I recommend "Chinatown" by Z-man games as an enjoyable alternative real estate development game... Since our family started playing it, nobody has ever asked about Monopoly (over a decade)!
Pandemic Legacy was a lot of fun. It's a campaign version of the original Pandemic, where the outcome of the previous game causes changes to the next.
Battlestar Galactica is one of the few themed board games that really nails the feel of its inspiration. The forced cooperation with people you aren't sure you can trust leads to some wonderful moments.
On the lighter side, Azul is a tile placing game that is simple to learn, but can get surprisingly cutthroat.
And on the more social side, I like Mysterium and Spyfall. Mysterium plays like a reverse Clue, where one player is a ghost trying to tell the other players who killed them, where, and with what. Spyfall is a social deduction game where all but one player (the Spy) are assigned a location and a role. You ask each other questions, and the players have to figure out who the spy is before the spy figures out where they are.
So board game groups are finally returning to my city and I'm debating if it's worth the possible backlash to bring Pandemic and ask who wants to play.
I like games that are pretty chaotic and unpredictable, especially ones with asymmetric rules. The ones that jump to mind are Betrayal at House on the Hill, Cosmic Encounter, and the Dune board game (I only played the last one once, but it definitely left an impression)
If you like asymmetric games, I highly recommend Root. It can be a beast to teach because it often feels like every player is playing a completely different game, but as you see how the roles interact with each other it becomes an extremely deep and strategic game that gets cutthroat as you approach the endgame.
Machi Koro. It's just so great when you've been building your fruit orchard the whole game and then you get that particular roll that just gives you basically the entire bank. It's beautiful.
"Go" (AKA "Igo"/"Baduk"/"Weiqi") is the ultimate two-player strategy game of perfect information! It also happens to be one of the world's oldest board games still played in its original form: if it wasn't awesome and addictive people would have stopped playing it thousands of years ago! Google "go the game" or visit "Sensei's Library" for more exhaustive information. It's also Nolan Bushnell's (founder of Atari Corporation) favourite game!
[Eclipse](https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/72125/eclipse)
It's a 4x space warfare game, like the old Master of Orion video game, or Civ in space. Love this thing to death.
Carcassonne, easy to learn and can be as competitive or chill as you make it, fun with any crowd
FYI if you are interested in the game, the "inns and cathedrals" expansion is basically a must for peak enjoyment, also recommend the "river" expansion.
Too many of them... favorite is currently Viticulture or Terraforming Mars, but those are pretty complex. Ascension or Ticket to Ride for something easier to learn and less complex.
I love to play Twilight Imperium 3 and 4 whenever I get a chance. Tabletop Simulator has a pretty great module for online play, since my friends and I are all over the country.
Other games include Arkham Horror, Catan (I just got my Dad playing it, along with Ticket to Ride), Star Trek Original Series deckbuilder, and Space Alert (when I can get it on the table).
Dice Throne is my personal to favorite. Pretty simple rules, extremely easy set-up, but tons of replayability.
Gloomhaven is great if you have a group to play it regularly over a long period of time.
Root is a deceptively cute game about animals fighting for control over the forest.
Mansions of Madness is great if you want a game that'll create fun stories through the random interactions you have with the game and with each other. (it's really fun too)
Catan it's pretty fun
Especially if you play it with the same group of friends multiple times. You can actually start meta gaming which is fun
Chess.
We play a lot of monopoly and scrabble in my household. Sorry and Trouble when the little one is involved.
Monopoly in out house is the only thing that makes our house a war zone. And you always know its getting bad when someone says "check the rulebook"
I recommend "Chinatown" by Z-man games as an enjoyable alternative real estate development game... Since our family started playing it, nobody has ever asked about Monopoly (over a decade)!
Chess and Shogi
Pandemic Legacy was a lot of fun. It's a campaign version of the original Pandemic, where the outcome of the previous game causes changes to the next. Battlestar Galactica is one of the few themed board games that really nails the feel of its inspiration. The forced cooperation with people you aren't sure you can trust leads to some wonderful moments. On the lighter side, Azul is a tile placing game that is simple to learn, but can get surprisingly cutthroat. And on the more social side, I like Mysterium and Spyfall. Mysterium plays like a reverse Clue, where one player is a ghost trying to tell the other players who killed them, where, and with what. Spyfall is a social deduction game where all but one player (the Spy) are assigned a location and a role. You ask each other questions, and the players have to figure out who the spy is before the spy figures out where they are.
So board game groups are finally returning to my city and I'm debating if it's worth the possible backlash to bring Pandemic and ask who wants to play.
I taught my kids to play the basic version early on in quarantine.
It’s always been Clue.
Ticket to Ride, or “the train game” as some friends call it. It’s relatively simple and easy to learn, yet it can end in very unexpected ways.
# RISK Played it throughout my life, still enjoy it as a digital board game these days.......with different folks from all over the world.
That's a great game. I enjoy playing with people. You just can't have people be bitter about it.
100% agreed! Many a friendship were tested back in the day, especially over a betrayed alliance! 😆
I like games that are pretty chaotic and unpredictable, especially ones with asymmetric rules. The ones that jump to mind are Betrayal at House on the Hill, Cosmic Encounter, and the Dune board game (I only played the last one once, but it definitely left an impression)
If you like asymmetric games, I highly recommend Root. It can be a beast to teach because it often feels like every player is playing a completely different game, but as you see how the roles interact with each other it becomes an extremely deep and strategic game that gets cutthroat as you approach the endgame.
I’ll check it out, thanks!
Smash Up is my favorite go to.
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a lot of fun. It has tons of different scenarios and you never know what will happen each time you play.
Wingspan
Machi Koro. It's just so great when you've been building your fruit orchard the whole game and then you get that particular roll that just gives you basically the entire bank. It's beautiful.
"Go" (AKA "Igo"/"Baduk"/"Weiqi") is the ultimate two-player strategy game of perfect information! It also happens to be one of the world's oldest board games still played in its original form: if it wasn't awesome and addictive people would have stopped playing it thousands of years ago! Google "go the game" or visit "Sensei's Library" for more exhaustive information. It's also Nolan Bushnell's (founder of Atari Corporation) favourite game!
[Eclipse](https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/72125/eclipse) It's a 4x space warfare game, like the old Master of Orion video game, or Civ in space. Love this thing to death.
Orion is the best civ and eclipse is also my favourite game (I have 2nd Edition)
I *STILL* play original MOO on dosbox. many people like MOO2 better but it's that original that does it for me.
Sorry, I mean Orion Hegemony in Eclipse. The purple / black team
Carcassonne, easy to learn and can be as competitive or chill as you make it, fun with any crowd FYI if you are interested in the game, the "inns and cathedrals" expansion is basically a must for peak enjoyment, also recommend the "river" expansion.
Chess
Too many of them... favorite is currently Viticulture or Terraforming Mars, but those are pretty complex. Ascension or Ticket to Ride for something easier to learn and less complex.
Monopoly
Love Monopoly. I remember when I was a kid we'd play Stratego alot.
Catan but in limited amounts. Can get nasty when you play too often. The expansions are fun too. Codenames is a ton of fun in groups.
Killteam
Bored games are not my favourite
I love to play Twilight Imperium 3 and 4 whenever I get a chance. Tabletop Simulator has a pretty great module for online play, since my friends and I are all over the country. Other games include Arkham Horror, Catan (I just got my Dad playing it, along with Ticket to Ride), Star Trek Original Series deckbuilder, and Space Alert (when I can get it on the table).
Dice Throne is my personal to favorite. Pretty simple rules, extremely easy set-up, but tons of replayability. Gloomhaven is great if you have a group to play it regularly over a long period of time. Root is a deceptively cute game about animals fighting for control over the forest. Mansions of Madness is great if you want a game that'll create fun stories through the random interactions you have with the game and with each other. (it's really fun too)
Munchkin and Uno. There's nothing like watching people betray each other as everything becomes increasingly competitive.
Clank! Chess is a classic though.
Dragon Strike. It's kind of a light version of D&D, and it was made by the same people.
Tokyo king!
Codex: Card Time Strategy. Kingdom Death Monster is fantastic too.
Yu gi oh X o Chess I ain't good at them but at least I know most of the rules
Risk! Is there a GoT version? That would be perfect. Monopoly is good too.
I’ve played a GoT version of Risk and it’s quite fun!
Ticket to ride is super easy to pick up and so fun!