Not your typical card game
Forget your standard 52-card deck, these card games are something else. If you haven’t already played Cards Against Humanity, strap yourself in and prepare for a wild ride. This game is described as ‘a party game for horrible people’ and yes, you might feel a bit dirty after playing. The premise is simple, pick a question card and answer it with a card from your hand – the funniest (or most abhorrent) answer wins. Simple! Buyers beware: you won’t be able to look your family in the eye after playing. Another great addition to your games cupboard is Never Have I Ever – a game that unveils all your poor life decisions. Poke fun of your past self with a series of revealing scenarios, both cringe-worthy and hilarious!
Honourable mentions: Apples to Apples, The Metagame, The Resistance: Avalon

The modern classics
The past decade has seen a host of games take of the mantle of modern classics – games that will be played for generations to come. Settlers of Catan is one of the most popular in this bunch, as it’s an easily accessible board game that involves cunning and a bit of forward thinking. The game tasks players with settling the land of Catan – but only one player can claim the island as their own. This game has been used as an icebreaker at business meetings in Silicon Valley and is introducing a new generation of players to the fun of board gaming.
Honourable mentions: Risk, Axis and Allies

Embrace a bit of technology
Although we are embracing the lost art of conversation with these board game recommendations, sometimes a bit of technology can’t hurt. Some classic games have been transformed into apps suitable for iPads and tablets, and some completely new games use mobile technology or console gaming to lighten the atmosphere. Heads Up is a fun and easy game where mobile users hold their phones to their foreheads while it displays the name of a person or character – similar to the old-school piece of paper in Celebrity Heads. If that’s a bit too basic for you, Jackbox Games has made some hilariously inventive games including Quiplash – where users use their phone or tablet to answer questions displayed on a TV (through a games console such as PS4 or XboxOne). There are no rules or correct answers – the highest voted answer wins! We are calling these ones ‘party games’, but the spirit of the board game still exists here.
Honourable mention: Drawful, Fibbage

Television tales and movie magic
It’s not uncommon for popular television shows and movies to earn their own board game after a while, but it’s easy to dismiss them amongst the wave of other merchandise that usually comes with it. There are a few board games that are worth trying in this spectrum, helping players immerse themselves in the fictional worlds they’ve come to love. The best example is the Game of Thrones board game, which pits up to six plays in a battle of strategy and might. Alliances will be formed, alliances will be broken and much like the characters in the show you’ll have to be ruthless when it comes to getting to the top.
Honourable mentions: Star Wars: Imperial Assault, The Walking Dead, Lord of the Rings, Battlestar Galactica

Games that will make you smarter (allegedly)
There are plenty of games that will test your knowledge out there (Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble) but what about games that make you smarter while you play? We won’t go as far as to say that you’ll become a genius after you play these games, but they do help you hone your logic and even teach you a bit of history as you play. Ticket to Ride asks players to collect train car cards and build railway routes across the map. Not only is it an exercise for the brain, but some editions use different countries as maps, with different eras offering insight into the historical background of the rail industry. Pandemic puts players at ground zero of virus epidemic and asks them to research cures for four different plagues roaming around the world. Finally, Chronology is a card game where players must form a timeline using ten cards ordered by its chronological events. This one improves your memory and teaches you a few important historical facts.
Honourable mentions: Stratego, Diplomacy

If you prefer the classics, House of Brews in Surfers Paradise winds back the clock every Sunday for a 1990s revival party complete with Uno, Operation, Battleship and Connect 4.