The board gaming hobby is packed with complex, long, and expensive games that often require heaps of planning and strategic thinking with little margin for error. Not all games are like this, and some do strike a good balance. Because of the heavier nature of games outside ofMonopoly,Scrabble, and the like, it can be hard for newcomers to break in.
Furthermore, some players simply might not want to get into these more complex experiences. Instead, players may be looking for tabletop experiences that are designed with more thought and intent than games such asMonopoly. This list aims to provide a broad and varied selection of casual games that are easy to learn, replayable, and affordable.
10Ticket To Ride
This game about building railway routes has been a mainstayof the board gaming scenesince its release in 2004, primarily due to its strong core design and accessibility, making it a great game for families and newcomers to the hobby.Ticket To Rideis a casual game, and connecting the various cities via carefully planned routes is a satisfying and relaxing experience. Furthermore, the game is easy to teach and easy to learn, yet not so simple that it gets boring quickly, allowing for repeat plays.Ticket To Rideis also affordable, and can facilitate a good range of two to five players.
9Keyforge
For those that are interested in card games likeMagic: The Gatheringbut are turned off by the deck-building, the knowledge required, and the financial investment that is often needed to construct a competitive deck,Keyforgeis worth a look.
Keyforgeis the perfect game for casual players that want to dip their toes in competitive games, or just versus card games as a whole. InKeyforge, players purchase full decks that can’t be edited; each deck is completely randomized using an algorithm, meaning some decks will be better than others. Usually each deck has something good to offer. Because decks can be bought in one go, the price point is extremely low for a card game and highly accessible. However,Keyforgeisn’t for those looking for a lot of customization.
8Marvel Champions
This Marvel gamecan be thought of as a more accessible version ofArkham Horror: The Card Game, a co-operative “Living Card Game” in which players battle Lovecraftian horrors. InMarvel Champions, however, players take on the roles of various Marvel heroes, battling against notable villains and their less notable lackeys.
Marvel Championscan be played solo, or with up to four players, but it’s best with two. With more than two players, the game begins to slow down rather dramatically. UnlikeArkham Horror: The Card Game,Marvel Championsdoesn’t have players trudge through a campaign, instead opting for quick skirmishes that can be played in a single session, makingMarvel Championsa lot more accessible.
Furthermore, the game is arguably a lot easier thanArkham Horror, and its Marvel theme makes it a lot more accessible. However,Marvel Championsis also easily expandable, so there’s room for players to get a bit more serious about it should they want a deeper experience. Overall, even casual board gamers will have a good time withMarvel Champions, but it’s a lot more fun for fans of the Marvel franchise.
7Scout
This unique card game is a small and easy to learn experience with some interesting and quirky twists.Scoutis a game about playing hands (pairs, runs, etc.), but unlike most card games, players can’t rearrange their hand inScout.
This unique twist is the backbone ofScout’sgameplay, as players “scout” cards and play parts of their hand to try and manufacture the highest score they can. The game’s abstract graphics are also easy on the eyes and unlikely to turn away potential players. Furthermore, the game is very easy to learn, highly replayable, and works great with two to five players.
6No Thanks!
This simple card game is all about sayingNo Thanks. In a game ofNo Thanks, players take turns declining or accepting cards, with the twist being that every card is worth negative points. However, every time players sayNo Thanks, they have to put one of their limited point tokens on the card, every one of which is collected by whoever eventually takes the card.
What makesNo Thankseven more interesting is that players can build runs of cards to decrease the amount of points they lose, meaning that sometimes it might be the best move to take a high card. The best part aboutNo Thanksis just how easy it is to teach and play, making it a great game for most ages andgood fun for familiesand friend groups alike.
5The Crew
Card games are generally some of the most accessible games on the market, but trick-taking games have been around for years. They’re one of the oldest kinds of card game, and they’re extremely easy to learn.
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The Crewtakes this relatively stale mechanic of trick-taking and flips it on its head by making it a cooperative experience. Better yet, what if players couldn’t communicate? Players being unable to communicate about the cards in their hands makes winning the right tricks at the right time a difficult task.The Crewis a great game for groups looking for a simple and fun game that will last, as the game has 50 scenarios to play through.
4Spots
This affordable game from the makers ofMonikerscan be played with one to four players.Spotsis a push-your-luckgame about rolling diceand assigning them to any matching spots on various spotty dogs; different dogs have different amounts of spaces for different dice, with any dice the players can’t match going into their “yard”, too many dice in the yard, and players go bust.
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After players have filled all the spots on a dog, they can take their turn to score that dog, replacing it with a new one. The game may sound simple, but there’s a wonderful amount of strategy present in its design.Spotsis highly affordable, replayable, and extremely easy to learn. Furthermore, the dice-rolling, push-your-luck core of the game is great for casual gamers.
3Codenames
Codenamesis perhaps one of the most popular games on the tabletop scene, and has become an almost mainstream product due to its uniquely fun core concept and simple rules.
InCodenames, players split into two teams and assign one of their teammates to be the “Spymaster”. This player looks at the game’s grid of words and their own secret grid that tells them which of these words are worth points to their team, before giving their teammates a clue related to any number of words on the public grid. Players then guess which words they think their Spymaster is cluing them in on, potentially gaining points for either team if they guess right or wrong.
Codenamesis a fast-paced party-game that is near-infinitely replayable and provides a lot of fun for small and big groups alike. Furthermore,the game is extremely affordableand easy to learn.
2Azul
This quick and tactile tile-laying game for two to four players isa beautiful gamethat is joyful not just to play, but to interact with. The game sees players taking turns to draft a set of tiles before placing them on their individual game boards in order to create specific patterns for various points.
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Azulis an easy to learn, hard to master game that will look great on anyone’s shelf and is easy to get to the table. It’s a game that gets better the more familiar players become with it, but despite that it’s also easy to teach and fun to play intermittently.Azulis also highly affordable despite its luxurious production value, giving players a lot of value for money.
1Dixit
Arguably one of the most accessible games on the market, and one of the most eye-catching,Dixitis the perfect choice for those looking for a casual game to play with their friends and/or family.Dixitis a great casual experience primarily due to its plethora of beautifully strange card art that also acts as the main pillar of the game’s core mechanics, but it’s also very simple and easy to learn. Furthermore, the game keeps other players involved even when it’s not their turn.
InDixit, players take turns being the “Storyteller”, secretly taking a card from their hand and giving a clue to the other players related to that card. The other players then secretly give the Storyteller one of their own cards, trying to provide cards that are relevant to the clue. These cards are then shuffled and laid out for everyone to see, and players vote on the card they think was the Storyteller’s card.
There are some other rules relating to how players earn points, but that is the core loop ofDixit.What’s great about the game’s design is that it’s extremely replayable, accessible, and works great at different player counts. Furthermore,Dixitis a great gateway game into the board gaming hobby, and is easy to play for those who haven’t played many games before. On top of all this,Dixitis highly affordable.
