12 Cheap Board Games Under $25 That Are Definitely Worth Buying

Board gaming can sometimes be a dauntingly expensive hobby, especially considering all the expansions, deluxe editions, and miniatures you can buy. However, you don’t need to spend a fortune to assemble an awesome collection of tabletop titles

While many board games cost well over $100, there are even more you can find for less than $25. Whether you're looking for a small card game to bring to a party or a casual board game for a family night, there are tons of options to explore.

How we picked the best board games under $25

As we reviewed this list, we considered our most enjoyable board game experiences over the years. While you may be a fan of competitive and strategic titles, friends and family may prefer more casual games.

Keeping these differences in mind, we've included 12 games spanning a diverse range of genres in both board game and card form so you can have plenty of options for your next session. Every one of the cheap board games that we’re highlighting in this list has unique mechanics and interesting themes that create considerable replay value and guarantee game night fun.

1. Trails

Best nature card game

• Players: Two to four
• Playtime: 20-40 minutes
• Ages: 10+
• Price: Varies
• View at Amazon

Discover scenic vistas and explore U.S. National Parks in Trails, a standalone board game based on Keymaster Game’s popular tabletop title Parks. As you move through the wilderness, you’ll get points for spotting birds and collecting natural resources like acorns and rocks. Turn these supplies in for badges and take a few photos before night falls to pick up the most victory points. The artwork here is particularly gorgeous and invites the players to visit the game’s most iconic locations in person.

2. The Resistance: Avalon

Best medieval fantasy card game

• Players: Five to ten
• Playtime: 30 minutes
• Ages: 14+
• Price: $24.80
• View at Amazon

In Avalon, each player begins with a secret role that determines their allegiance. They must then deduce which other people around the table are on their team. If you’re on the side of Arthur and his knights, you’ll need to complete quests successfully. Accidentally inviting the baddies to come with you might spell doom. If you’re allied with Morgana instead, you’ll need to stealthily sabotage these quests by convincing everyone of your good intentions and then playing fail cards. As far as social deduction games go, it doesn’t get much better than Avalon. This title works exceptionally well for large groups.

3. The Crew: Mission Deep Sea

Best trick-taking card game

• Players: Three to five
• Playtime: Varies
• Ages: 10+
• Price: $14.95
• View at Amazon

If you’re looking for a fun cooperative game with plenty of depth that won’t break the bank, then you’ll love The Crew: Mission Deep Sea. It’s a trick-taking card game for two to five players that puts your team on a quest to discover a lost continent. The objective cards upset the basic formula of only playing high-number cards to win sets and ensure that no two games are quite the same. There’s also a scaling difficulty system, which guarantees that players who love a good challenge will have a great time.

4. Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game

Best card game based on a popular franchise

• Players: Two
• Playtime: 30 minutes
• Ages: 14+
• Price: $14.95
• View at Amazon

The classic conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire takes center stage in Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game. Two players face off in a duel-like format. The aim is to cripple each other’s bases and prevent the opponent from purchasing too many powerful cards for their deck. Iconic characters from the original trilogy, such as Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, play a key role in the game because of their force-wielding abilities. However, claiming victory requires a more diverse mix of units. As a result, you'll need to put a few rebel troopers, smugglers, and tie fighters into play if you want to win.

5. The Fox in the Forest

Best two-player card game

• Players: Two
• Playtime: 30 minutes
• Ages: 10+
• Price: $15.99
• View at Amazon

The Fox in the Forest is an enjoyable trick-taking card game for two players with a few interesting twists. The various peoples and mystical beings on the deck all have interesting powers that players can work with. This allows for a healthy dose of strategy but also ensures that the gameplay remains surprising and unpredictable. Also, if you take too many tricks at once, you’ll have to pay the penalty for being greedy. The theme is simple yet engaging, and the illustrations on the cards are elegant and aesthetically pleasing.

6. Love Letter

Best social deduction card game

• Players: Two to six
• Playtime: 20 minutes
• Ages: 10+
• Price: $14.99
• View at Amazon

Our first social deduction game on this list is Love Letter. We're mixing strategy, bluffing, and romance in this fast-paced card game as you, using the cards in your hand, try to deliver a special letter to the princess to convince her you're the most suitable person to be her confidant. The cards in your hand are characters with unique point values and abilities, letting you use any means necessary to win the princess' heart.

While playing Love Letter, you have one goal—eliminate other players and have the highest-valued card in your hand by the end of your turn. If you're the last player standing, you'll automatically win favor from the princess for that round. Whoever has the most favor will win the game. A usual game takes around 20 minutes, but with how many card combinations and strategies you can use, there's plenty of replay value.

7. One Night Ultimate Werewolf

Best fast-paced card game

• Players: Three to ten
• Playtime: 10 minutes
• Ages: 8+
• Price: $24.95
• View at Amazon

For a dramatic game of social deduction and hilarious accusatory conversation, try One Night Ultimate Werewolf. Each player takes on a different secret role in the village and will sometimes get to take action during the brief night phase. When the town awakens, it’s up to the players to figure out who amongst them is an evil werewolf. At the end of the day, the players vote on who they should execute. If werewolves all avoid capture, then they win. If just one of them is caught, the villagers win instead. There’s also an app that assists with running the night phase, which prevents someone from having to sit out and manage the game from the sidelines.

8. Skull

Best cheap board game with unique gameplay

• Players: Three to six players
• Playtime: 30 minutes
• Ages: 10+
• Price: $19.99
• View at Amazon

The simple yet exciting party game Skull will put your bluffing skills to the test and keep you on the edge of your seat. Players take turns placing their tiles facedown until someone decides to bid on the amount of tiles they can turn over without hitting one that’s secretly a skull. The other players can then choose to bid a higher number or let things play out. If the highest-bidding player manages to avoid the other players’ skulls, they win points for every tile they turn over. If they are unsuccessful, they’re required to give up one of their tiles instead, making bluffing even more difficult for them.

9. Decrypto

Best team-based card game

• Players: Three to eight players
• Playtime: 30 minutes
• Ages: 12+
• Price: $24.9
• View at Amazon

If you enjoy games that require you to guess what your teammates and opponents are thinking, then you’ll love Decrypto. When you set up the game, you’ll place four of the random word cards in your team’s windowed stand so that each word is next to a different number. Then, choose a teammate to secretly read a series of numbers. That player will then attempt to communicate this code to their teammates with word-based clues related to the randomized cards. If you’re paying close attention, you might be able to score points by intercepting the enemy’s numerical sequences as well.

10. Bang! The Dice Game

Best card game with dice

• Players: Three to eight players
• Playtime: 15 minutes
• Ages: 8+
• Price: $17.99
• View at Amazon

In Bang! The Dice Game, outlaws and fugitives roam the Wild West, and the sheriff and his deputies have to try and keep them in check. The game’s classic spaghetti western theme never fails to entertain, and its gameplay mechanics are definitely exciting as well. At the start, you’ll receive both a character card and a role. Each character has a unique power, and each role has a different objective, which means there are a ton of interesting combinations. If you’re an outlaw, your goal is to shoot the sheriff. Representing the law instead? You’ll need to eliminate all the baddies with the aid of your deputy. If you’re the renegade, you can only claim victory if you’re the last one standing.

11. Here to Slay

Best fantasy strategy game

• Players: Two to six players
• Playtime: 30-60 minutes
• Ages: 14+
• Price: $20.00
• View at Amazon

Recruit fierce heroes, wield magic, and take down mythical monsters in Here to Slay, a thrilling dice-rolling game in which the seemingly endless card combos allow just about anything to happen. The characters you play will let you fight dragons and other strange creatures, provided you have the power icons that match the enemy’s requirements. Your heroes and any modifier cards also make it possible for you to sabotage your friends, which is arguably a big part of why this game is so fun. The artwork and the expansions are, of course, also fantastic.

12. Happy Little Dinosaurs

Cutest card game

• Players: Two to four players
• Playtime: 30-60 minutes
• Ages: 8+
• Price: $19.82
• View at Amazon

Happy Little Dinosaurs is an undeniably adorable card game that’s all about avoiding perilous hazards until you’re the last dino alive. These calamities can be as obvious as falling meteors but are often more comedic. Getting caught cosplaying, accidentally running into a shark with legs, or taking a spa day in what turns out to be hot tar could spell doom. To avoid these perils, you might have to break out your meteor cannon or purchase a disaster insurance policy.

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