Board Games for Grown-Ups That Are Actually Fun

(Image credit: Courtesy)

published 30 December 2020

Picture this: It's Saturday night and you're dying to blow off some stream, but it's too cold or too wet to go anywhere. What's a friend group to do? Hear us out: You should play a board game. No, we're not talking about the ones you played as a child. Turns out, there's an entire industry of games specifically created for people over 21. So, grab a bottle of wine—okay, maybe several—and get started. From strategy and two-player games to updated versions of Monopoly or Scrabble, you're bound to find a grown-up game on this list that everyone can agree on. Now you can have a perfectly good time without ever having to leave the house—or changing out of your sweatpants and hoodie. And if you're doing a Zoom game night, check out our picks for that here.

What Do You Meme?® TikTok Edition

If you're feeling out of touch with Gen Z, consider this version of What Do You Meme? It comes in two categories—Barely Safe For Work (BSFW) and Not Safe For Work (NSFW)—so while this might not be the best choice for your office Christmas party, it's perfect for a night in with your friends.

Catan Studios Catan

This game is great if you've got some time on your hands—and honestly, who doesn't right now? It's hailed as "original strategy board game," so now is as good a time as ever to start playing.

Cards Against Humanity

Try as you may, you'll never really escape Cards Against Humanity. It's a textbook good time.

Pictionary Air Party Game

Think of this game as the tech-y updated version of the one you played as a kid. Use the pen to sketch your card in the air while your friends use an app on their phone to decode the drawing.

Monopoly: Longest Game Ever

Hear me out: Monopoly actually gets more fun as you get older. This version is designed to be the longest one ever made, and has some new rules to make that possible. As in, even bankruptcy won't get a player out of the game.

Big Potato The Blockbuster Party Game

Throw it back to the '90s with this retro Blockbuster game. Split up into two teams and duke it out with a series of trivia and Jeopardy-style games.

We’re Not Really Strangers Card Game

Less of a board game and more of a self-help guide, this deck of cards is perfect for wine nights with your nearest and dearest.

Inspiration Play Outrageous Party Game

Gather your funniest friends and play this game. Players have to come up with the most outrageous (hence the name) responses to modern questions before one judge picks the best response.

Drunk Stoned or Stupid: A Party Game

This game comes with 250 cards that will declare which of your friends is most likely to....do a lot of crazy stuff. Prepare to get to know your inner circle a lot better.

DSS Games Trivillennial: The Trivia Game for Millennials

Get educated (or re-educated) on millennial trivia with the 1,000 cards included in this game. From Left Shark to Pizza Rat, you'll become a millennial mastermind.

Spin Master Games Hedbanz Adulting

There's nothing adults like more than making a children's game X-rated. Have your group try to explain what your card says using only yes or no questions.

Scrabble Deluxe Scrabble

Scrabble is having a major resurgence right now, but you didn't hear it from us. This deluxe version of the childhood favorite comes on a spinning board and can be engraved.

LAOZZI Chess Set

You've probably already streamed The Queen's Gambit on Netflix,so why not play an actual game of chess with your friend?

Mattel Escape Room in a Box: Flashback Game

You might not be able to go to an actual escape room right now, so there's no better time to bring it home. You have 90 minutes to decipher a series of codes and puzzles, just like the real thing.

Z-Man Games Carcassonne Board Game Standard

Inspired by a medieval fortress city of the same name, Carcassonne is a tile game where you and your friends have to duke it out for the strongest city.

DOff Topic Off Topic Adult Party Game

Creativity is key in this game. You draw a topic card and then roll a set of dice to see what letter your answers should begin with. You and your friends must race against the clock to see who can write the most words down.

Spin Master Games Family Feud: Late Night Edition

Nominate one of your friends to be a stand-in Steve Harvey and play this adults-only version of the family-friendly game that everyone watches on TV.

Laurence King Publishing Wonder Women Bingo

This game features 48 inspiring women from around the world for a bingo game experience unlike anything you've played before.

Neddy Games Conspiracy Theory Trivia Board Game

Test your knowledge of internet conspiracy theories with this board game. If you want to learn more, each of the cards has a QR code that will teach you anything you want to know.

Julia Marzovilla is the Fashion E-Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she reviews the latest launches from fashion and beauty brands, finds the best on-sale items around the internet, and interviews experts to find the best products in any category to share with her readers. She also creates shopping guides that span every vertical on the site as an expert in everything from the best laptop bags to the best laser hair removal devices.

In her near decade of experience, Julia has both written for several top outlets in the E-Commerce space and worked at major fashion labels. Prior to joining the Marie Claire team, she contributed similar shopping stories to sites such as Bustle, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Who What Wear, and worked as the Trending Fashion and News Writer STYLECASTER. You can find her across the internet at @JuliaMarzovilla. In real life, you can find her creating shopping guides for her friends, cooking or baking in her too-small kitchen, or buying tickets for the next time Harry Styles is in town.

Julia has a Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Journalism from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. She lives in New York City, her hometown.