2025 is set to be a massive year for board games, with so many exciting licensed and original adventures, puzzlers, competitive, and cooperative experiences on the way. There’s ample video game adaptations, in new Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us board games. There’s also sequels to beloved games like Wingspan/Wyrmspan and Flamecraft, as well as a whole lot of cool, original ideas on the way.
With so many to choose from, you’ll have plenty of trouble deciding exactly which adventure you want to play next – which is a lovely change of pace from a relatively quiet 2024. We love board games, and we’re so excited to see more launching over the coming year.
Here’s all the biggest board games releasing in 2025.
Note: Not all board games on this list will end up launching in 2025, as per tradition. For now, they are targeting launch this year, and you should stay tuned for more news.
Table of Contents
The Dark Quarter
The Dark Quarter is a fantasy RPG board game that comes from the makers of Chronicles of Crime, Lucky Duck Games. Like its past creations, The Dark Quarter is heavily narrative-focused, although it seems to be far more sprawling than its predecessors. In the game, you play as a detective from the magical Beaumont Agency, which works to control the streets of New Orleans as supernatural beings and magical forces gather. You’ll need to strengthen your hero in this adventure, and use their unique skills to corral the magic of the French Quarter back to where it belongs.
Finspan
I can’t believe there’s a fish out there called the Humphead Wrasse. Excuse me while I laugh.
Okay, now that I’m done laughing – Finspan is one of 2025’s biggest and most anticipated board games, thanks to its pedigree and predecessors. Stonemaier Games had a massive hit on its hands with birding game Wingspan, and this later spun off into the dragon-watching Wyrmspan. Now, it’s time for fish to take centre stage. The upcoming Finspan is all about diving deep into ocean waters to find and observe cool fish, with this experience backed by rewarding strategy mechanics.
Everdell Duo
Everdell Duo is a new 1-2 player competitive/cooperative version of Everdell that allows you to play through a campaign starring cute animals and high drama. Those familiar with the world of Everdell will likely already have this game on their radar – but for those unfamiliar, it’s a brilliant series filled with gorgeous natural environments, lovely creatures, and rewarding exploration. Every game in this franchise is completely transportive and delightful, and we anticipate this new standalone journey will be no different.
The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era is an upcoming adventure campaign game for 1-4 players, set within the beloved Elder Scrolls universe. Beyond having very neat tile-laying exploration mechanics (we love a good visual journey), what’s most appealing about this game is that it will have a deep story with ties to all corners of the Elder Scrolls world. For those deep into the lore, it should be an opportunity to learn much more, while travelling along wonderfully-illustrated pathways, and meeting hosts of familiar and new characters.
Critter Kitchen
Critter Kitchen is an adorable food-themed board game where you control a group of food chefs (all cutesy animals) gathering ingredients to create high-star dishes, and impress hungry critics. Beyond its neat theme, what is most appealing about Critter Kitchen is its wonderful artwork. Each dish in the game looks mouth-watering, each animal companion looks like a friend, and towns you’ll visit are brought to life in colourful, delightful shades. Anyone who enjoyed Flamecraft should pay attention to this game’s release in early-to-mid 2025.
The Witcher: Path of Destiny
If you’re in the mood for more video game adaptations, The Witcher: Path of Destiny should be on your list. This is actually a twist on the usual formula. While it does feature story elements, gameplay is based around strategic drafting of “action cards” which determine your path forward. Each card placed represents another leg of your journey, and you’ll need to make strategic decisions about how your destiny is shaped. Given we’ve already had a major, story-focussed Witcher board game, this seems like it’ll be a nice, refreshing change of pace.
The Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation (Ultimate Edition)
The Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation (OG) has often been considered one of the best Lord of the Rings tabletop games, so it’s great to see the title getting a refresh for new audiences, some time in 2025 (or possibly beyond). As announced, The Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation (Ultimate Edition) will be a completely refreshed version of the original title, complete with brand new, beautiful artwork, and some other tweaks. While the campaign for this game hasn’t launched yet, you can follow along with progress on Gamefound.
Nature
It’s so wonderful that board games can be a gateway to learning more about the natural world and its many wonders. While it features a well-trodden theme, Nature aims to expand the nature/evolution strategy genre with a modular system that lets you explore and expand ecosystems, while balancing the needs of animals and plants. This game is actually a spiritual successor to Evolution, and features refreshed mechanics, and a new dose of strategy management.
Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread
If you’re looking for your next big months-long board game commitment, Arydia: The Paths We Dare Thread might spark your interest. This is an “open world, campaign-based, co-operative, fantasy-based, ‘green legacy’ role-playing board game.” That’s a lot of words to say: it’s very big, and it’ll take you a lot of time. As for what you can expect, Arydia follows wanderers making their way through a variety of terrains, fighting against monsters, and scavenging for treasure. Expect hours and hours of challenges, and plenty of opportunities to flex your tabletop skills along the way.
Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are getting their very own Unmatched Adventures set shortly, with this modular board game compatible with every other Unmatched release. As announced, this game will star Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael as they take on Shredder, Kang, and their minions in team-based fights. Like other games in the Unmatched series, players will advance by moving across a board and playing combat ability cards. Each turtle will have their own expertise, and this will play a part in how they’re able to defeat each villain.
Transgalactica
Transgalactica is a gorgeous-looking worker placement game set in a cartoonish version of space populated by cool aliens and sleek spaceship fleets. Your job is to travel around this galaxy, building the reputation and influence of your people, while competing to become the most advanced society. In rounds, players will perform a variety of actions to meet these goals, improving military power, social might, political influence, and more, until they’re the most powerful entity in the universe.
Australis
If you’ve ever wanted to recreate the journey of Finding Nemo, you’ll be able to do that with upcoming ocean-themed board game, Australis. This title from Kosmos puts you directly in the heart of the East Australian Current, where a tiny turtle is fighting to traverse each wave. In your journey, you’ll guide this turtle ahead, while rolling dice and make decisions that will see you forming schools of fish or finding coral to settle.
RoboMon
RoboMon is an upcoming adventure board game that takes direct inspiration from the Pokemon franchise in its aesthetics, gameplay, and creature-collecting mechanics. You and up to one other player can tackle the game’s narrative together, using a story book to journey through various locales, all illustrated in a pixel art style. While this game has been delayed from its initially planned release date, updates continue on Gamefound. Here’s to hoping 2025 is finally the year of RoboMon.
Coming of Age
Coming of Age is compelling for its unique premise: you will begin the game as a child, and then grow up, one year at a time. Per early details of this upcoming game, it’s all about growing well, learning new interests, gaining independence, and building towards achieving set life goals. As avid players of The Sims, the GamesHub team is certainly watching this particular board game from Ludonova with great interest.
Witchbound
Witchbound is an upcoming open world-style game for 1-2 players where you’ll embody the first witch in Coven Cove for over 100 years. In your role, you’ll set forth on a quest through your cosy town and beyond, as you attempt to find the secrets of the witches of old, and uncover the darkness taking root in your surrounds. Keep an eye on Witchbound if you’re a solo game lover, or if you just enjoy tales of magic and mystery. With unique mechanics, cool characters, and a very strong, cartoony art style, it looks incredibly charming.
The Last of Us: Escape the Dark
The Last of Us: Escape the Dark is a unique adaptation of Naughty Dog’s award-winning zombie game that pinches the core mechanics of the Dark Castle series for an entirely new experience. If you’ve ever played Themeborne’s Escape the Dark Castle, you’ll have some clues about what to expect here.
If not – the basic version is that you are a character with certain strengths, attempting to survive waves of encounters against deadly enemies. With each enemy defeat, you’ll progress further in your adventure, until you wind up facing off against a terrifying boss. While The Last of Us: Escape the Dark is slightly different, in that you’ve got a board and more mechanics to deal with, the principle remains the same: escape or perish.
Cyberpunk 2077: The Board Game
If you haven’t had enough of the world of Cyberpunk 2077, let us introduce you to Cyberpunk 2077: The Board Game. Unlike its CMON predecessor, Gangs of the Night City, this board game is solely focussed on storytelling and adventuring in the world of Cyberpunk, with the action determined by an overarching campaign filled with familiar characters.
In this board game, 1-4 players will take the roles of Night City denizens, then follow along a story, level up their character, take part in tactical action, and fight for a better future. It’s the sort of game that’s best played cooperatively with friends, as long as everyone has time for a lengthy campaign that will require saving and resetting across multiple sessions.
DC Super Heroes United
If you love/loved Marvel United and its many spin-off board games, prepare for the DC Universe to get the very same treatment. Thanks to CMON, DC heroes and villains will soon take to the streets to commit all sorts of antics, with players required to step in to corral the chaos. Much like its Marvel counterpart, DC Super Heroes United will allow players to embody heroes or villains, and go on adventures to reach set goals. Much like the Marvel version of this game, there is also a significant number of add-ons for this set, introducing new characters, new goals, new fighting styles, and more.
If you’re looking for more board games to explore, check out our other guides:
- The best board games to play solo
- The best board games for beginner players
- The 16 best cozy board games for quiet afternoons
- The best board games to play in co-op with friends
- The best board games to play at a party
- The best board games for kids and young players
- The best puzzle-based board games
- The best spooky board games to play on Halloween
- The 8 best dungeon crawler board games for adventurers
- The best story-based adventure board games
