Gather friends for strategic challenges and social interaction.
Reviewed May 18, 2026
Social
Small group
Where
At home
Competitive
Collaborative
Depth
Quick-rewarding
Sessions
1–3 hr sessions
Physical
Sedentary
Learning
Easy to start
Starter cost
~$93 to start
Portable
Getting into games
Play 5 different modern board games
Modern games from Catan, Ticket to Ride, or Pandemic are a world away from classic family games.
Visit a board game café
Playing games with strangers in a café is the fastest way to discover new titles and learn rules from experienced players.
Browse BoardGameGeek for recommendations
BGG's "best games" lists filtered by player count and weight (complexity) are the best discovery tool available.
Serious player
Complete a campaign game from start to finish
Gloomhaven, Pandemic Legacy, or similar; a campaign game rewards memory and long-term decision making.
Win a competitive event or tournament
Club or convention tournaments expose you to optimised play; seeing how good players think changes your own game.
Take a beginner Board Games course
A structured course is the fastest way past the awkward beginner stage. Browse highly-rated board games classes for beginners.
Take the free quiz to rank the full catalog by your time, motivation, and setup — about five minutes.
From the blog
5 stages · 17 milestones
Tick off milestones as you go — from first session to confident practitioner. Progress saves to your account so you can pick up where you left off.
Play 5 different modern board games
Modern games from Catan, Ticket to Ride, or Pandemic are a world away from classic family games.
Visit a board game café
Playing games with strangers in a café is the fastest way to discover new titles and learn rules from experienced players.
Find a board game caféBrowse BoardGameGeek for recommendations
BGG's "best games" lists filtered by player count and weight (complexity) are the best discovery tool available.
Join a local games club
Weekly games nights at a club give access to hundreds of titles without buying them.
Join r/boardgames~$93
Core gear to get going. Estimates from curated picks; actual spend varies.
+~$35
Nice-to-have upgrades once you know you are sticking with it.
Links open Amazon with your affiliate tag. Prices are ballpark catalog values.
Shop starter kits on Amazon
