How to play any board game

A plain-English overview of what to expect at the table for every one of our 408 games — the weight, the player count, the flow, and the kinds of decisions you'll make.

We don't reproduce copyrighted rulebooks. Each entry links out to the publisher's official rules and a video tutorial so you can learn the real thing.

A

A Feast for Odin 1–4 players · ~30 min
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition) 3–6 players · ~120 min
Acquire 2–6 players · ~90 min
Advanced Squad Leader 2 players · ~120 min
Aeon's End 1–4 players · ~60 min
Age of Innovation 1–5 players · ~40 min
Age of Steam 1–6 players · ~120 min
Agricola 1–5 players · ~30 min
Alchemists 2–4 players · ~120 min
Alhambra 2–6 players · ~45 min
Amun-Re 3–5 players · ~90 min
Anachrony 1–4 players · ~30 min
Android: Netrunner 2 players · ~45 min
Andromeda's Edge 2–4 players · ~80 min
Apiary 1–5 players · ~60 min
Apples to Apples 4–10 players · ~20 min
Architects of the West Kingdom 1–5 players · ~60 min
Arcs 2–4 players · ~60 min
Ark Nova 1–4 players · ~90 min
Arkham Horror: The Card Game 1–2 players · ~60 min
Axis & Allies 2–5 players · ~180 min
Azul 2–4 players · ~30 min

B

Backgammon 2 players · —
BANG! 4–7 players · ~20 min
Barrage 1–4 players · ~90 min
Battleship 2 players · ~30 min
Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game 3–6 players · ~120 min
Betrayal at House on the Hill 3–6 players · ~60 min
Beyond the Sun 2–4 players · ~60 min
Blokus 2–4 players · ~30 min
Blood on the Clocktower 6–21 players · ~30 min
Blood Rage 2–4 players · ~60 min
Bohnanza 2–7 players · ~45 min
Bomb Busters 2–5 players · ~30 min
Brass: Birmingham 2–4 players · ~60 min
Brass: Lancashire 2–4 players · ~60 min
Bunny Kingdom Town 2 players · ~30 min
Burgle Bros. 1–4 players · ~45 min

C

Calico 1–4 players · ~30 min
Camel Up 2–8 players · ~20 min
Can't Stop 2–4 players · ~30 min
Candy Land 2–4 players · ~30 min
Captain Flip 2–5 players · ~20 min
Captain Sonar 2–8 players · ~45 min
Carcassonne 2–5 players · ~30 min
Cards Against Humanity 4–30 players · ~30 min
Carnegie 1–4 players · ~90 min
Cartographers 1–100 players · ~30 min
Cascadia 1–4 players · ~30 min
Castle Combo 2–5 players · ~10 min
Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition 2–5 players · ~20 min
Catan 3–4 players · ~60 min
Catan: Seafarers 3–4 players · ~90 min
Cathedral 2 players · ~20 min
Caverna: The Cave Farmers 1–7 players · ~30 min
Caylus 2–5 players · ~60 min
Challengers! 1–8 players · ~45 min
Champions of Midgard 2–4 players · ~60 min
Chaos in the Old World 3–4 players · ~60 min
Checkers (Draughts) 2 players · —
Chess 2 players · —
Chivalry 1–4 players · ~45 min
Chutes and Ladders 2–6 players · ~30 min
Civolution 1–4 players · ~90 min
Clank! In! Space!: A Deck-Building Adventure 2–4 players · ~45 min
Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated 2–4 players · ~90 min
Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure 2–4 players · ~30 min
Clank!: Catacombs 2–4 players · ~45 min
Clans of Caledonia 1–4 players · ~30 min
Clue 2–6 players · ~45 min
Codenames 2–8 players · ~15 min
Coloretto 2–5 players · ~30 min
Combat Commander: Europe 2 players · ~60 min
Concordia 2–5 players · ~100 min
Concordia Venus 2–6 players · ~60 min
Connect Four 2 players · ~10 min
Container 3–5 players · ~45 min
Cosmic Encounter 3–5 players · ~60 min
Coup 2–6 players · ~15 min
Crokinole 2–4 players · ~30 min
Cthulhu: Death May Die 1–5 players · ~90 min
Cyclades 2–5 players · ~60 min

D

Darwin's Journey 1–4 players · ~60 min
Daybreak 1–4 players · ~60 min
Deckers 1–4 players · ~60 min
Decrypto 3–8 players · ~15 min
Deep Regrets 1–5 players · ~30 min
Defenders of Hogwarts 2–5 players · ~90 min
Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) 1–5 players · ~120 min
Descent: Legends of the Dark 1–4 players · ~120 min
Diables 1–4 players · ~45 min
Diamant 3–8 players · ~20 min
Diplomacy 2–7 players · ~360 min
Dixit 3–6 players · ~30 min
dnup 2–5 players · ~15 min
Dominant Species 2–6 players · ~120 min
Dominion 2–4 players · ~30 min
Dominoes 2–4 players · —
Dorfromantik: The Board Game 1–6 players · ~30 min
Drillers 1–4 players · ~30 min
Duel of Meloch 1–2 players · ~45 min
Dune: Imperium 1–4 players · ~60 min
Dune: Imperium – Uprising 1–6 players · ~60 min
Dwellings of Eldervale 1–5 players · ~60 min

E

Earth 1–5 players · ~45 min
Eclipse: New Dawn for the Galaxy 2–6 players · ~60 min
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy 2–6 players · ~60 min
El Grande 2–5 players · ~60 min
Eldritch Horror 1–8 players · ~120 min
Empire Builder 2–6 players · ~180 min
Endeavor: Deep Sea 1–4 players · ~60 min
Entropy 1–4 players · ~90 min
Eternal Decks 1–4 players · ~30 min
Everdell 1–4 players · ~40 min
Exploding Kittens 2–5 players · ~15 min

F

Faraway 2–6 players · ~15 min
Fields of Arle 1–2 players · ~60 min
Final Girl 1 players · ~20 min
First Rat 1–5 players · ~30 min
Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala 2–4 players · ~40 min
Flip 7 3–18 players · ~20 min
FlipToons: Season 2 1–4 players · ~15 min
Food Chain Magnate 2–5 players · ~120 min
For Sale 3–6 players · ~30 min
Forbidden Desert 2–5 players · ~45 min
Forbidden Island 2–4 players · ~30 min
Forbidden Stars 2–4 players · ~120 min
Forest Shuffle 2–5 players · ~40 min
Frosthaven 1–4 players · ~90 min
Fury of Dracula (Third/Fourth Edition) 2–5 players · ~120 min

G

Gaia Project 1–4 players · ~60 min
Galactic Cruise 1–4 players · ~90 min
Galaxy Trucker 2–4 players · ~60 min
Galileo Project 2–4 players · ~40 min
Game of the Goose 2–4 players · —
Glass Road 1–4 players · ~20 min
Gloomhaven 1–4 players · ~60 min
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion 1–4 players · ~30 min
Go 2 players · —
Grand Austria Hotel 2–4 players · ~60 min
Great Western Trail 2–4 players · ~75 min

H

Hadrian's Wall 1–6 players · ~30 min
Hallertau 1–4 players · ~50 min
Hanabi 2–5 players · ~25 min
Hansa Teutonica 2–5 players · ~45 min
Harmonies 1–4 players · ~30 min
Heat: Pedal to the Metal 1–6 players · ~30 min
Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory 2–4 players · ~90 min
Here I Stand 2–6 players · ~180 min
HeroQuest 2–5 players · ~90 min
Hive 2 players · ~20 min
Hnefatafl (Tafl) 2 players · —
Hot Streak 2–8 players · ~20 min
Hounds and Jackals (58 Holes) 2 players · —

I

Ingenious 1–4 players · ~30 min
Inis 2–4 players · ~60 min
ISS Vanguard 1–4 players · ~90 min
Istanbul 2–5 players · ~40 min
It's a Wonderful World 1–5 players · ~45 min

J

Jaipur 2 players · ~30 min
Jamaica 2–6 players · ~30 min
John Company: Second Edition 1–6 players · ~90 min
Joraku 3–4 players · ~30 min
Just One 3–7 players · ~20 min

K

Kanban EV 1–4 players · ~60 min
Kemet 2–5 players · ~90 min
Keyflower 2–6 players · ~90 min
King of Tokyo 2–6 players · ~30 min
Kingdom Come: Deliverance – The Board Game 1–4 players · ~120 min
Kingdom Death: Monster 1–4 players · ~60 min
Kingdomino 2–4 players · ~15 min

L

Lacrimosa 1–4 players · ~90 min
Lacuna 2 players · ~10 min
Lands of Evershade 1–5 players · ~90 min
Le Havre 1–5 players · ~30 min
Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game 1–5 players · ~30 min
Lewis & Clark: The Expedition 1–5 players · ~120 min
Lisboa 1–4 players · ~60 min
Liubo 2 players · —
Living Forest 1–4 players · ~40 min
Lords of Waterdeep 2–5 players · ~60 min
Lorenzo il Magnifico 2–4 players · ~60 min
Lost Cities 2 players · ~30 min
Lost Ruins of Arnak 1–4 players · ~30 min
Love Letter 2–4 players · ~20 min
Ludus Latrunculorum 2 players · —

M

Mage Knight Board Game 1–4 players · ~60 min
Magic: The Gathering 2–6 players · ~20 min
Magical Athlete 2–6 players · ~30 min
Mahjong 3–4 players · —
Mancala (Kalah) 2 players · —
Mansions of Madness: Second Edition 1–5 players · ~120 min
Maracaibo 1–4 players · ~30 min
Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan 2–4 players · ~60 min
Mare Nostrum: Empires 3–5 players · ~90 min
Marvel Champions: The Card Game 1–4 players · ~45 min
Massive Darkness 1–6 players · ~120 min
Mastermind 2 players · ~20 min
Mechs vs. Minions 2–4 players · ~60 min
Mehen — players · —
Memoir '44 2–4 players · ~30 min
Modern Art 3–5 players · ~45 min
Mombasa 2–4 players · ~75 min
Monopoly 2–8 players · ~60 min
Moon Colony Bloodbath 1–5 players · ~45 min
Morels 2 players · ~30 min
Mouse Trap 2–4 players · ~30 min
Moytura 1–2 players · ~45 min
My City 2–4 players · ~30 min
Mysterium 2–7 players · ~42 min

N

Nemesis 1–5 players · ~90 min
Nemesis: Retaliation 1–5 players · ~120 min
Niagara 3–5 players · ~30 min
Nidavellir 2–5 players · ~45 min
Nine Men's Morris 2 players · —
Nippon: Zaibatsu 1–4 players · ~60 min
No Thanks! 3–7 players · ~20 min
Nucleum 1–4 players · ~60 min

O

Oath 1–6 players · ~45 min
Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood 1–4 players · ~30 min
Obsession 1–4 players · ~30 min
On Mars 1–4 players · ~90 min
Operation 1–6 players · ~10 min
Ora et Labora 1–4 players · ~60 min
Orléans 2–5 players · ~90 min
Othello (Reversi) 2 players · —

P

Pachisi 2–4 players · —
Paladins of the West Kingdom 1–4 players · ~90 min
Pandemic 2–4 players · ~45 min
Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 2–4 players · ~45 min
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 2–4 players · ~60 min
Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 2–4 players · ~60 min
Pandemic: The Cure 2–5 players · ~30 min
Parcheesi 2–4 players · —
PARKS 1–5 players · ~30 min
Patchwork 2 players · ~15 min
Patolli 2 players · —
Pax Pamir: Second Edition 1–5 players · ~45 min
Pente 2–4 players · ~20 min
Phase 10 2–6 players · ~45 min
Photosynthesis 2–4 players · ~30 min
Pictionary 3–16 players · ~60 min
Planet Unknown 1–6 players · ~60 min
Politik 2–6 players · ~60 min
Power Grid 2–6 players · ~120 min
Praga Caput Regni 1–4 players · ~45 min
Puerto Rico 3–5 players · ~90 min

Q

Quacks 2–4 players · ~45 min
Quickdraw: Battle for Silver City 2 players · ~5 min

R

Ra 2–5 players · ~45 min
Race for the Galaxy 2–4 players · ~30 min
Raiders of the North Sea 2–4 players · ~60 min
Rajas of the Ganges 2–4 players · ~45 min
Res Arcana 2–4 players · ~30 min
Revenant 1–4 players · ~90 min
Revive 1–4 players · ~90 min
Rising Sun 3–5 players · ~90 min
Risk 2–6 players · ~120 min
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island 1–4 players · ~60 min
RoboRally 2–8 players · ~45 min
Roll for the Galaxy 2–5 players · ~45 min
Roll Player 1–4 players · ~60 min
Rolling Deep 1 players · ~45 min
Root 2–4 players · ~60 min
Royal Game of Ur 2 players · —
Rummikub 2–4 players · ~60 min
Russian Railroads 2–4 players · ~120 min

S

Saboteur 3–10 players · ~30 min
Saint Petersburg 2–4 players · ~45 min
San Juan (Second Edition) 2–4 players · ~45 min
Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa 1–4 players · ~150 min
Santorini 2–4 players · ~20 min
Schadenfreude 3–5 players · ~15 min
SCOUT 2–5 players · ~20 min
Scrabble 2–4 players · ~90 min
Scythe 1–5 players · ~115 min
Sea Salt & Paper 2–4 players · ~30 min
Senet 2 players · —
Sequence 2–12 players · ~10 min
SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 1–4 players · ~40 min
Shards of Creation 2–4 players · ~30 min
Sheriff of Nottingham 3–5 players · ~60 min
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders & Other Cases 1–8 players · ~60 min
Shogi (Japanese Chess) 2 players · —
SHUG 1–6 players · ~30 min
Sidereal Confluence 4–9 players · ~120 min
Skip-Bo 2–6 players · ~30 min
Skull 3–6 players · ~15 min
Sky Team 2 players · ~20 min
Slay the Spire: The Board Game 1–4 players · ~30 min
Sleeping Gods 1–4 players · ~60 min
Small World 2–5 players · ~40 min
Snakes and Ladders 2–4 players · —
Sorry! 2–4 players · ~30 min
Spirit Island 1–4 players · ~90 min
Splendor 2–4 players · ~30 min
Splendor Duel 2 players · ~30 min
Squad Leader 2 players · ~60 min
Star Realms 2 players · ~20 min
Star Wars: Imperial Assault 2–5 players · ~60 min
Star Wars: Outer Rim 1–4 players · ~120 min
Star Wars: Rebellion 2–4 players · ~180 min
Steam 3–6 players · ~90 min
Stone Age 2–4 players · ~60 min
Stratego 2 players · ~45 min
Superstore 3000 2–4 players · ~30 min
Survivalist 2–6 players · ~40 min
Survive: Escape from Atlantis! 2–4 players · ~45 min
Sushi Go! 2–5 players · ~15 min
Sword & Sorcery: Immortal Souls 1–5 players · ~60 min

T

Tablut 2 players · —
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon 1–4 players · ~60 min
Take 5 2–10 players · ~45 min
Tap 4 2–8 players · ~15 min
Tapestry 1–5 players · ~90 min
Targi 2 players · ~60 min
Telestrations 4–8 players · ~30 min
Teotihuacan: City of Gods 1–4 players · ~90 min
Terra Mystica 2–5 players · ~60 min
Terraforming Mars 1–5 players · ~120 min
Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition 1–4 players · ~45 min
The 7th Continent 1–4 players · ~5 min
The Campaign for North Africa: The Desert War 1940-43 8–10 players · ~60000 min
The Castles of Burgundy 2–4 players · ~30 min
The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition 1–4 players · ~70 min
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea 2–5 players · ~20 min
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine 2–5 players · ~20 min
The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era 1–4 players · ~120 min
The Gallerist 1–4 players · ~60 min
The Game of Life 2–6 players · ~60 min
The Glorious Guilds of Buttonville 2–4 players · ~30 min
The Isle of Cats 1–4 players · ~60 min
The King's Dilemma 3–5 players · ~45 min
The Landlord's Game 2–4 players · —
The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth 2 players · ~30 min
The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship 1–5 players · ~60 min
The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth 1–5 players · ~60 min
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game 1–2 players · ~30 min
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Trick-Taking Game 1–4 players · ~20 min
The Mansion of Happiness 2–4 players · —
The Mind 2–4 players · ~20 min
The Old King's Crown 1–4 players · ~60 min
The Old Prince 1871 3–4 players · ~120 min
The Pillars of the Earth 2–4 players · ~90 min
The Quest for El Dorado 2–4 players · ~30 min
The Resistance 5–10 players · ~30 min
The Resistance: Avalon 5–10 players · ~30 min
The Search for Planet X 1–4 players · ~60 min
The Voyages of Marco Polo 2–4 players · ~40 min
The White Castle 1–4 players · ~80 min
This War of Mine: The Board Game 1–6 players · ~45 min
Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 2–4 players · ~120 min
Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization 2–4 players · ~120 min
Thurn and Taxis 2–4 players · ~60 min
Tic-Tac-Toe 2 players · ~1 min
Ticket to Ride 2–5 players · ~30 min
Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West 2–5 players · ~20 min
Ticket to Ride: Europe 2–5 players · ~30 min
Tigris & Euphrates 2–4 players · ~60 min
Tokaido 1–5 players · ~45 min
Too Many Bones 1–4 players · ~60 min
Toy Battle 2 players · ~15 min
Trajan 2–4 players · ~60 min
Trickerion: Legends of Illusion 2–4 players · ~60 min
Trivial Pursuit: Genus Edition 2–24 players · ~90 min
Trouble 2–4 players · ~30 min
Troyes 1–4 players · ~90 min
Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition 3–6 players · ~240 min
Twilight Imperium: Third Edition 3–6 players · ~180 min
Twilight Struggle 2 players · ~120 min
Tyrants of the Underdark 2–4 players · ~60 min
Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 2–4 players · ~90 min

U

Undaunted: Normandy 2 players · ~45 min
Underwater Cities 1–4 players · ~80 min
Unmatched: Cobble & Fog 2–4 players · ~20 min
UNO 2–10 players · ~30 min

V

Vantage 1–6 players · ~120 min
Verdant 1–5 players · ~45 min
Vineyard: A Winemaking Game 1–4 players · ~60 min
Viscounts of the West Kingdom 1–4 players · ~60 min
Viticulture Essential Edition 1–6 players · ~45 min
Voidfall 1–4 players · ~90 min

W

War Chest 2–4 players · ~30 min
War of the Ring: Second Edition 2–4 players · ~150 min
War Story: Occupied France 1–6 players · ~45 min
Watergate 2 players · ~30 min
Welcome To... 1–100 players · ~25 min
Werewolf 8–24 players · ~60 min
Wingspan 1–5 players · ~40 min
Wingspan Pocket 1–5 players · ~25 min
Wingspan: European Expansion 1–5 players · ~40 min
Wits & Wagers 3–7 players · ~25 min
Wonderland's War 2–5 players · ~45 min
Wondrous Creatures 1–4 players · ~40 min
World Order 2–4 players · ~120 min
Wyrmspan 1–5 players · ~90 min

X

Xia: Legends of a Drift System 3–5 players · ~60 min
Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) 2 players · —

Y

Yahtzee 2–10 players · ~30 min
Yokohama 2–4 players · ~90 min
Yonder 1–4 players · ~60 min

Z

Zombicide 1–6 players · ~60 min
Zooloretto 2–5 players · ~45 min

#

1830: Railways & Robber Barons 2–7 players · ~180 min
1846: The Race for the Midwest 3–5 players · ~120 min
18ZOO 2–5 players · ~90 min
7 Wonders 2–7 players · ~30 min
7 Wonders Duel 2 players · ~30 min