Top 5 Competitive Board Games for Adults

We all know game nights are no joke, especially with a competitive group of friends or the family. These epic nights of wit and will bring everyone together and test our skills, whether you are trying to outsmart, outwit, or just out-talk your competitors.

Choosing the right grown up board games can make all the difference between an ordinary night at home or an intensely entertaining games night of friendly clashes.

Ready for laughs, rivalries, and possibly plenty of shouting (the fun kind)? Then we’ll explore our best board games for adults.

In no particular order…  

1. The Traitors  

Inspired by the hit TV show, The Traitors is a mix between deduction and deception. Players are divided into two top secret groups: the Faithful and the Traitors. The Traitors’ main objective is to ensure each Faithful is eliminated one by one, while the Faithful must figure out who is betraying the group before it is too late.  

This game is perfect if your friends and family love bluffing and strategy and can be given an even greater feeling of authenticity if brought with you on weekends away. It’s a chaotic game filled with alliances, betrayals, and a lot of hilarious finger-pointing that will really stretch your ability to bluff alongside test how well you know one another.

How to Play: 

• Each round will consist of a different task to add gold to the collective pot. The Traitors will have a mission that works in opposition to the main objective. Players can then win immunity in the armoury round which is typically a one-on-one task.  
• After your tasks are done, players discuss and vote to “banish” a player they suspect to be a Traitor.  
• The game ends when all Traitors have been exposed or the Traitors outnumber the Faithful.

2. Monopoly

If you have those members in your family or friends’ group who constantly shout out ‘rent!’ or ‘go to jail’ then Monopoly might just be the board game you need for a night in. This classic game is filled with a mix of buying know how, property tycoon management and dodging the tax man! 

Collect the classic Park Lane and Mayfair or maybe introduce some tweaks to the rules – property exchange anyone?

How to Play:  

• Choose your marker and make sure the banker is ready to set everyone up with their funds.
• Roll the dice to move around the board and purchase your properties or take a Community Chest or Chance card – will it be your Birthday so you can collect gifts from each player?
• Don’t forget to collect $200 every time you pass go and be careful you don’t end up in trouble with the police!
• This game can go on for some time so it can be good to set a timer limit or goal to reach to tally up how much money and property each player had – the highest amount wins.

3. Guess Who?

Simple feature recognition fun, choose a character from the quirky array and try and guess your opponents before they guess yours. Use insightful questions and the power of deduction to beat them to the punch, whilst utilising the flip down character boards to keep a track of who you’ve eliminated from contention.

Guess Who? Is the name of the game as you race to guess your opponent’s character card. Perfect for adult game nights or family fun, line up your likely suspects and get guessing.

How to Play:  

• A two-player game, each player chooses a character card to keep to themselves.
• Take turns asking about your opponent character, trying to identify their unique features, or lack of. Eliminate suspects by flipping down their character card on your included board.
• The game ends when a player correctly guesses who their opponent has

4. Beat the Parents

Traditionally a game that pits children against adults, why not switch it up for games night and have two teams of friends compete against each other? Either way, Beat the Parents is a brilliant and fun way to take on viral challenges, trivia and tests of skill to advance to the finish and declare your team the champions.

The winners coupon allows you to choose the activities for a day, or create your own for an added element of fun.

Draw cards to answer the questions or discover what your challenger is and advance a space if you are successful. Some spaces on the board may require specific or unique actions adding even more twists to proceedings.

How to Play:

• For 4 or to 8 players, answer questions and undergo challenges to move along the board.
• Draw cards and answer questions for your team with specific cards for adults and children
• Work together with your teammates to answer as many questions correctly as possible.
• The first team to reach the finish space and successfully complete the final challenge wins the game.

5. Cluedo

An iconic board game of murder and mystery, advance room by room collecting clues and try and solve the murder that’s just taken place in Cluedo. Each player has a detective’s notepad and keeps a track of the clues they’ve uncovered as they go.

Piece it all together and find out where the murder happened in the mansion, what weapon was used and who committed the crime!

For 2 – 6 players, use critical thinking and problem solving skills as you go but be careful, accuse the wrong person and it’s game over. Be the first to identify correctly though and the plaudits are yours.

How to Play:

• Roll dice to move your character around the board, asses each room and search for clues.
• Make suggestions about who could have committed the crime and with what and where, and if a player has a matching card, they must reveal that.
• Drawe clue cards to uncover new information and jot it all down.
• When you think you know the solution, make an accusation.

Whether you enjoy racing against the clock, bluffing your opponents, or testing your logic, these games can keep any family or group of friends entertained for hours on end. Games night should be about more than just winning, it’s about all the memories in between, the laughing, bonding, and competitiveness! So be sure to pile up those snacks and get ready for the next epic adult board games night.  

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