The entry-level and best archetype of board games to join the hobby — leaving out mainstream, beloved but antediluvian, and outdated titles like Monopoly, Clue, Risk, and so on — is represented by party games. The rules are usually extremely simple, the approach is fresh and immediate, the objective is to offer fast and fun, and they're games that generally involve a large group of players, sometimes divided into different teams.
Creativity, imagination, and a lot of verbal interaction between players are the foundation of such titles. This list tries to include the best mechanics available in this macro-genre such as deduction, faction-based gameplay, and inventive mechanics, all supported by catchy artworks and materials.
10 Dungeon Fighter
Dungeon Fighter opens this collection of fancy and funny games. In this crazy title, you and your friends will take on the role of dungeon delvers who will have to fight cleverly designed challenges that will test your skill in real life.
Every room of the dungeon and monster you will face, through some freaked-out ideas, will let you roll slightly rounded dice in spectacular ways. You will use your weak hand, or maybe you will put the dice on your nose, throw it after doing a pirouette, or perform a spectacular three-pointer to hit the target placed on the table.
9 Werewolf
Werewolf is one of the most famous and longest-running board games that led to many versions and spin-offs, even in the form of PC, console, and mobile games, and gave players countless hours of fun.
Regardless of the setting or the variants featuring several extra features, Werewolf and its clones share some iconic common denominators. A group of players divided into opposing factions, guided by a moderator, journey through rounds of two phases. Discussions, party submissions, bluff, the close-the-eyes signature phrase, and picking-your-target moment will give you hilarious and grotesque moments you will not forget.
8 Secret Hitler
Secret Hitler is a social deduction game set in the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic and based on secret identities where bluffing skills are vital. Thanks to its strong theme and art style, Secret Hitler managed to kick out from this list other worthy classics like The Resistance and Avalon.
Also available in the print and play format, which is a great thing for improvised game nights or players on a tight budget, Secret Hitler will let you play as liberal or fascist in an immersive, fast, and full-of-tension game experience.
7 Feed The Kraken
Feed The Kraken is not the umpteenth role deduction game. Bluff and deduction are still the fundamentals of the title, though the charming factions, atmosphere, setting, and material combine to offer a pricey deluxe take on the genre.
Whether you are a loyal sailor that tries to lead the ship to safety, a devious and ruthless pirate that is trying to sail it into the Bermuda triangle, or a crazy cultist that is willing to summon the Kraken, you will embark on a great journey.
6 Wavelength
Wavelength is an empathy-driven game created by the authors of The Mind and some of the designers of Monikers — another intriguing take on a classic title. Wavelength is a fascinating title where you should harmonize your thoughts with your friends'.
Suited for big groups of creatives and people with strong imaginations, you must tune into the same wavelength and suggest through clues where to set a cursor on a charming wheel. Wavelength is a thrilling nomen-omen situation adapted into a board game.
5 Dixit: Odyssey
Dixit is a game where a picture is worth a thousand words. Dixit is the game where, by turn, you will take on the role of a dreamy storyteller and let everyone else embark on a fabulous journey of guesswork and creative thinking.
This title is a timeless classic, and after winning the Spiel des Jahres award in 2010, it has received lots of brilliant and charming expansions. Dixit is a title that can suit any audience and boasts one of the most fascinating and appreciated artistic sectors of the board games world.
4 Camel Up
Camel Up is the funniest race-themed board game available on the market and can bewitch players of all ages. In this game, you’ll have to bet on crazy and colorful camel-like meeples that will run across the board around a pyramid, jump on each other, and even run in the opposite direction.
Camel Up is a game that will keep you in suspense all session long, and even the last meters of the race offer a fun and thrilling uncertainty where any camel could be the winner.
3 Just One
Just One is probably the most immediate party game you will ever play. This game may not have the depth of the two titles that lead this list, and it might not have the quality of materials and the art of the others that precede it, but it boasts a state-of--the-art balance in play time and complexity.
It is a 'give clue and get clue' game where all you have to do is not be too obvious, since all identical clues are invalidated. Just that simple thing makes Just One a gem in game design.
2 Decrypto
Decrypto is an astounding game of disturbed communications where you walk on the fine line between clarity and allusion. By turn, you must let your team understand a series of digits codified through some words and clues, and at the same time, you will have to bait your opponents into guessing the wrong code.
The retro feel of the screen where you tuck the cards is charming, and the possibility of swapping roles from turn to turn adds great value that not only enhances variety but also gives you the opportunity to play the role that fits you the best.
1 Codenames
Vlaada Chvátil is one of the most influential designers of the board game world and managed to craft a gem that is addicting and will test your lexicon and logical skills while challenging your chemistry, synergy, and common viewpoints. Codenames will make your brain cells go up in cozy flames while you try to connect the words for your team without including the ones of your opponents.
Giving clues to your teammates or guessing the words is great fun and could end in a hilarious wild flight of imagination or a stroke of genius that is celebrated with thunderous applause.