What follows is a nostalgic romp through classic Disney films, reimagined here with original artwork. Think of it like a 'what if' scenario, where the antagonists finally get their way. How it works: As the name would suggest, Villainous revolves around classic baddies getting their way - Jafar wants to control Genie, Prince John is trying to amass a fortune, and so on. It's a great choice in terms of must-have board games for 2 players.

While duking it out with lots of other people is fun, reducing the head-count makes things less chaotic and gives you more time to strategize. If you ask us, that intricacy makes Villainous better when played head-to-head. You see, this isn't a cash-in for kids it's ruthless, surprisingly tactical, and deliciously wicked. It delights in letting you be as mean as possible, and you're encouraged to scupper a foe's plans in search of your character's happy ending. What you need to know: Never has a game been more on-brand than Villainous. Stay away if strategy games aren't your jam. ❌ You don't have patience for complex rules: Villainous takes a hot minute to get your head around, and if you aren't willing to invest time in learning how it works, you won't enjoy it. It's not a good fit for children as a result, and won't jive with family-members who are expecting something very casual either. ❌ You're expecting something for kids: Despite being based on the iconic, family-friendly movies of our childhoods, Villainous is actually a competitive strategy game with oodles of depth. You'll find the retailers offering the lowest prices beside each entry, and there should be plenty floating around thanks to this year's Black Friday board game deals. Speaking of buying, our bargain-hunting software should help you save a little along the way too. Long gone are the days when Monopoly was the most interesting thing on the menu.Ĭurious about how we settled on these suggestions? We only ever include board games that our writers have had extensive, hands-on experience with, so we'll never mention a product we wouldn't buy - or back - ourselves. If you want to know more, you can see a full breakdown of our process in the ' how we test' section further down the page.

If you ask us, these recommendations should be in everyone's collection. We've also divided this list of the best board games into use-cases so that it's easy to find whatever you're in the mood for (and if you're still stuck, don't forget to check in with our advice on how to choose board games). That's because we've rounded up our favorites across multiple genres here you'll find everything from team games and 2-player classics to role playing must-haves below.

Table games with dice