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The Best Board Games of 2025: My Top 10 Tabletop Greatest Hits
- Alex Critchell
- Dec 31, 2025
- 4 min read
As 2025 draws its final card and the new year waits patiently in the wings, it feels like the perfect moment to pause, look back and appreciate just how special this year has been for board games. 2025 delivered a tidal wave of creativity, fresh ideas and beautifully produced tabletop games, many of which found their way onto our table and into our videos.
It has been an absolute joy to play, review and share these games with our community. Whether you joined us for discussions, playthroughs or late night debates over favourite mechanics, thank you for being part of the journey. If you are looking for the best board games of 2025, or simply want inspiration for what to play next, this list is for you.
Here are my Top 10 Board Games of 2025 and why I think each one deserves a place on your table.
10. Hutan
Hutan is a beautifully produced board game that first caught my attention with its artwork and kept me coming back because of how satisfying it is to play. You place flowers to build regions, grow them into trees and eventually populate them with animals, creating a wonderfully tactile sense of progression.
The rules are approachable, the decisions feel meaningful and it has been a pleasure to teach to new players. If you enjoy games with a rainforest theme and elegant area building mechanics, Hutan is absolutely worth exploring.
9. Popcorn
Popcorn stood out immediately at UK Games Expo, thanks to a bold display and a theme rarely explored in board games. Running a cinema, drafting films, advertising to attract guests and upgrading facilities feels wonderfully cohesive.
What really shines is how film abilities can be combined to create powerful engines, generating income and momentum. As films lose popularity, their powers fade, forcing you to adapt. This is a clever bag and engine building experience that movie fans and strategy lovers alike will enjoy, with plenty of hidden film references tucked away for eagle eyed players.
8. Fathom
Fathom is another bag based game, but one that feels completely distinct. You play as researchers diving into the ocean to discover and document marine life. Using boats and submersibles, you explore the board, uncover tiles and gain benefits through a shared sonar system.
The combination of personal and shared boards, scenario variety and its ocean exploration theme gives Fathom a depth I did not expect. If you enjoy immersive themes and games that reward exploration, this is a fantastic choice.
7. Ofrenda
Ofrenda earns its place on this list by being utterly stunning. Inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead, you build an altar for your relatives, placing photos and offerings to honour their spirits.
Beneath the gorgeous artwork lies a thoughtful puzzle. Balancing multiple needs while planning ahead creates surprising strategic depth for a game with relatively simple rules. Perfect for players who love visual beauty paired with clever, puzzle driven gameplay.
6. Taco Loco
Taco Loco has been my constant companion this year. It has travelled to restaurants, events, family parties and everywhere in between. This lightning fast card game challenges players to build the perfect taco without going over 11.
Bust and you score negative points. Hit exactly 11 and you pass the problem to someone else. It is quick, loud and endlessly replayable. If you are looking for a portable game that sparks laughter wherever it goes, Taco Loco delivers every time.
5. Gardlings
Gardlings may be the most adorable game on this list, but it is no lightweight. You harvest gems from your garden by drawing tiles from a bag and assembling them into gemstone shapes.
Push your luck too far and gnomes will ruin everything. The balance between strategy and risk keeps tension high, especially in those final draws. Ideal for fans of bag building games and those irresistible one more tile moments.
4. Alibis
Alibis surprised me more than any other game this year. This cooperative word game tasks players with identifying criminals using one word clues that link pairs of suspects.
It sounds simple. It absolutely is not. The challenge lies in understanding how others think, and that shared struggle creates wonderful table moments. Everyone I have introduced this to has immediately asked for another round. A must play for fans of cooperative and word based board games.
3. Space Lab
Space Lab is a small box game packed with clever decisions. Players draft cards to build laboratories on a space station, carefully choosing what to keep and what to add to the shared market.
Each card has a unique ability, and chaining them together can lead to powerful turns. Easy to learn, surprisingly strategic, and perfect for players who want something light with meaningful interaction and a space theme.
2. Shallow Sea
Shallow Sea has completely captured my attention this year. I have played it around fifteen times and it still feels fresh. This underwater tile laying game is elegant, accessible and endlessly replayable.
The modular tile selection between games encourages different strategies every time, and watching how other players approach the same puzzle never gets old. A brilliant choice for fans of logic puzzles and ocean themed board games.
1. The Architects of Amytis
The Architects of Amytis stands proudly as my game of the year for 2025. Throughout the year, it has lingered in my thoughts and consistently impressed everyone I shared it with.
This tile laying game challenges players to build a city for Queen Amytis while completing objectives. Its clever use of tic tac toe style mechanics to reclaim workers and unlock bonus scoring elevates it far beyond a standard tile layer. The asymmetry in scoring that develops during gameplay creates depth, tension and memorable decisions.
It truly shines as a two player game, offering deep, engaging gameplay with minimal setup time. An outstanding design and a well deserved number one.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
One of the best parts of this hobby is sharing experiences. We would love to hear from you.
What was your favourite board game of 2025, and what made it stand out for you? Share your thoughts with the community and let’s head into the new year inspired and ready to play.
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