8 Best Board Games For College Students
Board games are a marvelous way to bring people together and have a good time. They help teenagers to stay away from screens and improve their social skills. It also helps to develop their critical thinking skills while having fun playing their favorite games.
Board games are also a great way to bond with your old college friends or break the ice with your new ones. Playing board games late at night in between studying can be a great way to recharge and refocus your mind and build up some friendly competition.
There are a lot of board games out there to choose from; in this article, we will mention the 8 Best Board Games For College Students to play during night outs, parties, or when you would simply like to take a break.
Ticket to Ride Board Game
Players : 2-5
Ages: 8+
Game Time: 30-60 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2007
Ticket to Ride is a great game for people who love adventures and travels. The goal here is simple: you need to collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes that connect the cities of North America.
With every city you connect and route you build, you will earn points and come closer to victory. Also, you can get additional points if you build the longest continuous railway or if you can fulfill your destination tickets. At the end of the game, the player with the highest score will be the winner.
Ticket to Ride has something for everyone. If you enjoy traveling with your college friends, this game is a great choice for you. Also, it is for those who love to learn about the geography and the cities of North America. This game has a good mixture of strategy and luck.
Pros
A great choice for those who love traveling and adventures.
Easy enough for beginners but challenging enough for expert gamers.
Lightweight and easy to organize
Entertaining for those who love geography and memorizing cities
One of the best family board games
Cons
Some of the instructions in the rulebook may be a bit too difficult for some gamers.
Final Thoughts
Ticket to ride is a great family-friendly board game that can be played with two to five players. The rules are easy enough for kids but challenging enough, so it will keep adults entertained too.
This game is lightweight and easy to organize; It is a perfect choice for college camping trips or nights out. The game has about 30- 60 minutes of playing time which means you can play this fun adventure more than once in one sitting.
Exploding Kittens – A Russian Roulette Card Game
Players: 2-5
Ages: 7+
Game Time: 15 minutes
Complexity: Low
Release Year: 2015
It is like a kitty-themed version of Russian roulette. The game goal is simple; if you do not explode, you win. In this game, players aim to avoid drawing an exploding kitten until the game ends.
If any player draws an exploding kitten, he will lose the game, and he has to wait until the next round to play again. Using a defuse card is the only way to protect yourself if you come across an exploding kitten. If you do not explode until all the cards are exhausted, you will win.
Exploding Kittens is a simple card game that is perfect for any occasion. Whether you are on a beach trip, road trip, or spending time with friends, this game is a great choice to have some fun.
It is a great game for adults, teens, and even kids as it is for players from 7 years and up. The game playing time is only 15 minutes making it a good choice for a quick, fun game night.
Pros
A quick game that you can play while traveling.
Very lightweight game
Simple and easy to learn.
Fun family game
Cons
Not recommended for gamers who like strategy-based and more complicated games.
It might not be entertaining enough for a small group (two players) as it is more fun when there are more people playing.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a fast-paced game that is easy to learn, then Exploding Kittens is a good choice. It can accommodate up to 5 players; it is a great game for parties, friends, and family gatherings, or even if you want a quick game during lunch breaks.
It is a lightweight game that is easy to carry, so for travelers who want to kill some time while waiting to arrive at their destinations, this game is a good choice.
Codenames
Players: 2-8
Ages: 10+
Game Time: 15 minutes
Complexity: Low
Release Year: 2015
If you love solving mysteries, then this game is for you. Codenames is a fun and challenging social word game that is designed for players 10 years old and up. It is a great game to have a fun game night with friends and family.
In this game, the players are divided into two teams, and one player from each team will take the role of the spymaster. Only the spymasters know the secret identities of the agents, while their teammates know the agents only by their Codenames.
Spymasters will try to help their teammates to know the agents’ real identities by giving one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Discover all of your agents before the opposing team and win the game.
Codenames game has a playtime of 15 minutes. It is a quick game where you can play multiple rounds with different teams in one night and get a new high-energy experience every time. Also, the game has different expansion sets for those who want more.
Pros
A fast-paced game
Huge replayability
Simple to learn
Lightweight
Fun social interaction
Great game for parties
It combines competitive and cooperative gameplay.
Cons
Gamers who are not fond of word games might not enjoy it.
Not really suitable for two players
Final thoughts
If you are looking for a board game to spice up your next party, this game can be a good choice. Codenames combine collaborative and competitive gameplay, it can accommodate a number of players 2-8+, so there is always a place for everyone. It is a perfect fit for college parties and events. It is also a great choice for groups of friends or workmates who enjoy solving mysteries using words.
Catan Board Game: Base Game
Players: 3-4
Ages: 10+
Game Time: 60 Minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2015
Catan (previously called Settlers of Catan ) is a civilization-building strategy game; it is a good choice for college students who want to improve their trading and managing skills. This game takes you back to the era of discoveries when people were taking long voyages to discover new lands to start civilized societies.
The game’s goal is simple; you have to trade goods, build roads, and create permanent settlements in order to strengthen your territory. But since the other players have the same goal, to win this game, you need to come up with good strategies and successful plans.
Catan island is made up of hexagonal terrain tiles, complete with mountains, forests, fields, pastures, and hills. Each one of those terrain tiles has a number. To determine which one of the players will collect the resources, you have to roll the die.
If your settlements are adjacent to the terrain indicated by the dice, you will get resources from that terrain. Those resources involve bricks ( hills), ore (mountains), lumber (forests), grain (fields), and wool (pastures).
Each player will use those resources to expand across Catan island by building new houses, roads, or settlements. Also, they may be used to upgrade your areas into cities. If you do not have the right resources to build something, you may trade with other players.
Since you play the game on a variable gameboard, the possibilities for the replay are endless. But if you want to take it to the next level, expansion sets are available.
Pros
Strategy board game
Good choice for college students who want to develop their trading and managing skills.
Expansion packs are available
High replayability
An accessible game for all ages and abilities.
Competitive gameplay
Cons
The game is often swayed by dice rolling.
It might be too easy for expert board gamers.
Final Thoughts
Catan is one of the most popular board games of all time; it can accommodate up to 4 players and has a playing time of 60 minutes. It is a perfect choice for family game nights or birthday parties.
If you are fond of building societies, entering into trades, and harvesting crops and resources, then this game is a great choice for you.
Apples to Apples Party Box
Players: 4-10
Ages: 12+
Game Time: 30-75 minutes
Complexity: Low
Release Year: 2007
Apples to Apples is a very subjective game, and winning or losing the game depends on the taste and preference of the judge. But ultimately, the aim of the game is to create funny combinations and have a fun time with family and friends.
In this game, players take turns to be the judge. In each turn, the judge will draw a green card from the top of the deck, read the word aloud, and place it face up on the tabletop.
The other players will choose a red card from their hand that they think best matches that green card and place it face down on the tabletop.
The judge will reveal those red cards and select the winning card. Then he will give the green card of that round to the player, and the next round begins. Players will collect green cards until they earn enough to win the game.
This game is all about entertainment, fun, and being able to create hilarious combinations. No need for strategic planning or deep critical thinking; it is a light game that students can play to escape the stress of college life and pressure for a while.
Pros
A great way to relax after-exam night.
With a lot of card combinations and options, the game has high replayability.
Fun game for parties and families
Easy to set up
Cons
Not for players who are fond of strategic board games.
Final Thoughts
Apples to Apples is a fun, easy-to-learn game to play with friends and family. It can be played with up to 10 players; it is a great choice to add some fun to your next party. This game is easy to set up; you can jump into the game once you want to. It is a game that you can play over and over again and have fun every time.
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong Board Game
Players: 4-12
Ages: 14+
Game Time: 20 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2020
If you love deception-themed games, movies, or T.V. shows, then the Deception: Murder in Hong Kong Board Game is a great choice.
There are some unique roles in the game that include Forensic Scientist, Investigator, Witness, Murderer, and Accomplice. At the start of the game, those roles are randomly assigned to the players.
In this tabletop game, the players will play as investigators who attempt to solve a murder case. There is a little twist in this game as the murderer is one of the investigators.
The Forensic Scientist is one of the most important roles in the game as he holds the solution to the crime, but he only can express his knowledge through analysis of the scene. The Forensic Scientist will help the Investigators to identify the Means of Murder and the Key Evidence.
While the investigators will interpret the evidence to solve the crime, the murderer will try to confuse and mislead them into thinking that another player is the murderer, so who will win the game?
Pros
One of the best games for big groups.
High replay value
high variability
Role-playing makes the game more fun and exciting.
Short gameplay
Engaging in discussion and deduction
Cons
The font size on the cards can make it hard to read them all if you play on a big tabletop.
Final Thoughts
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong has a 20-minute gameplay of mystery, deception, and confusion. The game can accommodate up to 12 players; it is a great choice for large group gatherings and parties. So if you love collecting clues and solving mysteries, then this game can be a good choice.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective – Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures Board Game
Players: 1-8
Ages: 12+
Game Time: 90 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2017
If you are a Sherlock Holmes enthusiast and love to play the detective role, then the Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective can be a perfect match. This game tests your deductive reasoning abilities and investigative skills.
This mystery board game is rather unique as it has a set of 10 cases. Each one of those cases will take around 90 minutes to solve. So do not expect that you will finish them all in one sitting. You will have to rest before you proceed to the next case.
In the Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective game, your aim is to solve these cases and arrive at the main conclusion. As a detective, you will put the puzzle pieces together by deciphering the clues that every one of those mysteries holds and connecting them with any other evidence you find.
Also, you can search for clues by interviewing suspects, searching newspapers, and more; it’s time to put your mind to the test.
Pros
Easy to set up
Both solo and multiplayer game
Encourages teamwork among gamers.
Enhance strategic thinking skills
Available in many different versions.
A great choice for Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts
The game has a set of 10 cases
Cons
Quite a long gameplay if played by one or two players only.
Final Thoughts
If you want your next adventure to be in the Sherlock Holmes world, then this game will be perfect for your taste. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is a cooperative game for players from 12 years old and can be played solo or with up to 8 players. It is a perfect choice for game night with a big group of people as there is a place for everyone to join the fun.
Sushi Go Party
Players: 2-8
Ages: 8+
Game Time: 20 minutes
Complexity: Low
Release Year: 2016
It is a fast-paced game that reinforces probability, strategic thinking, and visual discrimination. In this game, your aim is to become the sushi master by producing the best combination of sushi dishes and earning the most points.
To score points, you can produce and combine different moves; for instance, you can make the most maki rolls or collect a full set of sashimi. Also, you can dip a nigiri in wasabi to triple your score value. But be sure to leave room for dessert, or else you will lose points.
Sushi Go Party can accommodate up to 8 players; it is a great choice for college parties and big groups of friends. In this party version, you still pick winning sushi combos to earn points, but the difference is that in this version, you can customize every game by selecting a la carte from a menu of more than 20 delectable dishes.
Pros
The party version can be played with up to 8 gamers
Has a high replay value
Great choice to have fun with college friends
Quick fun party game
Cons
Setting up this version may take longer than the original one.
Not for those who prefer heavy gaming.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a fun card game for your next game night, then the Sushi Go Party can be a great fit. It has a playing time of 20 minutes; it is a great game to play with friends and family if you want a short break from the stress of college life. This game is also easy to carry; it is a great game for road trips, beach trips, and camping.
