Board games long ago grew beyond simple mechanics and a straightforward goal. Many more recent creations involve a lengthy setup and a dive into an imaginative world with interworking parts and varied stories. Players may work together or separately toward an objective, employing strategy while hoping for a bit of luck.
One of the best board games over the last decade is Scythe. Set in an alternative past in a world dominated by agriculture and innovation, this role-playing tabletop game offers different paths to take in order to achieve your individual objective. Rally recruits, gather resources, take back territory and build impressive structures as you transform the beautiful, haunting world.
Scythe features elements of science-fiction storytelling, engine-building, combat and roleplaying, with gorgeous art and well-crafted components. For those who enjoy these types of involved games, there are plenty of other options worth exploring. These Scythe-adjacent games will keep you invested and enthralled.
This engine-building game finds players taking on the role of a corporation that’s tasked to build on the planet Mars centuries in the future. While players will build off each other’s decisions, each is competing to finish the game with the most points, gained from a variety of means. Terraforming Mars calls for strategic use of actions and resources. Games can be played by one to five players and typically resolve in a couple hours.
Inspired by Lovecraftian stories, this cooperative game welcomes up to eight players, but can be played solo since an enemy is built into the game’s complex mechanics. Select an investigator to travel the world, fight monsters, close interdimensional portals and solve enough mysteries to keep an ancient one from awakening and destroying the universe. It’s filled with imaginative artwork and terrific storytelling and features myriad assets, magic spells and artifacts to collect. The game takes a while to learn, but it’s a unique play each and every time, and expansion packs can add other fun, new components.
Sold by Amazon
The cute, colorful aesthetics of this beautifully rendered game belie the competitive, strategic elements. Two to five can play at once, each player the mayor of a town that aspires to be the biggest and most successful. Players roll dice, collect money from their buildings, then spend to acquire even more lucrative assets, and strategically invest in them to generate strong returns. The objective of this engine-building game is to grow one’s seaside village into a bustling metropolis.
Sold by Kohl’s
For those who love storytelling and world-building, Gloomhaven offers an immersive and intense gaming experience. Large in size and scope, this hefty tabletop game is for avid players — the setup alone can take an hour. However, fans have embraced this pricey role-playing adventure game where you develop skills, slay monsters, collect resources and discover new territories. It requires attention, strategy and a bit of luck, but the adventure is unforgettable. A sequel, Frosthaven, amassed nearly $13 million in crowdfunding and is coming soon.
Sold by Amazon
This terraforming game finds players changing the nature of the universe — growing, moving and dramatically altering the makeup of planets themselves. Players compete to finish their own secret objective, moving along the board and deciding how and when to influence the universe. Beautifully drawn cards and carefully designed tokens help make this game enjoyable, as does the bit of luck that comes into play. Planetarium welcomes up to four players and usually concludes within an hour.
Sold by Amazon
As in Scythe, the decisions you make in Pandemic: Legacy have consequences as the world changes around you and affects everyone playing. One of the best legacy games ever made, players take on unique roles to battle a pandemic that’s spreading around the world. Working together, players must contain the pandemic, find a cure and eliminate the threat. Cards are ripped up, the board is irrevocably altered, and new twists and elements are revealed after each session. Players must commit to a length campaign, but it makes for an indelible gaming experience.
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Navigate the planets of the outer rim of the Star Wars galaxy in this dice-rolling, combat-filled strategy game. The goal is to become the most iconic smuggler or bounty hunter in the galaxy by achieving fame points, which are earned by taking down enemy patrols, transporting cargo or battling foes. There are some building components that find you deciding the fastest way to fame, whether it means expanding your crew, building up a ship or enhancing your combat skills. What’s more, this 2019 release is primed for an expansion.
Sold by Amazon
Another sci-fi board game set in the future, this involved campaign finds players acting as a government set to mine space for resources. Victory points are achieved through successful extraction of resources, while players must strategize as to how they build up their spacecraft for maximized efficiency. The latest edition has refined the rules, provided new variants and made the game as accessible and thrilling as possible.
Sold by Amazon
This competitive engine-building game sets itself apart with its unique content and beautiful illustrations. Players aim to expand and diversify wildlife habitat by placing various species of birds in them. Each bird allows for specific resources to be collected and adds extra bonuses as players seek to achieve the most points. Though on the lighter side, the game still requires proper planning and strategy for players to emerge victorious.
Sold by Amazon
Though one of the older games on this list, this popular card-acquiring adventure has spawned expansions and new creative ways to play. This medieval deck-building game starts simple enough, with a pool of resources for players to collect in order to expand their kingdoms. Play picks up speed as the game progresses, and a winner is typically produced in a half hour or less.
Sold by Amazon
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Anthony Marcusa writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
