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Play is a fundamental part of life.

Thats about 6,000 years older than Stonehenge.

A collection of board games stacked together, with Paypay and Monopoly clearly visible

We reach firmer ground when we come to the dawn of recorded civilization.

Babylonians played the Royal Game of Ur.

This leads us on a straight path to today’s board games.

Monopoly playable tokens on a board, with the box behind them

Games can be so much more.

Those Victorian templates dominated gaming for another hundred years.

Monopoly is recognisably a game of this bang out, although it has a rather bizarre history.

A collection of classic board games on a wooden table

It’s a sobering backstory for what many see as one of thebest family board games.

Titles such as Acquire had a particular appeal in a market where violent games were heavily frowned upon.

That game was Settlers of Catan, and it got its English release in 1996.

An original Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook on a tablet sat on a wooden table, surrounded by dice, a dice tray, and other books

Now known simply asCatan, itchanged board games forever.

Few have had more of an impact on gaming than the man behind MTG.

In 2011 we got the first legacy game in the form of Risk: Legacy.

Catan box, board, cards, and pieces on a wooden table

The concept has been ported to many other games, including Pandemic.

Whether you feel comfortable with socializing with other people or not, a game provides a way to engage.

Its a landscape thats launched a lot of fine titles but which rewards fancy marketing over innovative design.

Three cards from the Elven Council deck in MTG Lord of the Rings

For all we know, the next chapter of game design could be just a box flip away.

Want some recommendations on what you should play next?

Check out thebest 2-player board games, or thebest card games.

Gloomhaven figures, components, board pieces, booklet, and box on a wooden table

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A selection of classic board games divided by the Gamesradar+ cross

best party board games

Three Pokemon Journey Together cards leaning against the Elite Trainer Box from the set

Articulate! box, board, tokens, and timer on a wooden table, against a black background

King of Tokyo components, box, and cards on a wooden table against a black background

Space Wolves Logan Grimnar and Arjac Rockfist models against a slightly blurred photo of the Space Wolves Army Set

Dorfromantik and Creature Comforts cozy city building games

Survivor and abomination mini standing on a game tile from Zombicide

Oblivion Remastered at night

Lego Mario Kart, Endgame Final Battle, Jango Fett�s Firespray-Class Ship, and Chopper divided by white lines, with a �GamesRadar+ new Lego� badge in the middle

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle screenshot of Indiana dressed as priest, looking over a book

Days Gone Remastered protagonist Deacon running from hundreds of zombies in the rain

PS5 Pro reveal from trailer

The cast of Thunderbolts standing in an elevator during the trailer for the upcoming Marvel Phase 5 movie.

Articulate box, cards, board, and tokens on a wooden table

Logan Kim as Hershel and Lauren Cohan as Maggie in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2