Get started with digital-friendly board games

From Monopoly to Scrabble, there’s nothing like a classic board game to bring friends and family together, for better or worse.

Many board games have now made the leap to digital so you can dive into the fun anywhere at any time. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite board games to get you started exploring this versatile genre.

Like their name suggests, board games are usually games played out on a board or some form of physical space. Their rules generally require you to move pieces according to a defined set of goals. As with many games the goal is to win, but it may require cooperation rather than competition.

It’s natural to be unsure how board games translate to mobile when so much of the experience revolves around sharing laughs and quality time with your fellow players.

Luckily, many digital board games are designed with these same experiences in mind, letting you play with your friends and family regardless of if they’re sitting next to you or are miles away. Some also have bots or other real players worldwide so you can play whenever you like, even if your usual group isn’t available.

Don’t know what to play first? Take a gander at our hand-picked selection of board games to find a starting point.

Chess, the timeless classic, is now just a few taps away. Just starting to learn the game? No problem – head over to the training section to get the lowdown on moves and strategies. When you’re ready, compete against AI, friends, online players, or even in global tournaments. There’s even more features to discover like puzzle mode and offline play, so it’s worth spending time exploring.

Stake your claim over a vast wilderness in this strategy game. You’ll lead one of 4 woodland factions: the Cats, the Vagabond, the Alliance, or the Eyrie, all of which have different goals and conditions to win. You may need to conquer territory, build and craft, recruit allies, or cunningly play all sides to achieve the ultimate objective: ruling the forest once and for all.

How well do you really know your friends? Wavelength – a game that’s all about reading minds – can help you find the truth. You’ll be given a category (like “underrated to overrated”), and an arrow that falls along a spectrum (eg., more overrated than underrated).

From there, you must use clues to nudge your opponent toward the arrow. The closer they get, the more points you earn. It’s just as much about strategy as it is anticipating your friends’ reasoning – expect equal amounts of funny moments and head-scratchers.