Shop the best board games for all skill levels

The American Tabletop Awards highlight each year's top picks.

July 8, 2024, 6:17 PM

Board games share a unique ability to foster memories, create bonds and flow competitive energy. A favorite family and friends pastime, board games play an integral part in vacations, date nights and down time.

As such, the The American Tabletop Awards began awarding the top board games starting in 2019.

"The American Tabletop Awards Committee is made up of 10 members bringing a diverse set of perspectives from various parts of the board gaming and tabletop communities," reads the site for the organization.

Awards handed out by the group are diverse so as to highlight the many qualities a well-rounded game may possess. The awards are separated into early gamers, for younger players, casual games, for a wide range of experience levels, strategy games, which are more complex and may take more time to play and complex games, covering games for the more experienced players.

Here are the top picks from the American Tabletop Awards as well as some options for the most popular games on the market.

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Award-winning games

Amazon

WizKids Blob Party | Party Game

This active game, for ages 8 and up, incentivizes teamwork as group members attempt to become a large blob.This took home the Early Gamers award this year.

  • $29.95
  • Amazon
Amazon

Pandasaurus Games Sea Salt and Paper Card Game

A 2024 Casual Games winner, Sea Salt and Paper is a strategy focused game where players attempt to create an ocean.

  • $14.99
  • Amazon
Amazon

The White Castle Board Game

This game, for ages 12 and up, won the Complex Games category in 2024, and focuses on a search for power in a Japanese castle.

  • $39.99
  • Amazon
Amazon

Scorpion Masque Turing Machine

Turing Machine, for ages 14 and up, which won the Casual Games category in 2023, asks questions of logic to bring the player closer to a secret code.

  • $39.95
  • Amazon
26% off
Amazon

AEG & Flatout Games | Calico

Calico won the 2021 award for strategy games and is designed for ages 10 and up.

  • $29.55
  • $39.99
  • Amazon

Classic games

26% off
Amazon

CATAN Board Game (Base Game)

This classic board game, for ages 10 and up, invites players to compete against neighboring comunities looking to expand their society.

  • $43.97
  • $59.99
  • Amazon
Amazon

Hasbro Gaming The Game of Life Board Game

For ages 8 and up, Life offers opportunities to seek out different life paths in a competition format.

  • $21.60
  • Amazon
20% off
Amazon

Scrabble Game Deluxe Edition Letter Tiles Board Game

Scrabble deluxe, for ages 8 and up, offers all the classic fun of Scrabble with a rotating board and and carrying case for convenience.

  • $35.98
  • $44.99
  • Amazon
20% off
Amazon

Hasbro Gaming Connect 4 Classic Grid

Connect 4 is a classic game for all ages. This box comes with 21 discs of each color.

  • $9.49
  • $11.99
  • Amazon