The 7 best new board games of 2023

2022 was an excellent year for new board games. There have been a few supply chain improvements, so there has been a lot of new games on the market. Either way, the outlook for 2023 looks equally bright. Here are some of the best titles we’re looking forward to this year.

Unconscious Mind

This evocative design has players occupying the role of psychoanalysts participating in Sigmund Freud’s society of followers. Already, the game has a large following thanks to its Kickstarter campaign that raised over one million euros in 2022.

This board game combines popular categories such as engine building and worker placement to create a rich, interconnected experience that produces powerful cascading turnings. This should be a medium-weight, strategy-oriented game that encourages exploration and can withstand long-term play.

Unconscious MindIt will be available in December.

Frosthaven

GloomhavenThis is the smash hit DM-less fantasy game campaign. It currently ranks as the top-rated board game in Board Game Geek’s niche community. It’s unsurprising, then, that its follow-up has everyone vibrating with excitement. FrosthavenIt’s a large box filled with content that promises a better experience. That’s to say, it’s likely not the best jumping-off point if you’re unfamiliar with its predecessor.

The most exciting feature is the game’s base building mechanic, centered around creating an outpost to serve as a headquarters between dungeon delves. There are new classes and a retirement system. Additionally, the game’s legacy-style map will allow for many more discoveries. While it remains centered on cooperative dungeon-crawling through large campaigns, all of its future plans are to expand and become more complete.

FrosthavenMajor retailers are expected to offer pre-orders in the next few days.

Sky Team

Image: Scorpion Masqué

This two-player design from Scorpion Masqué hasn’t even been announced yet, but this design studio continually delivers unique and offbeat titles such as EncryptoAnd Turing Machine. Their latest is a cooperative limited-communication game where a pilot and co-pilot work to fly and successfully land a modern jet. Up to 2 players may use dice placement for control of pitch, yaw, flaps, and engagement of landing gear during a campaign.

Pre-orders are not yet available, as it’s expected to be released in fall 2023.

The Legacy of Yu

Garphill Games’ creator, Shem Phillips is most well-known for his work in worker placement games. Paladins in the West Kingdom Raiders of North Sea. The Legacy of Yu is his next release, and it’s something entirely different — a solitaire design where you take on the role of legendary Chinese hero Yu the Great (circa 2000 B.C.).

Solo players can work together to create a network of canals to stop the flood from coming. You will need to protect your village from barbarians nearby, which can split your attention. This game is unique in that it is a solitaire only legacy game. It’s also very exciting.

The Legacy of YuIt is expected to be published in July.

Arcs

Cole Wehrle is one the most interesting board game designer in the world. His experimental title was a hit with us. Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile, and I’ve personally come to regard his newest release — John Company, Second Edition — as the best game of 2022. ArcsThis is his 2023 project, which is another innovative and avant-garde piece that exudes potential.

ArcsThree to four players will compete for galactic dominance at a 4X tabletop game. Wehrle is a veteran of high fantasy and historical settings so it’s exciting to see him move into science-fi. But the magic here is in the game’s three-arc campaign. The campaign’s abbreviated structure makes it possible for a group of people to follow up on their promises, which is rare in an environment filled with more than 50-hour games. This allows for plenty of replayability.

ArcsLeder Games is offering a late pledge option.

Thunder Road: Vendetta

Restoration Games did magic in reviving the city. Return to Dark TowerIt will be 2022. I’m hoping it pulls it off again with a reworking of the classic 1980s car combat game Thunder Road. It appears that this new edition has more content, greater depth, and a vivid, stylized presentation.

On a post-apocalyptic road crammed with debris and wreckage, up to four people can compete for supremacy. Your team can maneuver their vehicles and engage in combat. You also have the ability to steer around obstacles. This edition will include several upgrades to the original, such as a big, heavy-duty truck to wreck the roads.

Thunder Road: VendettaIt will be released in limited quantities during Gen Con, and then in full at Gen Con shortly afterwards.

The Dark Quarter

This is an interesting game as it’s being released through a joint effort between publisher Lucky Duck and Van Ryder Games. Van Ryder Games is well-known for their app-integrated mystery titles like DestiniesAnd Chronicles of Crime. It is the latter that has resulted in solitaire’s huge success. Final GirlThe underrated as well City of Angels detective.

The Dark QuarterThe story takes place in New Orleans in the 1980’s, and is a dark noir tale of violence and mystery. This app-driven adventure lets players play detectives over multiple campaign scenarios. This app-driven experience will allow you to explore the magical streets of the city and peek into the shadows.

The Dark QuarterGamefound currently offers a late pledge option.