Best board games for adults 2021: 32 fun party activities

After almost a year in quarantine, you’ve probably organized every inch of your home, used all of your cookbooks and maybe even found a new hobby or two. You’ve also probably gone through just about every puzzle, board game and deck of cards in your cabinet.

But if you’re sick of playing the same old games and want to find a new game to keep you and your loved ones entertained for hours on end, we’ve you covered.

Whether you’re looking for a long and high-strategy game like Catan or want something a little bit more laid back like What Do You Meme? or maybe even a fun drinking game like Buzzed, we have quite the list of ideas you’re bound to love. Only have one other person to play with? We’ve rounded up a handful of two-player games, you’ll love too!

To shop this article by category, simply click on each link below:

Best Strategy Board Games

1. Monopoly, $25

Everybody loves Monopoly! This is a modernized banking version of the Monopoly game in which the money is no more. It includes a “Ultimate Banking Unit” with touch technology where players can instantly buy properties, set rent and tap their way to fortune.

2. Catan, $44, original price: $55

While it may take a few minutes for you to understand all of the ins and outs of Catan, once it clicks, you won’t want to play anything else! The popular civilization-building board game includes harvesting, settling, trading resources and so much more.

3. Ticket To Ride, $44, original price: $55

If you have a few hours to burn, Ticket to Ride is the perfect game for you. It may take some time to get used to all of rules, but it’s totally worth it once you get the hang of it.

4. Scrabble Deluxe Edition, $43

Whether you’re a great speller or want to get better at it, Scrabble is an awesome word game that you can play with two to four people at any age. This deluxe set comes with a sleek folding carrying case with a handle and two slide-and-store trays for the game’s accessories.

5. Bananagrams Word Game, $15, original price: $17

Race against your friends and family to create crossword grids. This is the anagram game that will quite literally drive you bananas! It’s easy to play, a great game for on-the-go and awesome for all ages. If you have kids, it’s a great way to teach them how to spell, too.

6. Clue “Harry Potter” Edition, $40

If you love the “Harry Potter” films and books, then you’ll totally love this version of Clue. It puts a fun twist on the classic game and includes your favorite characters including Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and more. Plus, there are four wheels representing each of the four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

7. Pandemic, $35, original price: $45

This board game may hit a little too close to home, but we swear it’s really fun to play! Pandemic is a cooperative board game where players work as a team to treat infections around the world while gathering resources for cures. As skilled members of a disease-fighting team, you and the other players work together to keep the world safe from outbreaks and epidemics.

8. Azul, $39

Azul is a tile-placement game in which players compete for the highest score by claiming tiles and arranging them on their board to score points. You can get extra points when you collect sets of the same color of tile or for creating particular patterns, but there are also penalties for taking titles that you’re unable to use.

Best Fun Party Games

1. What Do You Meme?, $30

What Do You Meme? has just under 25,000 reviews on Amazon.com and is similar to Cards Against Humanity. But instead of matching funny statements or questions to an answer each round, each player chooses a photo card that one of their fellow competitors gave to match a caption card — in order to complete a meme. Whoever has the funniest pairing, wins that round!

2. Pass The Pigs: $15, original price: $18

Pass The Pigs is like a deluxe version of dice. You toss the pigs and you gain points (or negative points) depending on how they land. They come in a larger version and a tiny version to take while traveling as well.

3. Codenames, $12, original price: $20

Codenames has become a classic over the years, that is bound to get the party rolling! The social card game includes two rival “spymasters” who are aware of the secret identifies of 25 different topics and it’s their job to get their team members to guess the proper cards using just one word.

4. Jenga, $13

Jenga is a fun and easy building game that’s great for all ages! You simply pull out a block, place it on the top of the structure and pray the tower doesn’t fall!

5. For The Girls, $25

If you want to spice up your next Girl’s Night, consider this For The Girls card game. You start by having the person with the most Instagram followers roll the dice and whichever way the dice falls corresponds to the color deck they choose. From there the group members perform whatever action is on the card. Some cards include just one player or the whole group. Whoever has the most cards at the end, wins! This game includes mature content and is only intended for those who are 17+.

6. Party Bowl, $22

The Party Bowl game consists of three rounds and two teams. Each team uses prompt cards to come up with a bunch of words or phrases to throw in the bowl. Two teams then compete to out-guess each other in three increasingly high-pressure rounds of fun.

7. Joking Hazard, $25

Joking Hazard is definitely not kid-friendly, so make sure whoever you’re playing with is of appropriate age. In the card game, three or more players compete to create hilarious and horrible comics about friendship, fighting and more. The player with the most cards at the end wins the game!

8. Cards Against Humanity, $25

Cards Against Humanity is a classic that you’re probably already familiar with, but if not, here’s how you play: Each player gets seven cards and a rotating judge chooses one black card to read out loud and it’s everyone else’s job to hand off the most hilarious answer card for the judge to choose. The person who has collected the most black cards at the end of the game wins.

9. Do You Know Me?, $20

Do You Know Me? is a great game for a group of best friends to see how well you know each other! It tests your knowledge of all players and reveals things you never knew about each other so buckle up, it’s about to get personal!

10. Uno, $10

UNO is the classic family card game that’s easy to learn and so much fun to play. ​In a race to get rid of all of your cards, match one of your cards with the current card shown on top of the deck by either color or number. This UNO set comes with 112 cards and a sturdy tin that’s great for storage and travel.

11. Taboo, $20

Taboo has been a fan favorite for many years and we’re still not done obsessing over it. Players try to get their teammates to say the guess word on the card without using any of the Taboo words in the clues. If the describer slips and says a word listed in the clue words, they lose a turn. But the players who have their words guessed correctly keep their cards and the team with the most cards wins the game.

12. Scattergories, $21, original price: $24

Scattergories is the fast-thinking game of words and categories. Players roll the letter die, flip the sand timer and race against the clock to come up with answers to each category on the list. You earn points for writing down answers that no one else did and the more creative the answers, the more points scored!

13. Goat Yoga, $23

Goat Yoga is a hilarious game that is bound to make your group laugh and it gets you a bit active, too! Players perform real yoga poses while completing ridiculous challenges with an inflatable goat.

1. Beeropoly, $38

Spruce Beer Pong up a little bit with a combination of Monopoly. UncommonGood’s Beeropoly invites players to chug their way through a series of beer challenges — from a rhyming competition to demonstrating their best dance moves. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their bottle cap pieces around the handsome pine wood board. The last man or woman standing must drink the Community Cup. 

2. Drink-A-Palooza, $35, original price: $50

In Drink-A-Palooza, two teams of two spin the bottle and move clockwise to compete in beer-related games like Flip Cup, Kings Cup, Beer Pong and more.

3. These Cards Will Get You Drunk, $16

This fun drinking card game will have you and your friends LOL-ing in no time. Compete, vote and mess with your friends with more than 100 dynamic cards.

4. Buzzed, $20

Buzzed is another great drinking card game that’s sure to get your friends and family…hydrated! Each player takes turns drawing a card from the top of the deck. When it’s your turn, read the card out loud and either you or the group will drink based on the prompt on the card, depending on what it is.

5. Mini Beer Pong, $60

If you don’t want to deal with the mess and set up of actual Beer Pong, consider this mini set instead. It comes with tiny solo cups, fun launching catapults for the balls and a magnetic bottle cap in the center to keep the balls tethered in place. The wooden board is beautifully crafted and made with baltic birch wood.

1. Codenames Duet, $20

While you normally need at least four people to play the regular Codenames game, they now have a version meant for just two players, as well!

2. Sushi Go!, $8, original price: $15

Sushi Go! is a fast-playing card game where the goal is to grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they go by. You score points for making the most maki rolls or for collecting a full set of sashimi. When you dip your favorite nigiri in wasabi, you can triple its value. Gather the most points and become the sushi master! This game can be played with two to five people so it’s great for couples too.

3. Battleship, $15, original price: $17

If you only have one other person to play with, you can’t go wrong with a classic game of Battleship. In head-to-head battle, players search for the enemy’s fleet of ships and destroy them one by one.

4. The Ultimate Game for Couples, $25

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this would make for the perfect gift to give your partner. Play with just your partner or with other couples in two different gameplays. You can either park meaningful conversations and learn new things about your partner or team up together to compete against other couples to see who really knows each other best.

5. The Rivals For Catan, $20

The original Catan board game usually requires at least four players, but with The Rivals For Catan set, you can play with just one other person. Beware, you get a lot more playing time and the stakes are bound to be higher!

6. Patchwork, $35

In the game of Patchwork, players strategically collect different pieces of fabric to create a quilt. Those who cleverly selected the patch and skillfully combine it can win the victory with their patchwork blanket.

For more recommendations, check out: