10 Greatest Board Games For Teens (Ranked)

Narrowing a list of the greatest board games for teens is no easy job, as there are just so many offerings.

The age group of 13-19 is a popular target for many brands, and the choices have never been more than in 2024. From pure classics to new inventions, the market has plenty of offerings for teens today to spend some quality time with their friends and family.

10. Battleship

Battleship might be the simplest entry on this list, but they will always have a memorable place in my heart. The simple gameplay is very easy to learn, but every round has a moment of surprise. Moreover, all variants of Battleship are easy to carry, making the board game perfect for family tours and long journeys. However, its limitation of playability in terms of the number of players puts it at the bottom spot.

9. Catan

The hex-based gameplay of Catan will never go out of fashion, and it’s as good a pick for family nights as it is for a group of teenagers. Over the last three decades, Catan has managed to provide endless hours of fun to those who love to build their settlements. Unlike typical war board games, the mantra is to barter and trade with your fellow mates. The idea is to expand your settlement to become the first to reach 10 victory points in order to secure the win.

8. Scrabble

I feel that half my vocabulary has developed from the Scrabble nights I spent with my brother. A game specifically built for two, Scrabble tests your ability to formulate words from a handful of randomly assigned letters. While the main emphasis is on creating words, not all letters provide you with equal points. Scrabble is the perfect way to spend some quality time with a game that’s fun and educational at the same time, and you can pick from one of the many special editions available on the market.

7. Everdell

The reason for Everdell‘s spot at 7th is its slightly niche nature as a civilization builder. However, I have always had fond memories of the genre (be it digital or not), and Everdell is an excellent addition to your collection. The main objective is to build the best possible city between two winters, but the job isn’t as easy. Every turn, you can place a worker to advance your city or play a card that reveals a unique strategy in your favor (or hinders the opposition).

6. Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride is such a fun game that you often forget how strategic the core gameplay could become. Creating the longest continuous rail route isn’t easy when there are so many different possible ways to make that happen. But again, it’s a work of balance – do you claim more routes by drawing cards, or do you try to get more Destination Tickets? Ticket to Ride is available in different editions if you’re looking to modify your gameplay experience.

5. Clue

Known as Cluedo outside North America, Clue is an ageless classic to test your powers of deduction. The game revolves around three types of cards – character, weapon, and location. The top card of each kind is placed in a confidential file. What follows is a sequence of guesswork as you and your friends try to figure out the contents of the confidential file. The aim is to uncover your opponents’ hands to get a peek at the confidential items and then make the correct accusation to match the victory condition.

4. Wingspan

When Wingspan came out, I was well past my teenage years, and yet, there’s a fantastic charm to this title. For starters, this is the perfect choice for those who love nature, and birds in particular. The key is to attract different birds to your habitats, which results in points (the person with the most points after 4 rounds wins). To grow your habitat, you’ll need to use the food tokens to draw the birds and lay the eggs with miniature tokens. Since its release in 2019, Wingspan has received several expansions as well.

3. Codenames

At its core, Codenames is one of the simplest board games for teenagers to learn. You form a team, and one person has to act out a word card for a correct guess. This is easier said than done, as your teammate can only speak one word (with certain restrictions). Guess correctly, and your team is one step closer to a victory. Guess wrong, and you might end up putting the opposition in a stronger position.

2. Flamecraft

Out of all entries on this list, Flamecraft is the best fit for teenagers – it’s a bit complex for children, and there are better alternatives for adults. Flamecraft takes a cuter approach to the whole arc of fantasy, and the core gameplay is straightforward to learn. As Flamekeepers, you get to visit different shops, and the aim is to attract more dragons to the establishments by building up a reputation. Flamecraft is also an excellent way to get into placement games, and you can upgrade to more recent titles like Dune: Imperium if you want to explore more.

1. Monopoly

The board game of Monopoly might be older than me, but it’s hard to dethrone the king of party games. Monopoly is not just fun to play with friends, but it taught me so many financial concepts (like how you gradually upgrade your properties and why it’s ultimately beneficial even if you incur a cost upfront). Over the years, Monopoly has received numerous special editions, sets with special rules, and more. Personally, I think the classic version still holds an evergreen place in my heart as the best-ever board game of my teenage years.

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