What is a Tabletop Game?

Gone are the days when you would gather around a table to play Dungeons & Dragons. Nowadays, you can hop onto a live server of digital variations of tabletop games. Gamers worldwide still play tabletop games every now and then, especially during game nights or when socializing to keep the party going. Best of all, you don’t always have to play Dungeons & Dragons when there is a wealth of other tabletop games you could try. You can consider board games, card games, dice games, and even paper and pencil games. The options are simply far too many to run out of ideas. 

We’re exploring everything worth knowing about tabletop games below, including the best tabletop games you should consider playing at your next event.

What is a Tabletop Game?

A tabletop game is any game that is played on a table or flat surface. They include board games, card games, dice games, tabletop RPGs, miniature wargames, tile-based games, pencil and paper games, and more. With technology, you can choose to play tabletop games online. All you need is a screen and, sometimes, a controller to team up or compete against players worldwide in games like Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer 40K, chess, solitaire, etc.

Best Tabletop Games

Among the most popular tabletop games you can play, here are the best ones worth checking out.

6. Herd Mentality

Herd Mentality is a tabletop game that can be played by four to eight people. It’s also family-friendly, with a recommendation for ages ten and above. Time-wise, it should keep your party going for 20 to 30 minutes per round. As the name suggests, the game’s primary goal is to think like a herd of cows. You’ll need to try to write down the same answers as everyone else.

Players who give the most common answer all win a cow. If everyone matches with at least one other person in the group, they’ll receive the angry pink cow. Owning the pink cow makes all your cows worthless unless you can pass it to another player. The game ends when the first player collects eight cows and wins.

5. Brass: Birmingham

Another tabletop game you could try is Brass: Birmingham. It’s an economic strategy game that features entrepreneurs in Birmingham who strived to thrive during the Industrial Revolution from 1770 to 1870. The game has the pleasure of picking up from an already successful predecessor, Brass. As a result, the building of industries, networking, and trading mechanics works flawlessly.

There are the canal era from 1770 to 1830 and the rail era from 1830 to 1870, each with its own challenges. You can play the game with friends, with each player taking a turn to pick two actions from build, network, develop, sell, loan, or scout. Afterward, the player who scores the most points wins the game.

4. Labyrinth

Labyrinth needs two to four players, with the accommodation of ages eight upwards. It also takes 20 minutes to play, which can keep your kids busy or host a good chunk of game night. This is a puzzle-solving tabletop game that launched all the way back in 1986. It’s since held its own pretty well, resulting in multiple editions and alterations. However, the overall core gameplay remains navigating a maze formed from fixed and movable pieces. 

The goal is to rearrange the moveable pieces with a keenness to play the game to your advantage. As each player takes turns to move the pieces, the maze will gradually change. While you move around the maze, you collect treasures and try to return to your starting position, as the other players try to prevent you from returning to your starting position. If you can trap your competition in dead ends or make their journey through the labyrinth more difficult, the better odds for you to scoop up the win.

3. Scythe

Scythe is among the best tabletop games that one to five players can play. It’s family-friendly, accommodating players of ages 14 and above. Each round takes 90 to 115 minutes, making for a great way to fill a dull afternoon. The game is set in the 1920s in Europa, in the aftermath of the Great War. The Factory capitalistic city that develops heavily armored mechs has shut down, leaving opportunistic nations to take advantage of the chaos. 

You’re the leader of one of these nations, seeking to farm produce, innovate new technology, and reap from the spoils of war. So, you’ll compete in conquering new territory, enlisting new recruits, farming resources, building structures, and eventually activating monstrous mechs. Each player has different resources to work with, a different starting location, and a hidden objective. However, other than these, you have complete control over how to proceed and lead your faction to victory. 

2. Catan

Another tabletop you can play is Catan. It’s been available since 1995, with the description to trade, build, and settle. The goal is simple: grow your settlements, whether through trading or building structures. Every action you take impacts the fictional island of Catan, for the good or bad of your people. You’ll build roads and optimize production chains. If you’re looking for a modern take on the game, you can buy the latest editions, including CATAN: New Energies, which adds new gameplay like energy tokens and power plants.

1. Betrayal at House on the Hill

Betrayal at House on the Hill is a tile tabletop game where three to six players begin as allies. You all explore a haunted house, navigating dangers, traps, and bad omens. You’ll collect items and discover hidden mysteries. Since tiles are placed at random, each playthrough will be different. The ghost story, too, will be different, albeit the core arc remains the same, usually one player betraying the others.

So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our best tabletop games? Are there more tabletop games we should know about? Let us know over on our socials here.