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Best board games and card games in Australia

We read hundreds of reviews to find the 12 best board and card games you can get in Australia right now.

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Ericka Pingol

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Tim Falk
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The best board and card games in Australia

How did we pick this list?

Our editorial team chose the board and card games on this list using real customer reviews. We extensively researched the features that matter when you're comparing board and card games. We then weighted those features, consumer ratings and price to pick the best products for each category.

Read our full methodology below.

Monopoly Classic

Best overall board game

Monopoly Classic
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Suitable for all ages
  • Easy to play

Cons

  • The game can take hours to finish
  • This particular version has fewer lower-value paper money notes

Why we chose it

Our pick for the best overall board game is the Monopoly Classic. It has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 20,000 Amazon reviews.

Monopoly Classic is a fast-dealing property trading game where each player can buy, sell and scheme to be rich. This version includes the Rubber Ducky, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Penguin into its collection of tokens. This set is made for 2–8 players and includes tokens, title deed cards and chance cards.

This iconic game is an old favourite, with customers saying it is part of their childhood. This version has a few extras that make the game a lot more fun and interesting. Reviewers loved that it can be played by all ages, adding that the instructions are quite easy to follow.

Battleship Electronic

Best 2-player board game

Battleship Electronic
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Portable
  • Has a one-player mode

Cons

  • More expensive than other board games
  • Numbers and letters are difficult to read

Why we chose it

Battleship Electronic is our choice for the best 2-player board game. It has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 4,000 reviews on Amazon.

It is a game of naval combat that combines competition, excitement and strategy. A head-to-head battle, players must search for their opponent's fleet of ships and destroy them.

Many customers praised the game for being fun yet competitive. It also teaches strategy and patience, especially to young players. Many reviewers also liked that it's portable, making it easy to set up anywhere, anytime. The game also has a solo-player mode. It is more expensive than competitors in the market, but customers said the portable battle case justifies the price.

Catan The Board Game

Best board game for adults

Catan The Board Game
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Only takes 90 minutes to play
  • Suitable for 3–4 players

Cons

  • Some found the playing cards too flimsy
  • Set-up takes some time

Why we chose it

For adults, we chose Catan The Board Game as the best board game. On Amazon, it has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 19,000 reviews.

Catan The Board Game takes adventurous players into the island of Catan where you get to explore its many regions, pastures, hills, forests and deserts. Your mission is to guide your settlers to victory by outsmarting fellow settlers and using resources to buy development cards for building roads, settlements and cities.

According to customers, this board game is quite complicated and involves a lot of strategies. However, it is a fun and competitive game, ideal for people who love strategy games. It only takes 90 minutes per session, but each game is different as you can create any kind of settlement you want each time.

Cluedo

Best board game for families

Cluedo
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Beginner-friendly
  • Instructions are easy to follow

Cons

  • This version contains smaller cards than the original release
  • Flimsy cards

Why we chose it

Cluedo is our pick for the best board game for families. It has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 10,000 customer reviews on Amazon.

In this board game, a murder occurs and there are 6 suspects. Players have to find out who's responsible. They also have to find out what weapon was used and in which room the murder occurred. This particular version also introduces a new character, Dr Orchid, who is among the suspects.

Cluedo is a fun, family-friendly whodunit game. It is suitable for every age because of its easy gameplay and instructions. Customers also said that it's a great introductory game for people new to board games.

Cranium Dark

Best party board game

Cranium Dark
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Customers said it's a hilarious game perfect for parties
  • Suitable for a large group of people

Cons

  • Some of the cards are quite complicated according to reviews
  • Difficult to play

Why we chose it

If you're looking for the best party board game, we recommend Cranium Dark. It has a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars from more than 700 reviews.

In this game, you pick an action card and show it to the rest of the players. Then, you choose a Cranium card and keep it a secret. Your task is to describe what's in the Cranium card by expressing it in the style of the action card in just 60 seconds. To win, you must collect 7 cards by guessing the Cranium cards correctly.

According to customers, this board game is hilarious. It is perfect for a large group of people and parties because it breaks the ice. It also encourages players to be creative when using the action cards, which leads to laughter and weird movements most of the time.

Hungry Hungry Hippos Classic

Best board game for kids

Hungry Hungry Hippos Classic
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Portable
  • Suitable for kids aged 3 and up

Cons

  • A couple of the hippos get stuck easily
  • Flimsy game board

Why we chose it

For the best board game for kids, we picked Hungry Hungry Hippos Classic. It has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 8,000 Amazon reviews.

The Hungry Hungry Hippos game is a classic, marble-chomping game for kids 3 years old and up. It includes 4 hippo heads and bodies plus marbles for the hippos to chomp.

This board game is simple and easy to play, perfect for kids who are just starting out with playing board games. The storage is a snap with the included marble storage cover, making it easy to pack and put away. Despite being simple, customers said kids enjoy this game, even those aged 14 and up. However, some of the hippos get stuck when chomping up marbles.

Exploding Kittens

Best overall card game

Exploding Kittens
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Suitable for 2 players and up
  • The cards feature pawsome kittens

Cons

  • You have to remember each card's function
  • Instructions can be difficult to follow

Why we chose it

Exploding Kittens is our choice for the best overall card game. On Amazon, it has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from more than 67,000 reviews.

Exploding Kittens is a cutesy version of Russian Roulette. Players take turns drawing cards until someone draws the dreaded Exploding Kitten card and loses the game.

Despite including cute, pawsome kitten graphics, this game is quite competitive. Customers loved that it can be played by 2 or more players, making it more entertaining. It features a wide range of cards for different strategies as well. It is suitable for both adults, kids and families.

Dungeon Mayhem

Best 2-player card game

Dungeon Mayhem
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Customisable gameplay duration
  • Ideal for two to four players

Cons

  • Can get repetitive
  • Too easy for some

Why we chose it

For the best 2-player card game, we recommend Dungeon Mayhem. It has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 3,000 customer reviews on Amazon.

In Dungeon Mayhem, you play as 1 of its 4 brave characters: Barbarian, Paladin, Rogue or Wizard. Each of them battle it out in a dungeon of treasures to bring home glory. This card game includes 4 decks of 28 cards. Inspired by the iconic Dungeons and Dragons game, Dungeon Mayhem lets you choose a legendary character in a quest for treasure and glory.

Cards Against Humanity

Best card game for adults

Cards Against Humanity
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Hilarious and easy to learn
  • Ideal for parties and large groups

Cons

  • Some of the cards may be too racy
  • Customers said the game gets boring after a couple of rounds

Why we chose it

For the best card game for adults, we selected Cards Against Humanity, which has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 92,000 reviews on Amazon.

In this game, each player asks a question from a black card for every round and everyone else answers with the funniest white card they have. The cards typically include racy or politically incorrect statements that are often hilarious, embarrassing or hilariously embarrassing.

Many customers loved this card game for adults, mentioning that it's great for parties but not for family reunions. Since the cards have racy phrases or politically incorrect statements on them, the answers are often laugh-out-loud funny.

Smack It

Best card game for kids

Smack It
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Helps kids learn their numbers
  • Easy to learn and play

Cons

  • The player with the Smack It card has unfair advantage
  • Hard to finish

Why we chose it

Smack It is our pick for the best card game for kids. It has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from more than 4,000 reviews on Amazon.

Many customers said this game is easy to learn. They added that it could also be used as an aid when teaching kids numbers. Apart from being fun, reviews mentioned that it's repetitive but doesn't get boring. It's also good value for money.

UNO

Best card game for families

UNO
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Suitable for 2 players or more
  • Compact and can be played anytime, anywhere

Cons

  • You need to memorise what each card does
  • Kids may take some time before getting the hang of it

Why we chose it

UNO is our choice for the best card game for families. It has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from over 31,000 Amazon customer reviews.

UNO is the classic game of matching colours and numbers. It is suitable for 2 players or more. It is also a fun yet competitive game for families and other large groups. Customers loved that the cards are easy to pack and take anywhere. The instructions are easy to learn, but kids may need some guidance to be familiar with the mechanics and the function of the cards, which may take some time.

These Cards Will Get You Drunk

Best card game for parties

These Cards Will Get You Drunk
Image: Supplied/Finder

Not yet rated

Pros

  • Provides wholesome fun for families and friends
  • Includes light-hearted questions

Cons

  • Cards are too small for some
  • Has too many pass cards compared to drink cards

Why we chose it

If you're looking for the best card game for parties, we recommend These Cards Will Get You Drunk, which has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 19,000 reviews on Amazon.

This card game is pretty straightforward – it aims to get everyone drunk. But it can also be played by people who don't drink. It can be played by up to 7 people, so it's suitable for parties.

Despite its name, These Cards Will Get You Drunk is pretty tame, including light-hearted yet funny questions. Customers loved that it's hilarious but wholesome, suitable for family bonding. It's easy to learn in minutes as well.

Amazon prices last updated on 21 May, 2022 at 09:02 pm
eBay prices last updated on 21 May, 2022 at 09:05 am

Methodology

35
Brands considered
102
Products compared
12
Best products chosen
  • We compared board and card games from over 30 brands and more than 100 products.
  • The products on this list are chosen by our editorial team and are not selected based on commercial relationships.

Types of board games

There's a whole lot more to the world of board games than those old family favourites like Monopoly and The Game of Life. That said, these roll-and-move style games still have their place, and they're always an option whether you're looking for games to suit kids, adults or the whole family.

Party games are also eternally popular, with games like Pictionary and Scattergories encouraging some fast and rowdy fun. Our guide to the best party board games can help you find the right game for your next bash.

But browse the range of board games available online and it quickly becomes obvious that there's an almost overwhelming range of different game styles available. Many of them are classified using a confusing range of terminology, so here are some of the common types you might come across if you're taking a deep dive into the world of board games:

  • Roll and move games. While these traditional games sometimes involve some form of strategy, there's usually a whole lot of luck involved too.
    • Area control games. In these games, players compete against one another to dominate or control as much territory as possible. Risk is a popular example.
    • RPG games. RPG stands for role-playing game. These games allow players to assume the identity of a particular character in a fictional world, with Dungeons & Dragons being an obvious example.
  • Engine-building games. Engine-building board games such as Terraforming Mars essentially require players to acquire the resources they need to build an "engine" that produces more resources or points as the game progresses.
  • Social deduction games. These games commonly involve a little bit of deceit, persuasion and subterfuge. They're all about working out the hidden motives and secret identities of other players, and Werewolf is one of the best-known examples.
  • Drafting games. In these games, players pick cards (or other resources such as tiles or dice) from a selection pool, with the next player then choosing from the same pool. 7 Wonders is a popular example of this style of game.
  • Strategy/Euro games. These games are decided based on skill rather than luck, requiring you to outsmart your opponents. Settlers of Catan is a popular example, and several of the board game styles listed here also fall into this category.
  • Legacy games. These are choose-your-own-adventure-style games where the outcome of the game and the choices you make have a permanent effect on factors such as game rules the next time you play. Pandemic Legacy is one well-known example of this style.
  • Worker placement games. In worker placement games, players place their "workers" on spaces on the board to gain resources or powers. For example, in Agricola you can send your farmers out to plow fields, build fences and more.

How to compare board games

Instead of just picking up the first board game you find, it's important to shop around to find a game that's right for you. Make sure you take the following factors into account when comparing your options.

Age range

If you're playing a family game, the age of the players will always play a part in determining your choice of board game. Check the age range on the box as a guide, but consider your child's patience levels and attention span when choosing what to play. You might also want to check out our guide to the best board games for families.

Difficulty level

Are you looking for something simple and fun, where everyone can pick up the rules in a few minutes? Or do you want something complicated and highly involved, where there's a steep learning curve and you'll need to invest plenty of time and effort to truly master the game?

Some games are purely decided by luck, others by skill, and many by a combination of the two. Check the rule book to see which category a game falls into.

Time it takes to play

How long will it take to complete the game, on average? Note that the complexity of the game doesn't necessarily determine how long it takes to complete — some challenging strategy games can be finished in around half an hour, while most of us will remember those childhood Monopoly epics that seemed to go on for days.

Individual or team game

Decide whether you want a game where players form teams, or one where it’s every player for themselves. While teamwork can be enjoyable and rewarding, there’s also a lot to be said for taking on all your friends and family in an individual quest for total domination.

Theme

Look for a game based around a theme that interests you (or your children). From dinosaurs to military strategy, global pandemics to farming, there are board games to suit just about any taste.

Gameplay

Think about the type of gameplay the game involves. For example, do you simply roll a dice and move around a board or is there more strategy involved? Will you need to negotiate with other players, form alliances or just fend for yourself?

Now is also a good time to think about the aim of the game. For example, is the goal to control as much territory as possible, eliminate other players from the game or something else entirely?

Space to play

Check how much tabletop space you'll need to play the game — some complex strategy games can require quite a bit of room — and whether that suits your needs.

3 things to consider

  • Board games for kids. If you're trying to find a board game that's suitable for kids, there's more to consider than just the age range listed on the box. Not only do you need to consider the style of gameplay and how complex it is, but also how long the average game will take and the attention span of your children. You might also want to check out our guide to the best board games for kids.
  • Research your options. Looking to expand your board game collection? Rather than just shopping at your local department store, jump online to research what's available based on the style of game you like. There are literally hundreds of games out there you've never even heard of, and you don't need to be a board game fanatic to enjoy them.
  • Number of players. Don't have a big group of people to play with? Don't worry. There are plenty of board games out there that are a lot of fun with 2-3 people or even solo. Check out our guides to the best 1-player, 2-player and 3-player board games for more information.

If you're ready to start shopping, here's where you can buy board games online in Australia. You might also want to check out our guide to the best board and card games in Australia.

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