Board games have long been cherished as a source of entertainment and a means to foster connections among individuals. In today's digital age, they offer a refreshing way to engage face-to-face, promoting social interaction and strategic thinking. The global board game market has experienced significant growth, with revenues projected to reach $9 billion by 2025, highlighting their enduring appeal and relevance.
Dubai has embraced this global trend, with a growing community of board game enthusiasts and an increasing availability of both global and niche titles. These games cater to diverse preferences and age groups, making them a staple in many households and social gatherings.
This article aims to showcase a curated selection of must-have board games across various categories. Whether you're a strategic mastermind, a party game lover, or seeking family-friendly options, these games truly deserve a spot on your shelf.
List of Essential Board Games Worth Adding to Your Collection
Catan
In Catan, players assume the roles of settlers aiming to develop holdings on the island of Catan by building settlements, roads, and cities. The game emphasizes resource management, trading, and strategic expansion. Each turn involves rolling dice to determine resource production, which players use to build and expand their territories. The game is known for its replayability and the dynamic interactions it fosters among players.
- Complexity: ★★★☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 3–4
- Playtime: 60–120 minutes
Wingspan
Wingspan is a card-driven, engine-building game where players act as bird enthusiasts—researchers, bird watchers, ornithologists, and collectors—seeking to attract the best birds to their wildlife preserves. The game features over 170 unique bird cards, each with its own abilities, and is celebrated for its beautiful artwork and educational value. Players manage resources to play birds, lay eggs, and draw cards, creating synergistic combinations to maximize points.
- Complexity: ★★★★☆
- Replayability: ★★★★★
- Ideal Player Count: 1–5
- Playtime: 40–70 minutes
Terraforming Mars
Set in the 2400s, Terraforming Mars has players take on the roles of corporations working together to terraform the planet Mars by raising the temperature, creating oceans, and developing a breathable atmosphere. While the terraforming process is a collective effort, players compete to contribute the most to the project and earn victory points. The game involves resource management, project development, and strategic planning, offering a deep and immersive experience.
- Complexity: ★★★★★
- Replayability: ★★★★★
- Ideal Player Count: 1–5
- Playtime: 90–120 minutes
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a tile-placement game where players draw and place tiles featuring southern French landscape elements. As tiles are placed, cities, roads, monasteries, and fields emerge. Players can then deploy their followers, known as meeples, to claim these features and earn points. The game is praised for its simplicity, strategic depth, and the ever-changing board that develops differently each game.
- Complexity: ★★☆☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 2–5
- Playtime: 30–45 minutes
Root
Root is an asymmetric war game where players control different factions vying for control of a vast wilderness. Each faction has unique abilities and goals, leading to varied gameplay experiences. The game combines elements of strategy, negotiation, and tactical combat, with a charming woodland theme. Its asymmetry and depth have garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated player base.
Control factions vying for dominance in woodland with asymmetric gameplay.
- Complexity: ★★★★☆
- Replayability: ★★★★★
- Ideal Player Count: 2–4
- Playtime: 90–120 minutes
Storytelling and Adventure Games
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a standalone cooperative board game set in the Gloomhaven universe. Designed to be more accessible than its predecessor, it introduces players to the world of tactical combat and adventure through a streamlined experience. The game includes 25 scenarios, with the first five serving as a tutorial to ease new players into the mechanics. Players can choose from four unique characters, each with distinct abilities, and work together to uncover the mystery behind a series of disappearances in the city.
- Complexity: ★★★★☆
- Replayability: ★★★★★
- Ideal Player Count: 1–4
- Playtime: 60–120 minutes per scenario
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a semi-cooperative game where players explore a haunted mansion, uncovering rooms and encountering eerie events. As the game progresses, one player may turn a traitor, leading to a "haunt" scenario where the remaining players must work together to survive. With 50 different haunt scenarios, the game offers high replayability and a blend of cooperative and competitive gameplay.
- Complexity: ★★★☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★★
- Ideal Player Count: 3–6
- Playtime: 60 minutes
Arkham Horror
Arkham Horror is a cooperative game set in the Lovecraftian world of Arkham. Players take on the roles of investigators working together to uncover mysteries, gather clues, and combat eldritch horrors threatening the world. The game features a modular board, customizable characters, and a variety of monsters and scenarios, providing a rich narrative experience with each playthrough.
- Complexity: ★★★★☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 1–6
- Playtime: 120–240 minutes
Descent: Legends of the Dark
Descent: Legends of the Dark is a cooperative dungeon-crawling game where players embark on a campaign filled with rich lore and immersive mechanics. Utilizing an app to guide the narrative and manage enemy actions, the game offers a seamless integration of technology and traditional board gaming. Players can choose from a variety of heroes, each with unique abilities, and work together to overcome challenges and uncover the story.
A dungeon-crawling adventure with app integration, offering seamless storytelling and strategic gameplay.
- Complexity: ★★★★★
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 1–4
- Playtime: 2–3 hours per session
Quick and Fun Party Games
Codenames
Turn your party into a battle of wits with Codenames! Split into teams, and let your spymaster guide you to uncover secret agents hidden in plain sight—using just one-word clues. It’s a game of creative thinking and clever guesses, with every round sparking excitement and laughter as players decode and misinterpret clues.
- Complexity: ★★★☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★★
- Ideal Player Count: 4–8
- Playtime: 15–30 minutes
Exploding Kittens
Looking for something quirky and hilarious? Exploding Kittens delivers chaos and laughs as players try to avoid drawing the dreaded "Exploding Kitten" card. With quirky illustrations and fast-paced gameplay, every turn keeps you on edge—will you survive, or will you blow up (figuratively, of course)?
- Complexity: ★★☆☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 2–5
- Playtime: 15 minutes
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Fast hands and sharp reflexes are all you need for this high-energy game. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza may sound silly—and it is!—but it’s also ridiculously fun. Shout out the sequence, slap the pile when there’s a match, and watch as everyone scrambles to keep up. Simple, chaotic, and endlessly entertaining.
- Complexity: ★☆☆☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 3–8
- Playtime: 10–15 minutes
Just One
How well can you and your friends sync up? Just One is all about teamwork and creativity as players give single-word clues to help the guesser figure out the mystery word. But here’s the twist: duplicate clues are erased, so you’ll have to think outside the box. Perfect for sparking conversation and collaboration!
- Complexity: ★★☆☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 3–7
- Playtime: 20 minutes
Dixit
Step into a world of imagination with Dixit, a storytelling game where art and creativity take center stage. Use whimsical illustrations to craft clues that are just mysterious enough to confuse your friends, but not so vague they can’t guess. It’s not just a game; it’s an enchanting journey through creativity.
- Complexity: ★★☆☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 3–6
- Playtime: 30 minutes
Family-Friendly Favorites
Ticket to Ride
Take your family on a thrilling journey across the map in Ticket to Ride! Whether you're connecting bustling cities or racing to complete your secret routes, this game offers endless excitement. Simple to learn but packed with strategy, it's perfect for players of all ages. Watch the competition heat up as everyone scrambles to claim the longest train routes!
- Complexity: ★★☆☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 2–5
- Playtime: 30–60 minutes
Azul
Transform your table into an artistic masterpiece with Azul! Inspired by Portuguese tile designs, this visually stunning game challenges you to draft colorful tiles and create dazzling patterns. It's as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the brain, making every turn a mix of strategy and satisfaction.
- Complexity: ★★☆☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 2–4
- Playtime: 30–45 minutes
Guess Who?
Bring on the classic fun with Guess Who?! Ask clever yes-or-no questions to narrow down your opponent's character. "Do they have glasses?" "Are they wearing a hat?" The game is simple, fast, and guarantees giggles, especially when kids outsmart the adults!
- Complexity: ★☆☆☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★☆☆
- Ideal Player Count: 2
- Playtime: 10–15 minutes
Labyrinth
Get ready to twist and turn your way through Labyrinth! This dynamic maze game lets you shift the board to uncover hidden treasures or block your opponents. With every move, the puzzle changes, keeping players on their toes. It’s a race to navigate the ever-changing maze—perfect for family adventures!
- Complexity: ★★☆☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 2–4
- Playtime: 20–30 minutes
Cooperative Games
Pandemic
Step into the shoes of a global hero in Pandemic! This game is all about teamwork as you race against the clock to stop four deadly diseases from spreading across the world. With each turn bringing new challenges, players must strategize, share resources, and discover cures before time runs out. It’s intense, thrilling, and a true test of collaboration!
- Complexity: ★★★☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★☆
- Ideal Player Count: 2–4
- Playtime: 45 minutes
Forbidden Island
Adventure awaits on the sinking Forbidden Island! Gather your team of explorers, and work together to recover four sacred treasures before the island disappears beneath the waves. Every move counts in this fast-paced game, where the stakes keep rising as the waters rise. Perfect for families, this game blends strategy and excitement in a race against time.
- Complexity: ★★☆☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★☆☆
- Ideal Player Count: 2–4
- Playtime: 30 minutes
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
Blast off into space with The Crew! This isn’t your typical card game—it’s a mission-based adventure where every trick you win brings you closer to uncovering the mysteries of Planet Nine. The twist? You can’t always communicate openly, so teamwork and intuition are key. With 50 missions to conquer, it’s a cosmic challenge like no other.
- Complexity: ★★★☆☆
- Replayability: ★★★★★
- Ideal Player Count: 3–5
- Playtime: 20 minutes per mission
Spirit Island
Protect your homeland in Spirit Island, a beautifully thematic game where you play as powerful spirits defending your island from invaders. Unleash your elemental powers, combine strategies with other players, and watch as the colonizers retreat. It’s complex, rewarding, and deeply immersive—a must-play for those who love rich storytelling and tactical depth.
- Complexity: ★★★★★
- Replayability: ★★★★★
- Ideal Player Count: 1–4
- Playtime: 90–120 minutes
Where to Buy and Play Board Games in Dubai
Back to Games
Back to Games is the UAE’s first dedicated retail store for modern board and card games. Known for its extensive collection of North American and European titles, it’s a haven for board game enthusiasts of all ages.
Locations & Timings:
- Times Square Center
- Address: Ground Floor, Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Quoz
- Contact: +971 4 323 1336 / +971 50 334 6066
- Timings: Open daily, 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Town Centre Jumeirah
- Address: Ground Floor, Jumeirah Street, Jumeirah
- Contact: +971 4 548 8445 / +971 50 335 0283
- Timings:
- Saturday to Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Thursday to Friday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Virgin Megastore
With outlets in major malls across Dubai, Virgin Megastore stocks a variety of popular board games, catering to casual players and families. It’s a convenient choice for mainstream games.
Locations:
- The Dubai Mall
- Mall of the Emirates
- Mercato Shopping Mall
Contact & Timings:
- Contact details vary by location.
- Timings follow standard mall operating hours (typically 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM).
Unwind Specialty Boardgame Café
Unwind Café is the UAE’s first board game café, offering over 800 board games alongside specialty coffee and snacks. It’s the perfect place to try before you buy, with game masters available to guide you.
Location & Timings:
- Address: Tower B, Park Gate Residences, Za'abeel 1, opposite Zabeel Park
- Contact: +971 4 333 6011
- Timings: Open daily, 8:00 AM – 1:00 AM
The Six Board Game Café
Situated in Downtown Dubai, The Six boasts a collection of over 1,000 board games. Their 'Team Gurus' assists guests by explaining game rules and facilitating gameplay. The café also offers a diverse menu, including pasta, salads, sushi, and main courses.
- Location: Burj Vista, The Boulevard, Downtown Dubai.
- Timings:
- Sunday to Thursday: 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
- Friday and Saturday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 AM
- Contact: +971-4-334-2666
Hive Board Game Café
Located in The Greens, Hive offers over 500 board games, ranging from classic to contemporary titles. The café features a stylish interior adorned with murals, providing a vibrant atmosphere for patrons.
- Location: Onyx Tower 1, The Greens.
- Timings:
- Daily: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Thursday to Saturday: 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM
- Contact: +971-58-826-9077
Charade Café
Charade offers a selection of board games alongside a menu featuring comfort foods like burgers, loaded fries, and shakes. The café provides complimentary board games for the first two hours with any food purchase, with options to extend playtime for an additional fee.
- Location: Jumeirah 1, Dubai.
- Timings:
- Daily: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Contact: +971-4-223-2266
Kefi Café
Kefi combines a collection of over 200 board games with artisan coffee and a cozy ambiance. The café also features a book library, making it a versatile spot for both gaming and reading enthusiasts.
- Location: Al Mamzar, Dubai.
- Timings:
- Daily: 8:00 AM – 1:00 AM
- Contact: +971-4-222-3344
Tips for Building Your Collection
Building and maintaining a board game collection that offers enjoyment and longevity involves thoughtful selection and proper care. Here are some tips to guide you:
1. Start with Versatile, Easy-to-Learn Games
Introducing games that are simple to understand yet engaging can help acclimate new players and provide a solid foundation for your collection. Consider:
- Catan: Players collect resources and build settlements, offering strategic depth with straightforward mechanics.
- Ticket to Ride: A game where players collect cards to claim railway routes, known for its simple rules and strategic gameplay.
These games are often recommended for beginners due to their accessibility and replayability.
2. Invest in High-Quality Components
Choosing games with durable and aesthetically pleasing components enhances the gaming experience and ensures longevity. High-quality pieces not only feel better to play with but also withstand repeated use, preserving the game's condition over time.
3. Implement Effective Storage Solutions
Proper storage keeps your collection organized and protects your games from damage. Consider the following strategies:
- Shelving Units: Storing game boxes upright on bookshelves or adjustable shelves saves space and makes selection easier. Cube storage units are particularly effective for keeping games visible and accessible while utilizing vertical space.
- Stackable Bins: For games with multiple components, stackable bins help in organizing pieces and prevent loss. Clear bins allow for easy identification and quick access.
- Labeling: Clearly label storage containers or shelves to facilitate easy retrieval and return of games, maintaining order in your collection.
Board games bring people together, spark creativity, and guarantee endless fun. Whether you love strategy, storytelling, or quick laughs, there’s a game for you. Build your collection, try something new, and make every game night unforgettable. Ready to roll the dice? Let the fun begin!
Also Read:
Umema Arsiwala
HiDubai Newswire
HiDubai Newswire
Nour Aboras
