So if you have a particular audience in mind, you can judge what game best suits your needs or interests. However, the recommendations above will have a player number, estimated game time and a brief description of what the game is like. There’s no real way to predict whether you like a game or not until you play it. READ NEXT: The best water guns you can buy How do I know which game I’ll enjoy playing most? And then there are cooperative games, where you work together to accomplish goals, succeed in missions or perform tasks in order to satisfy the winning conditions of the game as a group. Player elimination games, on the other hand, are filled with conflict and competition, with the aim being to win or eliminate other players from the game. Worker placement games see you place limited tokens or pieces around the board in order to take actions or acquire resources. There are Eurogames, also known as German-style games, which have nearly no direct player conflict and focus instead on industry, resource acquisition and building – strategy is the focus here.

The best party game: Throw Throw Burrito | £25.

The best card game: Exploding Kittens | £20.

READ NEXT: Best board games for adults Best board games: At a glance Otherwise, go ahead and dive into our roundup of the best board games for all ages. If you’re really not sure what type of board game to go for, check out our bite-sized buying guide at the end of this article, where we’ll answer all the key questions you might have. Build empires, flex your investigative muscles, concoct complex schemes or just have silly laughs – there’s something here for everybody. So grab your kids, friends or co-workers and prepare to spend a few hours dabbling with some social gaming fun. We’ve taken our pick of the finest family-friendly and adult-oriented board games out there, covering every genre from strategy and puzzle to mystery and military.

There’s a whole world beyond Monopoly and Scrabble – board games are back and there has never been a better time to explore what’s on offer.

They’re more popular now than they have ever been, and with the flurry of new games hitting our living room tables over the past few years, it’s not hard to see why. Board games have seen something of a revolution in recent years. Tabletop games are great for passing the time and the best board games can bring your family and friends together like nothing else.

Popular party card games