Our Top 10 Board Games of 2023

Looking to fill your shelves with the best board games of 2023? Or do you just want to play some fan favourites in-store with us? Great timing! Now the year is coming to an end, you won't find a better opportunity to break out some of this year’s tabletop favourites. Whether you want something family-friendly to play at Christmas, something more strategic to power your next game night or even something to boss solo, we've got you covered with some of our best-sellers of 2023.

Tinderblox - 2-6 players

Tinderblox is a fun, easy-to-learn dexterity game that comes in a pocket-size mini tin so you can always be ready to play. By challenging your friends and family to 'play with fire' as you gather around to build a 3D campfire (trying not to get burned!), you can rest assured this one is a true fan favourite with gamers and non-gamers alike. 

Each turn, players draw a card from the campfire deck which instructs them to place a log, an ember, or any combination of them in various orientations on top of the campfire. By using tweezers to "play with fire”, if you drop anything, you're considered a fire hazard and you're out of the game. The player who is the most careful with fire wins!

Fungi - 2 players

This game brings delicious mushrooms beckoning you from every grove and hollow. There are many tasty and valuable varieties awaiting if you fancy a beautiful and strategic mushroom foraging trip down a woodland path.

Being a fan favourite game for 2, players compete to collect and cook the most rare and delicious mushrooms they can as they move along a pathway of forest cards. At the end of the game the skilled mushroom gatherer who has managed to gain the most ‘Flavour points’ will be the winner. 

Escape the Dark Castle - 1-4 players

Escape the Dark Castle is a simple, fantasy adventure game with a focus on atmosphere and player cooperation. In this monstrous mass of weeping pustules, a threat more terrifying than any creature has arisen, the plague.

It takes 2 minutes to set up, lasts around 30 minutes and no two games are ever the same. Players take the roles of prisoners and must work together using custom dice and item cards to overcome the castle's many horrors, traps and challenges, each of which is represented by a large, beautifully illustrated chapter card. The goal of the game is to complete every chapter in the castle deck, and then defeat the final boss. To win, you must keep everyone alive, if any prisoner is killed the game ends immediately. 

Final Girl - 1 player

Final Girl is a solitaire-only game that puts the player in the shoes of a female protagonist who must kill the slasher if she wants to survive.

In simple terms, Final Girl shares similarities with Hostage Negotiator, but with some key differences, including a game board to track locations and character movement. As a player, you can choose from multiple characters when picking someone to play and multiple killers when picking someone to play against. 

Killers and locations each have their own specific terror cards that will be shuffled together to create a unique experience with various combinations of scenarios for you to play! 

Flamecraft - 1-5 players

Flamecraft is a 1-5 player game where each player takes on the role of Flamekeeper, gathering items, placing dragons and casting enchantments to enhance the shops of the town. Being a Flamekeeper, you will become skilled in the art of conversing with dragons, placing them in their ideal home and using enchantments to entice them to produce wondrous things. 

By visiting a shop to gain items and a favour from one of the dragons there, players can attract ‘fancy dragons’ and secure more opportunities for reputation boosts. At the end of the game, the Flamekeeper with the most reputation will be known as the Master of Flamecraft.

Love Letter (Z-Man Games) - 2-6 players

In a quick game of risk and deduction, can you outwit your friends and earn the trust of the noble Princess? This game is ideal for families and friends alike. 

Playing cards one at a time, players should use the abilities of key people in the Princess’s life to outwit their opponents and successfully deliver their letter to her and gain her favour. By utilising each character’s special skill, you can avoid being caught. Once a set number of favour tokens are acquired, that player will win and become the Princess’s confidant.

Coup - 2-6 players

Coup is an ideal game for the whole family to play. Manipulate, bluff, and bribe your way to power by taking turns performing actions, while the other players have the opportunity to challenge or enact a counteraction.

To be successful, you must destroy the influence of your rivals and drive them into exile, so being the last player with influence in the game, with influence being represented by face-down character cards in your playing area, you can be crowned the winner. 

7 Wonders: Duel - 2 players

7 Wonders: Duel is a 2-player game where they both struggle for supremacy in the ancient world. The game is played over three rounds and is a game of great timing.

Victory can be achieved in three ways: by invading your opponent's capital through strategic card placement, by achieving a monopoly on scientific advancement, or simply by crafting the city that will earn the most victory points in the end. But be warned, only seven of the eight Wonders in play can actually be built.

Sushi Go - 2-5 players

Sushi go is a fast-paced card game where the goal is to grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they whiz by. Players can score points for making the most Maki Rolls or a full set of Sashimi. Dipping your favourite Nigiri in Wasabi will triple its value, but not leaving room for dessert could be your score’s downfall. 

This family fun game to see who can gather the most points and declare themself the sushi master will leave everyone hungry for more!

Azul Mini - 2-4 players

Azul Mini is a simplified version of the popular Azul replacement board game, designed for 2-4 players. It captures the beautiful aesthetics of Moorish art in a contemporary board game as players compete as artisans to decorate the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora. 

The game is played over a series of rounds, with the player who scores the most points at the end of the game being declared the winner. The mechanics of the game are simple to understand, making it perfect for the whole family!

Where to stock up your set?

If any of these games tickled your fancy or if you’re just looking to up your board game set and introduce some more fun games, why not browse our selection online? Alternatively, if you’d like some advice from one of our gaming experts on which game you’d enjoy most, come down and see us in our Norwich City Centre board game store.