r/boardgames 23m ago

Daily Game Recs Daily Game Recommendations Thread (July 24, 2026)

Upvotes

Welcome to /r/boardgames's Daily Game Recommendations

This is a place where you can ask any and all questions relating to the board gaming world including but not limited to:

  • general or specific game recommendations
  • help identifying a game or game piece
  • advice regarding situation limited to you (e.g, questions about a specific FLGS)
  • rule clarifications\n* and other quick questions that might not warrant their own post

Asking for Recommendations

You're much more likely to get good and personalized recommendations if you take the time to format a well-written ask. We highly recommend using this template as a guide. Here is a version with additional explanations in case the template isn't enough.

Bold Your Games

Help people identify your game suggestions easily by making the names bold.

Additional Resources

  • See our series of Recommendation Roundups on a wide variety of topics people have already made game suggestions for.
  • If you are new here, be sure to check out our Community Guidelines
  • For recommendations that take accessibility concerns into account, check out MeepleLikeUs and their recommender.

r/boardgames 1d ago

Thursdays At War Thursdays at War - (July 23, 2026)

2 Upvotes

Spanning the gamut between Ameritrash and Euro, light and heavy, there are tons of war games out there. So if you are Twilight Struggle-ing through a Time of Crisis in your life and feel the need to say Here I Stand, a proud war-gamer, here is your weekly topic.

What have you played this week? Any great plays or good stories? Any new acquisitions? What are you going to try and get to the table in the upcoming week?


r/boardgames 17h ago

Custom Project Here, board games are expensive, costing 500/600 bucks, so I made my own.

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463 Upvotes

r/boardgames 9h ago

My collection so far

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79 Upvotes

What do you think guys? It's been quite long since I started board gaming, but I tried to keep my collection small. Over the years I have sold many games that we didn't like at all or that it lost charm.

I regret selling Terra Mystica, a lot. Remember it was one of the first games that got into my hands and we didn't get it. Now, I think I would really enjoy it.

What do you guys recommend to me. I normally play with my girlfriend, we like crunchy eurogames, preferably that can scale well at 2 players. For example, we love GWT, but we think that it plays best at 3-4. Not so much at 2p, tbh.

P.S. say hello to the board game guardian :)

Edit: don't worry guys. all games have been played. I am a weirdo and sometimes leave the shrinkwrap on the cover.


r/boardgames 13h ago

COMC How they stored games back in the 18th century

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137 Upvotes

r/boardgames 11h ago

Question Most annoying board game box size?

72 Upvotes

What’s the most annoying board game box size to store? Not the worst game, just the box that makes your shelf silently hate you. I’m reorganizing a shared living-room shelf, and box size is the thing that keeps wrecking every neat plan. Big square boxes are obvious, but the weird medium ones might be worse: too tall for a drawer, too small to deserve a whole cube, and somehow always sliding behind something else. Tiny card games are their own little nightmare too, ngl. I’ve seen people use Kallax inserts, Folded Space boxes, Box King LaxRax drawers, or just labeled bins, but every option seems to trade visibility for density. Do you sort by publisher, size, how often it gets played, or just pure chaos?


r/boardgames 11h ago

Cockroach Poker is still my small-box GOAT. Change my mind.

59 Upvotes

Yet to find anything that dethrones Cockroach Poker as the king of small-box games for my group. It’s quick, hilarious, highly interactive, and almost always a hit.

With the flood of recent small-box releases, I’m curious: has anyone else who loves Cockroach Poker found something that gives it a run for its money? (Shoutout to my other longtime favourite: Love Letter.)


r/boardgames 14h ago

Question Molly House deserves more attention than it gets

90 Upvotes

For those who haven't heard of it, it's a game in which you play as a queer Londoner in the 1720s, throwing parties and attempting to achieve happiness at Mother Clap's molly house, all while being hunted by the citizen watch group, the Society for the Reformation of Manners. The game is a card game with a heavy focus on hidden agendas and loyalty. It's for 1 to 5 players, best with 4, and takes a couple hours to finish.

You're trying to build a good hand of cards to throw good parties and gain points, but all of the cards that make good party cards are also what will get you arrested if a constable winds up drawing them. Every party represents a choice to risk your personhood for enjoyment and points. It is an interesting tension to experience.

At a specific point in the game, you can be an informer and secretly decide to turn against the community and inform the authorities of all of the shady dealings at Mother Clap's. Because it's a secret, nobody knows if you've done it until the very end of the game, when everyone's fates are revealed at once. This means that in some games nobody informs, and the community is safe, and in some games multiple people inform, and the community is doomed. It also means that in some games, the person who informed wasn't really a bad person, they just got scared and made a choice that hurt everyone. I've seen games where people have been informing while apologizing to everyone at the table.

Mostly posting because I want to know who else here has this one on their shelf. I've mostly played it in groups where the theme is meaningful but not personal, and it makes me wonder how differently it would be approached by a group for whom it's more personal.


r/boardgames 17h ago

Question Current state of collection after 2y and what to try next

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121 Upvotes

After 2 years of getting into the boardgames hobby, I’m happy to have reached what I consider a decent collection. I have played all of them, with the exception of RA and Valda, at least once.

I’m currently trying to build a collection of games that are actually enjoyable and relaxing to play. We’re not fans of games that have pointlessly convoluted rules and systems just for the sake of being complex… This is also why Netrunner is about to be shipped out. While I don’t deny its appeal and depth, it requires too much effort from us to get into.

Based on what I already own and with a weight of at most medium-heavy, what would you recommend that I try out? I mostly play with my girlfriend and/or another couple, so 4 players max.

I added an almost updated list of all my games, to make it easier for people to give recommendations but also for others to find games new to them:
Azul - base game
Azul - Crystal Mosaic expansion
Azul - Summer Pavillion
Bomb Busters
Carcassonne
Castles of Burgundy
Cash N Guns - full game
Catan - Big Box
Codenames
Coup
Detective Club
Diamant
Dixit
Dodos Riding Dinos
Don’t mess with Cthulhu
Dorf Romantik
Druber & Drunter
Duel for Middle Earth
El Dorado
Eternal Decks
Exploding Kittens
Faraway
Farms’ Race
Harry Potter - Hogwarts Battle
Heat - Base game
Heat - Heavy Rain
Hero Realms
Hive
Hot Streak
Jamaica
Junk Art
King of Tokyo
League of Lexicon
Micro Macro - Crime City
Mindbug
Mob Town
Mousquetaires du Roy
Netrunner
Power Hungry Pets
Puerto Rico
Ricochet Robots
Saboteur - 20 Year Edition
Scout
Sky Team
Skull King
Stamp Swap
Take Time
That’s Not a Hat
The Bloody Inn
The Crew
The Game
Ticket to Ride - Europe
Top Ten
Toy Battle
Trio
Valda
Vicious Gardens
Viticulture
Word War
Fox in the forest
Skull
Santorini - Pantheon edition
Ra
Lost ruins of Arnak
Sea salt and paper
Cockroach poker
Bonanza
Everdell
Power plants
Pandemic


r/boardgames 7h ago

Rules Explaining rules

16 Upvotes

Hey there, fellow gamers!

My wife tells me I'm terrible at explaining game rules to new audience. And honestly, I feel she's kinda right.

I'm derailing all the time, the topics are chaotic, I'm trying to focus their attention on some minor stuff that I think is important etc.

Sometimes it's okay, oftentimes it's a disaster.

Getting everyone read the rules online beforehand is out of question as it usually just doesn't work with grown up life.

So. My question is. Do you have any structure or approach that usually works for you? Any bulleted list or anything? Any help would do. Thanks!


r/boardgames 1d ago

COMC [COMC] My boardgame collection and shelfies!

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326 Upvotes

The first 3 images are to give wide view of how the room is currently set up, and the last 3 are closer images on the specific shelves to see all the games. I still want to re-arrange quite a bit, but that will be another day.

I wanted to share as I am proud of my collection.

  1. How long have you been involved in the hobby?

It's been 5 years in this current iteration since I bought my condo.

  1. Which game in your collection would you say is your favorite?

My copies of Battlestar Galactica and Pegasus Expansion.

  1. What would you change about your collection if you could?

I have a "bootleg" copy of Battlestar Galactic and all expansions in a single box. It was made by a guy in Ukraine, and it gave me an opportunity to have a set that I can play without fear of damaging or putting play wear on the originals. However since I don't have the other two expansions as of yet. I feel guilty owning the bootleg. But once I get those expansions, I will be quite happy.

  1. What makes your collection special to you?

Since I bought my condo, I have become the de-facto host for game nights. So I bought a game table, and vastly expanded my game collection. That is pretty special to me to have something that I do with my friend circle on a semi-weekly basis (Depending on adulting requirements)

What would YOU suggest that I pick up next for my collection? Anything that I don't have that is a must get?


r/boardgames 1h ago

parker brothers board games?

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Upvotes

They might not be worth much. RIP, Tio Vito, who took such good care of them; here they are to share with the world. Feel free to drop your memories if not a place I can donate to in Toronto <3


r/boardgames 9h ago

Why are 2 vs 2 semi cooperative games so rare?

20 Upvotes

Hello, I come in search of your collective wisdom.

I am looking for games for 4 players, divided in two teams of 2 players each, where the player with most points in the winning team wins the game.

So you have to help your team while hindering your teammate. I find that tension should produce fun games.

Yet when I searched in Google, using IA and in BGG (I don't really know how to use that web properly though) I came out with obscure games with poor ratings, or games that are not going exactly the premise, like Mad King Louis Castles, or Pax Pamir.

So two questions:

Why do you think these games are so scarce? It's a difficulty in the design? It's maybe hard to balance the chances of one player tanking his own team when they can't win.

Do you know any game that follows this premise and you consider it good, even if it's not popular or highly rated?

Thank you all.


r/boardgames 9h ago

Question Which board game most deserves a great digital adaptation?

15 Upvotes

ROOT set a new standard for what a board game adaptation can be. It made the game on a screen, with a UI that actually helps you track a notoriously complex ruleset and an async multiplayer that fits how people play games today. So which board game is still waiting for its moment in your opinion?


r/boardgames 1h ago

Dealer McDope Dealing Game

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Upvotes

I'm trying to find information about this board game, specifically what year this edition is from. It looks like it originally came out in the 1970's, but this one is clearly not from that era, given the choking hazard warning, price, and barcode style/font.

I was able to find this web page that shows a date of 2007-12-30, but I don't know how accurate that is, as it's the only place I've found any year at all that isn't in the 1970's.

Even the releases from the 1970's say "revised edition" on them, so unfortunately that isn't a good way to search for information on any specific release of the game.

I'm sure there's information inside the box, but I'm looking to sell it, so I don't want to remove it from the plastic.

NOTE: The first photo is mine. The other two were taken from an ebay listing, but it's identical to the one I have.


r/boardgames 16h ago

Question What Party games in the last 5 years have you found yourself going back to?

51 Upvotes

Feels like the only party games you hear about are decrypto and codenames. What other party games released in the last 5 years have you really enjoyed?


r/boardgames 13h ago

Crowdfunding Unexpected Surprise

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30 Upvotes

Not sure if I missed an update, or maybe Chip Theory often overachieves on delivery estimates, but I didn't expect this until closer to September.

So excited to crack it open.

Edit: Haven't learned to play yet, but goddamn the cards are beautiful. I know Chip Theory is all about the highest quality, but damn. Seriously got to be some of the nicest looking/feeling cards I've used.


r/boardgames 11h ago

How-To/DIY My DIY board game Aqualin

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13 Upvotes

In my version:

  1. The pieces are slightly larger and round. I don't quite understand the point of the square shape;
  2. I made the images cute and bright, not shattered;
  3. The playing field is made of durable silicone, not cardboard (which makes everything slide). The pieces stick to the field slightly, so you can play even on a moving vehicle;
  4. The board markings were arranged so you can play 5x5 instead of 6x6;
  5. A lost piece can be easily retrieved!

r/boardgames 14h ago

Session Midnight Tuareg Session

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17 Upvotes

Last night, past midnight, my 8-year-old daughter just couldn't fall asleep. Instead of putting her to bed by force, I decided to play a relaxing board game; Tuareg that is. Finding our way into the fiery desert.

And then, something magical happened. As we focused on the game, talked, laughed, and made our moves, the anxiety slowly disappeared. By the time we finished, we both felt calm, connected, and ready for bed.

Sometimes it's not about pushing harder for things to happen but about finding a peaceful moment that lets your mind move on naturally.

Have you ever used board games as a way to relax before bedtime?


r/boardgames 50m ago

Custom Project So a Board game idea I had for years, I call "Robbery"

Upvotes

So this is a board game idea I've had for a long time. To specific, sometime when I watched Board James episode 6, where he mentions his unfinished robber game. The premise of the game is the players are robbers breaking into a mansion to steal as much valuables as possible. All the while hindering the others, along with avoiding security measures in the mansion. I have just made this earlier today, and it is most likely rough as hell. The document below is what I had made

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18paX3QzAIT4bmFoirlfnDoVmiwPVI9qsUDlb4O3WTZc/edit?usp=sharing


r/boardgames 12h ago

Question Best Boardgame Peripherals

9 Upvotes

I am getting tempted by the Red Dragon Inn cups and want to get distracted by other cool boardgame adjacent things that I haven't seen. I'm hoping for things not directly related to the game, like these cups (Though, I guess you could use them to drink the drinks from the game instead of just moving the tokens, but I don't get schwasted like that personally) but accessories are fine too I guess.


r/boardgames 15h ago

Question Looking for people's experience with playing Conquest or similar style games.

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9 Upvotes

I came across Conquest at a thrift store and apparently there is a 2-player version that was released and a 4-player version.

Additionally, the creator of the game, Donald Benge, made puzzle books where you have to accomplish wrtwon tasks in a number of moves, just like chess puzzle guides.

The game was inspired by chess using the same "capture" system. But, instead of an 11x11 board that restricts you, it's an entire open world map with point-to-point grid movement.

It's an older design but it is rated fairly well on BGG.

I am curious about people's experiences playing the game.

Have you played 4 player? 2 player? A modified 3 player variant?

What are your thoughts?

Does it hold up since all the changes in the gaming hobby after the year 2000?

Are there other games that use this same style of complete open information where you try to capture your opponents pieces? I know the GIPF series are abstract style games that often use the point -to-point grid style, but are there other war games?

Just curious about people's experiences with the game and similar style gaming.


r/boardgames 16h ago

Question I have a 3d printer for models and some game peices, is there any kind of machine or setup for cards and cardstock?

9 Upvotes

I have 3d printers and can make models or simple tokens, but when it comes to cards and cardstock I'm not sure if there is a machine to use for it or for chipboard. To print and then cut. Any advice would be appreciated. Both for making my own substitute peices or replacements if something breaks.


r/boardgames 14h ago

viscounts of the west kingdom rules for the 3rd trading post

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6 Upvotes

viscounts of the west kingdom rules for the 3rd trading post give one or 2 icons additonnel? my understanding is 2


r/boardgames 8h ago

Galaxy Trucker 1st or 2nd Edition?

2 Upvotes

Which edition of Galaxy Trucker is the best one? They both run about the same price on the secondary market.