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These 17 games are Meeple Mountain contributors’ personal favorites among the games they played during 2024—not a ranked or controlled test of every game released that year. The picks range from quick bluffing and family games to weighty strategy, cooperative play and older titles that were new to a contributor. That mix makes the list most useful as a guide to different kinds of game nights, rather than a single verdict on the year’s releases.
Meeple Mountain’s year-end roundup was published December 30, 2024, by Andy Matthews. The notes below retain the contributors’ differing tastes and experiences.
Quick guide: which 2024 favorite fits your game night?
| Game | What the contributor highlights | Best fit if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Expeditions | Exploration, cards, workers and a choice of two actions from three available | Engine-building with meaningful action tradeoffs |
| Spicy | Facedown suit-and-number claims that opponents can challenge | A quick bluffing game to finish a session |
| Andromeda’s Edge | Science-fiction exploration, area control, combat and development | A substantial 4X-style strategy game |
| Civolution | Dice paired to select actions, with luck-mitigation decisions | A demanding strategic puzzle built around dice |
| Mistwind | Flying-whale deliveries, route building, contracts and action discs | Network-building and tight action choices |
| Glow | Distinctive pen-and-ink art, dice-driven chance and short play | An approachable, brief game |
| Nana/Trio | Simple memory and card mechanisms with broad family appeal | A straightforward game for a mixed-age group |
| World Wonders | Tile-laying, roads, city tiles, stats and wooden monuments | A spatial civilization puzzle |
| Unmatched: Slings and Arrows | Quick, dynamic card-driven combat and Shakespeare-themed characters | A character-focused duel |
| Task Team | Silly physical team challenges | A group activity built around willing participation |
| Wilmot’s Warehouse | Memory that grows into collaborative storytelling | Shared imaginative play |
| The Morrison Game Factory | An escape-room-style game praised for its story | A story-led escape-room experience |
| Leviathan Wilds | Fast cooperative play, varied boards and flexible card use | A cooperative points-based challenge |
| The Colonists | A heavy, long, table-intensive game that suited a three-person group | A substantial session with a small group |
| Terraforming Mars | Challenging engine-building, including online practice via Board Game Arena | Long-term engine development |
| Ginkgopolis | Interactive Eurogame decisions from a small set of actions | Tactical choices and interaction |
| El Grande | Accessible rules and high interaction in an area-control classic | Direct competition with a relatively approachable ruleset |
The source does not give standardized player counts, durations or complexity ratings for all 17 games, so this guide compares the contributors’ descriptions rather than implying a uniform test.
Games for a quick, social session
Spicy
Tom Franklin describes Spicy as a bluffing card game using chili, peppercorn and wasabi suits. Players put cards down facedown and declare a suit and number; anyone who suspects a lie can challenge the claim. Franklin especially likes it as a 10–15-minute option when a game night has only a little time left. That is his suggested use, not a guaranteed play time for every group.
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- GAME OF SWEET REVENGE: Enjoy classic Sorry! gameplay with this Sorry! board game for kids. It's an edge-of-your-seat race to home, so hurry up and get there first
- FIRST ONE HOME WINS: Who will be the first player to get all 3 of their pawns to the home space? But watch out! Players can get "sweet revenge" by sending each other's pawns back to the starting point
- SO MANY POSSIBILITIES: Slide, collide, and score to win the Sorry! game. This family game for kids and adults features so many possibilities depending on the card picked up and strategy chosen
- CLASSIC SORRY! GAMEPLAY: Remember playing the original Sorry! game as a kid? Bring back memories of playing the Sorry! game with family members and introduce it to a new generation
- FAMILY GAME NIGHT FAVORITE: A go-to game for family time or anytime indoor fun, the Sorry! game for kids is one of the best family games for game night
Task Team
Justin Bell’s favorite Task Team experience came during a convention session of silly physical team challenges. He says he initially thought the design was average, but that particular table became a standout. His caveat matters: the game depends on players being ready to embrace what he calls “dumb fun.” One memorable session is a personal anecdote, not evidence that every group will respond the same way.
Glow
Bob Pazehoski, Jr. was drawn to Glow’s pen-and-ink visual style, short play and dice-driven uncertainty. He found it approachable for his household with young children. That recommendation reflects his household’s experience; it is not a general age or suitability guarantee.
Nana/Trio
Pazehoski likens Nana/Trio to “Go Fish meets Memory”: familiar, simple mechanisms make for an easy-to-grasp game with broad family appeal. He reports that it was the most-played game in his own home during 2024—a personal household observation, not a sales or wider popularity statistic.
Strategy games built around tough choices
Expeditions
Tom Franklin calls Expeditions a sequel-of-sorts to Scythe, but says the resemblance is mostly in some iconography: it plays differently. Players explore, confront corruption and use cards and workers. On a turn, they choose two of three available actions, creating the kind of tradeoff that may appeal to players who like building an engine while deciding what to pursue next.
Rank #2
- CLASSIC BEGINNER GAME: Do you remember playing Candy Land when you were a kid. Introduce new generations to this sweet kids' board game
- RACE TO THE CASTLE: Players encounter all kinds of "delicious" surprises as they move their cute gingerbread man pawn around the path in a race to the castle
- NO READING REQUIRED TO PLAY: For kids ages 3 and up, Candy Land can be a great game for kids who haven't learned how to read yet
- GREAT GAME FOR LITTLE ONES: The Candy Land board game features colored cards, sweet destinations, and fun illustrations that kids love
Andromeda’s Edge
David Wood’s science-fiction pick combines exploration, area control and combat with ships, resources, modules, developments, upgrades and progress tracks. Wood calls it his best game played in 2024 and his favorite 4X game; those are his personal judgments, not a consensus ranking.
Civolution
David McMillan describes Civolution as a dice-based action-selection game: players pair dice to choose actions. He praises the decisions, mechanisms and ways to mitigate luck, while acknowledging a steep initial learning curve. It sounds better suited to players who enjoy getting to grips with a dense system than to a group looking for a quick teach.
Mistwind
Abram Towle singles out Mistwind’s flying-whale delivery theme, route and network building, contracts and action discs. He also likes the tension of wanting to take more actions than the game allows. His notes point to a strategic puzzle where planning a network and choosing priorities are part of the appeal.
World Wonders
Andy Matthews describes World Wonders as a civilization and tile-laying puzzle involving roads, city tiles, statistics and sculpted wooden monuments. He uses the phrase “Builders Satisfaction” for the pleasure of ending with a distinctive board that reflects each player’s construction choices. It is Meeple Mountain’s coined description, not an established game-design term.
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- FUN FAMILY GAME FOR KIDS: Remember playing the original Trouble board game as a kid? Introduce a new generation to classic Trouble gameplay with this Trouble game for kids
- EASY TO LEARN AND SET UP: The Trouble game is easy to play and quick set up. The object of the game is simple: the first player to get all of their game pieces around the board wins
- POWER UP SPACES: The game instructions include options for classic Trouble gameplay or a version with Power Up Spaces for a more challenging game
- POP-O-MATIC BUBBLE: In this beloved children's board game, players press and pop the plastic bubble to roll the die. The iconic Pop-o-Matic die roller is fun to press, and it keeps the die from getting lost
- BOARD GAMES FOR FAMILY: Adults and kids can play this family board game together. It's a fun indoor game for playdates and a great choice for Family Game Night
Ginkgopolis
Andrew Lynch recommends the older interactive Eurogame for the hard tactical decisions packed into a small set of action choices. Its appeal, in his account, is less about a huge menu of options than about weighing a limited set of consequential ones.
Combat, cooperation and story
Unmatched: Slings and Arrows
Andrew Holmes enjoys the quick, dynamic card-driven combat and Shakespeare-themed characters in Unmatched: Slings and Arrows. His enthusiasm is not universal even within Meeple Mountain: other reviewers there are cooler on the overall Unmatched system. That difference is useful context for a game whose appeal can depend on how much a player enjoys its particular style of combat.
Wilmot’s Warehouse
Andrew Lynch starts with the memory-game premise, but says Wilmot’s Warehouse turns into collaborative storytelling and shared imaginative play. It is the pick on this list for a group that wants a collective experience rather than a contest driven mainly by strategic optimization.
The Morrison Game Factory
Lynch recommends The Morrison Game Factory for its story and identifies it as an escape-room-style game from PostCurious. The available description does not establish enough about its mechanisms to make a more detailed comparison, so the clearest takeaway is its story-first, escape-room format.
Rank #4
- INTRODUCING A DIGITAL DIE: More suspense, more surprises, more laughs! In this Jenga game, enjoy the classic Jenga gameplay fans love—or dare to play it with the digital die for added challenges
- 6 MORE WAYS TO PLAY: Roll the digital die for unpredictable challenges: play using thumbs only, race against the clock, and more! (To download the die onto a phone, scan the in-pack QR code or access the web app. No additional purchase needed)
- HILARIOUS CHALLENGES: Actions like “Team-Up” amp up the fun! A player who rolls it selects another player to act as their eyes. The other player can guide their arm, but can’t touch the tower—or topple it
- EXCITING GAME FOR PARTIES OR SOLO PLAY: The Jenga game for kids and adults is the wooden block balancing game livening up parties for generations. No friends around? No problem. Play solo to beat a personal best
- GENUINE WOOD BLOCKS: The Jenga party game includes 54 precision crafted wooden blocks. Pull out a block, place it on top, but don't let the tower fall in this original wood block game
Leviathan Wilds
Lynch calls Leviathan Wilds a fast, low-downtime, points-based cooperative game. He praises its varied boards and characters or classes, as well as flexibility in how cards can be used. His designation of it as a favorite is personal; the notes do not supply a standardized play-time figure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Older games that were new to a contributor
Not every pick was a 2024 release. The roundup is about games the contributors played during that year, including older titles they encountered or returned to—not just games first published in 2024.
The Colonists
K. David Ladage’s group played The Colonists instead of a planned three-player session of Twilight Imperium. He characterizes it as heavy, long and demanding of table space, but says it worked well for their three-person group. That is a specific group’s successful substitution, not a claim that the two games are mechanically alike.
Terraforming Mars
Clayton Schoonover enjoys the challenge of Terraforming Mars’ engine-building. He describes playing online through Board Game Arena as a way to practice. This is a contributor’s personal approach to a demanding game, rather than a claim that online play is required or equivalent to the tabletop experience.
Best Value
- WHO’S GOT THE MOVES: Classic Twister gameplay challenges players to place their hands and feet on red
- GIVE THE SPINNER A WHIRL: See where it lands and make a move. Right foot red, off to a good start. Left foot green, you’ve got this. Left hand blue … wait, is that physically possible. Give it a shot
- INDOOR ACTIVITY FOR KIDS: Stuck inside. The Classic Twister game is an action-packed way for kids, tweens, and teens to "get their energy out." (Parents, rejoice)
- FUN PARTY GAME TO PLAY IN TEAMS: This group game includes instructions to play in teams, along with tips for hosting a Twister tournament. Break out the mat for game night too
- TYING PLAYERS UP IN KNOTS FOR GENERATIONS: Who doesn’t remember playing this Hasbro game as a kid. The Twister game is for adults and kids age 6 and up. Families can join in the fun together
El Grande
Lynch describes the roughly 30-year-old area-control classic as combining accessible rules with high interaction. The 2024 roundup said it had become newly available, but that historical note does not establish current stock or edition availability. Check a retailer or publisher for present-day availability rather than treating the old mention as current inventory information.
How this list fits the wider 2024 awards picture
These picks are not a consensus “best of” ranking. Board Game of the Year aggregates reviewers’ year-end lists; its page labeled 2024 reports 464 games, 2,102 rankings and 223 reviewers. Those are counts on that aggregation page, not a measure of the entire board-game market. Its overview identifies Arcs as its 2024 leader and says it appeared on 61 lists and was named best on 14.
A separate awards perspective comes from Board Gamers Anonymous, which names Harmonies as its family-game listener choice, SETI as strategy listener choice, The Gang as cooperative listener choice and Slay the Spire as solo listener choice. Its eventual game-of-the-year selection was Andromeda’s Edge. These categories and methods differ from both Meeple Mountain’s contributor favorites and the Board Game of the Year aggregation, so the results should not be collapsed into one universal ranking.
For readers comparing the broader awards pages, Board Game of the Year summarizes Arcs as a 2–4-player game lasting 60–120 minutes, SETI as 1–4 players for 40–160 minutes, and The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth as a two-player, 30-minute game. These figures apply only to those named titles; they are not specifications for the 17 contributor picks.
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