The Best RPG Board Games Worth Playing in 2025

Many modern board games offer deep strategic gameplay, focusing on resource management or economic optimization. But if you crave the thrill of exploration and adventure, role-playing board games are your perfect match. Like their pen-and-paper counterparts, these games immerse you in fantastical settings, where you collaborate or compete to overcome quests and challenges. However, they also retain the strategic depth expected of a great board game.

Below are some of the best RPG board games, promising countless hours of fun in 2025 and beyond.

Top Role-Playing Board Games at a Glance

See it at Amazon

Gloomhaven: Jaws of The Lion, Frosthaven

The Gloomhaven series is renowned as a top board game, and arguably the best role-playing board game. You play as adventurers, collaborating through a sprawling campaign, with the roster changing as characters retire or fall. The game features a tactical combat system using a deck of ability cards, creating intense scenarios as your deck depletes. While the original is currently out of stock, the prequel, *Jaws of the Lion*, offers a similar experience in a more accessible package. The sequel, *Frosthaven*, expands the gameplay by introducing a town to explore, build, and populate. Both are excellent choices for solo play.

See it at Amazon

Dungeons & Dragons: Temple of Elemental Evil

This cooperative adventure game, based on the popular pen-and-paper RPG, masterfully blends both genres. Randomly drawn tiles create a dynamic dungeon, filled with traps and monsters governed by simple rules. This creates a sense of exploring a mysterious labyrinth. The game features a narrative campaign. *Temple of Elemental Evil*, based on a classic D&D scenario, is a standout.

See it at Amazon

For classic D&D gameplay, check out our beginner's guide.

The Witcher: Old World

This acclaimed board game adaptation of the popular video game series is set before the events of *The Witcher* games and novels. Players take on the roles of Witchers, hunting monsters and competing for coin and glory. The game features deck-building mechanics, creating strategic synergies to defeat powerful foes. A solo mode is also available.

See it at Amazon

See our *The Witcher: Old World* board game review for more details.

Star Wars: Imperial Assault

This sci-fi RPG trades dungeons for starships and high-tech bases. One player commands the Empire, while others cooperate as Rebel operatives to undermine the Emperor. The tactical combat system supports both single scenarios and a campaign mode, linking battles into a cinematic narrative. Numerous expansions add iconic characters.

See it at Amazon

See our guide to the best *Star Wars* board games for more options.

HeroQuest

This classic dungeon-crawling game returns with updated miniatures. One player acts as the game master, revealing the dungeon and its challenges as players explore, fight monsters, and collect treasure. It offers a true role-playing experience with family-friendly rules and tactical gameplay. Numerous expansions provide additional adventures.

See it at Amazon

Arkham Horror: The Card Game

This horror RPG offers a challenging experience with bleak narratives. Players cooperate to solve mysteries linked to Lovecraftian horrors. The strategy involves deck-building to improve characters and manage probabilities. It's also a great trading card game.

See it at Amazon

The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth

This game takes place within Tolkien's Middle-earth. Players build card decks to represent their powers and abilities. Innovative features include tile flipping for combined overground and underground exploration, and a supporting app for solving mysteries.

See it at Amazon

Read our review of *The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying* board game.

This War of Mine: The Board Game

This unique game portrays the struggles of survival in a war-torn city. Players scavenge resources, barricade their hideout, and evade hostiles. Resource management and base-building are combined with narrative text, offering a powerful depiction of conflict.

See it at Amazon

Descent: Legends of the Dark

This game boasts impressive production value with detailed miniatures and 3D terrain. A mobile app guides players through quests with narrative links, allowing them to use collected treasures to gain new powers and equipment.

See it at Amazon

Read our *Descent: Legends of the Dark* review.

Mice & Mystics

This game is suitable for younger players, telling a whimsical story of mice saving a kingdom. Simple mechanics and charming adventures make it enjoyable for all ages.

See it at Amazon

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

This game prioritizes narrative, blending Celtic and Arthurian legends. Players must collaborate to survive, managing resources and navigating a branching narrative campaign with rich text.

See it at Amazon

RPG Board Games: Tabletop RPGs and Video Game RPGs

The term "role-playing game" (RPG) originated with *Dungeons & Dragons*, which formalized the practice of narrative storytelling using wargame rules. Pen-and-paper RPGs emphasize creative potential, but many players also enjoy the strategic aspects of rule manipulation and character advancement. The need for a game master led to the creation of board and video game RPGs, where the game or computer takes on that role, offering strategic depth and character progression.

While "role-playing" is established in video game terminology, there's no equivalent in board games. These games are often called adventure or quest games. The lack of a direct equivalent might stem from the less immediate connection players have with their physical avatars on a board compared to on-screen characters.

There's significant cross-pollination between these genres, with *Dungeons & Dragons* inspiring both board and video game RPGs, which have in turn been adapted back into material for the original RPG. The lines blur considerably.