Whether you’re hosting an event with friends or family, board games have more than likely made an appearance. This ranking is designed to help you pick the best-fitting board game to help you navigate through an awkward dinner party or even a family gathering!
To ensure total fairness throughout the ranking I will assess each game based on the factors of set-up time, immersion (the overall enjoyability), length (how long a game lasts and if it’s worth it), complexity (if it is easy to learn and play), strategy (if it is purely a skill-based game or luck) and its price (if it is affordable). Each factor will be worth two points, meaning the maximum score that a game can receive is twelve.
- Operation- 7/12
For a battery-operated device with an estimated set-up time of two minutes and a retail price of $19.99, Operation is an enjoyable game that you can play with up to a recommended amount of 4 players. A typical game can last 10-20 minutes and is fairly easy to learn and understand. However, it is a very tedious game that requires fine motor skills that may not be compatible for younger or more elderly players. Initially, it is easy to engage with, but that is soon overshadowed by the boredom of repetition. I’d recommend playing it at least once, but for $19.99, once isn’t worth it.
- Monopoly- 8/12
For an estimated price of $20+, Monopoly can be played with two and up to six players. An estimated game is between 120-160 minutes. It is fairly easy to learn; however, unless you are willing or able to give a significant amount of time to play, it’s not worth opening. Once you start playing it is easy to get engaged, but as the game goes on several players begin losing interest.
- Jenga- 10/12
Jenga takes two minutes to set up and usually lasts 5-15 minutes. You can play by yourself or with friends. It is easy to be immersed in and requires a good amount of skill and critical thinking. It’s very easy to learn and good for beginners. The only downside I can think of is how loud it is along with how repetitive it can get, making it boring after a while.
- Sorry!- 11/12
It takes 1-5 minutes to set up Sorry! and takes about 30 to play a full game. You can only play with four players. However, you can get around this by making teams. It is very simple to understand and play and does not require a lot of skill. The game costs about $10 and is fairly fun to play, but like the rest can get boring after a while.
- Uno- 12/12
Uno only costs $6, being the cheapest of this ranking. It only takes 5-10 minutes to play and requires at least two people to play. Out of the rest of the games listed, it is the most engaging and has a good balance of skill and luck. It takes less than a minute to set up and can last the whole night.