Only some board games are popular enough to not only dominate the decade that they were published in, but to maintain relevancy and demand even today. Let’s go back in time and have a look at some of history’s most popular board games.
Each decade’s most popular board games
Board games have become much more numerous and popular as time passes, and for good reason. We can look as far back as the turn of the 20th Century for data on board game releases, although it’s difficult to discern objectively the most popular board games of any particular decade.
However, there are many tools that allow me to use my knowledge of the hobby and its history to determine what are the best candidates for the most popular board games for each decade. Most of these board games are popular still today, and how old they are may surprise you.
1900s
Starting in the 1900s, there wasn’t much going on for this decade in the board game department. Two very notable games were released this decade, however, which were popular at the time (and continue to be so now through their ancestors).
Raumschach (Three Dimensional Chess) and The Landlord’s Game were released and were likely the most popular of that decade.
Raumschach (developed in Germany in 1904) was a revolutionary chess variant. The creator, Ferdinand Maack, made this game (called “Space Chess” in German) to more accurately mimic modern warfare.
The Landlord’s Game, invented by Elizabeth Magie in 1906, is the ironic predecessor to Monopoly and initially aimed to highlight the consequences and evils of Capitalism. It was particularly popular for some groups this decade, and lives on spiritually through the huge success of Monopoly.
These are the only two notable games I can find developed in the 1900s, so on to the next decade.
1910s
The 1910s also saw very few board games release, although one was a classic that lives on today.
Uncle Wiggily, released in 1916, is a simple board game with mechanics extraordinarily similar to Snakes and Ladders. It was based on a book with the same namesake, and despite being over one hundred years old, still gets published.
Although considerably less popular now, the fact that it’s still firmly in circulation is a huge testament to its popularity. So it stands that Uncle Wiggily was likely the most popular board game of the 1910s.
1920s
The 1920s was also a pretty barren expanse for board games, although just before the next century began, one very popular board game was released.
Sorry! (patented in 1929) is a classic board game that still holds up today, and is as commonplace as Ludo or Snakes and Ladders. In fact, Sorry! is based on Ludo, a game that originated in India a few thousand years ago.
Although Sorry! may be losing its relevance in this day and age, it’s been an incredibly popular game that I’m sure would have at least been one of the most popular, if not the most popular, game of the 1920s.
1930s
The 1930s starts to see an uptick of board games, and is the decade that one of the most notoriously popular board games were created.
Monopoly (first sold in 1934) was released, beginning its lasting legacy. Needless to say, it’s still widely played today, and was extensively popular in the decade it was released.
In true capitalist fashion, Monopoly saw huge success in the Christmas season of 1934 before being patented in 1935, making this game rather timeless. Since then, it’s benefitted from over 1,500 editions and has invaded almost every homestead.
1940s
The 1940s saw a tremendous number of board games released compared to previous years. Two have remained enjoyed classics, and one has fallen behind although was very popular in its time. Although all three board games were released right at the end of the decade, they were very popular.
Clue (released in 1949), Scrabble (released in 1948), and Candyland (in 1949) were released. Although Candyland has fallen from its plinth of popularity, I can’t ignore how popular it was when released.
Clue and Scrabble remain some of the most popular household board games today. When stripped from its dressings, Candyland resembles Uncle Wiggily in gameplay mechanics, although I don’t believe it’s hit the same level of popularity.
1950s
The 1950s is when board gaming really took off, as it saw the release of a surprising amount.
The most notable games of this decade were Risk (released in 1957) and Yahtzee (released in 1956). like Monopoly, Risk has seen many editions and is a solid pick of war game enthusiasts. And who hasn’t played Yahtzee?
From this point onward, it’s going to get real difficult to nail down the most popular board games of each decade as so many were released.
1960s
There are quite a few board games to go over in the 1960s, and I have filtered through the board games that were well-received at the time.
The Game of Life (released in 1960), Stratego (released in 1961), Mousetrap (released in 1963), Operation (released in 1965), and Battleship (released in 1967) were among the most popular board games of this decade.
It felt wrong leaving any of them out, as they’re all very popular today and were in the decade of release. You’ve likely played many of these games, considering they’ve all cemented themselves into the category of household games.
1970s
With more and more board games being released every decade, it’s not surprising that the 1970s also had some pretty popular games.
Boggle (released in 1972), Connect 4 (released in 1974), and Guess Who (released in 1979) hit the scene and earned their place on the pantheon of classics. Although Boggle has seen less general success than Guess Who and Connect 4, it’s still had a very successful run.
Given the success and “vibe” of Connect 4, I’m surprised it was developed this decade, and not much earlier.
1980s
I hope you’re ready for some more classics, as the 1980s produced many more games, although a few definitely hit the popular mark for then and now.
Trivial Pursuit (released in 1981), Jenga (released in 1983), and Pictionary (released in 1985) hit center stage and instantly became classics.
You’ve likely played one of the many variations of Trivial Pursuit, and Pictionary has become released by many imitators both digitally and physically. Jenga has (mostly) remained unchanged, but then again you can’t really mess with perfection.
1990s
With the 1990s, we’re leaving behind the “older” years and creeping up on our own decade. Naturally, an explosion of board games released this decade, although a few sit head and shoulders above the others.
Catan (released in 1995), Twilight Imperium (released in 1997), and Cranium (released in 1998) were (and still are) behemoths of modern board gaming. Although Cranium was for younger audiences compared to the other two, it was still a hit in its category and still gets played today as an alternative to Trivial Pursuit.
Although Twilight Imperium has faded from popularity these days, the franchise had a couple decades of widespread enjoyment as a bulky and huge space conquest adventure.
Catan has remained competitive with many editions, expansions, and scenarios. It remains a titan in the board game industry and has many digital versions or deviations for even more enjoyment.
2000s
Here we go, the 21st century. Board games are evolving and releasing at an even more rapid rate now, making my job here even harder.
Carcassonne (released in 2000), Ticket To Ride (released in 2004), and Pandemic (released in 2007) are huge names in the hobby, each with many editions and expansions for the collectors and fans.
Those in this decade were very spoilt to have all three of these everlasting games release. It’s hard to compare them to each other considering they’re huge success then and now. I’d even go as far to say that they qualify as some of the most popular board games of all time.
2010s
It took me the longest to sort through the 2010 board games releases, let alone to decide the most popular. However, as an active hobbyist during this decade, I can provide some personal insight.
7 Wonders (released in 2010), Codenames and Exploding Kittens (both released in 2015), Terraforming Mars (released in 2016), and finally Wingspan (released in 2019) were each instant hits and remain popular board games in the hobby communities and the general audience.
Although Wingspan just qualifies for this decade, it made a huge impression so I couldn’t not include it. The rest of these entries have become common names in the board gaming world, and although I’m sure there are cases for other board games in this decade, these games are firm entries.
Terraforming Mars may not be talked so much about now, but it had a massive release, and it’s popularity was extended with the expansions.
2020s
We’ve finally arrived to our current decade, the 2020s. As it’s not currently over, all I can do is provide some honorable mentions that may well be some of the most popular board games in this decade. Although at the current rate of innovation and releases, I won’t be surprised if even these games get dwarfed soon.
My City (released in 2020), Ark Nova (released in 2021), and Arcs (released in 2024) are some of the most popular games of this decade by far, although I’m sure they’ll get joined by other board games soon.
Now that you know of the most popular board games of all time, why don’t you give one a try? They’re popular for a reason.
