4 Fun and Unique Board Games for Your Next Party

BY Jeffrey December 22, 2021

Parties are the perfect time to gather together with friends and family, grab a fun boardgame, and absolutely wreck the competition er…laugh around the table as you all enjoy each other’s company. Boardgames have been around for thousands of years, appealing to both competitive and relaxed minds alike. We may have refined the pieces and beautified the product over time, but the fun we have is always dependable. 

We’re sure you’re familiar with the Monopolies, Unos, Apples to Apples, and more, so we tried to find some games that might not have graced your gaming table. Don’t worry! They’re still fun (and you might like them more) than the games you’re used to. Here’s a list of 4 great boardgames to bring out this year at your next big get together.

For the Casual Player – Tokaido

Do you enjoy scenic walks? What about relaxing dips in hot springs? Delicious food and plenty of shopping? Tokaido has it all. As a “Traveler,” each player takes turns making their way across the East Sea Road, a real life (and utterly gorgeous) tourist destination in Japan.

During your journey you’ll have the opportunity to meet new people, stop in sushi houses, buy souvenirs, and more. Players take turns by choosing destinations on the road and performing a number of actions (eating, resting, painting, etc). There are no dice in Tokaido and players instead choose where they want to stop. The twist here is the player in last always goes first. So you can go slowly, always staying in last to get more turns, or you can jump ahead to secure the best locations and actions.

Either way, however you choose to play Tokaido is sure to be a blissful and peaceful experience. 

For the Strategist – Scythe

Take one part Risk and two parts Settlers of Catan, add a dash of Steampunk and you’ve got yourself one of the best, most dynamic strategy games to hit gaming tables in recent history. In Scythe, players take control of one of 5 (7 with expansions) unique factions as they fight to cultivate farms, mine for resources, and build their empire. 

Throughout the game, players can choose to fight with their neighbors, befriend (or befuddle) local towns and villagers, gain rapport with their followers, and even meet Mr. Nikola Tesla for a shot at game changing powers and upgrades.

Players will need to plan their turns carefully as each action has a lasting effect on the game. Do you bring your forces against the other players? Do you become the most popular leader in the game? Or do you build the most productive faction on the board? With so many ways to win, Scythe neither limits nor sidelines players who like to think outside of the box. 

For the Art Lover – Sagrada

In Sagrada, players take on the role of artists building stained glass windows for the Sagrada Familia chapel in Spain. This chapel is known for its gorgeous windows full of bright and beautiful colors. Sagrada mimics this theme perfectly by making each piece feel uniquely pretty.

Each player receives a window with a 5×5 grid of open spaces. Each space is shows a number, color, or is left blank. To fill this spaces, players pull from a bag of colorful dice and place them on their window, matching colors and numbers as their template dictates.

The challenge here is dice can never share sides with the same number or color of another dice. Each game starts simply, but as you proceed to build out your window, each move can make your next more difficult. Place your dice carefully to complete your stained glass masterpiece and win the game.

For the Ghost Hunter – Betrayal at House on the Hill

Betrayal at House on the Hill (Betrayal) takes the cooperative genre and throws it headfirst into procedurally generated horror story adventure. You and up to three other friends recently heard about the mystery and wonder of an old haunted house. Naturally, you set out to explore it and discover what’s to haunted about it. This is always a bad idea and it won’t be long until you find out why.

In Betrayal, each turn begins by flipping over a room tile and placing it on the board. Tiles are connected and as the game proceeds, players discover more of the house. This essentially means no two games are alike, since each house is different every time you play. In each room players can find treasure, curses, or even monsters. Do you stay close together in a group? Or do you branch out and discover more of the house faster?

Be careful what you choose because at some point in the game, the Betrayal comes into play. After each turn, players roll the dice to see if the haunt begins. Once triggered, Betrayal becomes a vastly different game. One player might become a vampire seeking out the other players. A dragon may appear in the attic. The house gets teleported into the sky and players fight for the limited parachutes before plummeting to the ground. With 50 different haunts and countless scenarios, Betrayal is truly an exciting game with nearly endless replayability.

Find a New Favorite this Year

We often get caught in the same loop of Yahtzee, Scrabble, and Cranium. These games are great, no doubt about that. There’s a reason they’re considered classic. They’re also way, way overplayed. If you’re bored of boardgames, chances are you’ve been playing the wrong ones. Or the same ones. Or the boring ones. 

This year why don’t you try branching out a little and discover something new? Boardgames aren’t limited to what you see at Wal-Mart and Target. In fact, there are so many types of games it’s almost impossible to count. We’ll help you get started! A great resource for discovering new games and seeing what other players think is Board Game Geek. 

This website offers a wealth of information, including complexity, theme, players, price, and more. Visit BBG today and start exploring! We’re sure you’ll find a new favorite with a few clicks and a little curiosity. Happy gaming!