As much as I love video games, and trust me, the over 8,000 hours in Path of Exile and the over 10,000 in the Pokemon franchise are very real, board games also have my unconditional love. Be it party games, games like Dungeons & Dragons where it's more tabletop than anything, or even the board game of Elden Ring, there's just a lot to love for everyone. One of my favorite board games of all time (that I almost never play) is Root, which also got a video game version several years ago.
That should tell you something about my taste in board games, and if it doesn't, I hope the list of the best new or upcoming titles I put together does. Spoilers: fans of Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, dice-rolling shenanigans, and Dungeon Master screens will have something to look out for, but so will fans of Red Dead Redemption 2, superhero comics, and more.
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These board games are the perfect pastime for a spooky night with friends, and are easily more terrifying than some video games.
Western Legends Stories
Building on the sandbox success of Western Legends, Western Legends Stories deepens the Wild West experience with episodic storytelling and a dynamic frontier town that evolves as you play. You carve out your own legends through exploration, town building, and tactical decision-making. This stands out in 2026's lineup for its blend of open-world freedom and narrative progression, making it perfect for campaign-style play and as a board game adaptation of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Core mechanics:
- Open-world exploration and action selection
- Episodic narrative progression
- Player choice-driven sandbox gameplay and strategic planning
- Multiple paths to victory
- Genre: Narrative Adventure
Brass: Pittsburgh
Part of the acclaimed Brass series, Brass: Pittsburgh moves the industrial strategy experience from 19th-century England to the heart of America's steel capital. Expect deep resource management, intense competition, and strategic rail networks, which are hallmarks of the Brass legacy. If you loved Brass: Birmingham, this iteration upgrades that blueprint with a new map and thematic twist.
Core mechanics:
- Economic network building (rail, oil, steel)
- Resource management and market timing
- Strategic spatial expansion
- High-interaction Eurogame strategy
- Genre: Eurogame
FLOE
FLOE challenges players to guide brave characters across an icy archipelago, exploring uncharted territories, facing perilous conditions, and completing heroic quests. Its unique movement system and resource progression make every session tactically rewarding. Arctic themes are underused in tabletop gaming, and this one appears to pair environmental survival with strategic depth. If you enjoy games like Everdell, FLOE may be right up your alley.
Core mechanics:
- Modular map exploration
- Action programming or movement planning
- Resource management in hostile terrain
- Medium-weight strategic progression
- Genre: Thematic
Red Dog Junction
A frontier-themed title generating early buzz among hobbyists, this game appears to emphasize tactical positioning and narrative tension in a lawless settlement. If you like games like Warhammer 40K: Space Marine mixed with raw sci-fi from a couple of decades ago, Red Dog Junction may scratch just that itch. Not a lot is known about this game other than some early previews, though.
Core mechanics:
- Scenario-based encounters
- Tactical board movement
- Variable character roles
- Worker placement-like with big spaceships
- Genre: (Presumably) Worker Placement/Eurogame
Nippon: Zaibatsu
The classic Eurogame Nippon returns in 2026 as Nippon: Zaibatsu, a reimagined edition that celebrates the game's 10th anniversary with deeper strategy, richer components, and expanded gameplay options, including a new solo mode and upgraded mechanics. Nippon gained a devoted following for its clever economic strategy and the tension between area control/majority and resource management.
Core mechanics:
- Area majority and influence to control regions of Japan
- Worker placement with limited worker options
- Engine-building with a network of factories and railroads to produce goods
- Genre: Eurogame
Crits & Tricks
One of the more intriguing hybrid designs slated for 2026, Crits & Tricks appears poised to merge two traditionally separate tabletop experiences: classic trick-taking card play and role-playing game unpredictability. Given its premise of taking your chosen class on a quest, this could be the perfect game like Dungeons & Dragons if you want to give board games a chance. Yet, details are scarce at the moment.
Core mechanics:
- Trick-taking card game with dice-rolling mechanics
- Quest drafting
- Special scoring conditions triggered during tricks
- Variable card effects that shift round dynamics
- Genre: Strategy card game
Smallfolk
If you like cozy games like Stardew Valley with cute art, Smallfolk may be exactly that, but in a board game version. This is a point-based game where you adventure as a hero and collect more cards along the way, while still having some classic worker placement elements with a board made to look like a map with small towns to travel to and fro. Resources and cards are the core of the game, with the latter scoring you points at the end of the game.
Core mechanics:
- Collecting cards to gain new abilities and Victory Points
- Resource optimization
- Board interaction and tableau-building
- Genre: Tableau-building
Grendel: The Game of Crime and Mayhem
Probably one of the most visually striking titles in the 2026 lineup, Grendel: The Game of Crime and Mayhem adapts Matt Wagner's cult comic property into an asymmetric tabletop conflict. Players take on radically different roles with wildly different board presence: from the criminal mastermind to law enforcement or rival factions, each with distinct win conditions and mechanical advantages. The factions are four, encompassing Grendel, the werewolf Argent, the police, and the mob, all fighting to take control of New York City, something that fans of superhero Marvel comics will know by heart.
Core mechanics:
- Asymmetric faction abilities
- Area control and territorial influence
- Resource-driven power escalation
- Each game is different from the others due to factions, asymmetric powers, and player decisions
- Genre: Thematic, Area control