Tabletop gaming has become increasingly more popular every year. With over 3,000 new board games released each year, the competition to rise to the top can get very tough. However, some games do break through the market and become a major success, beloved by many hardcore gamers and casual players in the hobby.

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The most popular website to talk about board games and rate them is Board Game Geek. It is to board games what IMDB is to the film industry. Board Game Geek lists every board game known at this time and ranks them based on user reviews and ratings they leave on the games.

10 War Of The Ring Is The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy

Armies set up in Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring board game

 

War of The Ring is a grandiose and involved game for two players. In the game, each player picks a side to play as. One player takes on the role of the free peoples while the other takes on the role of the shadows. The free peoples player controls The Fellowship, the Ring-Bearers, and all armies on the side of good. The shadow player controls Saruman, The Witch King, and all armies on the side of evil. War of the Ring has been immensely popular for years and it is now on its second edition.

9 Through The Ages Is A Civilization Card Game

Through The Ages Board Game Box Cover Art

Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization was released in 2015 and it is the latest version of the beloved game. In the game, players use cards to create their civilizations, moving through different eras of history in an ever-changing landscape.

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Through the Ages mainly uses cards but players soon feel as if they are truly controlling a living, breathing civilization of people and leaders. The game can take quite a bit of time to play through, but many gamers feel that the time investment is more than worth the experience they get from the game.

8 Star Wars: Rebellion Lets Players Shape The Story Their Way

Star Wars Rebellion Board Game Being Played

Star Wars: Rebellion is often touted as being "Star Wars in a box" with its inclusion of the entire original trilogy's story. In the game, one player controls the Rebellion while the other controls the Empire. The best part of the game is that it does not force players to stick to the script of the original trilogy. Instead, players make their own story in the Star Wars world. In one player's game, they may turn Luke evil, bringing him to work for the empire. While in another player's game they may be able to hide the rebel's base forever, making the Empire fail their goals.

7 Gaia Project Is Efficient Space Exploration

Gaia Project Board Game Technology Board Being Played On Table

In Gaia Project, each player chooses an alien race that has unique abilities, stats, and starting resources. Throughout the game, players attempt to upgrade their technologies, explore planets, set up federations, and much more. The game is quite complex for players that are not familiar with games of this type and it can be intimidating. However, many players have found that the different strategies and the re-playability of Gaia Project are extremely rewarding, making it one of the most beloved games amongst hobby gamers.

6 Twilight Imperium Is A Galactic Space Opera

Ships from multiple players massing in Twilight Imperium game

Twilight Imperium has been very popular since it was first released over twenty years ago. The game is currently in its fourth edition and its popularity has continued to grow. In the game, each player takes on the role of a unique alien race that has its own spaceships, technology, abilities, and more. Twilight Imperium is an all-day affair, taking usually about two hours per player. However, the length and price of the game have not shied too many players away as it has continued to sell very well and even has an expansion available.

5 Gloomhaven: Jaws Of The Lion Makes A Complex Game Easy To Understand

Gloomhaven Jaws Of The Lion Board Game Components In The Box

Gloomhaven is an enormously popular board game that has been winning awards ever since it was first released in 2017. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion was released in 2020 to introduce the game to players who weren't willing to spend over one hundred dollars and hundreds of hours on a board game.

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The game succeeded at its goal as it was highly regarded as having one of the best tutorials in a board game ever made. The game was even released to broad audiences in Target stores.

4 Terraforming Mars Brings The Not-Too-Distant Future To The Table

Pieces from several players on areas in Terraforming Mars board game

In Terraforming Mars, each player takes on the role of a corporation in their attempt to terraform and exploit Mars for political and economical gain. The game has been revered for having wildly different strategic options, an impressive amount of unique cards and combos, and for allowing players choices to greatly determine the outcome of the game. The game is very fresh with each play as the way one player won the game last time may not be the winning strategy next time. The game's popularity has also led to many expansions and spinoffs.

3 Brass: Birmingham Is An Engaging Economical Machine

Brass Birmingham Board Game Components Being Played On Table

In Brass: Birmingham, players need to set themselves up for success by performing a series of actions, discarding and playing the right cards, and utilizing resources to the best of their abilities. Brass: Birmingham is a very striking game with beautifully dark graphic design and style. It also has gorgeous components and pieces throughout the entire game. Some players feel the play style of the game is difficult to get right but the majority of gamers enjoy its brain-burning nature and find it extremely rewarding to play.

2 Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 Defined A Genre

 Box art for the Pandemic Legacy Board Game.

Pandemic Legacy is a series of games based on the hit modern classic, Pandemic. In Pandemic Legacy, players start out playing a normal game of Pandemic but the more they play, the more the game changes. These changes are never reset, they are permanent evolutions of the game that introduce new mechanisms and ideas.

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The game can only be played through one time unless players wish to buy another copy of the game to play again. Throughout the whole experience, Pandemic Legacy exceeds players' expectations of what a board game could or should be.

1 Gloomhaven Remains The Champion

Player characters in combat in Gloomhaven fantasy board game.

Gloomhaven has been number one on Board Game Geek for the past few years and, while some games come close, it does not seem like another game is going to knock it off that pedestal any time soon. However, many gamers feel that spot is well deserved. The game introduced something commonplace in the hobby now but was completely different at the time. Instead of selling a base game and tons of expansions, Gloomhaven simply came with everything and the kitchen sink. It is an expensive and involved experience but it could not be more worth the effort.

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