Get together with the best cooperative board games.
Board games are a great way to bond with friends, family, or even coworkers. Maybe you bring Clue over to your friend’s house for some detective practice while watching true-crime shows. You might even break out Monopoly for an intense family game night that lasts for a week instead. Sometimes, you may want to bring Sorry! to the office for some healthy competition between coworkers. No matter the occasion, board games can often create a competitive environment in a group of people. While a little healthy competition can be beneficial for relationships, sometimes you need a cooperative board game to build camaraderie.
Most people will assume that all board games are competitive, considering many board games operate in two teams and have one winner in the end. But having a team during a board game creates the perfect bend of competition and cooperation. There is nothing like a cooperative board game to bond with friends, as you can create winning strategies together, assign game tasks to each other, and apologize when you choose the wrong card. While video games and card games can have a similar effect as board games, traditional board games encourage in-person relationships to form through careful collaboration as a team.
Calling all detectives! Mysterium is ideal for fans of the popular board game Clue, where players need to uncover clues by entering different rooms to win the game. In Mysterium, the game begins in 1922 when a horrible crime was committed in Warwick Manor, Scotland. Mr. MacDowell, the owner of the house, could sense a ghost in the home and knew there was more to uncover. The players take on the roles of psychic investigators, challenged to find the culprit using clues from the supernatural being. Players will need to figure out the weapon used in the crime, the exact location it occurred, and most importantly, who committed the crime on Warwick Manor.
The key to solving this crime is teamwork, so players need to discuss the clues and communicate their ideas about the crime. Not only will your detective skills be put to work, but players who love the supernatural will enjoy this mystery board game. There are visions that need to be interpreted, and the player who is the ghost will need to give dream cards to the investigators to help them out. These cards include mysterious images that might be helpful, or might further confuse the team, as there is no text on these cards and can mislead everyone.
Whether you are the ghost or the investigators, you have to work together to solve the mystery of Warwick Manor, making Mysterium great for a group of people who love true crime and ghouls. Tune into the supernatural and cooperate as a team to catch your criminal!
Do you love the 1979 horror film Alien directed by Ridley Scott? For science-fiction and alien lovers, Nemesis might be the best board game for you. This game takes place on a spaceship, similar to the online game Among Us. Players are left to piece together clues as they wake up from cryo-sleep, producing a foggy effect on their memory. While some crew mates are presumed dead, players begin to hear noises on the ship and can guess that aliens are nearby. The theme alone is enough to encourage lovers of aliens to purchase this game for a mysterious and thrilling game night.
Throughout the game, there are different types of aliens to defeat, such as larva, creepers, adults, breeders, and queens. In addition to these aliens, players can be six different characters: a captain, mechanic, pilot, scientist, scout, or soldier. Each character has a specific strength, such as moving quietly throughout the ship or understanding an alien's weakness. Being quiet as players navigate the ship is an important aspect of this game, so players can even whisper as they play to keep the suspense building. This aspect of the game encourages teamwork, uniting the characters as they assess the damage to the ship and eventually defeat the aliens.
While this game requires teamwork to successfully take down the aliens, there is also the temptation to bluff and surpass other players. There are personal objectives that might spoil the team effort, so be careful and watch who you trust. But overall, Nemesis will help you bond with friends as you create winning strategies in a science-fiction world.
Do you have kids who refuse to leave their phone? Let them bring it to family game night for Last Defense! — one of the best cooperative board games out there right now —which uses an engaging app to move along the game. Last Defense! takes players through the breaking news that monsters have invaded their city, so it is up to them to defend everyone from these spider robots and space aliens. Players can choose to be a construction worker, on-call nurse, soccer champ, barbeque dad, or a good dog. These unique yet everyday characters are the heroes in this game, which makes this a light-hearted and easy game to learn.
You can play this game in 20 minutes or less, so it is ideal for busy parents wanting quality time with their family. Because the city is being invaded, players need to work as a team as they forage for resources, rescue other civilians, and find tools to help each other. If the monsters win, then everyone else loses, so there is an intense spirit of teamwork in this family-friendly board game. The free companion app provides audio to create an urgent atmosphere, announcing where the newest monsters are attacking.
Because this is such a short game, you might find yourself replaying it over and over. Maybe each time, you can focus on something different as you play, like how to manage the stress in the game or how to work as a team. You can play Last Defense! every day if you wanted to, since the game is guaranteed to end before your 30-minute lunch break. Schedule it in, download the app, and enjoy!
Ravine starts players off with a plane crash, landing them on a deserted island. If you love the popular TV show Survivor or are a fan of the video game Minecraft, you will enjoy the thrill of this cooperative and strategic board game (we think it's one of the best cooperative board games out there right now). Players have to survive the nights on the island, craft weapons, and forage for resources as a team. The cute heart tokens aren't so cute in the game, as they determine how many lives you have at the start. You automatically begin the game with three hearts, and the next three lives are up to chance as you shake them up and place them on the table.
When nighttime draws near, players need to work as a team to fight off wild animals and other dangers of the night. If you have a weapon or other helpful resources, you can assist other players who have less resources. If you are left with only one life or heart token, you are forced to draw a madness card. These are silly and sometimes embarrassing action cards, so make sure you feel comfortable making a fool of yourself with whoever you play Ravine with that night.
Between making a fire to stay warm and building shelter for protection, you will find this game is fast-paced and easy to understand. Ravine is perfect for families, couples, or a group of friends who are super fans of Survivor. If a player survives the night without drawing a madness card, congrats, you've won!
Do you love the hit TV show Stranger Things on Netflix? Or are you a fan of the American horror author H. P. Lovecraft? For players who appreciate a horrific mystery, this spooky board game will unite players in saving the world from evil magic. Eldritch Horror is a cooperative board game based in 1926, but with a dark and fantastical twist. With unique monsters, dangerous magic, and mysterious worlds to explore, players will find themselves adventuring through the globe to battle their worst nightmares. Not only is there the element of horror and magic, but much of the game play revolves around solving mysteries, putting your detective skills to the test.
Each player becomes an investigator attempting to close the portals to other worlds. If you wish you were one of the kids in Stranger Things, this is your chance to imagine you are saving your city from monsters trying to claw their way in from another world. Just like in many horror shows or movies, there is no escaping the monsters alone. Players must coordinate their actions, communicate quickly, and use teamwork to stop the magic from consuming the world. Eldritch Horror features four "Ancient Ones", twelve investigators, and hundreds of different possibilities for game play with plenty of cards and tokens. So even if you play this with your family every weekend, each game will have a different story to follow, keeping the magic alive.
This board game is also inspired by Arkham Horror, another popular board game. However, Eldritch Horror has simpler rules and quicker game play, making this ideal for family game night or beginner players — and one of the best cooperative board games we could find.
Do you love Grey's Anatomy or apocalyptic shows? Try bringing Pandemic to your next board game night. Pandemic places players in the terrifying environment of a global health emergency, forcing them to work as a team to fight off deadly diseases. This darker yet realistic theme creates a unique board game that relies solely on teamwork to win the game. There is no way you are stopping a pandemic alone, so you might as well team up with your fellow players to avoid being wiped away by one of the four diseases.
The four diseases spread throughout different cities, and the actual board itself is a map of the world. With each outbreak, players will need to evaluate their roles and see how to leverage their strengths and weaknesses. This cooperative board game is ideal to practice problem-solving skills in a realistic scenario. Plus, the game play of Pandemic is a common base game for other strategic and cooperative games. Once you learn the rules and play a few times, you will be ready to play more advanced versions of this popular board game.
Playing this game will be enjoyable for everyone, but especially for those players passionate about science, biology, or medicine. With roles such as Researcher, Medic, and First Responder, players will use their strengths in the medical field to find a cure. Players also have the possibilities of choosing Epidemiologist, Pharmacist, or Gene Splicer, just to name a few. While younger players might not fully understand what these roles mean, they can play along with their team to see how their scientific strengths can help the team as a whole.
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King combines cooperative game play with the popular video game World of Warcraft. Players must stand up to the icy Lich King as he threatens the continent of Northrend with his army. Before players battle the king himself, they have to face the undead and complete quests as a team. Players need to communicate their strengths and weaknesses in order to create a winning strategy against the Lich King.
This cooperative board game is heavily inspired by another Z-Man Games popular board game, Pandemic. Despite all the World of Warcraft game play, there is the underlying objective to save different locations from being destroyed. If you have played Pandemic before, this new twist on the game will be exciting and easy to learn. The Lich King acts as the common enemy in Azeroth, similar to how a deadly disease threatens the world in Pandemic. Players will need to use their best teamwork and hope their heroes have the powers required to save the world.
The game ends when players battle the Lich King at Icecrown Citadel. For those familiar with World of Warcraft, this board game will be ideal to play with other WoW fans. But even if you have no background in Wow, you can appreciate the beautifully crafted board game, as it includes seven heroes, plenty of painted miniatures, and dynamic cards to create unique solutions to take down the Lich King.
For those who enjoy negotiating, strategizing, and creating political plans, this is the war game for you. Diplomacy puts players in the shoes of politicians prior to World War I, helping them to form alliances, negotiate treaties, and recognize treachery in the age of the early 1900s. You will need to be clever and cooperative to keep the peace in Europe, as players choose to play as Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, or Turkey. By playing on a map, players can get familiar with geography as they plan to keep the peace or start a war.
This is a great game for teachers to use in the classroom as learning tool, for history buffs to show off their knowledge, or for those who are ready for a strategic war game. While players will often form alliances and pacts, Diplomacy is true to its political theme and often encourages personal gain in the game. Players should watch their back, as deceit and broken promises will arise throughout the game as tensions rise. However, there is room to build back trust and form stronger teams, leading to higher levels of cooperation and strategy.
Unlike other cooperative games, this game leaves little to chance or rolling dice, which in a way makes it unique in our collection of the best cooperative board games you can find right now. There are fleets, armies, and maps to help players craft the perfect strategy to dominate over other players. However, because this game can take up to six hours, there is plenty of room for trust to be earned again and teamwork to be at the center of Diplomacy. Just keep in mind that this cooperative board game will take more than just one day to complete!
If you love Dungeons & Dragons or The Lord of the Rings, you will love playing the board game Legends of Andor. This cooperative board game takes players on a fantasy adventure through the land of Andor, running into princes and evil magic as they try to protect the castle. To begin, players choose between four heroes, either the archer, dwarf, warrior, or wizard, which gives each player an opportunity to demonstrate their strengths during the journey. Players will encounter helpers along the way, such as the witch who holds a medicine for the ill King Brandur. But most of the time, players will need to think fast when trouble approaches in the forest or mysterious mountains.
The heroes will battle enemies, obtain strength points, discover equipment upgrades, and build up will power to eventually defend the castle and save King Brandur. There are underground mines to discover gemstones, but players might run into monsters to slay, requiring teamwork and sacrifice. If your band makes it to the end of the game, players will battle the ancient dragon who awakens from a long slumber. So for those of you who are fans of The Hobbit, try to remember how Bilbo and his gang battled Smaug!
Not only is this game adventurous and collaborative, but Legends of Andor has won many prestigious awards for its game play. In 2013, this fantasy board game won the Kennerspiel des Jahres award, a prestigious German board game award, earning it amazing reviews from Forbes. Check it out for yourself and slay the dragon as a team!
Betrayal at House on the Hill combines adventure and horror as a group of curious explorers enter a haunted house, and we think it's so fun that it's one of the best cooperative board games out there right now. Players will need to brave the dangers in each room of the house, until one player falls victim to its supernatural effects. Similar to the online game Among Us and party game Mafia, one player will become a traitor to the group, and it is up to the rest of the team to figure out who is against them. This will require some strategic thinking, but there is much left up to chance with dice rolling and various card possibilities.
Most of the game, players will work as a team to complete quests in the house. But once a player betrays the group, the cooperation might falter while personal motives take place. This will pit some players against each other, but there is still an element of teamwork as players progress through the haunted house on the hill.
This is the third edition of Betrayal, so it features new "Betrayals", investigators, scenario cards, and omen cards to create unique outcomes. The artwork and character design is inspired by Clue, considering there is an element of mystery to this board game. While the artwork might look inviting, it is important to remember that this game is designed for ages 12 and up. There are spooky components to this game such as the Traitor's Tomb, Secrets of Survival, and horrific findings in the basement of the house. Stick together as a team to make sure you don't succumb to the horrors of the house!
While some gamers may enjoy the horror or apocalyptic board game themes, maybe you want to go back to your childhood roots. Find a cooperative board game that has a colorful, light-hearted theme, and you will find the nostalgia of childhood board games coming back to you. For some players, sometimes the theme of the board game is more important than the actual game play. Especially if you have younger kids, maybe games like Ravine or Last Defense! would be more suitable than Nemesis or Mysterium.
However, you might really enjoy the dark themes of strategic board games. Think about what genre you find yourself gravitating towards the most. Do you like the magic and fantasy themes, or do you prefer more realistic or political games? Do you care about the artwork on the board and cards, or do you enjoy the game pieces more? You can even find cooperative board games based on your favorite video games, TV shows, or movies to keep your game nights exciting.
If you have a favorite board game that you play over and over, sometimes you can exhaust the excitement before it even begins. Or, you might have a child who prefers virtual dice instead of actually moving a pawn on a board. Sometimes, you just need the right atmosphere and suspense to create an exciting environment for game play.
Players might want to add a spooky soundtrack when playing a horror board game. You can play soundtracks from popular horror films, search on YouTube for certain sounds, or Google soundtracks from video games. Some games have entertaining video tutorials or even an app you can use alongside the game!
If you have a competitive friend group or family, you might be worried about how these games could turn out. It is important to read the instructions, but it is even more important to make the game cooperative for your specific group. When a player is getting frustrated by a rule, you can slightly change it for one round to keep the peace. The key is to make sure the competition does not become frustration. Because even when playing these cooperative and teamwork-based games, competition is bound to happen. But by keeping tabs on how everyone feels about the rules and consequences of game play, you can ensure you have a pleasant time with your group.
Sophia Ortega is a freelance writer based in New York City with experience as a content writer, blogger, and creative writer for literary magazines. She writes buyer’s guides for Screen Rant, sharing her expertise on video games, movie merchandise, and must-have collectibles. Sophia loves playing her Nintendo Switch, especially Animal Crossing: New Horizons (come visit her island!) and recently Disney Dreamlight Valley. When she’s not writing, Sophia is probably taking a ballet class in the city, rewatching The Mandalorian to obsess over Grogu, or religiously watching House of the Dragon every Sunday.