Adventure board games offer players a unique experience, allowing them to embark on exciting journeys in imaginative worlds. These games escape reality and take players on thrilling adventures where they can use their creativity, problem-solving skills, and strategic thinking to overcome challenges and obstacles.
Whether you’re a seasoned board game enthusiast or just looking for a new way to have fun with friends and family, adventure board games offer something for everyone. From cooperative games that require teamwork and communication to competitive games that test your wits against other players, adventure board games provide endless entertainment and engagement.
With so many adventure board games available, it can be challenging to determine which ones are worth playing and knowing the best board games for game night. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the 14 best adventure board games you need to try. This article will explore each game in detail, highlighting what makes them exciting and why they’re worth playing.
Best Adventure Board Games
So, if you’re ready to dive into a world of adventure, explore the 14 best adventure board games that will captivate and thrill you. Also, be sure to check out some other great board game themes once you review this list!
1. Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a cooperative adventure board game for 1-4 players. The game is based on the classic novel of the same name. Players take on the roles of shipwreck survivors who must work together to survive on a deserted island.
Each player has a unique character with their strengths and weaknesses. They must use their abilities to gather resources, build shelters, and explore the island. The game is played over a series of rounds. Each round is divided into three phases: the event, action, and production.
The event phase involves drawing a card that presents a challenge or obstacle for the players to overcome. The action phase allows players to take actions such as gathering resources, building structures, or exploring new areas of the island. The production phase will enable players to collect resources and replenish their supplies.
The game is won if the players complete the scenario objective, such as building a signal fire to call for help, before running out of time and resources. However, the game is lost if any player dies or the scenario objective needs to be completed in time.
Robinson Crusoe is an immersive adventure game requiring teamwork and strategic thinking. The game offers multiple scenarios with varying difficulty levels, providing players a unique and challenging experience every time they play.
2. Mansions of Madness
Mansions of Madness is a cooperative board game for 1-5 players. The game is set in the Lovecraftian universe in a haunted mansion. Players take on the roles of investigators who must work together to uncover the mansion’s secrets and survive the horrors that lurk within.
At the beginning of the game, players choose a scenario to play, each with its unique story and objectives. The game is played over several rounds, and each round is divided into two phases: the investigator phase and the mythos phase.
During the investigator phase, players take turns performing actions such as moving, searching for clues, or interacting with objects in the mansion. The mythos phase involves drawing a card that describes an event or monster that appears in the mansion, which can affect the investigators in various ways.
The game features an innovative app that serves as the game master, guiding players through the story and providing atmospheric sound effects and music. The app also generates random events and encounters, ensuring each game is unique and unpredictable.
Mansions of Madness is an immersive adventure game that blends mystery, horror, and investigation. Players must work together to explore the mansion, solve puzzles, and uncover hidden secrets. The game features various scenarios, each with its unique story and objectives, ensuring that players stay energized.
One of the most exciting aspects of Mansions of Madness is the unpredictable nature of the game. The app generates random events and monsters, keeping players on their toes and creating a sense of tension and suspense throughout the game. The game also features various puzzles and challenges that require players to use their critical thinking skills and work together to overcome them.
Overall, Mansions of Madness is a thrilling adventure game that provides a unique and immersive experience for players who enjoy mystery, horror, and investigation.
3. Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a cooperative living card game designed for 1-4 players. The game is set in the Lovecraftian universe and takes place in the town of Arkham and other supernatural locations. Players take on the roles of investigators who must work together to uncover the mysteries of the ancient and terrifying entities that threaten the world.
Players begin by choosing a scenario and building a deck of cards representing their investigator’s abilities and resources. The game is played over several rounds. Each round is divided into three phases: the player phase, the enemy phase, and the mythos phase.
During the player phase, players take turns playing cards, performing actions, and using their investigator’s unique abilities to investigate locations, fight enemies, and gather clues. During the enemy phase, any enemies in play will attack the investigators. During the mythos phase, new events and challenges will be revealed.
The game features a unique campaign play system, where each scenario’s outcome affects the following scenario and the overall story arc. Players must balance their investigation of the mysteries with managing their resources and avoiding the dangers threatening their sanity and physical well-being.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game is an immersive adventure game that blends horror, investigation, and strategy elements. The branching storylines create a sense of agency and impact on the game world. The game’s living card format ensures that players have access to new and exciting content regularly.
The game also features various investigators, each with unique abilities and backstory, adding to the game’s depth and replayability. The game’s Lovecraftian themes and setting create a sense of dread and unease, making each scenario a thrilling and challenging adventure.
Overall, Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a must-play for adventure, horror, and strategy game fans. The game’s immersive storylines, unique mechanics, and Lovecraftian themes give players a thrilling and engaging experience.
4. Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven is a cooperative tactical RPG board game designed for 1-4 players. Players take on the roles of adventurers who must explore the dark and dangerous world of Gloomhaven, fighting monsters, looting treasure, and completing quests.
The game is played over a series of scenarios, each with its unique map, objectives, and challenges. Players must work together to strategically move their characters around the map, attacking enemies, avoiding traps, and accomplishing their goals.
Each character has unique abilities and actions that can be upgraded and customized as they gain experience and level up. Players must carefully manage their resources, such as health, stamina, and cards, to succeed in each scenario and progress through the game’s story.
Gloomhaven is a highly immersive adventure game that offers a rich and detailed world to explore. The game’s deep and engaging storyline and tactical combat system create a sense of adventure and excitement for players.
The game also features many characters, each with its backstory and unique abilities, adding to its replayability. The game’s branching storylines and multiple paths to victory make each playthrough a new and exciting adventure.
Overall, Gloomhaven is a must-play for adventure, strategy, and RPG game fans. The immersive world, tactical gameplay, and many characters give players a thrilling and engaging experience.
5. Mage Knight
Mage Knight is a board game for 1-4 players that combines elements of RPG and deck-building games. Players take on the role of powerful Mage Knights, each with unique abilities and a deck of cards. The game occurs in a fantasy world where players explore, conquer, and level up their characters.
Players take turns moving their characters around the game board, exploring new territories, fighting monsters, and completing quests. Each character has a deck of cards representing their abilities and resources. Players must manage their cards strategically to succeed.
The game also features a unique day/night cycle, where players must choose how to use their time during the day and night phases. During the day, players can recruit new units and explore new areas. The monsters become more powerful at night, and players must defend their territories and resources.
Mage Knight is a highly immersive adventure game that offers a vast and detailed world to explore. The game’s combination of RPG and deck-building mechanics create adventure and exploration as players level up their characters and acquire new abilities.
The game also features various enemies to fight, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. The game’s day/night cycle and strategic resource management add to the game’s sense of adventure and challenge.
Overall, Mage Knight is a must-play for adventure, strategy, and RPG game fans. The immersive world, unique mechanics, and strategic gameplay give players a thrilling and engaging experience.
6. War of the Ring: Second Edition
War of the Ring: Second Edition is a two-player strategy board game set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The game simulates the epic battles and conflicts between the forces of good and evil during the War of the Ring.
Players take on the roles of either the Free Peoples of Middle-earth or the Shadow Armies of Sauron. Each player must strategically move their armies and characters around the game board, capturing key territories and completing objectives.
The game also features a unique action dice system, where players roll dice to determine what actions they can take each turn. Players must carefully balance their resources and choose the right actions to outmaneuver their opponent and gain the upper hand.
War of the Ring: Second Edition is a highly immersive adventure game that allows players to experience Middle-earth’s epic battles and conflicts firsthand. The game’s detailed gameboard, miniatures, and strategic gameplay create a sense of adventure and excitement for players.
The game also features a deep and engaging storyline, with each playthrough offering a new and unique narrative. Players must work with their allies and make tough decisions to achieve victory, creating a sense of adventure and tension throughout the game.
Overall, War of the Ring: Second Edition is a must-play for fans of adventure, strategy, and the Lord of the Rings universe. The immersive world, strategic gameplay, and engaging storyline give players a thrilling and immersive experience.
7. Legacy of Dragonholt
Legacy of Dragonholt is a narrative adventure board game set in the world of Terrinoth. The game allows players to create unique characters and embark on a series of interconnected adventures and quests, each with branching storylines and outcomes.
Players create their characters by choosing a race, class, and background and customizing their character’s abilities, equipment, and appearance. Each adventure is presented in a book format, with players making choices and rolling dice to determine the outcome of each encounter.
The game also features a reputation system. Players’ actions and decisions can affect how the NPCs perceive them in the game world and can even affect the outcome of future quests.
Legacy of Dragonholt is a highly immersive adventure game that allows players to create their own unique stories and characters within the game world. The game’s branching storylines and reputation system develop a sense of adventure and consequence as players’ decisions and actions impact the game world and narrative.
The game also features various encounters and challenges, from combat and exploration to diplomacy and investigation, offering players a diverse and engaging adventure experience.
Overall, Legacy of Dragonholt is a must-play for fans of narrative-driven adventure games. The game’s immersive world, engaging storytelling, and customizable characters give players a unique and memorable experience.
8. Aftermath: An Adventure Book Game
Aftermath: An Adventure Book Game is a cooperative adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic world populated by animals. Players take on the roles of various animal characters, each with their unique abilities, as they explore the ruins of a once-great city and work to rebuild their community.
The game is played over a series of chapters, each presenting players with different challenges and objectives. Players must work together to explore the game board, collect resources, and complete various tasks, all while avoiding dangerous predators and other hazards.
The game also features an innovative narrative system, each chapter represented by a separate adventure book. The adventure book presents players with a series of choices and challenges, and their decisions determine the outcome of the story and the challenges they will face in future chapters.
Aftermath: An Adventure Book Game is a highly immersive adventure game allowing players to explore a rich, detailed post-apocalyptic world. The game’s innovative narrative system, with its engaging gameplay and animal characters, creates a sense of adventure and exploration for players.
The game also strongly emphasizes character development and community building, with players working together to build and upgrade their community and improve their animal characters’ abilities and skills. This creates a sense of progression and investment in the game world and story, further enhancing the game’s adventurous aspects.
Overall, Aftermath: An Adventure Book Game is a unique and engaging adventure game that offers a rich and immersive post-apocalyptic world for players to explore and experience.
9. Dragonfire
Dragonfire is a cooperative adventure card game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Players take on various heroes’ roles, each with unique abilities, as they explore dungeons, fight monsters, and complete quests.
The game is played over a series of rounds, each with phases. During the game, players draw and play cards from their decks, each representing a different ability, item, or spell.
Players must work together to defeat monsters and complete quests while managing their resources and avoiding traps and hazards. As players progress through the game, they will gain experience and level up their characters, unlocking new abilities and improving their chances of success.
Dragonfire is a highly immersive adventure game that allows players to explore the rich and detailed Dungeons & Dragons universe. The game’s cooperative gameplay and emphasis on teamwork and strategy create a sense of adventure and exploration for players.
The game also strongly emphasizes character development and progression, with players working to improve their characters’ abilities and skills as they progress through the game. This creates a sense of investment and engagement in the game world and story, enhancing the game’s adventurous aspects.
Overall, Dragonfire is an exciting and engaging adventure game that offers a rich and immersive experience for players in Dungeons & Dragons.
10. Champions of Hara
Champions of Hara is an adventure board game in Hara. The game combines elements of RPG and board game genres to create a unique and engaging adventure experience. Players take on the roles of various heroes and battle against powerful monsters and villains.
The game is played over a series of rounds, with players taking turns to move their characters, explore the game board, and engage in combat with monsters and other enemies. Each player has their own set of abilities and skills that they can use to defeat their opponents and progress through the game.
As players progress through the game, they can collect resources and items that will help them to upgrade their characters and improve their chances of success. The game also features a series of quests and missions that players can complete, each offering unique challenges and rewards.
Champions of Hara offers a highly immersive adventure experience with a rich, detailed game world that players can explore and interact with. The game’s combination of RPG and board game mechanics allow for a wide range of gameplay possibilities, creating a sense of adventure and excitement for players.
The game’s emphasis on character development and customization further enhances its adventurous aspects, with players working to improve their characters’ skills and abilities throughout the game. The various quests and missions also provide players with a sense of purpose and direction, helping to create a compelling narrative and storyline.
Overall, Champions of Hara is an exciting and engaging adventure board game that offers players a unique and immersive experience. Its combination of RPG and board game mechanics, rich game world, and emphasis on character development make it a must-play for fans of adventure games.
11. Betrayal at the House on the Hill
Betrayal at the House on the Hill is a horror-themed adventure board game in a haunted mansion. Players explore the mansion, discovering new rooms and encountering supernatural events. However, as the game progresses, one of the players will become a traitor and turn against the rest, leading to a climactic showdown between the two sides.
The game is played over two phases. In the first phase, players explore the mansion, discovering new rooms and encountering supernatural events. Players can move from room to room, collecting items and solving puzzles. However, as they explore the mansion, they must also roll dice to determine if they will encounter dangerous events, such as traps or monsters.
In the second phase, the game’s “haunt” phase, one of the players will be revealed as the traitor and will turn against the rest of the players. The traitor will have a specific objective, such as summoning a demon or sacrificing the other players. In contrast, the remaining players must work together to stop them.
Betrayal at the House on the Hill offers a thrilling adventure experience, with players exploring a haunted mansion and encountering supernatural events. The game’s emphasis on exploration and discovery creates a sense of mystery and intrigue, while the threat of the traitor adds an element of danger and excitement.
The game’s horror theme also contributes to its adventurous aspects, with players encountering ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural entities throughout the game. The game’s unique mechanic of having a traitor among the players adds a layer of unpredictability and tension, creating a genuinely thrilling adventure experience.
Overall, Betrayal at the House on the Hill is a must-play for fans of adventure and horror games. Its combination of exploration, discovery, and danger, horror-themed setting, and unique traitor mechanic make it a truly unforgettable adventure board game.
12. The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth
The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth is an adventure board game based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasy world. Players take on the roles of heroes who must journey through Middle-earth, encountering dangerous foes and completing quests. The game features a rich narrative and deep character development, with players customizing their heroes and making choices that affect the outcome of their journey.
The game is played over a series of quests, with each pursuit consisting of a set of objectives the players must complete. Players take turns moving their heroes across the game board, exploring new locations, and encountering enemies and other obstacles. Combat is handled through a card-based system that involves selecting actions from a set of available options.
The game also features a companion app that acts as a game master, providing narrative prompts, handling enemy AI, and tracking the players’ progress throughout their journey.
The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth offers a truly immersive adventure experience, with players exploring Middle-earth’s vast and detailed world and encountering its many wonders and dangers. The game’s deep narrative and character development allow players to truly become a part of the story, making choices that affect the outcome of their journey and forging unique paths through the game’s many quests.
The game’s combat system adds an element of excitement and danger to the adventure, with players facing off against fierce enemies and working together to overcome them. Using a companion app also adds immersion and interactivity, providing players real-time updates and handling many of the game’s mechanics.
Overall, The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth is a must-play for fans of both adventure and fantasy games. Its deep narrative, rich character development, and the immersive world make it one of the most memorable and thrilling adventure board games on the market.
13. Mice and Mystics
Mice and Mystics is an adventure board game that follows the story of a group of mice who have been transformed into heroes by a magical spell. Players take on the roles of these heroic mice as they embark on a dangerous quest to save their kingdom from an evil sorceress.
The game features a unique setting and charming artwork, with players navigating a familiar and fantastical world.
The game is played over several chapters, each featuring a different objective the players must complete. Players take turns moving their mice across the game board, exploring new locations, and encountering enemies and other obstacles.
Combat is handled through a simple dice-rolling system, with players selecting actions and rolling dice to determine the outcome of their attacks.
The game also features a unique storybook that guides players through the game’s many challenges and introduces them to the various characters and settings of the world.
Mice and Mystics offer a unique and engaging adventure experience, with players taking on the roles of charming and heroic mice in a magical world. The game’s unique setting and adorable artwork add a level of whimsy and charm to the adventure, while the game’s narrative and character development keep players engaged and invested in the story.
The game’s simple combat system and storybook format make it accessible to players of all ages and skill levels while providing a satisfying challenge and a sense of adventure.
Overall, Mice and Mystics is a delightful adventure board game that offers a unique and engaging experience for players of all ages and interests. Its charming setting, engaging narrative, and accessible gameplay make it a must-play for fans of adventure and fantasy games.
14. Eldritch Horror
Eldritch Horror is an adventure board game that takes players on a global journey to stop an ancient evil from awakening and destroying the world. The game is set in the 1920s and is inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, with players taking on the roles of investigators who must travel the world to uncover clues, solve mysteries, and battle terrifying monsters.
The game features a giant game board, numerous character cards, and an expansive deck of cards that includes events, clues, and encounters.
Players begin by selecting an investigator and gathering their starting items and abilities. The game is played over a series of rounds, each consisting of three phases: action, encounter, and mythos.
During the action phase, players take turns performing two actions: moving, acquiring items, or resting. During the encounter phase, players draw a card from the encounter deck, which can either result in a positive or negative outcome. Finally, during the mythos phase, players draw a mythos card, which triggers various global events and can lead to the awakening of the game’s ancient evil.
Players must work together to gather clues and solve mysteries to prevent the awakening of ancient evil and save the world.
Eldritch Horror is an immersive and thrilling adventure game that takes players on a global journey of danger and mystery. The game’s setting and artwork are inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, creating a dark and ominous atmosphere that adds to the game’s sense of adventure and dread.
Players must work together to gather clues and solve mysteries, creating a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. The game’s extensive deck of cards offers a variety of encounters and events, making sense of unpredictability and danger.
The game’s challenging gameplay and global scope make it an enjoyable and engaging adventure game that keeps players returning for more.
Overall, Eldritch Horror is a thrilling and immersive adventure board game that offers a unique and engaging experience for horror, mystery, and adventure game fans. Its challenging gameplay, immersive setting, and extensive deck of cards make it a must-play for fans of adventure and Lovecraftian horror.
Conclusion
In conclusion, adventure board games offer a unique and immersive experience that transports players to new worlds, challenges their problem-solving skills, and allows them to make meaningful choices that affect the game’s outcome.
Each of the 14 best adventure board games on this list offers something different, from intense combat and strategic decision-making to story-driven campaigns and cooperative gameplay.
Whether you’re a seasoned board gamer or new to the hobby, there will surely be an adventure board game that captures your imagination and takes you on an unforgettable journey. So gather your friends, grab your favorite snacks, and prepare for an epic adventure!