Board gaming can be a richly rewarding pastime and activity to do with friends and family. With more elaborate and intricate games coming out each year, it can be an exciting thrill for hobbyists to collect it all. However, due to time constraints and other commitments, many games may end up collecting dust instead.
That said, there are many games available on the market and several of them even play for under an hour or less. These games are not only more affordable but can also dish out a hearty session of gameplay whilst providing more time for hobbyists to play more games.
10 Santorini (15-20mins)
One of the more abstract (and cuter) strategy board games available, Santorini is a quick and deeply satisfying game for 2-4 players. Players will first select a worker (sometimes 2) and place them on the island. Every turn, a player must move 1 space in any direction provided it can be accessed and then build on a space adjacent to them. The first player to reach the 3rd story of any building wins. Sounds simple right?
Now combine the ability to seal off buildings with the iconic blue domes from Santorini to deny victory plus the ability to wield greek god powers, and now the party's started. Powers offer a dynamic shift to strategy as players can potentially move several times in a turn or even swap places with an opponent. With over 30 different god powers available, no game will ever be the same!
9 Coup (15mins+)
Coup is a cut-throat bluffing game for 2-6 players set in a world that is reminiscent of a Machiavellian-Esque Hunger Games saga. Players will murder, lie, and steal from one another to be the last one standing. At the beginning of each round, players will be assigned some money and 2 cards that do specific roles but will not know their opponents’ hands.
Players will then take a series of actions where they can lie (or just bluntly state the truth) to further their ends leading to the beginnings of serious trust issues between friends and family. Relatively easy to learn, this game will grant a free pass to players who enjoy watching their loved ones suffer.
8 Itchy Feet The Travel Game (8-40mins)
Itchy Feet is a card game about the joys of travel. Well, sort of. Each round, players will be given a unique destination they need to travel to. Once traveling there, players must journey to a second final location to win the game. To travel, players must have the right suit of cards matching their destination and have a passport on them. Sounds wholesome so far but wait.
Players can directly intervene and sabotage one another with one action allowing players to steal from the opponent’s hand. It’s even possible for other players to nab another person’s passport! Alternatively, the game has a second winning condition. If a player acquires 4 out of the 6 postcards in the deck, they automatically win the game. Crazy right? Quick, easy to carry around, and deceptively brutal, the game works well with any crowd and brings out the worst in people. Great fun!
7 Ethnos (45mins+)
Though the official time taken to play can last up to 90 minutes, players who get the hang of Ethnos can play it for under an hour. Players are essentially warlords seeking to dominate the fantasy realm of Ethnos by playing bands of mercenaries (represented by cards) in select regions.
Combining both card drafting and area control mechanics, players will be attempting to build bands of mercenaries and synergize leader abilities within their bands to score the most points and control more regions on the map. However, players must act fast as the round ends when 3 black dragons are drawn from the deck. At the end of 3 rounds, players will tally up their points and declare who amongst them is the Lord of Ethnos.
6 Deception: Murder In Hong Kong (20mins+)
Although most party games involving social deduction are quick and can play under an hour, Deception: Murder In Hong Kong is an exceptional party game that demands more logic and guile from its players. Similar to Mafia and Werewolf type of games, players act as investigators attempting to solve a grisly murder, and surprise surprise, one of their own has down the heinous deed and is supported by a devious accomplice.
Unlike most other social deduction games, Deception has players figure out the identity of the murderer using logic and clues given by the silent forensic analyst. The analyst helps investigators by narrowing down the evidence and means of murder. With 3 rounds per game, the game offers a deeply thematic experience and will appeal to those who like murder mysteries.
5 Cockroach Poker (15-25mins)
No, this game isn’t poker and it doesn’t involve cockroaches (thank goodness). Cockroach Poker is a bluffing game for up to 6 people and is a strange game in that the game ends with only 1 loser. The loser is the player who accumulates enough types of a set of vermin, collects 1 of every 7 types of vermin cards, or runs out of cards to play.
As there is only 1 loser in this game, players will go for each person’s jugular vein as each accumulates more vermin cards throughout the game. Sometimes board games bring out the worst in people and this game certainly delivers on that premise in the best possible ways.
4 The Crew: The Quest For Planet Nine (20mins+)
A puzzle game for 2-5 players but requires that players be silent, The Crew is a cooperative card game where players embark on a space mission to uncover a certain unknown planet. The base game comes with over 50 missions with players overcoming each mission by fulfilling common individual tasks.
Although the game is played silently, fans of the game have noted that the silence enhances the player interaction, enhancing the intense gameplay. The game is a must-play for those who are short on time but crave a deeply strategic cooperative experience.
3 Modern Art (45mins+)
A game of auctioning and buying art to become the most successful art dealer ever. In Modern Art, five famous artists are putting their works up for sale, and players must buy and sell different pieces in the hopes of making a profit. As the game progresses, certain artists’ paintings will go up in value depending on how many paintings of that type were sold. The game ends after five rounds and the winner is the player with the most money.
With a selection of different actions and ways to auction, Modern Art is a fun and relatively quick economic game that relies on the player’s ability to be shrewd and opportunistic.
2 Onitama (15-45mins)
A 2-player game akin to chess, Onitama takes place in a dojo where opposing martial art schools compete to be the best on a 5x5 board. Players will each receive 5 pieces comprising of a master and 4 disciples. The game ends when a player can capture the other player’s master or can move their master onto the opponent’s master seat.
The game also uses a unique card system where players have to follow specific movement patterns to move and defeat opposing units. Positioning is key in this game and one small mistake can cost a player the entire game. Deeply strategic, Onitama is a relatively easy game to pick up but can be difficult to master.
1 Watergate (30-60mins)
Another 2-player game but this time revolving around the Watergate scandal from the early 1970s, Watergate pits 2 players against each other in an intense strategic tug of war. Here, the journalist player seeks to gather enough evidence to connect informants to the president. The other player embodying the Nixon administration attempts to build enough momentum until the next election and smother anything that gets in the way.
Garnering several awards and being praised by many within the board gaming community, Watergate offers players an intense back and forth card drafting experience in under 60 minutes.