What to Know Before You Buy
Two signals matter more than anything else when you’re sorting through the flood of board games marketed at adults: user rankings on BoardGameGeek (BGG) and the Spiel des Jahres awards. BGG maintains a ranked database covering well over 100,000 games, rated on a 1-10 scale, plus a separate “hotness” list tracking what the hobbyist community is currently talking about. Spiel des Jahres has been awarded in Germany since 1978 to reward games with broad, mixed-age appeal, and since 2011 a companion award, Kennerspiel des Jahres, has recognized more complex, strategy-heavy titles.
These two systems don’t always agree, and that’s useful information in itself — a game can rank near the top of BGG without ever winning a mainstream award, and vice versa. The five games below were chosen because each has a documented track record: an award win, a sustained spot in hobbyist rankings, or both.
Five Adult Board Games With a Track Record
1. Catan. Designed by Klaus Teuber, first published in Germany in 1995 as “Die Siedler von Catan,” winning Spiel des Jahres that same year. The base game supports 3–4 players trading and building settlements across a modular island, with expansions like Seafarers and Cities & Knights extending the experience.
2. Ticket to Ride. Designed by Alan R. Moon, published by Days of Wonder in 2004, the same year it won Spiel des Jahres. Players collect matching train cards to claim railway routes toward secret destination tickets — fast, low rules-overhead, a good warm-up or main event for a casual night.
3. Codenames. Designed by Vlaada Chvátil, published by Czech Games Edition in 2015, winning Spiel des Jahres in 2016 and the Golden Geek Best Party Game award. Two teams compete as a “spymaster” gives one-word clues to identify agents among 25 word cards — flexible for larger, mixed gatherings since you just split the room in half.
4. Wingspan. Designed by Elizabeth Hargrave, published by Stonemaier Games in 2019, the year it won the Kennerspiel des Jahres. The game features over 170 unique bird cards, each carrying a real-world fact about that species, and asks players to build engines of birds across habitats to score points.
5. Terraforming Mars. Designed by Jacob Fryxelius, published by FryxGames in 2016, the year it won the Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game award. Players take on competing corporations raising Mars’s temperature, oxygen, and ocean coverage — a heavier, longer game built around card synergies and long-term planning.
How to Choose the Right Game for Your Group
- Match the award to the audience — a Spiel des Jahres winner was judged for broad appeal, while a Kennerspiel des Jahres winner signals more complexity.
- Check whether the game is a team format or a build-your-own-strategy format — Codenames scales easily to a crowded room, while Terraforming Mars and Catan work better with a fixed, committed group.
- Use BGG’s rankings as a depth-check, not a popularity contest — its Top 100 is topped by considerably heavier, more time-intensive titles than anything on this list.
- Watch the “hotness” list for what’s currently gaining traction — it tracks trending titles separately from the all-time rankings, useful for spotting newer releases early.
- Factor in table time honestly — a fast connector game fits into a normal evening, while a strategy game like Terraforming Mars is a commitment closer to a planned event.
FAQ
How is BoardGameGeek’s “hotness” list different from its all-time Top 100 ranking?
The Top 100 reflects accumulated user ratings over time, favoring games that have been out long enough to build a large rating base. The hotness list tracks what the community is actively discussing right now, making it a better place to spot new releases before they’ve had time to climb the all-time rankings.
Can a party game like Codenames still work well with a large group?
Yes — because it’s structured around two competing teams rather than a fixed individual player count, a large gathering can simply be split roughly in half, with one spymaster per side.
Is Terraforming Mars a good first strategy game for a group that’s never played anything heavier than Catan?
It can be, but expect a longer learning curve — it involves managing multiple resources and long-term strategies. Groups moving into this kind of game often have an easier time if at least one player reads the rules beforehand.
Leave a Reply