Hear us out: Board games no longer need to be relegated to lackluster rounds of Yahtzee or exhaustive bouts of Scrabble. These days, the available options are packed full of adult-friendly thrills — from outrageous meme-making card games to maniacal twists on old classics. Hanging with friends and fam has never felt more freeing than with a sassy round of Hot Ones or the Russian roulette-style Exploding Kittens. So instead of pulling out a dusty Boggle box from 1998 at your epic Airbnb, shake things up with one of the 13 hilarity-inducing games ahead.
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Concept
"A unique way to communicate without words."
The Objective: If charades became a board game...actually, it did, and it's this. To play, one player places hints (i.e., tokens that range from a dinosaur to Leonardo DiCaprio) on the board to describe a concept they're thinking of. Points go to the player with the correct guess.
Best For: Mimes, mind readers, and big, boisterous groups
Repos Production Concept Party Game, $, available at Amazon
Cultivate
"Choose your quirky cult leader. Plot your agenda. Grow your following. Reap the rewards."
The Objective: If you've ever wondered which of your friends would make the best cult leader, this award-winning game is your chance. It allows players to put their messianic complex to the test by creating a cult and competing for followers. Pull cards that say things like "Publish an opinion piece. Gain one academic follower" or "Lobby at the Capitol. Gain two political followers." The first player to fill their compound with disciples wins, provided they are not felled by their competitors' machinations first.
Best For: Strategists, schemers, and aspiring cult leaders
Pops & Bejou Games Cultivate, $, available at Amazon
Telepathy!
"A head-to-head challenge players love to play over and over."
The Objective: Players choose a Secret Square from the board without their opponent(s) seeing it. Then the other players use process of elimination to determine their opponent’s Secret Square. The first to guess correctly wins.
Best For: Anyone who loves logic, strategy, and deduction
Mighty Fun! Mighty Fun! Telepathy, $, available at Amazon
Wavelength
“One of the best party games we’ve ever played.”
The Objective: One player chooses a random spot on a spectrum (aka target). That player then gives everyone else a clue about where target lies by using two opposing concepts (hot and cold, wet and dry, etc.). Each team then decides where to place the dial — the closer you are to the target, the more points you earn.
Best For: Psychics! And big groups looking for a fun time
CMYK Wavelength, $, available at Amazon
Codenames
"The super top secret word game with a simple premise but challenging gameplay."
The Objective: Contact your team's agents only by their codenames before the other team does, all while avoiding the assassins. Spymasters are the only ones who know which cards are part of their teams, so they give their team members one-word clues that point to several codenames on the table. Then, the team members guess the correct cards before the other team figures them out.
Best For: Words-savvy families or roommates
Czech Games Codenames, $, available at Amazon
Exit: The Abandoned Cabin
"Can you solve the riddles to escape the cabin?"
The Objective: Solve puzzles and crack codes with the provided clues to escape from the abandoned cabin before your time runs out. A quick hands-on game that immerses you into a must-escape situation.
Best For: Those obsessed with escape rooms
Thames & Kosmos Exit: The Abandoned Cabin, $, available at Amazon
Hot Ones: Truth Or Dab
"Tell the truth, or suffer the spicy consequences."
The Objective: Answer deeply personal and possibly awkward questions in front of your loved ones or face the Last Dab, as seen in the viral YouTube series.
Best For: Hot sauce aficionados
HOT ONES Truth or Dab The Game, $, available at Amazon
Exploding Kittens
"A card game for people who are into kittens and explosions and laser beams and sometimes goats."
The Objective: This nutty version of Russian roulette is played by setting kitten-themed cards face down on a table for the group to take turns drawing. If a player draws an Exploding Kitten Card, that player is out of the game. The only way to avoid exploding? Drawing cards to strategically employ for distracting Exploding Kittens with tactics from laser pointers to kitten yoga, catnip sandwiches, and the like. Yeah, it's totally weird but so fun!
Best For: Self-proclaimed oddballs
Exploding Kittens Original Edition, $, available at Exploding Kittens
Monopoly: The Mandalorian
"The classic game with an intergalactic twist."
The Objective: Instead of collecting cash, players buy hideouts and try to rack up the most Imperial credits to win. But the most important objective? Protect the Child (aka Baby Yoda) — if the Imperial enemy gets him, the game is over.
Best For: The the Star Wars-obsessed
Monopoly The Mandalorian, Protect The Child ("Baby Yoda"), $, available at Walmart
Clue
"The classic mystery game: One murder…six suspects."
The Objective: Find out the who, what, where of Mr. Boddy's murder in Tudor Mansion. Guess the correct room, weapon, and suspect while hiding your deductions from the other players.
Best For: Competitive families and fans of whodunits
Hasbro Clue Game, $, available at Amazon
Scattergories
"A party game for fast thinkers."
The Objective: Players need to list the most unique or creative answers for each specific specific category (from places to political figures) before the timer runs out to beat the other players. There are 144 different categories and endless scoring opportunities.
Best For: Know-it-alls
Winning Moves Scattergories 30th Anniversary Edition, $, available at Amazon
Betrayal at House on the Hill
"Face your terror as it builds — tile by tile."
The Objective: Design your own haunted house, and make sure your character is the one to survive the home's frightening spirits and omens. Every game has a completely different setup, so you never play the same scenario twice.
Best For: Horror fans and people who adore Halloween
Avalon Hill Betrayal at House on the Hill, $, available at Walmart
The Hygge Game
"Cozy conversation in pleasant company."
The Objective: The 300+ thoughtful questions will most definitely start a conversation or two. Everyone's favorite cozy concept, hygge, is a Danish term for creating a sense of warm togetherness and enjoying the good things in life.
Best For: Cozy gamers
HYGGE GAMES The Hygge Game, $, available at Amazon
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