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Start with who will play. For two people, look at Patchwork or 7 Wonders Duel. For a family with a child under eight, pick a game rated for the youngest player, such as Outfoxed! or Rhino Hero. For five or more people, party games like Codenames and Just One fit. The tables below sort every game by publisher ratings.
By players and age
Rows are the number of people at the table; columns use the minimum age printed by the publisher. A game appears in every row its player range covers, so a 2 to 4 player game shows up under two players and under three or four. Games made for that player count come first in each cell, then award winners.
| Players | Rated 5+ to 7+ | Rated 8+ to 11+ | Rated 12+ and up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two players | |||
| Three or four | |||
| Five or more |
|
Gateway games from the table
Shop the range
Browse current gateway board games on eBay, new condition only.
Shop gateway board gamesOpens eBay in a new tab. Check condition, seller feedback and returns on the listing.
By play time
Bands use the longest time the publisher prints, so a "30 to 60 minute" game sits in the 46 to 90 minute row. First games of a strategy title often run longer while people learn the rules.
| Play time | Games (players, age) |
|---|---|
| 20 minutes or less | |
| 21 to 45 minutes | |
| 46 to 90 minutes | |
| Over 90 minutes |
Games for younger players
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Browse current games for kids on eBay, new condition only.
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Spiel des Jahres winners
The Spiel des Jahres jury in Germany names a game of the year each summer, plus the Kennerspiel des Jahres for more involved games and the Kinderspiel des Jahres for children. A red badge marks Spiel des Jahres, grey the Kennerspiel and blue the Kinderspiel. Solid badges are winners; outlined badges are nominations or places on the recommended list.
| Year | Game | Award | Players and age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Sky Team | Spiel des Jahres | 2 players, ages 10+ |
| 2023 | Dorfromantik: The Board Game | Spiel des Jahres | 1 to 6 players, ages 8+ |
| 2022 | Cascadia | Spiel des Jahres | 1 to 4 players, ages 10+ |
| 2021 | Dragomino | Kinderspiel des Jahres | 2 to 4 players, ages 5+ |
| 2021 | MicroMacro: Crime City | Spiel des Jahres | 1 to 4 players, ages 12+ |
| 2020 | The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine | Kennerspiel des Jahres | 3 to 5 players, ages 10+ |
| 2019 | Wingspan | Kennerspiel des Jahres | 1 to 5 players |
| 2019 | Just One | Spiel des Jahres | 3 to 7 players, ages 8+ |
| 2018 | Azul | Spiel des Jahres | 2 to 4 players, ages 8+ |
| 2017 | Kingdomino | Spiel des Jahres | 2 to 4 players, ages 8+ |
| 2016 | Codenames | Spiel des Jahres | 4 to 8 players, ages 10+ |
| 2013 | Hanabi | Spiel des Jahres | 2 to 5 players, ages 8+ |
| 2010 | Dixit | Spiel des Jahres | 3 to 8 players, ages 8+ |
| 2004 | Ticket to Ride | Spiel des Jahres | 2 to 5 players, ages 8+ |
| 2001 | Carcassonne | Spiel des Jahres | 2 to 5 players, ages 7+ |
| 1995 | Catan | Spiel des Jahres | 3 to 4 players, ages 10+ |
Small card games for stockings
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Browse current small card games on eBay, new condition only.
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Every game, with sources
Open a game for its publisher, figures and award history. Each links to the publisher page the figures come from.
Catan
- Publisher
- Catan Studio
- Players
- 3 to 4 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 60 to 90 min
- What it is
- Trading and building on a hex-tile island.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 1995
Ticket to Ride
- Publisher
- Days of Wonder
- Players
- 2 to 5 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 30 to 60 min
- What it is
- Collect colored train cards and claim rail routes across a map.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2004
Carcassonne
- Publisher
- Z-Man Games
- Players
- 2 to 5 players
- Age
- 7 and up
- Play time
- 30 to 45 min
- What it is
- Draw and place tiles to build a medieval landscape, then claim roads, cities and fields.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2001
Azul
- Publisher
- Next Move Games
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 45 min
- What it is
- Draft colored tiles to decorate a palace wall. Figures from spiel-des-jahres.de (the publisher page prints none).
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2018
Splendor
- Publisher
- Space Cowboys
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Collect gem chips to buy development cards and attract nobles.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2014, nominated
Wingspan
- Publisher
- Stonemaier Games
- Players
- 1 to 5 players
- Age
- Not listed by the publisher
- Play time
- 40 to 70 min
- What it is
- Engine-building card game about attracting birds to wildlife reserves. The publisher page prints no age.
- Awards
- Kennerspiel des Jahres 2019
Scythe
- Publisher
- Stonemaier Games
- Players
- 1 to 5 players
- Age
- Not listed by the publisher
- Play time
- 115 min
- What it is
- Engine-building and area control in an alternate-history 1920s Europe. The publisher page prints no age.
Terraforming Mars
- Publisher
- FryxGames
- Players
- 1 to 5 players
- Age
- 12 and up
- Play time
- 90 to 120 min
- What it is
- Corporations play project cards to make Mars habitable.
- Awards
- Kennerspiel des Jahres 2017, nominated
Everdell
- Publisher
- Tycoon Games (Starling Games)
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 40 to 80 min
- What it is
- Worker placement and card tableau building a city of woodland critters. Figures for the Standard Edition.
Cascadia
- Publisher
- AEG (Flatout Games)
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 45 min
- What it is
- Tile-laying puzzle about Pacific Northwest habitats and wildlife.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2022
Brass: Birmingham
- Publisher
- Roxley
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 14 and up
- Play time
- 60 to 120 min
- What it is
- Economic strategy game set in the Industrial Revolution: build canals, rail and industries.
7 Wonders Duel
- Publisher
- Repos Production
- Players
- 2 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Two-player card drafting version of 7 Wonders.
- Awards
- Kennerspiel des Jahres 2016, recommended list
Patchwork
- Publisher
- Lookout Games
- Players
- 2 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Fit fabric patches onto a quilt board, spending buttons and time.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2015, recommended list
Jaipur
- Publisher
- Space Cowboys
- Players
- 2 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Card game of trading goods at a market.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2010, recommended list
Lost Cities
- Publisher
- Kosmos
- Players
- 2 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Card game of funding expeditions. Figures for the current Kosmos edition, Lost Cities: The Duel.
Onitama
- Publisher
- Arcane Wonders
- Players
- 2 players
- Age
- 14 and up
- Play time
- 15 min
- What it is
- Abstract martial arts duel on a 5 by 5 board, with move cards that pass between players.
Codenames
- Publisher
- Czech Games Edition
- Players
- 4 to 8 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 15 min
- What it is
- Two teams race to find their agents from one-word clues. The publisher lists 4 to 8 or more players.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2016
Telestrations
- Publisher
- The Op
- Players
- 4 to 8 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Drawing and guessing game passed around the table. Figures for the 8 Player 2nd Edition.
Just One
- Publisher
- Repos Production
- Players
- 3 to 7 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 20 min
- What it is
- Cooperative word game: everyone writes a one-word clue, and duplicate clues are cancelled.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2019
Dixit
- Publisher
- Libellud
- Players
- 3 to 8 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Storytelling and guessing with illustrated cards.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2010
Wavelength
- Publisher
- CMYK
- Players
- players not listed
- Age
- Not listed by the publisher
- Play time
- time not listed
- What it is
- Team guessing game about where a clue falls on a scale. The publisher page prints no player count, age or time.
Decrypto
- Publisher
- Le Scorpion Masqué
- Players
- players not listed
- Age
- Not listed by the publisher
- Play time
- time not listed
- What it is
- Team word game of passing coded clues without the other team cracking them. The publisher page prints no figures.
King of Tokyo
- Publisher
- IELLO
- Players
- 2 to 6 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Dice-rolling monster battle for control of Tokyo.
Kingdomino
- Publisher
- Blue Orange Games
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 15 min
- What it is
- Domino-style tile laying to build a small kingdom. The jury lists the German edition at about 30 minutes.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2017
Ticket to Ride: First Journey
- Publisher
- Days of Wonder
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 6 and up
- Play time
- 15 to 30 min
- What it is
- A shorter, simpler Ticket to Ride for younger players.
Sushi Go Party!
- Publisher
- Gamewright
- Players
- 2 to 8 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Card drafting with a menu of dishes; the bigger-group version of Sushi Go!.
Pandemic
- Publisher
- Z-Man Games
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 45 min
- What it is
- Players work together to treat outbreaks and find cures before time runs out.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2009, nominated
Forbidden Island
- Publisher
- Gamewright
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Team up to collect four treasures before the island sinks.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2011, nominated
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
- Publisher
- Kosmos
- Players
- 3 to 5 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 20 min
- What it is
- Cooperative trick-taking card game played as a series of missions.
- Awards
- Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020
Hanabi
- Publisher
- R&R Games
- Players
- 2 to 5 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Cooperative card game where you see everyone’s cards except your own.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2013
The Mind
- Publisher
- Pandasaurus Games
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 15 min
- What it is
- Play numbered cards in ascending order without talking.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2018, nominated
Outfoxed!
- Publisher
- Gamewright
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 5 and up
- Play time
- 20 min
- What it is
- Cooperative whodunit: gather clues to find which fox stole the pie.
Rhino Hero
- Publisher
- HABA
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 5 and up
- Play time
- 5 to 15 min
- What it is
- Build a wobbly card skyscraper and climb it with a wooden rhino.
Dragomino
- Publisher
- Blue Orange Games
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 5 and up
- Play time
- 15 min
- What it is
- Tile-laying game for young children: match landscapes to discover baby dragons.
- Awards
- Kinderspiel des Jahres 2021
Scrabble
- Publisher
- Hasbro
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- time not listed
- What it is
- The classic crossword tile game. The publisher page prints no play time.
Clue
- Publisher
- Hasbro
- Players
- 2 to 6 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- time not listed
- What it is
- The classic mystery deduction game. Figures from the Hasbro instructions page; no play time printed.
Sushi Go!
- Publisher
- Gamewright
- Players
- 2 to 5 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 15 min
- What it is
- Quick card drafting game in a small tin.
Love Letter
- Publisher
- Z-Man Games
- Players
- 2 to 6 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 20 min
- What it is
- Deduction game played with a handful of cards.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2014, recommended list
Exploding Kittens
- Publisher
- Exploding Kittens
- Players
- 2 to 5 players
- Age
- 7 and up
- Play time
- 15 min
- What it is
- Push-your-luck card game: avoid drawing an exploding kitten. Figures for the Original Edition.
Skull
- Publisher
- Space Cowboys
- Players
- 3 to 6 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 30 min
- What it is
- Bluffing game with coasters: flowers and one skull each.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2011, recommended list
Sky Team
- Publisher
- Le Scorpion Masqué
- Players
- 2 players
- Age
- 10 and up
- Play time
- 20 min
- What it is
- Cooperative dice game for two: land a plane together. Two players per the publisher; age and time from spiel-des-jahres.de.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2024
Dorfromantik: The Board Game
- Publisher
- Pegasus Spiele
- Players
- 1 to 6 players
- Age
- 8 and up
- Play time
- 30 to 60 min
- What it is
- Cooperative tile laying that builds a countryside across a campaign of games.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2023
MicroMacro: Crime City
- Publisher
- Edition Spielwiese
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Age
- 12 and up
- Play time
- 15 to 45 min
- What it is
- Search a giant black-and-white city map to solve crimes. The jury lists the German edition at 1 to 3 players, ages 10 and up.
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2021
How to read the tables
Ages are the publisher's minimum age, which is about rules and small parts, not a ceiling: plenty of adults play games rated 8 and up. Player counts are what the box supports, not always the best number. Where a publisher does not print a figure, the finder says so instead of filling a gap. We do not use community ratings or rankings.
Sources
- Catan: publisher product pageCatan Studio
- Ticket to Ride: publisher product pageDays of Wonder
- Carcassonne: publisher product pageZ-Man Games
- Azul: publisher product pageNext Move Games
- Splendor: publisher product pageSpace Cowboys
- Wingspan: publisher product pageStonemaier Games
- Scythe: publisher product pageStonemaier Games
- Terraforming Mars: publisher product pageFryxGames
- Everdell: publisher product pageTycoon Games (Starling Games)
- Cascadia: publisher product pageAEG (Flatout Games)
- Brass: Birmingham: publisher product pageRoxley
- 7 Wonders Duel: publisher product pageRepos Production
- Patchwork: publisher product pageLookout Games
- Jaipur: publisher product pageSpace Cowboys
- Lost Cities: publisher product pageKosmos
- Onitama: publisher product pageArcane Wonders
- Codenames: publisher product pageCzech Games Edition
- Telestrations: publisher product pageThe Op
- Just One: publisher product pageRepos Production
- Dixit: publisher product pageLibellud
- Wavelength: publisher product pageCMYK
- Decrypto: publisher product pageLe Scorpion Masqué
- King of Tokyo: publisher product pageIELLO
- Kingdomino: publisher product pageBlue Orange Games
- Ticket to Ride: First Journey: publisher product pageDays of Wonder
- Sushi Go Party!: publisher product pageGamewright
- Pandemic: publisher product pageZ-Man Games
- Forbidden Island: publisher product pageGamewright
- The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine: publisher product pageKosmos
- Hanabi: publisher product pageR&R Games
- The Mind: publisher product pagePandasaurus Games
- Outfoxed!: publisher product pageGamewright
- Rhino Hero: publisher product pageHABA
- Dragomino: publisher product pageBlue Orange Games
- Scrabble: publisher product pageHasbro
- Clue: publisher product pageHasbro
- Sushi Go!: publisher product pageGamewright
- Love Letter: publisher product pageZ-Man Games
- Exploding Kittens: publisher product pageExploding Kittens
- Skull: publisher product pageSpace Cowboys
- Sky Team: publisher product pageLe Scorpion Masqué
- Dorfromantik: The Board Game: publisher product pagePegasus Spiele
- MicroMacro: Crime City: publisher product pageEdition Spielwiese
- Spiel des Jahres: 2025 award winnersSpiel des Jahres e.V.
- Spiel des Jahres: 2026 award winnersSpiel des Jahres e.V.
Board Game Gifts · Gift finder · Updated September 28, 2026