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Board games have always been a fantastic way to spend time with friends and family. As we step into 2024, the board game renaissance continues to thrive, bringing new titles and innovative mechanics to the table.
Each of these games brings something unique to the mix, whether it’s deep strategic gameplay, cooperative challenges, or immersive storytelling.
Here are the ten best board games you should not miss this year.
Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies
A sequel to the beloved narrative-driven adventure, Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies takes players on an expansive journey across unknown skies in a steampunk airship. This cooperative game combines storytelling, exploration, and strategic combat.
Here, you must work together to navigate through a vast, branching storyline, making decisions that will affect your journey and ultimate success.
Fans of steampunk will know that the game is rich with lore without even playing. It has a detailed world full of mysterious islands, hidden treasures, and dangerous enemies and the game’s pieces and designs reflect that.
Dune: Imperium
Set in the strange universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune, Dune: Imperium blends deck-building and worker placement mechanics to create a deep experience that makes you feel like a power player in the Padishah Emperor’s universe. This particular game is based on the latest Dune adaptation.
Sure enough, players assume the roles of leaders competing for control over the desert planet Arrakis, where spice blows like fragrance in the wind. By gathering resources, forming alliances, and deploying agents, players can influence political, economic, and military spheres.
The dynamic game board and ever-changing strategies make each playthrough a unique challenge. Just try not to ally with whoever controls the Harkonnens, they’re backstabbers.
Lost Ruins of Arnak
Again we have another board game that combines deck-building and worker placement. Lost Ruins of Arnak transports players to an uncharted island filled with ancient mysteries. Each player leads an expedition aiming to discover lost artifacts and face mythical guardians.
The game is known for its tight and branching mechanics, offering multiple paths to victory. While balancing resource management, exploration, and research, players must also adapt their strategies to unearth the island’s secrets and earn the most points.
Frosthaven
The much-anticipated successor to Gloomhaven, Frosthaven is a fresh and icy setting with new characters, enemies, and mechanics. This cooperative campaign-driven game challenges players to survive and rebuild the struggling outpost of Frosthaven.
The board game has an innovatively dynamic world that changes based on player decisions, and the game provides an atmospheric and immersive experience– best played with the AC cranked to 17C. Crafting, building, and tactical combat are at the heart of this frigid adventure.
Heat: Pedal to the Metal
Rev your engines with Heat: Pedal to the Metal, a fast-paced racing game that captures the thrill of professional motorsport. Each player manages teams of drivers, cars, and equipment to dominate the racing circuit. It’s one of the best racing games you can play that doesn’t exactly involve actual speed.
The game instead features a clever movement system that simulates the speed and dynamics of real-life racing, along with strategic elements like pit stops and gear management. It’s a high-octane challenge that should appeal to both racing enthusiasts and strategic thinkers.
On Mars
Designed by the renowned board game rockstar creator, Vital Lacerda, On Mars is a complex and thematic strategy game about colonizing and developing the Red Planet. Players must manage resources, develop infrastructure, and work together while competing to contribute most effectively to the growing colony.
On Mars is celebrated for its depth, detailed mechanics, and beautiful design. There’s a challenging and rewarding experience for serious gamers here looking for gold on Mars, so to speak. You will need a rather large table for this as the board game can get pretty crowded and busy.
Kanban EV
Another masterpiece from, Vital Lacerda, Kanban EV focuses on the production of electric vehicles in a competitive factory setting. This one combines worker placement and resource management, challenging players to optimize their actions in an efficient and strategic manner.
As one of the factory workers, you must manage time and resources to improve the assembly line, design innovative electric cars, and impress the factory manager. Kanban EV is a game of efficiency, planning, and strategic thinking and something that will show you just how intense factory rivalry can be.
Sky Team
Sky Team takes players, well, to the skies in an exciting game of aerial strategy and teamwork. You and your friends will form a crew aboard a military aircraft, each with specific roles and responsibilities.
The game emphasizes cooperation, as the team must navigate through missions, manage crises, and ensure the safety and success of their operations. It comes with dynamic scenarios and a strong emphasis on role-playing (don’t forget to imitate Air Force lingo), Sky Team has nothing short of tense and rewarding gameplay.
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
A standalone, streamlined, and accessible entry into the Gloomhaven universe, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is perfect for newcomers and veterans alike. This cooperative campaign game delivers a rich narrative-driven adventure, with players taking on the roles of mercenaries in a dark and dangerous city.
It has simpler rules compared to its parent IP and comes with a focused storyline. Thus, Jaws of the Lion provides an excellent introduction to the tactical combat and strategic planning that define the Gloomhaven series.
Ark Nova
In Ark Nova, you plan and develop your own zoo with a blend of management and animal conservation. You just know that kids will love this one. Players will have to design enclosures, house animals, and support conservation projects.
Hence, the game stands out for its unique contemporary themes and mechanics, with a guaranteed fresh take on the strategy genre. While balancing ecological needs and visitor attractions, the players must make some tough decisions to build the most successful and sustainable zoo.
Great games!