By Blaze Aldrich | May 14, 2024
The 12 Best Board Games Under $35
Are you on a limited budget or have a limited amount of time you can stand getting yelled at by your spouse for spending too much on board games? Not to worry! I have created a list of amazing board games that won't burn a hole in your pocket. Most board gamers are in agreement that these games are at the top of the list when trying to find an inexpensive game. These games are not listed in any particular order. Also, the prices listed are based on Elevated Board Games Prices which are usually lower than other stores.
12. 7 Wonders Duel ($29.99)
7 Wonders Duel is a two-player version of the popular game 7 Wonders, featuring streamlined gameplay across three ages. Players collect cards to acquire resources, military strength, and wonders. They strategically select cards from a display, manage resources efficiently, and aim to achieve victory by advancing military strength, completing scientific symbols, or earning the most points by the end of the game.
11. The Crew ($14.95)
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine is a cooperative trick-taking card game set in space, where players embark on 50 missions to explore an unknown planet. Each player must complete individual tasks crucial for success, requiring effective communication and strategic play. The game's difficulty increases with each mission, focusing on winning specific tricks rather than simply the quantity. Victory in each mission depends on all players successfully fulfilling their roles.
10. Cascadia ($31.99)
Cascadia is a tile-laying and token-drafting game featuring habitats and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. Players strategically build their terrain by selecting habitat tiles paired with wildlife tokens, aiming to create cohesive habitat areas and score points based on specific wildlife goals. The game challenges players to optimize tile placement and token positioning to maximize their scoring potential while adapting to random scoring criteria for different types of wildlife.
9. Modern Art ($26.99)
In this strategic game centered around art trading, players act as both buyers and sellers of paintings created by five different artists. By auctioning off paintings each turn and strategically managing their cash flow, players aim to maximize profits over four rounds to win the game. This is a super simple and fast-paced game for all ages.
8. Carcassonne ($32.99)
Carcassonne is a tile-placement game set in southern France, where players strategically place tiles depicting landscapes to connect cities, roads, cloisters, and grasslands. By deploying meeples onto these features, players score points when they are completed. The game involves making decisions about meeple and tile placement to maximize scoring opportunities and hinder opponents. Despite its simplicity of one tile and meeple per turn, Carcassonne offers engaging and strategic gameplay with a variety of options and possibilities.
7. Knarr ($25.99)
In Knarr, players lead Viking crews to explore new territories, recruit crew members strategically, and choose destinations for trade or influence to increase their reputation and wealth. Each turn involves recruiting new crew members, activating their shared effects, and exploring destinations for trading opportunities or reputation gains. The game challenges players to make strategic decisions to maximize their Viking expeditions and achieve victory.
6. Two Rooms And A Boom ($30)
Two Rooms and a Boom is a social deduction and hidden role party game where players are split into two teams: the Red Team and the Blue Team. The Blue Team includes a President, and the Red Team features a Bomber. Players are distributed between two rooms over five timed rounds, with some players swapping rooms at the end of each round. The Red Team wins if the Bomber ends up in the same room as the President by the game's end, while the Blue Team wins otherwise. Deception and lying are key elements of gameplay in this strategic and suspenseful game.
5. My City/ My Island ($31.99 - $33.99)
My City and My Island are competitive legacy games where players develop their own city or island across multiple episodes. In My City, players progress through different ages, customizing their boards and adding cards with decisions carrying over into subsequent sessions. For non-legacy play, My City offers a double-sided board option after completing the initial episodes. My Island follows a similar legacy format, with each game session introducing new rules and materials that permanently shape the island's history and secrets.
4. Lost Cities ($17.99)
Lost Cities is a two-player card game where players lead archaeological expeditions by playing cards of ascending value into colored suits. Handshake cards enable future additions to expeditions but restrict certain plays. Players aim to score positive points by meeting or exceeding point thresholds for expeditions, with bonuses awarded for larger expeditions. The game consists of three matches, and scores are totaled to determine the winner.
3. Star Wars Unlimited Two-Player Starter Pack ($31.99)
Star Wars: Unlimited is a fast-paced and accessible trading card game set in the Star Wars universe. Players engage in exciting head-to-head battles using fully built decks featuring iconic characters like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. The Two-Player Starter set, Spark of Rebellion, provides everything needed for two players to start playing immediately. This set includes characters from the original Star Wars trilogy, Rogue One, Star Wars: Rebels, and more. Players can further expand their collection with booster packs to enhance their gameplay experience.
2. Sea Salt & Paper ($14.95)
This game is a strategic card game where players assemble their hand, deploy cards for effects, and decide whether to end the round based on their point total. Players must assess if they have the highest score and choose whether to conclude the round immediately or allow opponents another turn to try to catch up. The game ends when a player reaches a specified point threshold (30/35/40 points depending on player count). It offers excitement from surprising opponents by ending rounds unexpectedly and satisfaction from playing powerful card combos. The game features set collection mechanics similar to Rummy, with unique origami-inspired illustrations on the cards.
1. Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle ($30)
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle is a cooperative deck-building game where players assume the roles of Hogwarts students (Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Neville) working together to defend the castle from dark forces. Players acquire resources and expand their decks with iconic characters, spells, and items to combat villains and overcome challenges. Collaboration is essential to defeat all villains and protect Hogwarts from evil.
Bonus. The Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth
The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth is an upcoming strategic card game based on the mechanics of 7 Wonders Duel. Players can choose to play as either the Fellowship of the Ring or the forces of Sauron. The Fellowship aims to destroy the One Ring and thwart Sauron's plans, while Sauron seeks to spread his influence and stop the Fellowship's quest. Players acquire resources to build structures and gain points, with gameplay focusing on strategic decision-making and tactical deployment of forces. The game features thematic elements from The Lord of the Rings, promising an immersive experience for fans of deck-building and strategic card games.
Published by Repos Production, The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth is set for release in Autumn 2024, offering a unique spin on the beloved Tolkien universe within the framework of 7 Wonders Duel's gameplay mechanics.
Final Thoughts
After reading about all these phenomenal board games, you may want to buy several of them. Luckily for you, the banks give out loans for large purchases. Haha. Just Kidding! Try one and come back when you have the money to buy another. Let us know what other awesome games are under $35. I am sure other gamers would love to try them out. Happy Gaming!
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