Table of Contents
Board games have experienced a golden age in recent times with a multitude of different games released every year, each introducing different mechanics, themes and genres to the hobby.
This is awesome for a board game enthusiast like me, however, many of these games are super expensive (just look at Kingdom Death: Monster which sells for $400)!
Fortunately, some of the best games on the market do not require a large capital spend at all, proving that sometime more money does not equal more fun!
In this article, I will take you through, what I believe are the top 10 best cheap board games that will give you the best bang for your buck and why!
The Top 10 Cheap Board Games
1. Pandemic
Players: 2 – 4
Duration: 45mins – 60mins
Pandemic is a cooperative multiplayer game for 2-4 players who need to work together to save the world from 4 disease outbreaks which threaten humanities very existence.
Think the flu is something scary every winter? Wait until you see what is incubating in this game.
Players each take control over a character (such as a medic or a scientist), that all have unique special abilities. Players need to use these abilities wisely and work as a team to eradicate, cure and rid the cities of the world of the 4 diseases, all while handling epidemics that occur randomly via a deck mechanic – epidemics make matters much much worse.
Pandemic is perfectly suited for family game nights, as well as for a night in among friends. The game is super challenging so when you finally win as a team it feels very rewarding. The randomness of the decks and the different characters means there is a huge amount of replay value and generally when playing – one playthrough is never enough!
Pros:
- Relatively short game play at about 45 minutes for experienced players.
- It is not a multiplayer game where everyone does their own thing, but truly requires collaboration.
- Winning brings a sense of accomplishment to all players.
- The game board and pieces are beautifully designed.
Cons:
- Can be exceptionally difficult to win.
- Instructions can be difficult to understand for new players.
Players: 5 – 10
Duration: 30mins
Do you love hidden identity board games? If so, then you will love The Resistance.
Players take on the roles of either resistance operatives or imperial spies. The game at first appears to be cooperative, whereby players work together to carry out missions against the evil Empire. However, the real crux of the game is trying to work out who amongst your team is a spy and who isn’t.
The game is played in rounds which start with a discussion between players. This is where all the bluffing and backstabbing takes place – at the end of the discussion the leader of that round needs to entrust the plans of the mission to several players they believe are not spies.
Spies will obviously secretly plan to sabotage the missions, while the goal of the resistance operatives is to successfully carry out the missions and overthrow the Empire.
Resistance is the perfect balance of cooperative play with a traitor mechanic that will bring out everyone’s competitive streak.
Pros:
- Relatively easy for new players to learn.
- Short game play for a board game, only needing about 30 minutes.
- Unique mechanics for a hidden identity game.
Cons:
- Needs at least 5 people to play, but best with about 8.
- Expansion packs are needed for better game play, keeping it fresh, and evening out the odds between spies and the resistance players.
3. Forbidden Desert
Players: 2 – 5
Duration: 45mins
Forbidden Desert is another great cooperative game. The game has players work together to find a lost flying machine in the ruins of an ancient desert city.
Team play is important for everyone to survive the extreme desert heat and relentless sandstorms in order to retrieve the flying machine and escape before everyone perishes.
The game is super fun to play and all players roles in the game are very important. The game utilises the unique mechanics of an ever-shifting board and method for which the players use to locate the flying machine.
At the end of the game, all players either win or lose. The game is a great game for new and old board gamers alike and is suitable for children ages 10+.
Pros:
- Simple gameplay, with easy to follow instructions.
- Moderate game length, lasting about 45 minutes after the first couple games.
- Is great to help teach cooperation and teamwork for older kids.
- Every time you play it is a bit different, so it does not get boring over time.
Cons:
- Can be very difficult to win.
- Individual players die one at a time, leaving them bored the rest of the game if they die early.
- Game board can be easily disturbed being it is a series of cards.
4. Codenames
Players: 2 – 8
Duration: 15mins
Codenames is a party favorite game of mine. It has simple gameplay and can be played with as little as two players, and no upper limit to how many can play. The game is just a super fun party word game with a Spy Thriller theme mixed in for entertainment.
The game splits players into two teams with a ‘spymaster’ on both teams. The spymaster knows the secret identities of 25 agents – however the teammates only know the agents by their CODENAMES.
The aim of the game if for the spymaster to give clues to their teammates in order to get them to guess the identities of the agents by pointing to options on a board (without revealing the other teams’ agents). The trick is – the spymaster can only give the clues in the form of 1 word.
It is always funny to me the one word clues the “spymaster” comes up with to help guide the team to the appropriate words for the team. When a bunch of adults get together, and more geared at having fun than necessarily “winning,” this can be quite hilarious!
It could also be helpful for older kids to learn synonyms for words and expand their vocabulary and understanding.
Pros:
- Super short gameplay lasting only about 15 minutes.
- Very simple and easy to learn.
- Encourages creativity on both the part of the “spymaster” as well as the team.
Cons:
- Game board are cards that can be easily damaged without caution.
- Best for groups of 4-6.
- If teams are not well distributed, can become lopsided, especially if playing with children.
5. Friday
Players: 1
Duration: 25mins
If you are in the mood for a single player board game (technically a card game), then Friday is a great budget option that is super fun to play.
In the game you play as Friday and your goal is to help Robinson Crusoe survive life stranded on an island, including attacks from unfriendly pirates.
The game is a solo deck building game where you use ‘fight’ cards to attempt to defeat hazards on the island. If you defeat a hazard you can add this card to your deck. If not you lose a life token.
The aim of the game is to build a strong enough deck to fight the two pirate ships circling the island and keep Robinson alive.
Pros:
- Challenging enough you do not win every time.
- Difficulty can be increased for more skilled players.
- Can be played in about 30 minutes.
Cons:
- Cards are the board and can easily become damaged.
- For a solo game, takes up a lot of space.
6. Chrononauts
Players: 1 – 6
Duration: 30mins
If you have ever wanted to know what it was like to travel through time, then chrononauts is the game for you.
Players must travel through time (past and future) changing significant events in history in order to make their own, personal timeline a reality.
The tricky part is that you are competing against other time travellers with the same goal who are also changing events to suit their personal timelines – creating time paradoxes!
The game is great to play either solo or as a group and can be played super quick! I’ve even played a game during my lunch break and its perfect for multiple play throughs during a games night.
Pros:
- Very versatile for solo or group play.
- Plenty of variations to ensure it does not get old quickly as you take on new “challenges.”
- Lots of little jokes and hints to SciFi classics hidden throughout the game. Almost enough to just read through the cards.
Cons:
- As with most card type games, the cards can easily become damaged, and the box is not very rugged.
- Can be a bit confusing for new players to pick up and play.
- Unfortunately, the shuffle of the deck determines how long the game lasts.
7. Sushi Go!
Players: 2 – 5
Duration: 15mins
Sushi Go is a very simple card passing game (known as a drafting game). Easy enough to play, the goal is to get as many points as possible, and you need not have knowledge or desire for sushi to have a blast with this game.
The concept is simple: collect sets for points, and score the most points in three sets. That keeps the game quick and simple. The most difficult part is understanding how the scoring works and playing your hand accordingly. Easy for young kids to join in as a beginner level game.
Pros:
- Great to play with kids, including appropriate cartoonish illustrations.
- Short games lasting about 15 minutes.
- Tin box included to help with durability.
Cons:
- Scoring can be a little complex at first.
- Not a lot of depth to the game for adult groups.
- Best played with 3-5 players, not great if you want a two-player game.
8. Jungle Speed
Players: 2 – 10
Duration: 10mins
If you are looking for a quick game to play while waiting for an appetizer or to just play in a pinch, this is it. Super simple gameplay for groups of 2-10, and easy enough for kids as young as 7 years old to play.
To win jungle speed you will need to pair your ability to observe matching patterns with your quick reflexes. Not a mind-numbing game due to the quick gameplay but also not a drawn-out story-based game either. Perfect for a quick competition among friends.
Pros:
- Compact, and easy to take with you.
- Simple for young children to adults to learn and play.
- Comes in a cardboard box so helps the game last a little longer than most card games.
Cons:
- Very repetitive, so not great for playing with the same group all the time.
- Can be very unbalanced when playing with a mixed age crowd.
9. The Rivals for Catan
Players: 2
Duration: 45mins – 120mins
This is a two-player card game version to one of the most popular classic adventure board games ever made (and my personal favorite game) – Catan.
In the game each player takes on the role of a prince for Catan, tasked with developing their individual provinces. To win you need to build a more successful province than the other player.
The game is a strategy game where players need to use their cards to build roads, settlements and other buildings using resources that are accumulated with each turn. Players then need to decide which of these to upgrade (each unlocking more buildings and upgrades).
This is a great game for playing with your significant other or a good friend when you have some downtime. Most games last more than an hour so you’ll need a decent slot of time to get through a full game.
Pros:
- Great card adaption of the original game.
- Three expansion packs allow for increased difficulty and game variation.
- Lots of strategy involved.
Cons:
- It is on the longer side for a two-player card game, usually lasting over an hour.
- Takes a lot of space to play.
- Very complex, can take some time to learn and master the gameplay.
10. Azul
Players: 2 – 4
Duration: 30mins – 45mins
How to describe Azul: one of a kind. Simply put it is a tile placement game that requires players to create patterns with tiles supplied in order to win points. The game has the perfect mix of luck and skill as players need to strategize the best approach to earn the most points – bonus points are awarded for completing rows of tiles or sets.
The games components are very high quality and the amount of color variation of the tiles makes the game visually stunning.
Pros:
- Easy gameplay and rules, allowing most to pick up how to play quickly.
- Quick gameplay.
Cons:
- A lot of small pieces to keep track of, and will negatively affect gameplay if lost.
Final Thoughts
Board games are a lot of fun and to enjoy them you do not need to break the bank.
The board games listed in this article are not only cheap, but are super fun to play. Many of them are quick and easy board games that are suitable to play with children or on date night at a restaurant.
I’ve tried to include a variety of games and genres to appeal to as many people as possible. I am sure there will be at least one game in this list that you will enjoy playing!
