22 Best Board Games for Beginners, Ranked

The world of board games is diverse and welcoming. I love introducing people to new games and opening them up to a world beyond Monopoly and Settlers of Catan.

However, most people probably don’t want to dive into a Nemesis-level game right off the bat. Which, if you’re unfamiliar, comes in about four different boxes depending on how many expansions you have.

What is the easiest board game ever?

Games like 5 Second Rule, Sushi Go or Exploding Kittens are very simple games that are easy to learn and teach.

There are actually several games out there that are very beginner-friendly. Some of them are tabletop games, but some are simply card games and do not need a full board.

So whether you’re a beginner yourself or you’re looking for a beginner-friendly game to bring home for the holidays, the following games are my top picks for the best board games for beginners:

22. King of Tokyo

King of Tokyo is a dice-rolling strategy game where you play as monsters, aliens or robots to try to take over the city.

It brings out a good, healthy amount of competition without bringing up the urge to get into any actual battles.

But overall, it’s a great game that is easy to learn and you can play it in about 30 minutes.

The ultimate goal is to be the last monster standing or win 20 victory points.

The game retails for about $35 on Amazon at the time of this writing.

21. Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island is a cooperative, survival puzzle game that plays 2-4 people.

I’ve failed at this game in the past. It definitely requires problem-solving and cooperation to win. I do admit that it can be harder than you might think, which can be fun if you’re up for the challenge.

The game itself is well-designed and aesthetically pleasing. Also, it currently retails for about $20 on Amazon.

20. Sushi Go

Sushi Go rules are simple. You basically draft, pass and repeat.

Players score points based on their cards and sushi combinations. They have a chance for bonus points by getting dessert cards.

At the end of the game, add up your victory points to see who wins.

The base game accommodates 2-5 players, but Sushi Go Party can play up to 8.

The original game of Sushi Go retails for about $15 on Amazon.

19. Secret Hitler

I’m guessing you’ve probably heard of this game. It’s been very popular in the beginner board gamer community, and it’s a lot of fun if you enjoy social deduction games.

Players try to “find Hitler” before a fascist government becomes too powerful. Or, if you are Hitler or one of his fascists, you want to blend in while gaining power.

It’s a lot of fun, and in my experience, things can occasionally get heated.

The game retails for about $40.

18. 5 Second Rule

This game has very simple rules. Actually, they are incredibly simple.

Players will take turns drawing a card, which has a prompt that will say something like, “Name three types of pizza.”

Players who can name three things in the category can win points. If they can’t, the next player tries. It’s a lot of fun and plays very quickly.

The game retails for about $19 on Amazon.

17. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Another simple yet silly game, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza comes as a deck of cards with either a taco, a cat, a goat, cheese or pizza. There are a handful of novelty cards as well to mix things up.

Players take turns playing the cards face up from their face-down deck and saying the name of the game out loud, one word at a time.

If the spoken word and the card match, all players slap the deck as quickly as they can.

It’s silly and goofy and simple to play. The game retails for about $10 on Amazon.

16. Exploding Kittens

Exploding Kittens is a simple game that kind of plays like Hot Potato. Players get a deck of cards and try to avoid “exploding”. The last kitten standing wins.

It retails for about $20 with expansion packs available.

15. What Do You Meme

This game has a simple design that mimics Cards Against Humanity.

Basically, players draft a hand of cards and take turns drawing a prompt, which will be a photo of a meme. Players will play a hand from their card that best matches the caption.

Everyone can pick up it quickly, and it retails for about $30.

14. Medium

This game is truly a mind game.

Players pick a word card from their deck and play it with another player. The two active players each try to come up with a clue that relates to the word cards and countdown to say it out loud in an attempt to match what the other player is thinking.

If their clues are not a match, they try again with the clues that were given.

The game can get very tricky. It’s a lot of fun and quite the challenge.

It’s the perfect choice for your next friendly get-together. It retails for about $17.

13. Phase 10

In this classic card game, you get a hand of cards and compete with your fellow players to be the first to complete 10 varied phrases that will include challenges like two sets of three, a run of seven, etc.

Players must compete their phase before advancing to the next round.

It retails for about $11.

12. The Chameleon

This is an easy game that doesn’t take much time to play.

It is a bluffing social deduction game where players are handed either a card with a grid of words or a card that says they are the Chameleon.

Essentially, everyone but the Chameleon will find out a secret word and take turns giving clues, while being careful not to give away too much information.

The Chameleon will try to blend in and follow the crowd without being detected.

It’s not my absolute favorite social deduction game, but it is cute and easy to learn, and younger players will easily be able to join the fun.

It retails for about $17.

11. Mantis

A new game by the folks who brought you Exploding Kittens, Mantis is a fun family game that plays very quickly.

The cards come in seven different colors, which all play face up.

Overall it’s a fast-paced game in which players choose to either score by drawing a card or attempt to take cards from another player if they choose to play more aggressively.

The game retails for about $20 on Amazon.

10. Love Letter

Love Letter is typically my go-to for a quick game with friends.

It’s easy to describe and people typically pick up on it quickly, because essentially you play a card and then do what it says (printed on the card).

It’s well-balanced, quick-paced and fun, yet there’s still a bit of strategy to it. The premise is that players are competing to have their letters delivered to a princess to prove their worth.

And basically, the higher the number on your card, the more power you win. However, the more vulnerable you become.

If you want to upgrade from the basic game, you can also purchase Lovecraft Letter (which is what I own). There are are also Star Wars and Marvel versions of the game as well.

It retails for about $15.

9. Tussie Mussie

This simple game is all about the meaning of flowers.

It features a draft where players draw two cards and offer one face-up and another face-down to their neighbors.

After drafting their cards, players reveal and score their collection. It plays quickly and it’s easy to learn. It retails for about $12.

Read Also: 15 Beautiful Board Games With Great Artwork That Are Fun To Play

8. Hey Robot

This game is a fun party game that uses smart speakers around your house. Simply get your Alexa or Google Home to say the word on the card without saying the word yourself.

My family played this together during the holidays and it was simple to teach everyone to play. It’s kid-friendly and can play 2-20 players.

It retails for about $30.

7. Just One

Just One is a simple party game. It’s similar to Code Names except it is a cooperative game.

Players draw a card and select a word without looking at it. The rest of the players will write down a clue that relates to the word, but try not to duplicate any clues with other teammates.

The players will reveal their clues before the active player sees them, and if any clues are replicated, they are eliminated. It’s a clever and fun game that retails for about $20.

6. So Clover

From the same creators as Just One, So Clover is another cooperative party game that comes with a physical clover. Each player fills in a clover with four cards, which creates a unique puzzle of words.

Players take turns passing the clover around while their fellow players try to put the words back together based on the clues.

It’s a fun party game that I think is best for smaller groups. It retails for about $25.

5. Telestrations

Telestrations is probably my favorite party game to play. It’s a mix of Pictionary and the game Telephone.

Players receive a prompt which they draw on a whiteboard. They pass it to the next player, who guesses the prompt. The guess gets passed again to the next player, who draws it out.

It’s hilarious to see how the prompts get so off-course if you are able to play with a lot of people.

I promise it will be a good time. The game retails for about $18.

4. Cat In The Box

This trick-taking game has a unique spin, where the card’s color isn’t defined until you play it.

Basically, players can bid on how many tricks they will win and then plan the tricks carefully throughout the play.

Advanced players can still appreciate the game for its unique strategy while new players will pick it up quickly.

The game retails for about $28 on Amazon.

3. Code Names

Code Names is another fun party game where word cards are placed on a table as a grid.

Players are broken up into teams, each with their own leader or “spymaster”. The spymaster will offer one-word clues that get their team to guess (if possible) multiple word cards that belong to them.

It’s a fun party game and is sold in many variations and themes. The base game retails for about $13.

2. Coup

The card game Coup is a bluffing party game that can accommodate 2-6 players and has a very quick 15-minute playtime.

This simple card game features characters who have special abilities. You may bluff about your real character card to take the most powerful actions, but you must be careful since other players can challenge your character card and knock you out of the round.

The game is generally popular with most groups and retails for about $12.

1. The Crew

Last but not least, this has been one of my favorites lately.

The Crew is a cooperative trick-taking card game that has a lot of replay value.

The game comes with a book of missions with new challenges that each pose unique challenges for the crew, who must work together in order to win.

I think the cooperative play mixed with trick-taking creates a little bit of a unique challenge.

You can either play for hours or minutes, and it retails for only $15 on Amazon.

Read Also: How To Play the Crew Card Game With Honest Review

Have you tried any of the games on this list? Which types of games do you think are the most beginner-friendly? Let me know in the comments below.