Board games are a great way for teens to have fun, talk, and compete without screens. They’re easy to set up, simple to learn, and bring everyone together, whether it’s a weekend hangout or a school night. Plus, each game has a different feel – some are full of teamwork, others are fast and silly, and some can really make players think.

And that's why I will now help you find super-fun board games to make players forget about their phones. Let’s look at the 12 best board games for teens.

Best Board Games for Teens Comparison Table

1. The Best Board Games for Teens – Rescuing Robin Hood

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

Robin Hood is a classic character that many kids and teens love. And how could they not? He’s one of the coolest heroes around! But the Sheriff isn’t such a big fan and has locked him up in the castle. So, who will be the hero to rescue Robin Hood? 

Why We Like It

Other than the fact that everyone loves Robin Hood (especially teens), this super-fun Rescuing Robin Hood board game stands out because of its accessible, colorful design and gameplay that encourages teamwork and player interaction, which is why it’s first on this list.

Here, you play as a team across five days (or in-game rounds), helping villagers, collecting skill points, and building a crew to rescue Robin Hood. Think you can do it? Good communication and collaboration will definitely help you!

2. The Best Board Games for Teens – Ticket to Ride

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

Let’s be honest – who doesn’t like trains? Teens sure do, and they also love traveling, which this game gives them a taste of. It has simple rules but really satisfying gameplay for both small and large groups, making it a go-to for everyone! 

Why We Like It

In Ticket to Ride, each player gets a set of train cars and three Destination Tickets that show which cities to connect. To do this, players draw cards and match the cards’ colors with the routes they want to build. For example, three white cards are needed for a three–train car route.

Collect points from finished Destination Tickets and from connecting cities, and you might just win. But even if you don't, with its light theme, simple rules, and gameplay that works for different skill levels, this is one of the best board games for teens.

3. The Best Board Games for Teens – Catan

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

Ever since the 90s, this evergreen board game has been a favorite for many generations of players, drawing in both teens and adults. Why is that, you wonder? From its easy-to-learn rules to its great design, it has everything it needs to be called a classic.

Why We Like It

What makes players love Catan is its theme and gameplay, with its hexagonal tile board. To play, you build settlements and roads on some of these numbered tiles and roll two dice. If the number rolled matches a tile you’ve settled, you get that tile’s resources.

Collect these resources, grow your settlements into big cities, and be the first to reach 10 points. This, along with its replay value and gameplay that uses trading, negotiating, and lots of interaction between players (which is super fun), is why teens will enjoy and want to play this game!

4. The Best Board Games for Teens – Machi Koro

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

The city of Machi Koro is super cute, and guess what? Each player competes to be the best Mayor. Sure, the citizens will demand a lot – like new buildings, parks, factories, or even a radio tower – but with a bit of resource management and dice rolling, the Mayor can handle it all. 

Why We Like It

In Machi Koro, just like in Catan, the dice are also important, and players roll them to collect coins that match the numbers on their cards. The first player to earn enough coins and build all four landmarks wins. Yes, it’s simple, but it’s the full package! 

It’s fast-paced, has only a few rules, mixes luck with resource management, and, most importantly, has lots of player interaction thanks to the card effects. You can gain or lose money on other players’ turns, or even steal a few coins from your friends. It’s one of the best board games for teens.

5. The Best Board Games for Teens – Dixit!

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

While many kids love video games, everyone can enjoy a good board game night – especially when it’s a hilarious party game like this one. It works for lots of players and only needs a bit of imagination for everyone to have fun. So, let’s see how to play Dixit.

Why We Like It

Dixit is arguably the easiest board game on this list. All you have to do is either describe a card with a sound, word, sentence, or some unique way (if you are the storyteller), or try to guess the card. Each player gets 6 cards and plays the one that best matches the storyteller’s description in a facedown pile.

This pile, which also includes the storyteller’s card, is shuffled, and then everyone guesses. Each correct answer earns points, and you even get points if someone picks your card. However, the storyteller can get 0 points if no one or everyone guesses their card.

Teamwork, imagination, silly descriptions, laughing at the card art or at your friends’ guesses, and the fun feeling when others guess your card – what more could you want from a cool board game for teens?

6. The Best Board Games for Teens – Carcassonne

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

When it comes to the best board games, design is super important. That said, Carcassonne is one of those games, with beautiful tiles showing the landscapes and cities of medieval France. Add its simple, addictive gameplay, and you’ve got one of the best board games for teens on this list.

Why We Like It

Carcassonne is unique thanks to its straightforward yet very strategic gameplay, where you place tiles to connect roads and cities and earn points. But even if you have a clever plan, other players can block you or even take over parts of your land. And this clever player interaction is where Carcassonne really shines. 

You’ll deal with lots of friendly arguments and rivalry, making it hard not to talk and think about this board game long after you play. It’s a must-have for all teens who enjoy light games that can get serious but still provide lots of laughs and even some tense gameplay.

7. The Best Board Games for Teens – Mysterium

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

An eerie theme, a case to solve, and plenty of fun teamwork are just some of the things that make Mysterium one of the best board games for teens. It appeals to every player and makes them feel like a cool medium detective – or even a ghost, which is an awesome role in the game!

Why We Like It

There is a case to investigate, and the ghost helps the mediums find everything they need to solve it. Each hour (or in-game turn), the ghost gives players vision cards, which they discuss to come up with an answer to one of the clues that lead to the suspect. Guess the suspect, location, and weapon, and you win!

Everyone, especially teens, loves a good mystery where they have to work together as investigators. And while movies and video games are fun, playing a deduction game like Mysterium is something else, which is why I’m sure they will enjoy it.

8. The Best Board Games for Teens – The Quacks of Quedlinburg

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

The Quacks of Quedlinburg (now just called Quacks), takes players on a journey to a fairyland, where they are doctors trying to make a secret, powerful brew. Notice how I said “trying”? That’s because they’re actually charlatans, so their pots will often explode. And players will absolutely love it!

Why We Like It 

Teens enjoy getting competitive, and this game takes that to another level. In The Quacks of Quedlinburg, each player gets a bag of ingredient chips and adds them to their pot at the same time as the others. However, each chip has a different value, and mixing them wisely is key to earning coins and points. But if you add too many cherry bombs, your pot explodes, and you must choose between taking points or coins.

With nine rounds of quick, chaotic, and hilarious gameplay, teens will have a blast playing this board game. It’s just strategic enough and replayable enough to stay fun for all players, even after many sessions. And believe me, that’s one of the most important things for young board gamers!

9. The Best Board Games for Teens – Camel Up!

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

Races are always fun, but why use cars when you can race with camels? And it’s not just racing because they act hilariously, sometimes even riding on top of each other. Plus, there’s a bit of betting to earn extra points, so if that’s okay with you, this unique board game for teens is a must! 

Why We Like It

Get your camels ready, it’s racing time! To set up the race around the pyramid, players first roll the different colored dice, matching the camels’ colors, to see their starting spots. But it’s not a normal roll, because you use the pyramid dice roller, which is super cool. Then, players pick betting cards for each camel and roll the dice to control the race. After all five camels move, the leg ends, you gain or lose money, and draw new cards.

The game continues until one camel reaches the finish line, and the player who collects the most coins wins. And that’s how you play Camel Up. It’s unpredictable, tense, and full of laughs and interaction between players, making it an awesome pick for all teens to play.

10. The Best Board Games for Teens – Stone Age

Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Living in the Stone Age was not easy, and no matter a person’s role in their community, everyone worked hard. In this game, you get a glimpse of that era – enjoying (yes, enjoying!) every big and small task as you take care of your people and have fun playing with your friends! 

Why We Like It 

Once you travel back in time, Stone Age will test your skills, but it will be awesome. To play, you place your tribe members where you think they’ll do best – hunting, gathering, trading, and more. Then you collect resources in the second phase and move to the third phase, where you feed your tribe. The game ends after one of the three conditions is met, and then you count points.

Stone Age is easy to learn but can get fairly tricky to master, thanks to its luck factor, engine-building, and scoring system. Once you learn the basics, it becomes a very strategic and replayable board game. Not bad for one of the best board games for teens, right?

11. The Best Board Games for Teens – Wavelength

Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Now it’s time to use a little mind reading, a bit of luck, and plenty of teamwork to play this board game. In Wavelength, the rules are simple, so everyone can jump right in and have fun. Can you work as a team and read each other’s minds to beat the other team? I’m sure you can! But first, let’s see how to play Wavelength.

Why We Like It 

Wavelength is not your usual board game, because here players use a circular dial with a hidden target. Each round, two teams face off, and a Psychic controls the dial, giving a clue based on a category card that shows two opposite ideas, like Hot–Cold.

The Psychic turns the dial, and if it leans more toward the Hot side, they might say something like “Tea” or “Soup” to help their team guess correctly. Before the dial is revealed, the other team can call higher or lower to try to steal a point.

With lots of fun guesswork, teamwork, laughs, and a few friendly arguments, this is a cool and unique board game for teens that’s definitely worth getting. 

12. The Best Board Games for Teens – Heat: Pedal to the Metal

Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

If you’re looking for a racing board game and Camel Up wasn’t quite what you had in mind, then Heat: Pedal to the Metal is the one to get. With cars, different roads, and plenty to do both before and during the race, you’ll feel like a true racer. Sure, it might be missing the car sounds, but hey, it’s still a fantastic choice!

Why We Like It 

Three, two, one, go! This is one of the best racing board games you can play, thanks to its gameplay that lets players customize their experience and their car based on what they like. However, there are even more factors to think about, making each race tense and unique.

Even if you’re not into cars, Heat: Pedal to the Metal is easy for anyone to pick up and can really pull you into the action, thanks to its detailed mechanics. Plus, it creates fun rivalries and nonstop talk after each race, which is why it’s a no-brainer for teens!

Final Thoughts on the Best Board Games for Teens

Finding the best board games for teens is all about choosing ones that are simple to learn and fun to play. That’s why each title on this list is just that, while still offering something a bit different, like quick rounds, teamwork, or a bit of friendly competition.

So, if you enjoyed my recommendations and had fun reading this article, I’m sure you already have a game in mind. Grab it, sit down with your friends, and enjoy playing your new board game together.