The most popular board games for adults offer the right amount of complexity or more adult themes for a grown-up game night.
Shopping We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team. Many adults have come a long way from Candyland and The Game of Life. Now, there are tons of super clever board games that are actually fun to play over the age of six. And the most popular board games for adults offer the right amount of complexity or more adult themes to make sense for a grown-up game night. Now, just because these games are aimed at adults, doesn’t mean they are all outrageously NSFW. You’ll find crime-themed or horror board games on the list that might be a bit much for children, as well as board games like Catan that are just a little more complicated or over-the-top than your average family fare. On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find easy-to-play adult party games, which range from mildly suggestive to hilariously unfit for a family setting. These games tend to require almost no setup, utilize rules that make sense in under five minutes, and have room for large groups of players. Whether you want to bust out a classically cheeky game like Cards Against Humanity or learn some new facts about your friends with the revealing The Voting Game, there’s something that’ll entertain everyone. Just because you’re not a kid anymore doesn’t mean you have to leave board games behind. With these amazing board and card games for adults, you’ll want to find any excuse to play. Really get to know your friends with The Voting Game. Each round starts with a question like “Who would survive the longest in a zombie apocalypse?” Then, you vote on which friend best fits the bill, and after the results are given, you try to guess who voted for you. Basically, you learn what people really think about you in a hilarious way. One fan wrote: “We love playing cards against humanity. This game is just as great but more personal! The cards vary from adult themed to every day things but the voting being directly related to the people [you’re] with is so much fun! You really find out a lot about your friends and family. We absolutely love this game! I am definitely going to be buying this for gifts in the future. My brother loved it so much, he already bought all the expansion packs haha.” Live out your James Bond fantasies with Codenames. All the players (or agents) know each other only by code names and they race to see who can identify an agent first. If you like games like Werewolf and Mafia, this one really takes that to the next level. One fan wrote: “I first started playing this game with my other 20something friends in breweries or at house parties. I’d also play more tame versions with my roommates at home. It’s so fun with friends! However, what I LOVE about this game is that it is family-friendly without being boring. I got this as a gift for my sister, and we had a ball playing with my parents, other sister, and brother-in-law. It’s a challenging, adult-friendly game without any of the cringiness that comes from hearing your dad read cards during What Do You Meme (although I love that game too).” If you and your game night crew love to “act up,” Cranium Dark should be the next addition to your board game collection. Cranium tests your trivia chops, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, and is just as much fun as a single-player game as it is with teams. The rules are pretty straightforward, and there’s no board — everything is based on cards — so you can get down to hilarity sooner. Reviewers also note that it’s a bit more PG than some other adult-focused board games, which makes this a great choice for mixed groups. One fan wrote: “I go to a game night at a bar and they have wild card night where you can bring in your own game to play so I brought this. Let me tell you I haven’t laughed this much in years. To see a grown man acting like Godzilla screeching at the top of his lungs […] then to have a woman act out her card while pretending to be Elvis. It’s a good adult game that gets you comfortably out of your comfort zone.” Touted as “The Worst Game Ever Made,” Disturbed Friends makes you decide what you and your friends would do in horrible situations. When you have to answer questions like, “In order to destroy my arch-nemesis, I will…” you tend to learn a lot about how terrible you and your friends really are! Once you play, you can really never go back (but you won’t want to — it’s a lot of fun). One fan wrote: “This is hands down one of the best games I’ve ever played. The cards are so raunchy and I love it! Some of the cards we couldn’t even stop laughing to read them and couldn’t even believe some of the choices on them. The winning cards are definitely super funny. Definitely a great game for adults, and a fun night. Hoping there’s a lot more expansion packs in the near future.” Kind of like an IRL Oregon Trail and a less fantastical Dungeons & Dragons, Catan gives you a totally different playing experience every time. Players discover the isle of Catan and go on a quest to settle its wild lands. With more than 18,000 reviews on Amazon and a 4.9 rating on the site overall, it’s safe to say that players love the combination of trading, tactics, and strategy that this game requires. One fan wrote: “This game is everything I had heard about. Easy enough that my ten year old is able to play with us, but with enough depth to hold on to the older players. Loved it and will play it for years!” Cards Against Humanity has pretty much taken over the board game world.
