Though board games often benefit from expansive designs, sizeable boards, and detailed physical components, storing such things requires significant space. Many board game fans dedicate an entire room or wall of their homes to storing their collection and still struggle to fit everything they want in their space.
Since they take up so much space, traveling with board games can be difficult. This is especially a problem for those who like to travel with their gaming groups, as much of the storage space on their trips would be dedicated to their games. However, smaller games fit big fun into a small box.
10 Lovecraft Letter Is A Different Take On A Small-Box Classic
Love Letter is widely beloved among board game enthusiasts for how it packs a significant punch into such a small package. However, for those gamers who tire of Love Letter's basic theming or have played it one too many times, there's Lovecraft Letter.
Instead of courtly intrigue, players take on investigations surrounding mysterious and sinister happenings related to the rise of elder evils. This reimagining takes the system of Love Letter and adds to it with sanity mechanics and lore from the world of H.P. Lovecraft.
9 Sushi Go! Is A Tried And True Standard
Another popular small-box game is Sushi Go!, a card game based on the concept of a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant. Each hand of cards gets passed around the table while the players claim a card from it that they think would best suit their strategy.
Different sushi or other dishes have specific rules and values, forcing players to base their strategy on what cards they think are available. The game comes in a hearty metal box that takes up about as much space as a small shoe or paperback book, making it an excellent choice for gamers on the go.
8 Sprawlopolis Is A City In A Box
Sprawlopolis is a tile-laying city-builder comprised of 18 cards that require players to collaborate. Each player strives to get the highest score possible by laying their own cards down, but to do so, they must work with the rest of the table to ensure that they meet the requirements set down by the city officials.
The scoring requirements change from game to game, providing Sprawlopolis with plenty of replayability. In addition, its compact size and differentiating card combinations make Sprawlopolis a perfect addition to any gamer's travel bag.
7 Age Of War Is Quick And Exciting
Players fight for the conquest of clans and their castles in Age of War. This title is a war game at its most compact, comprised of 14 cards and seven dice.
Each die has symbols representing the different portions of the player's attacking military, such as infantry, archery, and cavalry, which they can use to overcome the battle lines on each card. Age of War is themed after the legends of Japanese samurai and the battles they would have led and fought in.
6 Odin's Ravens Is A Mythological Race For Two
Though the box is somewhat larger, Odin's Ravens is still highly portable since it is roughly the same size as a hardcover book. This two-player game is about the raven messengers and watchers of the Norse god Odin and their races around the world collecting information for him.
Players use the cards from their hands to pass through each type of landscape on the cards laid out on the table. They can also use cards from Loki, the God of mischief, to change the field or get ahead of their opponent.
5 The Resistance Is Complex Social Deduction
Though most social deduction games are small and therefore portable, The Resistance offers gamers the most involved gameplay for the space it takes up. In addition, it improves upon the classic Mafia-style game with unique mechanics that provide the players with information about their fellows.
This system allows them to make better-informed decisions about who may have betrayed them. Operatives of the Resistance choose whether or not to assign secret plans to their fellows, and then those assigned decide privately whether to Support or Sabotage their mission.
4 Citadels Is A Competitive Adventure
Citadels combines city-building and role-taking games set in a medieval, fantasy world. Different buildings have different values and attributes, sometimes dependent on which role the player has undertaken for that turn.
Additionally, each role has a specific power, such as the assassin, who can take a player out for a turn, or the thief, who takes another player's gold as their own. Finally, at the end of the game, the players score up their buildings to see who had the most success in their construction ventures.
3 Murder Of Crows Is Spooky And Simple
In Murder of Crows, the first player to spell the word 'murder' wins the game. However, every letter card they play has the ability to change the game, and the others at the table will be working against them. For instance, the letter M cards allow players to steal from others' played cards, forcing them to rebuild their words.
Playing a letter R card enables them to draw an extra card. However, they can pay one of their cards to receive immunity from the effect of the card targeting them.
2 Hanabi Is Beautiful Cooperation
In Hanabi, players can only see the other people's cards at the table and hold their own, facing their teammates. As a result, Hanabi requires everyone present to work together to create the most beautiful fireworks display.
This communication game is complex and gorgeous, focusing on colorful displays and teamwork as gamers strive to avoid errors and complete patterns before running out of cards. For groups that prefer cooperative games over competitive ones, Hanabi is a choice addition to their travel-games lineup.
1 Traditional Card Games Are Always On The Table
While specific games with new rules and unique designs appeal to tabletop enthusiasts, nothing travels better than a classic deck of cards. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of games that can be played with a typical deck.
While some playing cards vary in size, the vast majority of them easily fit in a pants pocket. Any gamer likely has a deck of cards on their person regularly due to their innate portability, so travel is no problem for these versatile gaming tools.