Tabletop games can often cost the same price or more than the newest triple-A video game. Some games even go well and above the standard and end up costing hundreds of dollars. However, other games attempt to do a lot with a little, making them much more affordable for gamers.
Cheap games are an excellent way for tabletop gaming newcomers to try games out and play them with friends. Some board game companies strive to make this one of their key goals as they know a financial barrier can turn some people away. Many games now bring a lot to the table without breaking the bank.
10 Timeline Is A Fast And Fun History Lesson
In Timeline, players are dealt four cards that have specific events on them. These events can be anything from something as inconsequential as when 50 Cent's Candy Shop was released to something as monumental as when electricity was first harnessed. Players place cards one by one in an attempt to form a timeline that has no mistakes. If a player makes a mistake, they are dealt a new card. The first player to place all of their cards correctly and get rid of their hand is the winner of the game.
9 Age Of War Brings Dice Into Feudal Japan
Age of War is a simple game where players attempt to conquer territories of feudal japan by rolling and re-rolling dice. Each territory has lines of different symbols that the player must roll to conquer the territory and claim it as their own.
Before rolling the dice, a player must choose which territory they are going to attempt to conquer and this can even be a territory owned by another player. However, conquering an opponent's territory is much harder. The game is fast, the rules are simple, and the quality compared to the price is quite good.
8 Kingdomino Reinvents Dominoes
Kingdomino is heavily based on the classic game Dominoes. In the game, players will use dominoes with different terrain types printed on them and attempt to arrange them into a beautiful kingdom that will score the most points. Kingdomino is considered a modern classic by many gamers today and the game has done so well that there even exists a sequel, spinoffs, and expansions. The game even got an exclusive version at Target. Kingdomino is a great example of how fantastic components can come in a very affordable package.
7 Cheating Moth Makes Slight Of Hand Part Of The Game
Cheating Moth is a game that should never be played with magicians. In the game, players are dealt cards that they must get rid of by playing them on the table in a way that is not dissimilar from the classic game Uno. However, in Cheating Moth, players are also allowed to get rid of cards in any way they wish. This can be anything from sneaking a card up a sleeve, to throwing a card across the room. Each round, one player at the table will be the guard bug and their goal is to keep an eye out for any cheaters.
6 Sushi Go! Party Is The Cutest Sushi You've Ever Seen
Sushi Go! Party is a very popular drafting game that many gamers consider to be a great game for everyone, even people that are new to the hobby.
Like many drafting games, players are dealt a hand of cards, and each round they choose one card to keep and then pass the rest of their hand to the next player. However, in Sushi Go! Party, the cards have adorable sushi on them. The game's popularity is not only due to its theme, it also has very clever card combinations and mechanisms that many players enjoy.
5 Star Wars: Jabba's Palace Brings Iconic Scenes To The Table
Star Wars: Jabba's Palace is a bluffing game for 2-6 players that is based on the smash-hit game series, Love Letter. In the game, each player has one card that is kept secret from all other players. Each turn, a player will draw a card and decide if they want to keep the card they drew or the one they had before. The card not kept is played to the table and usually has a very powerful and interesting ability. The longer the game goes on, the more tense and exciting the game can get, especially for Star Wars fans.
4 The Resistance Makes Players Lie To Each Other's Faces
The Resistance is one of the games responsible for the booming popularity of the "hidden role" genre in the board gaming hobby. In the game, most players are part of the noble resistance while a small number of players are part of the evil corporate spies, looking to dismantle the resistance's cause. The spies know who each other are but the resistance members can only trust themselves. The game quickly turns into finger-pointing, insane arguments, and a metagame that evolves more and more as the players get to know the game better.
3 Forbidden Island Lets Players Sink Or Swim
Forbidden Island has often been praised for its accessibility and inviting game design, especially if some of the players at the table have never played a cooperative game before. Cooperative games have all players at the table work together to try and defeat the game itself. Forbidden Island is one of the most easy-to-learn and most affordable cooperative games ever made and gamers everywhere have held the game in high regard since it was first released. Even with the game's inexpensive price tag, it still comes with beautiful components and great production quality.
2 Coup Is Bluffing Done Quick
Coup is a straightforward bluffing game that will have players second-guessing and triple-guessing each other in the first couple of minutes. In the game, each player is dealt two random cards that depict a character on them with a special ability.
On a player's turn, they announce one of the characters in their hand and perform the ability associated with that character. However, a player can claim to have any character they want and any other player can accuse them of lying. The game is tense and engaging from start to finish.
1 Trails Of Tucana Makes Every Player An Explorer
In Trails of Tucana, each player is given a pencil and a map that depicts an unexplored island with many different types of terrain on it. Each round, two terrain cards are flipped over and players must draw a line connecting those two types of terrain somewhere on their map. Even with all players using the same maps and cards, their choices differ quite quickly, leading to very different results between everyone at the table. The game also comes with advanced maps and rules to play the game as a solitaire experience.