15 Board Games Guaranteed To Shake Up Your Next Game Night
Because there's only so many times you can play Cards Against Humanity.
1. That Was Awkward — A comfort zone-destroying party game for brave souls.
Promising review: "It's definitely for the over-18 crowd, but that's why my group and I loved it! A couple of people "blushed" at first, but after everyone let down their guard, WE HAD A BALL! It's creative, original, and really fun! Give it a try... you won't be disappointed!" —JP
Players: 3+
2. Loaded Questions — A perfect ice-breaker for any social gathering.
Promising review: "I have yet to meet a single person who doesn't love this game. I've played it countless times, to where I've used up the game pads it comes with in less than a year. The best part is that the level of appropriateness depends on who you're playing with. When I play with friends, the answers are highly inappropriate and hilarious, and when I play with more conservative family members, the answers are different, but still just as funny." —Dan
Players: 4-6
3. 5 Second Rule — A really simple game that is much harder than you think.
Promising review: "Fun, fast game for those who dislike games that drag on forever. Questions vary in difficulty, so it's not too hard and not too easy. Five seconds go by fast when one is in the hot seat. Even my husband, who hates games, will play this one because it moves quickly." —Sonnettina
Players: 3+
Get it from Amazon for $16.96.
4. Joking Hazard — Build inappropriate comic strips with consenting, foul-minded adults.
Promising review: "This is the perfect irreverent party game. It doesn't rely on pop culture references to be funny. And the fact that you use a combination of three cards (instead of the two used in many competing products) ensures that the combinations of cards are basically limitless. This game is brilliant now and it will still be brilliant in 50 years." —Boxman
Players: 3+
Get it from Amazon for $25.
5. Mafia the Party Game — A classic party game, perfect for a large group.
6. Funemployed — The weirdest and most enjoyable job interviews you'll ever participate in.
7. Dohdles! — Ridiculous riddles made out of clay.
Promising review: "This is a great game. You basically create some things out of clay and try to guess what the other players made. You try not to make the creation either too hard or too easy. Game is lots of fun and makes for lots of laughs. Really fun group game." —James A. Nichols
Players: 3-6
Get it from Amazon for $27.19.
8. We Didn't Playtest This At All — An insanely absurd game that simply cannot be explained in one sentence.
Promising review: "We only stopped playing when we started falling over from fatigue. This game is addicting, stupid, and humiliating in the oddest ways and guaranteed to make you question your political views. I have to go, we are going to start playing again...." —Jeff B. Erwin
Players: 2-15
Get it from Amazon for $11.50.
9. Dutch Blitz — Basically, competitive solitaire on speed.
Promising review: "I'm at school. We always want a game that does not involve too much strategy. A game that is fast paced. A game that can be played with roommates or groups of many people. A game that is never the same experience twice, whenever it is played. Dutch Blitz is that game." —GPM
Players: 2-4
Get it from Amazon for $10.31.
10. Pandemic — A cooperative board game where you work together to try to save humanity from a deadly outbreak.
Promising review: "There went that Sunday. I even stopped watching football, BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE DYING IN ISTANBUL OR CONSTANTINOPLE. We played several games. We lost our first few, then kept winning. Our kids were annoying us with petty stuff like, "Daddy, I'm hungry" and "Mommy, my toe fell off" but sometimes you just have to tell your kids that now isn't a good time, because Daddy is building a research center and then has to fly to meet Mommy in Milan, and there is leftover ham in the refrigerator." —Patrick
Players: 2-4
Get it from Amazon for $31.99.
11. Dixit — A beautifully illustrated game of creative thinking and bluffing.
Promising review: "This game is a lot of fun and accessible for non-native English speakers. The art is fantastic. It's whimsical and imaginative, and sometimes I have trouble not exclaiming "that's so cute!" when I see new cards pop up for judging." —Nicole B
Players: 3-6
Get it from Amazon for $27.99.
12. Conspiracy Theory — A hilarious trivia game that tests your knowledge of insane conspiracy theories.
13. Machi Koro — A quick, lighthearted strategy game for anyone who's over Monopoly.
Promising review: "Monopoly + Sim City = Machi Koro. If you enjoy either of the two games that I have just mentioned, you will become incredibly, severely addicted to this game. Beware — main problem is finding more and more people to challenge me MWUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Seriously, buy this." —Jenner
Players: 2-4
Get it from Amazon for $18.99.
14. Quelf — An unpredictable game that's all about following directions and getting silly.
Promising review: "Here's a game everyone wants to play, even if they're not into games. Nothing boring here, everyone joins in, and a little adult libation doesn't hurt, although it's by no means necessary." —Irina Lives
Players: 3-6
15. Ladies and Gentlemen — Role-playing and strategy for a raucous night of laughs.
Promising review: "Compliment your friends on how thrifty they are with such meager earnings. Or how you are so surprised at how they adequately turned their dress from ugly to slightly above average with the addition of a few cheap baubles. Ask them what their secret is to get the most out of such drab cloth, and discreetly hint at how marvelous it make your much finer clothes look.
Seriously, you need to be as politely insulting during the entire game as possible. It's great fun." —Elvis
Players: 4-10
Note: Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.