Best adult board games for a fun night in
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As a kid I spent many hours with my family around the kitchen table as we battled it out in classic games like Monopoly, Trouble and Snakes and Ladders. Now as an adult I still find myself reaching for board games during get-togethers with friends, only the games have become more complex (but are still just as much fun).
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I'm not the only one turning to board games for entertainment, either. The board game industry is experiencing strong growth, with sales projected to reach upwards of $248M ($177.5M USD) in Canada in 2025. And with so many options for a range of different interests and skill levels, it's easier than ever to find a new favourite game to play.
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Whether you're looking for something to liven up a party or a two-player game that won't take up too much time, I've gathered a selection of crowd-pleasers to get you started. I've played all of the options below, and recommend them all for some good old-fashioned fun on your next game night.
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Summary of the best board games for adults
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Party game: Hues and Cues
Best for larger groups: Codenames
City building: Machi Koro
Portable game: Bananagrams
Drawing game: Telestrations
Bluffing game: Skull
Strategy game: Catan
Canadian classic: Crokinole
Digital games: Jackbox Games
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How to play: This deceptively simple guessing game is great for people just getting into board games, as it takes minutes to learn and provides endless entertainment. Players describe a colour to their opponents using only one or two-word cues, and the closer you guess to the exact hue on the board, the more points you receive. Coming up with descriptors for the colours is an exercise in creativity as well as communication, and may just result in some heated (but friendly) debates.
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How to play: Best for larger groups, Codenames splits players into two teams as they compete to see who can correctly identify the assassin in their midst. Each team designates a spymaster who knows the secret identities of 25 agents (A.K.A. the cards on the board). Their teammates know the agents only by their code names — single-word labels like 'disease,' 'Germany' or 'carrot'. Spymasters give clues to their teammates to search out their secret agents, without revealing the assassin's identity.
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