Best board game titles for Android 2022

Board games have been going through a renaissance over the past decade, and it doesn’t take a lot of digging in the Google Play Store to see that’s the case on Android as well. If you’re having trouble getting everybody together under one roof or just don’t have any more shelf space for another box, pick up your Android phone or tablet to grab these board games.

It should be noted that finding highly-rated board games on the Play Store is an uphill battle. Whether it’s because new updates broke the UI, fundamental aspects didn’t get ported over correctly, or the spirit of the original was lost in translation, many of the board games here barely pass my muster. However, there are a few gems.

We’ve also included a couple of great apps to have on hand when you do get the gaming crew together. And when you’re done here, be sure to check out the best Android games!

I had trouble just picking one game from this excellent developer, so we’re featuring its whole library. AI Factory Limited pushes out the traditional games a lot of us grew up on — chess, checkers, backgammon, and so on — but it does so in great ways. AI’s chess, for example, is my go-to chess game on Android, and I’ve had it installed on my phone for many years.

There are also card games, sudoku, tic-tac-toe, and more. If you like the classic stuff, AI Factory Limited has you covered. Most, if not all, of the games have free versions available, or you can pay a couple of dollars to unlock the ad-free version if you so choose.

Among the Stars is another board game adaptation for Android. It’s set in a war-ravaged galaxy with alien races who must band together in order to stave off an oncoming threat. The goal is to build the greatest space station ever known. Even though this is the mobile port, it’s still a board game at heart that uses cards for building purposes.

Each card represents a new room on the space station, which is where the competitive element comes in. You can play cards to improve your space station or put something into play that hinders another player. Among the Stars requires a lot of planning to get things right, such as making sure there are enough power reactors for your station.

There’s a single-player campaign with the Android version, as well as cross-platform multiplayer, local or online. It’s a very good port of an interesting game. Go on, give it a shot.

You wouldn’t be very far off the mark to describe Armello as Game of Thrones with animals. That’s a bit of an oversimplification though, as Armello combines strategy board games with card gaming elements wrapped up in a grandiose fantasy RPG storyline. You’ll play as one of three characters, each on a quest to become Queen or King of Armello. To take the throne, you’ll need to explore the land, hire your own agents, obliterate your foes, and even employ magic to give yourself a brutal edge in the war for dominance. Did I mention that the animations and art style are also gorgeous?

There’s a lot to like about Armello, but there are a few less than stellar facets of the game, the first being that Armello hasn’t been updated since 2018. Additionally, some players have reported repeated freezing bugs, and the matching in multiplayer mode can be lengthy given the game’s age. If you can look past a handful of cons though, this game has some great potential and can be a blast in single-player mode. Free to play with ads and in-app purchases, Armello could easily make your shortlist if you’re looking for a more in-depth experience to try out.

There are a couple of versions of Catan available in the Google Play Store, but they seem to be hopelessly broken these days, even after countless user complaints and reviews. It’s a real shame because, in my opinion, Catan is one of the greatest board games ever made.

Better Settlers is an app that aims to fix any unfairness by using algorithms to create a board that encourages fair play. While it’s not a standalone Catan emulator that you can play on the go, it is a great option if you’re a Catan fan and want a new way to enjoy a classic game with your friends and family.

Yes, this app used to be called “Better Catan Board Generator,” but I’m going to guess that the developer got a request to change the name.

Carcassonne is a polished adaptation of the classic board game from highly-esteemed developer Asmodee Digital. It was recently re-released in 3D, and it looks and plays better than ever! It’s a tile-based, kingdom-building game where players each take turns trying to complete roads, cities, and cloisters.

Each turn, players also drop a limited number of “meeple” onto landmarks in an attempt to claim points once the feature has been completed. If you can’t fully enclose a city or finish a road by the end of the game, you can still get a few points.

Carcassone also features six expansions at the time of writing, all available via in-app purchases. These expansions change up the game, adding new elements and landscape embellishments, or even ways to greatly increase the number of points you can earn. That all sounds awesome, but they’re totally optional.

The Castles of Burgundy is a fun board game brought to Android in an awesome digital port. It’s a calming game, I find, and so I’m glad to see it hit the Play Store. It’s not new on the scene, but it was new to me while I was working on finding new games for y’all to try.

You play as a French aristocrat in charge of a tiny fiefdom. The goal is to build settlements, practice trade, mine, and interact with other travelers. There are five rounds of five turns each. Each turn, players can toss their two die to make additional actions or moves to establish their settlement.

To win, players must collect victory points that are awarded with hard work and careful planning. There are many paths to tread on the way to victory and no two games are alike. It’s a very complex game, but it’s worth trying out if you like building board games.

Choosing who goes first in a game or splitting a group into teams has never been easier or more fun than with the Chwazi Finger Chooser app. With Chwazi, everyone just places a finger on the phone or tablet screen and the app randomly selects one finger. It’s like drawing straws, but using technology!

Alternatively, you can have the app choose more than one finger and eliminate someone. There’s also an option for creating groups. Chwazi says they can support up to 32 fingers at one time, but you might be limited to the number of simultaneous inputs your phone or device can handle.

It’s one of the oldest entries on this list, but Elder Sign: Omens is nonetheless one of the best board games available on Android. For a mere $2 upfront, you get a spectacular arcane mystery where you’re competing to find the most magical items, clues, and more.

You’re in a fight to stand against the approaching Ancient Ones, like Yig, Azathoth, Cthulu, and Ithaqua. Though the focus is less on the eldritch horrors, it’s still a fun game and worth the price to entry and cost to unlock the additional Ancient Ones. This game was adapted from the old-school Elder Sign dice game, but it’s gotten a few changes to make it more palatable for modern mobile audiences.

Though there are a slew of things to do, Elder Sign: Omens is a standout title that’s worth your time if you like mystery board games with a Lovecraftian setting.

So far, the board games on this list have been rather… grounded. So let’s take the fun to space with Galaxy Trucker. Build your ships as you battle the final frontier and all of its harshest attempts to kill you. You assemble your ship using a variety of tiles and then you’re off to face terrors like meteors, pirates, and smugglers. Whoever ends up with the most credits at the end of the game wins.

The game features a real-time and turn-based mode, depending on your preference. Of course, you can play locally with your friends, or go online and try your skills there; you can even run multiple online games at once! This mobile rendition of the board game of the same name features some extra goodies, like a campaign, special parts, and so on.

You can get started with Galaxy Trucker for $5 and grab the optional expansion for another $5. For the kind of experience this game offers, that’s quite the deal.

The Game of Life holds a very special place in my heart. My siblings and I used to play our ancient copy every Christmas Eve, even though we had lost about half the houses, careers, and barely had enough spare pegs to go around for our fake children. That’s why I’m so happy to see that The Game of Life’s mobile adaptation is actually pretty solid.

For those unfamiliar with the setup, The Game of Life takes you and your opponents through a board representing the stages of life. You start out by either going to college or getting a career straight away, then you get married, buy a house, have kids, and eventually retire. The winner is whoever retires with the most wealth by the end of the game. The simple concept and gameplay make this a great choice for families and kids.

The Game of Life for mobile has online and local multiplayer, a new “fast mode”, and even minigames to make things more engaging. It’s a faithful adaptation of a beloved classic for a reasonable $3.99 price tag. There are a few bugs and glitches reported, but overall, it seems to perform well for most players.

Good Knight Story takes your typical tile-matching game and puts a welcome little spin on the genre. In this case, the added bonuses come in the form of a genuinely good, and hilarious, story mixed in with a few common RPG elements. The tile-matching portions play out like battles, with better matches helping you deal damage to your foes or shield yourself from the pain train. Tiles can be matched horizontally, vertically, and diagonally in any combination of three or more, which is yet another light spin on a simple formula that keeps things interesting. As you progress, you’ll be able to upgrade your knight and your gear to take down some big bosses and recover your lost memories.

Another perk is the ability to choose whether or not you want to see ads while you play, which is a delightful touch that I wish more games would employ. However, Good Knight Story does get a tick against it for having a boss later down the line that is borderline impossible to defeat unless you spend some real cash to purchase an extremely powerful sword that can lead you to victory.

It may not be a perfect game, but this free-to-play title has got more going for it than most tile-matching games by a country mile, so that’s a solid win in my book.