Many new tabletop games come out every year to varying degrees of success. Some games do very well in the hobby and with mainstream audiences while others remain niche titles with a small fanbase. Modern board games never reach the social status of the classics, such as Monopoly, but in a few cases, newer games can go on to sell millions.
Modern games tend to fly under the radar whether it be due to small print runs, lack of advertising, or the games being targeted towards hobbyists rather than a broader consumer base. Some games break the mold, however, and become classic in their own right.
10 Kingdomino Turns Dominoes On Its Head
Kingdomino is a family game that hit the ground running when it was first released in 2016. The game won the coveted German game of the year award, The Spiel Des Jahres, and sales immediately took off. Kingdomino has maintained its popularity by releasing a giant version of the game, spinoffs, sequels, and expansions. The game even had a Target exclusive version that was released. Families everywhere enjoy the bright colors, easy gameplay, and thoughtful choices in this adorable and welcoming game. Hobbyists and casual players hold the game in high regard; it is now considered a modern classic by many.
9 Wingspan Brought New Players Into The Hobby
Most games offer players familiar themes such as fantasy and sci-fi. Wingspan brought a fresh perspective to the hobby with a theme of birds and their habitat. The game was much more popular than ever expected and the publisher sold out of copies at an alarming rate.
Wingspan provides beautiful artwork and components, intriguing gameplay, and is designed by a woman — a rarity in the board gaming industry. The game has gone on to have numerous articles written about its success and has transcended the hobby in many ways.
8 King of Tokyo Lets Players Become Giant Monsters
King of Tokyo is a Yahtzee-style dice game where players take on the role of giant kaiju monsters as they roll dice to deal damage, gain points, and more. In the game, players can earn energy to spend on powerful cards, giving them a leg up over their opponents. King of Tokyo has been popular since it was first released in 2011. The game has received several awards and sold lots of copies. The inviting art style makes the theme come to life in this fun game designed by Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering.
7 Codenames Turns Players Into Secret Agents
Codenames is a party game that brings a modern twist to the table. In the game, a grid of word cards is placed onto the table and all of the players split into two competing teams. One player on each team provides clues to their teammates, attempting to get them to guess specific words in the grid. The game is a very tense experience as players try to guess correctly and avoid guessing their opponent's words. There is also always a single word that if any team guesses, they immediately lose the game, making players constantly second guess and triple guess themselves.
6 Catan Is Synonymous With Board Games
Catan was first released in Germany in 1995. The game steadily grew in popularity and it is now a household name that gets mentioned very often in the board game hobby. Catan has been referenced or played in TV shows, movies, and more.
Catan can be found in just about every store in the world that sells board games; it's become one of the best-selling games of all time. There are also several spinoffs and expansions available for fans that want to add something new to a game they know and love.
5 Dixit Brings Creativity To The Table
Dixit is similar to other party games at first glance. On each turn, the active player chooses a card from their hand and gives a clue. Then, all other players also choose a card from their hands that they feel matches the clue. The chosen cards are shuffled together and placed on the table for each player to pick which card they believe to be the active player's card. The game offers a unique way of scoring points where the active player's goal is to get some people to guess the card but not everyone, leading to some very funny and odd clues.
4 Azul Is Strategic & Beautiful
Azul is a stunning board game that offers players a good amount of strategy in a short amount of time. In the game, players attempt to build a beautiful tile wall by drafting gorgeous tiles from the center of the table. Many gamers feel that the game offers the perfect blend of strategy, fun, and components which has led it to become one of the most popular games in recent years. Azul has spawned three additional versions of the game, all of which have received excellent reviews from the tabletop game community.
3 Carcassonne Showed Players What Tile Laying Was All About
Carcassonne is regarded as one of the most welcoming games ever made. The game offers a simple idea where players draw a tile on their turn and play it to the table, connecting it to other tiles. The game does not stop there, however, as players can put miniature wooden people — called "meeples" — on the tiles. Essentially, gamers get to build the game board as they play the game on it. Carcassonne has sold millions of copies and has remained one of the evergreen titles in the board gaming hobby.
2 Pandemic Defined The Cooperative Game Genre
Many newcomers to the board gaming hobby are shocked to find out that some games are not competitive at all. Many board games let all of the players work together as a team to play against the game itself. Pandemic is the most popular game in the cooperative genre where players work together to treat viruses, discover cures, and save lives.
Pandemic's popularity has led to many expansions, spinoffs, and versions. The company behind Pandemic now has an entire series of games that make use of the Pandemic brand.
1 Ticket To Ride Showed Players The Joy Of Trains
Train games are very popular in the hobby. However, train games rarely ever crossover into the mainstream as they are usually complex, very strategic, and take a long time to play. Ticket To Ride shattered all of these notions when it was released as the game offered players a more inviting and palatable type of train game. In the game, players collect cards and spend them to place their trains on routes. The game provides a relaxing experience while also giving players the ability to cut off and outthink their opponents.