No one will remember 2020 as a fun and exciting year. No one but nerds who love board games.
If there is one thing the geek community gained during the coronavirus lockdown, it must be the growing number of board games. This year, developers proved to be extremely creative because we witnessed hundreds of fresh releases that really grabbed our attention and made us play for hours every single day. But what are the most popular board games among nerds like us?
We know you can’t make up your mind alone because it’s simply impossible to test each option single-handedly, so we compiled a list of the 10 best board games that you are guaranteed to love. Here they are!
- Point Salad
We open the list with an easy 20-minute board game called Point Salad. The game is perfect for all sorts of players, including beginners – if there are any among geeks. Students also enjoy Point Salad due to its user-friendly design and simplicity. The game can take you in many directions without getting overly complicated, which is ideal for players looking for instant entertainment.
- Ticket to Ride
That’s right, you little nerd, Ticket to Ride is not only the Beatles song but also a very popular board game. The goal of the game is to build a railroad from one town to another, but the competition makes it difficult to get your hands on the most profitable routes.
- Battlestar Galactica
If you love the Battlestar Galactica series (who doesn’t?), you are definitely going to enjoy its board game version. Although a bit more complex, the game is great because it combines equal parts of cooperation and competition. The ancient struggle between humans and Cylons will keep you on the edge of your seat if you find a few friends who also love the series.
- 7 Wonders Duel
Perhaps it’s not the first thing most players would think of when saying “board games”, but 7 Wonders Duel is here for a reason. Apart from being a super-entertaining game, it is also the best option for nerdy couples who’d like to spend some time alone.
- Agricola
In case you are all into resource planning and sharing, then Agricola might be the right board game for you. Some players don’t like Agricola because it eliminates the luck factor from the game, but it doesn’t make it any less entertaining. It might take you a while to figure out the game to the fullest extent, but the fact remains that Agricola is super-exciting for far-sighted geeks with strategic planning abilities.
- Terra Mystica
If Agricola is not difficult enough for you, we suggest playing Terra Mystica. A lot of players consider it to be the best board game ever – and for good reasons. Terra Mystica encourages players to reconsider a plethora of details before making their moves, with each action having long-term consequences.
- Balderdash
Now here’s the board game every nerd on this planet must adore. Balderdash is a word game that forces participants to come up with mock explanations and definitions, which in turn leads to hilarious proposals and reactions.
- Wingspan
We added Wingspan to the list of the most popular board games for a highly specific reason – it is incredibly beautiful and well-designed. Although relatively simple, the game is able to win over every player thanks to its attractive artwork. With more games like Wingspan, we would expect to see the board game market size climbing well beyond $14 billion.
- Bang
The list of great board games would be incomplete without a good old shootout game like Bang. The idea is simple – up to seven players are gathered with one goal in mind and that is to kill each other (at least metaphorically).
- The Shipwreck Arcana
We end the list with The Shipwreck Arcana, a cooperative board game that makes players rely on deductive logic and reasoning skills to solve the mystery. However, don’t forget to leave enough time for The Shipwreck Arcana as it will take you a few hours.
The Bottom Line
COVID-19 did not bring much joy to the world, but at least it breathed new life into the board game market. In this post, we showed you the 10 most popular board games among nerds. Make sure to test each and write your impressions in the comments below – we would love to see what you think about our top picks!
