min	4.5

I’ll give you a recommendation from each of these categories so that you can enjoy some incredible fantasy gaming no matter your particular situation or preference.

Two player- Claustrophobia

This not only is one of the best fantasy board games, it is also a fantastic game for people that love intense head-to-head strategy. In Claustrophobia, one player plays as the humans and the other takes on the roll of the demons. What I like most about Claustrophobia is the variety of scenarios in which players can use in their play. Different scenarios have different win conditions, board layouts, and other variables that make replaying the game a joy because you’re not very often making the same decisions.

The decisions are a huge part of what make Claustrophobia so fun; every single one you make feels vital to the success of your overall strategy. This game wholeheartedly commits to its theme of humans vs. demons in an all out battle for survival, and that is a big part of the draw, but it also means that the game will be quite dense for non-gamers. The atmosphere this game creates is tense and thrilling, so I’d recommend to anyone that enjoys a brutal and complicated strategy game.

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Strategy- Small World

Small World is a territory control game that has a brief learning curve with a fast and engaging pace of play that is great for players a bit scared off by the depth of some strategy games. The game works a bit like Risk, in that you are constantly managing the distribution of your armies on a large map, but Small World doesn’t have the huge, epic feel of Risk. That’s a good thing, as Risk is a fun game, but it can be a commitment of several days for some play sessions. Small World works on a much smaller scale, but many of the decisions you make are very similar to that of Risk.

The fantasy theme, in the case of Small World, is most visible in the race/ability cards. The first thing every player does on their first turn is choose a race to use as their first army, this race is assigned a random ability that comes along with whatever makes that particular race unique. But, at some point your army is going to get thin, and you’re going to want to switch to a different race in order to bolster your numbers, which puts your previously used race in a state of “decline,” where all their abilities are null and void. The seemingly simple decision on when to time your switching from one race to the next seems to often decide the winner of the game.

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Dungeon Crawl- Munchkin

Remember when I said I wouldn’t expect you to try and conquer the depth and nerdiness that is D&D? Well, Munchkin might be a perfect gateway game to get you down the path that leads to serious role playing in your gaming. Munchkin, when you really break it down, is D&D without the roleplaying and player-generated storytelling.

The cards take care of all the role playing and they generate all of the storytelling. But if you’re looking for the dungeon crawl experience, that’s what this game is built on. As one of up to six munchkins, you work with your party to plunge the depths of a monster-infested dungeon to loot its many rooms and build up the prowess of your character.

The game has a great humorous touch throughout the game, much of which pokes fun at old school pen-and-paper role playing games. The cartoony artwork fits the games goofy them perfectly, and some of the cards have some hilarious explanations to go along with the comical illustrations. This is a great way introduce non-gamers to the fantasy game style without bogging them down with things like character lore and a complex dice-based combat system.

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Cooperative- Pandemic

I am absolutely in love with the theme of this game. Pandemic simulates a sudden outbreak of a disease that threatens to wipe out the human race, while you and your team take on the role of disease control officers that are in charge of containing and eliminating the illness from the planet. Players will play as one of up to four different characters that have slightly different roles and nuances that make playing each of them a little bit unique. The different characters are one of the many features that make this game so fun to keep playing over and over again.

Each turn, players can take four different actions in the containment effort. The board is a map of the globe, where players will travel about in response to the many and variable crises that arise throughout the game. Pandemic has a brilliant way of rallying players against a faceless opposition, and does a terrific job of making you strategically work as a team. Every decision is stressful and important, with little mistakes often being the difference between a cure and the doom of all human existence. This game is tons of fun, but is not for the feint hearted gamer.  This is by far one of the best fantasy board games that appeals to most audiences.

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That’s why I think this list might be one of my favorites, because this list would probably be about the same even if I wrote it ten years ago. These games have withstood the test of time and remain some of the best games you can find out there. To help you narrow down your options of which of the best classic board games to pick from, we’ve put together our list of games that you’ve probably heard of but perhaps have not tried. There’s a reason these games have been around and so popular for so long. Everyone should play these games at least once in their lifetime.

Classic Board Games	Age	Players	Best With	Playtime	Rating (1-5) Stars
No Stress Chess	7+	2	2 players	~	4.5
Balderdash Game	12+	2~6	5~6 plyrs	60 min	5
Clue The Classic Edition	8+	3~6	4+ plyrs	45 min	5
The Game of Life	10+	2~6	4+ plyrs	45 min	4.5
Risk Game	10+	2~5	4 plyrs	120 min	4.5
Sorry Classic Edition Board Game	6+	1~4	2+ plyrs	20 min	4.5
Monopoly - The Classic Edition	8+	2~8	4+ plyrs	45 min	4.5
Scrabble Diamond Anniversary Edition	8+	2~4	4 plyrs	90 min	4.5
Candy Land - The Kingdom of Sweets Board Game	3+	2~4	2+ plyrs	30 min	4.5
Parcheesi Royal Edition	8+	2~4	4 plyrs	30 min	4.5
Hi Ho Cherry-O	3+	2~4	2+ plyrs	15 min	4.5
Classic Yahtzee	8+	2+	4 plyrs	35 min	4.5
UNO Attack!	7+	2~10	4+ plyrs	30 min	4.5
Pictionary - The Game Of Quick Draw	12+	3+	4+ plyrs	30 min	4.5

For two players- Chess

This one might be a bit of a given. Chess is the quintessential head-to-head battle of the minds. I can’t honestly say that I play that much Chess, but every time I go back and play, I’m astounded by the complexity and amount of thought that must be put into every individual move. If you’ve never played before, it won’t take very long to memorize all the different movements that are available to each piece.

But, learning how things move is only about 4% of what makes up the learning curve in the game of Chess. People commonly hear about the concept of having to think several moves ahead with every turn that a player takes, and that is absolutely true. Chess requires a level of foresight that takes time to acquire, and that may also be its biggest turnoff for people. The learning curve is a bit steep and intimidating, but Chess is not for the weak-minded. If you want to commit yourself to getting good at Chess, you should probably accept that you will be bad at Chess for a while before that actually happens.

Party- Balderdash

Balderdash is a great party game because the gameplay is generally rather fast, and players can be good at it without actually knowing any of the answers. In fact, if you know most of the answers in Balderdash, you should probably pick up an application with NASA. This game favors people that are better at sounding like they know what they’re talking about more than it favors players that actually know what they’re talking about.

In Balderdash, all players except for the judge are given a word/phrase/acronym/etc., and are required to provide a definition of that word/phrase/acronym/ etc. The judge is responsible for reading everyone’s answers and deciding which one they think is correct. If the judge guesses the correct answer, they get to roll the dice to advance on the board. If a player has their answer chosen, they get a roll of the dice.

This game can be tame and stimulating, or at times raucous and silly. It’s great for hosting a group of friends that you know has an interest in wordplay. English majors tend to be great at this game, which, as a writer, is fine by me.

Family- Clue

Clue is looked on as a piece of pop culture now. It has been turned into a movie and has been referenced in the media an uncountable number of times. It caught on with so many people so quickly that it makes you wonder how it’s even possible that you don’t hear anyone actually talking about the game itself anymore.

Clue is a great time for those that like a heavy dose of mystery with their tabletop gaming. That strong thread of “who dunnit” that runs throughout the game makes for a terrific climax at the end of every play session. Laughter and finger-pointing are a staple of Clue, and it has just the right amount of goofiness to it that people are reminded to not take the game too seriously. After all, has anyone ever really been murdered with a candlestick? I’m sure the answer to that is yes, but that’s besides the point. Play Clue, it’s really fun.

Kids- Life

The game of Life actually has a surprising amount of life lessons contained within its gameplay. The most important thing I learned when playing Life was that things are not going to go according to plan. But also that things will probably work for the best, even if it doesn’t look anything like you had expected.

The game contains a wheel to spin at the beginning of every turn, which every kid will love. And the game is constantly changing because of the different circumstances that Life will thrust onto you like having another child or having your house foreclosed on. Life is entertaining enough for adults, and is interesting for kids because they get to feel like adults for a little while by making adult decisions. Life was a regular during my childhood, and I think every kid should play it at one point or another.

Strategy- Risk

The way I like to think about Risk is that it is a global chess match between several different parties. Of course, the game can also be played with just two people, which can create some very interesting stare-downs (literally and metaphorically). This was another game that I played with my brothers all the time growing up, and I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I saw that this game was built from the ground up for groups of siblings to sit around a board and get mad at each other.

Few games can bring on such an immediate and powerful urge to flip over a game board, especially for something as inconsequential as losing the Ukraine. By the middle of your first game you will understand both why this game can be so fun and why this game can be so difficult. You have to constantly be thinking about the distribution of your troops and where the next threat is coming from. Risk is the very definition of a classic board game, and should be experience by everyone that calls themselves a gamer at least once. Just remember, someone you are playing with will stab you in the back and it will make you want to scream. The joy comes later when you’re able to get them back, hopefully.

The games we’re discussing here fill just that need. Cooperative games are a great way to get people involved in games because they don’t feel as left out on an island to figure things out for themselves and other players are more likely to help because everyone’s success is linked to one another. Here is our  list of the best cooperative board games followed by the games I would recommend to anyone looking for that non-competitive, board game that you and your friends can play together.

Best Cooperative Board Games List

Best Cooperative Games	Age	Players	Best For	Playtime	Rating (1-5) Stars
Pandemic Board Game	13+	2~4	Party	45 min	4.5
Forbidden Desert Board Game	13+	2~5	2 player/Party	45 min	4.5
Eldritch Horror	14+	1~8	2player/Party	2 ~4hrs	5
Zombicide Base Game	14+	1~6	Party	20min ~2hrs	5
Battlestar Galactica	10+	3~6	Strategy	2~3hrs	5
Space Alert	12+	1~5	2player/Party	20 min	5
Resistance The 2nd Edition	13+	5~10	Party	30 min	5
Shadows Over Camelot	10+	3~7	Party	90 min	4.5
Ghost Stories	12+	1~4	2player/Party	60 min	4.5
Lord Of The Rings: The Card Game	12+	1~2	2 Players	60 min	4.5
Duel of Ages II Basic Set	12+	2~8	Strategy	60 min	5
Wizards of The Coast Legend of Drizzt: A Dungeons and Dragons Board Game	12+	1~5	Dungeon Crawl	45 min	4.5
Castle Panic	10+	1~6	Strategy	60 min	4.5
Gears Of War	12+	1~4	2 Players	60 min	4.5

Strategy- Battlestar Galactica

If you’re not familiar with the popular sci-fi show, Battlestar Galactica is built on the relationship between humans and cylons. Cylons are a mechanized alien race that has declared war on humans and has also recently found a way to look identical to human beings. So, in the game everyone plays a crew member aboard the human spaceship that is trying to flee the pursuing cylon fleet. But, here’s the twist, there are people in the game that are cylons, but you don’t know who.

This level of deception isn’t often found in board games, as cylon players try to secretly sabotage the efforts of everyone else playing. Cylons can, of course, be discovered and kicked off the ship. If you’re playing as a cylon, it can be nerve wracking to sit at the table with everyone else and be the only one that knows why everything is going so wrong.

This game is an absolute blast, especially if you’re a fan of the television show. But, if you’re someone that doesn’t enjoy backstabbing, collusion, and sabotage, Battlestar Galactica may not be for you. But, I am, so this game is for me.

 Click here for more Info, Pricing and Reviews!

Dungeon crawl- Zombicide

Zombicide is a perfect game for gamers out there that have been blasting away zombies on our computers and gaming consoles, but haven’t been able to scratch their tabletop zombie itch. This game started as a Kickstarter, so there is clear effort made towards satisfying the customer’s needs. In many ways, it means that this board game does a great job of simulating the video game experience in the same vein as Left 4 Dead.

Each player assumes the role of a survivor stuck out on the streets during a zombie outbreak, the game supports up to six total players, with each player taking on a character with a different set of skills. For example, the girl wearing roller skates gets a bonus to her movement capabilities. The point of the game is to work together to gather up loot and weapons, and then make it out of there alive, which doesn’t happen all that often for everyone in the game.

One thing you’ll notice when playing the game is the RPG elements. As players kill zombies, they will level up. Each character gains different bonuses the higher their level gets, but no matter who you are, when you level up you gain more attention for more difficult zombies.

There is all kinds of fun to be had in Zombicide. Working with the rest of your team to fight off hordes of zombies is a blast with your friends. One downfall of the game is that it does allow players to die. So, if someone makes a dumb mistake early on and gets eaten by zombies, they just became a spectator for the duration of the game’s 30-40 minute average play time.

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Two player- Space Alert

Space Alert proves that board games can be just as hectic and tense as any other form of gaming. In Space Alert, you and up to four other people play as the crew of a spaceship that is facing an incredible amount of distress. You must navigate through space as asteroids, aliens, and spontaneous equipment malfunctions try to slow you down and get you killed.

What makes Space Alert so intense is that it is one of the few games that is played in real time. Every game lasts ten minutes and at the end of the game you have either escaped or been destroyed. This creates a remarkably fun atmosphere, and forces players to communicate efficiently and effectively. The fact that the game is so crazy may also be a bit of a turn off for some people. Inevitably, people will start shouting things at each other, not because they are mad at them, but because they really need those engines up and running so that they can escape this enemy ship that is firing lasers at them. That may not be an ideal experience for everyone.

This is one of the best cooperative games out there simply because it does such a great job of creating that tension that can only be created by the constant fear of imminent death (so to speak). The game can be played with or without the CD that it comes with, but for the sake of atmosphere I would recommend using it.

 Click for more SPACE ALERT! Info, Pricing and Reviews!

Party- Saboteur

Saboteur is a hidden role game, just like I mentioned earlier with Battlestar Galactica. The theme in this game, however, is a bit more cute. You play as either a gnome or saboteur. The gnomes are excavating for treasure and are getting very close. If you’re a saboteur, you are trying to make sure that the gnomes don’t touch the treasure.

The game starts with the goal of reaching one of three cards that are facing down. One of those three cards will have the treasure, and the gnomes are trying to build paths within the mine that will reach one of those cards while the saboteurs are taking actions to slow them down.

This game is much more simple that Battlestar Galactica, so I would definitely recommend it to a crowd of non-gamers. The concept is accessible and the strategies are rather straightforward. If you’re looking for an accessible hidden role game, Saboteur is probably the best option avaiable.

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As always, were here to help you make the best choice for your needs.  We’ve broken down our list followed by our recommendations for the best 2 player board games into 3 subcategories.

2 player board games for

• Couples
• Strategy
• 1 on 1 battle

Best 2 Player Board Games List

Best 2 Player Games	Age	Best For	Playtime	Rating 1-5 (stars)
Forbidden Desert Board Game	10+	Couples	45 min	4.5
Dust Tactics Revised Core Set	12+	1on1/Strategy	45 min	4.5
Pandemic Board Game	13+	Couples	45 min	4.5
NFL Game Day Football Board Game	9+	1 on 1	30 min	5
Lost Cities	10+	Strategy	25 min	4.5
Ninja Versus Ninja Game	8+	1on1/Strategy	20 min	4.5
Twilight Struggle Deluxe Edition	13+	Strategy	3 hrs	4.5
Rivals for Catan	10+	Couples	45 min	4.5
Agricola	12+	1 on 1	2 hrs	4.5
Qwirkle Board Game	6+	Couples	45 min	4.5
Marvel Heroclix Avx X-men Starter Set	12+	1 on 1	45 min	5
Descent: Journeys in The Dark Second Edition	12+	1 on 1	45 min	4.5
Dominion	12+	1on1/Couples	30 min	5
Carcassonne Basic Game	8+	Couples	45 min	5
Blokus Duo Game	5+	Couples	20 min	4.5

These games are great examples of that unique experience. Pull out one of these games and you can have a great night of gaming with someone.  But, there are so many games to choose from, right?  Just to make your life a bit easier when making the choice of which are the best 2 player board games to buy, we’ve put together a few recommendations in the list below.

For couples- Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island is a cooperative game that can be played with up to four players, but is still great with just two.  The idea of the game is rather simple, you and your team are trying to get onto an island and plunder for treasure, but the island is rapidly sinking. You work together to move your characters around the island with the ultimate goal of collecting all four of the treasure tokens. Once the treasure is in your possession, players must find their way back to a helicopter pad to be flown away.

Admittedly, this is a game that will take a bit of nerdiness from both parties to really get into.  But, I absolutely love the cooperative element of this game, and I think it makes Forbidden Island a perfect game for couples.  Gaming with a partner can be a risk just because people can get competitive and confrontational, which isn’t ideal for when you have to sleep in the same bed later that night.

Because the game is decently fast-paced, players are never bored and are always involved in the gameplay. This fast gameplay is broken up by moments of thought from players, which is another thing that makes this game so perfect for couples.

You don’t play games very often that force you to make such interesting team-based decisions.  Everything usually comes down to looking out for yourself, or how you can bring down someone else.  This, on the other hand, allows players to discuss a strategy and really do some interesting problem solving. It’s always better to work with your significant other rather than work against them, and Forbidden Island encourages just such an interaction.

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Strategy- Twilight Struggle

I know what you’re thinking, board games are cool and all, but none of them enable me to live my dream of being a key decision maker during the perilous times of the Cold War. Well, what you’re thinking is wrong. Twilight Struggle is a brilliant game made for just two players that puts the player in the role of the Soviet Union or the United States.

The board is a map of the globe as it was in 1945. By moving around your units and playing your cards correctly, each player is trying to gain influence over other countries. Once you’ve gained the alleigance of enough world powers, then you can start dictating the pace of the game. Twilight Struggle has several different ways for the game to end, and these endings are just as dark as the many other alternative outcomes to the real life Cold War. The most memorable ending, of course, is all out nuclear warfare.

What I believe drives the game along is the event cards. Every time an event card comes into play, there seems to be a dramatic shift in gameplay. You’ll find yourself not only having to respond to the actions of the opposing player, but now you’re also responsible for solving the Cuban Missile Crisis. All of your decisions in the game feel important and interesting.

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1-on-1 battle- Agricola

The term “battle” in this case might be a bit of an overstatement. Agricola is a game based around the concept of having a family that lives on a farm, and having that family do farm work for you. Now, I know that sounds like the most riveting concept for a game you’ve ever heard, but let me be clear, Agricola is every flavor of fun.

Every game is made up of six stages that make up 14 rounds, and each round has four phases. I won’t get into the details of every round, phase, and stage, but the way they have things set up makes the game very evenly paced. Some games, like Glory to Rome for example, have a slow pace before reaching a breaking point where all of the sudden your turn consists of 13 actions and the game is wrapped up before you know it. Agricola is a bit more of a slow burn throughout the duration of the game.

Players have to gather resources and delegate duties to family members in order to expand their farm. At the end of every round, there is a harvest. If at this point you haven’t gathered enough resources that can be turned into food, your family goes hungry and the player must take a “beggar” card which detracts from your overall victory points.

What really sets this game apart is the amount of variability that comes with every individual play session. There are roughly 300 different occupation cards that just ever-so-slightly tweak your abilities in every game. So, every game has a new combination of skills. This adds a tremendous amount of replay value to the game and is going to have you and your opponent endlessly repeating the phrase “just one more game.”

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