The world of board games expands way beyond classic games we used to bring to the table as kids, such as Monopoly and the Game of Life. When diving deeper into the hobby of board games, you will notice that there are various types of board games that will suit any type of player.
The different types of board games that you will find in the board gaming world include game types such as engine building, deck building, worker placement, co-op, social deduction, and more. You may have heard these terms when playing certain board games, but we will go over each one so that you are well versed on the different types of board games.
Different Types of Board Games
From engine building board games to roll and move board games, there are so many different types of board games you should know about, whether you are a new board gamer or an avid board gamer. Check out some of the well known types of board games below, some of them being genre of games included in our list of the best game night games.
1. Engine Building Board Games
Engine Building Board Games consist of players having a set of resources personal to them that they will use to progress through the game. These resources usually include cards, tiles, and player boards. Players will use these resources in order to manipulate and build their personal components of the game.
Players will have to choose wisely when making decisions, gathering resources, and spending resources. They will make important decisions throughout the game that will ultimately decide their fate and whether they have enough victory points to win.
Our favorite Engine Building Games: Wingspan, Everdell, It’s A Wonderful Life
Learn more about Engine Building Board Games and see our full list of our favorites!
2. Deck Building Board Games
The main element of deck building games is the construction of your own personal deck of cards during gameplay. Each player has their own deck of cards that they are carefully constructing in order to obtain power and money, upgrade their character, and unlock specific abilities.
Deck building games consist mostly of cards where each player will start with a basic hand of cards that they will work to unlock and buy new cards that will slowly build up their deck and make it more powerful against other players.
As they obtain cards throughout the game, these cards will grant players with new abilities that they can use to perform actions throughout the game. The end goal of deck building games is usually to have the most points or work to eliminate all of your opponents.
Our favorite deck building games: Dominion, Star Realms, and Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game
Learn more about deck building games and how you can incorporate them into your next game night!
3. Worker Placement Board Games
Worker placement board games consist of a ton of strategy where players must devise tactics using their “workers” or playing peices to earn resources and points.
These types of board games are called “worker placement” board games because players will use meeples as their playing pawns and “workers” that will be placed on certain areas of the game board in order to gain resources, perform actions, or even block other players from performing specific actions.
Some of our favorite worker placement board games include Everdell and Viticulture. Learn more about Worker Placement Board Games and see our full list of our favorites!
4. Tile Placement Board Games
Tile placement board games are a type of strategy game that involves placing tiles or other game pieces onto a game board in a way that maximizes points or achieves a specific objective. These games are typically turn-based, with players taking turns to place tiles or move pieces on the board.
One of the defining features of tile placement board games is that the game board is built over the course of the game. Players start with a blank board or a small starter set of tiles, and then build the board by adding new tiles as the game progresses. This creates a dynamic playing field that changes from turn to turn and requires players to constantly adapt their strategies to the changing board layout.
Some of our favorite games with tiles include Carcassonne or Azul. Learn more about tile placement board games, or board games with tiles, as well as some of our favorites!
5. Co-Op Board Games
Many board games consist of a single player competing against other players to become victorious. Another type of board game that we love are co-op board games. These games consist of players working together towards a shared goal, instead of competing against eachother.
In co-op board games, players will work as a team and share resources throughout the game that will help them progress further and ultimately win as a team. Usually each player will have their own specific role or set of skills that they will need to use to collaborate with other players.
Some of our favorite co-op board games are Pandemic and Horrified. Check out a full list of our picks of the best co-op board games.
6. Social Deduction Board Games
Have you heard of the popular online game Among Us? This is a very popular social deduction game and also happens to be another popular type of board game.
Social deduction games require players to uncover each other’s hidden role or team allegiance depending on their actions throughout the game. Social deduction games rely heavily on seeing who you can trust and voicing your suspicions to other players.
There are usually two sides to social deduction board games. If you are on the “good” side, then you must work with other people you trust to seek out anyone who you think is malicious before it’s too late. If you are on the “bad” side, then you must lie and manipulate so other non-suspicious players instill trust in you, letting you carry out your malicious duties.
Some of our favorite social deduction board games include Battlestar Galactica and The Resistance. But there are so many other social deduction board games that we love!
7. RPG Board Games
Have you ever heard of the role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons? You most likely have heard of this game driven by imagination that involves story telling in worlds of swords and sorcery. A lot like Dungeons and Dragons, RPG board games consists of players and their characters embarking on a series of wild and incredible adventures, just not as intense.
Role playing board games are for players who don’t have the time to devote to hours and hours of a DnD campaign, but still want to embark on fantastical quests. These board games provide players a more traditional, board-based environment for role playing games.
Some of our favorite RPG board games include ‘Dungeon!’ and ‘Mice and Mystics.’ Check out more of the best RPG board games in a separate article.
8. Board Games Without Dice
Most board games involve rolling a dice and integrating a ‘luck’ factor where players would have to roll a high number in order to advance more spaces or gain more resources. We have found that there are players out there who prefer less luck over more strategy. That is why we included a type of board game that involves board games without dice.
It’s also important to remember that not including dice in board games does not mean all luck is eliminated. However, removing dice greatly removes the amount of luck involved.
If you are looking for more strategy over luck board games, then be sure to check out some of the best board games without dice.
9. Roll and Write Board Games
The mechanics of roll and write board games usually involve players rolling dice and then writing or drawing items on a sheet of paper. Gameplay consists of players rolling dice and then making decisions that will be marked on a scoresheet.
The components of a roll and write are usually pretty simple. Each player will receive their own personal scoresheet and then use dice provided for gameplay. Each turn consists of rolling the die and then marking something off on your scoresheet.
Some of our favorite roll and write games include Qwixx, Cartographers, and Harvest Dice.
10. Roll and Move Board Games
Roll and move board games are pretty much what the title represents. You roll dice and then move the certain amount of spaces on the game board for the number you rolled. The mechanics of roll and move board games have been used over and over again, providing a simple play structure for any type of board gamer.
In roll and move board games, players simply roll dice, move their game piece, and then read what happens and/or perform any actions on the space they land on.
Some of our favorite roll and move board games are Deep Sea Adventure and Camel Up.
11. Comfort Board Games
This may be a made up type of board game, however, we felt it necessary to include in our article. Comfort board games are games that we love that are easy to learn, but hard to master. As a board gamer, these are board games that we consistently play and try to master through different strategies.
Some of our favorite comfort board games include Splendor, Wingspan, and Azul. Check out more of our favorite comfort board games that will be sure to make the board gamer in you happy.
12. Must Have Board Games
You may have arrived on this article because you are a new board gamer. Therefore, I decided to add in this category as a type of board game because these are the absolute must have board games that you should have in your collection right now.
These games include games from the types of board games above. So if you are having trouble picking a certain type, then try out some of these must haves.
Check out our full list of must have board games.
Types of Board Games Final Thoughts
We hope you were able to gain a little more insight in the different types of board games that are being played in households every day. This is a limited list as there are so many other types of board games out there. As we learn more, we will be sure to add them to the list!