BEST DETECTIVE GAMES FOR ADULTS SERIES

At a basic level, this has more in common with charades than a quiz. And don't worry, knowing loads about cinema isn't a requirement. Fast-paced and straightforward, Blockbuster: The Game should be your go-to choice if you're hosting a get-together and need board games for adults. The store may be long dead, but this party favorite isn't going anywhere. The lack of direct competition and a focus on attracting beautiful wildlife turns it into a relaxing, zen-like experience that you'll enjoy regardless of whether you win or lose. That's why Wingspan is ideal as a chill-out game. A vivid wash of painterly color, it's downright stunning. You'll do this through clever engine-building mechanics that can be found in many of the top board games for adults dice are used to get food or eggs that attract birds, and these often feature abilities which let you amass even more resources and birds. Indeed, your aim is to attract the biggest variety to your preserve. That tells you more than enough about its quality.Īs you might have guessed from the name, this one puts birds front and center. Besides being the winner of the well-respected Spiel des Jahres award, it's popular enough that some cheeky retailers charged triple its list price when it went out of print a few years ago. Wingspan is a surprise favorite when it comes to adult board games.

BEST DETECTIVE GAMES FOR ADULTS SERIES

There's even a Pandemic: Legacy series where the consequences of your actions carry from one game to another, so this is a franchise with plenty to get your teeth into. You can increase the level of challenge through numerous expansions, for example, or pivot to the (excellent) Pandemic World of Warcraft spin-off if you'd prefer something fantasy-themed. There's scope to branch out once you've mastered the original version, too.

Do you focus on making a cure or should you keep those disease levels down? This white-knuckle decision-making is where Pandemic shines, and it's just one of the many crises you’ll need to overcome in what has become a king amongst board games for adults. This can result in a domino effect of disastrous, oh-God-someone-do-something proportions. New infections drop onto the board at the end of every turn, and if more than three gather in a single location, they’ll start spreading to neighboring cities. Because victory hinges on your team’s ability to communicate, prioritize threats, and stay cool under pressure, it's amongst the best cooperative board games ever made.īesides keeping illnesses under control, Pandemic challenges you to develop a cure for each one by collecting five cards of a certain color. Regardless of whether you're looking for Halloween board games or something spooky to spice up game night, this is a great choice.Įasy to get your head around but tricky to beat, the Pandemic board game pits you against an outbreak of coughs and sneezes (by which I mean 'horrendous disease') across the world. Despite having its share of issues, it's crammed with enough cool ideas to help smooth over any cracks (particularly if you grab the Widow's Walk expansion or the 'Legacy' edition that adds consequences to each game). That's why Betrayal at House on the Hill is so enduring. Or a giant bird could be about to carry the house away, forcing you to search for a parachute. Perhaps a teammate tries to sacrifice you. Maybe a monster wakes up in the basement, eager to feast on your flesh. Stumble upon enough and a mission will begin, turning the house (or your allies) against you. It's impossible to tell what's waiting on the other side of a door, too - you'll trigger random events and 'Omens' as you explore. Players lay down room tiles at random as they make their way through this haunted house, and that means the board is an unknown quantity each and every session. No matter what happens, Betrayal oozes tension. In fact, we still haven't seen everything after years of exploring those dusty halls. That makes it one of the most replayable board games for adults on this list.

There's no way to tell if you're the hero of this story or one of its victims, though thanks to 50 distinct scenarios, you never know what you'll face. Betrayal at House on the Hill lets you star in your own horror movie.

Best detective games for adults