The Top 10 Best-Selling Board Games of the Year

The board game industry continues to thrive, offering captivating experiences for players of all ages and interests. With 2025 ushering in a surge of creativity, design innovation, and thematic depth, the year’s best-selling board games reflect a dynamic blend of timeless classics and groundbreaking newcomers. From competitive strategy to cooperative missions, these games have won the hearts of families, hobbyists, and collectors alike. Whether you’re looking to grow your own collection or searching for the perfect game night addition, these ten titles have set the standard for excellence and engagement. For those fortunate enough to live nearby, visiting a board game store in Phoenix, AZ, can offer a hands-on experience with these top-selling games, along with expert recommendations and community events.

Monopoly: The Game That Refuses to Fade

Despite the rise of sophisticated strategy games and narrative-heavy experiences, Monopoly remains a titan in the board game world. Its familiar mechanics of property acquisition, trading, and financial maneuvering continue to capture imaginations across generations. The game’s adaptability has also played a significant role in its enduring popularity. With countless themed editions—from pop culture franchises to regional variants—Monopoly manages to stay relevant while maintaining its core gameplay. Families still flock to it during holidays, gatherings, and casual game nights. Its accessibility, combined with a dose of luck and tactical decision-making, has ensured Monopoly’s place at the top of the best-selling charts year after year.

Ticket to Ride: A Strategic Journey Across the Map

Few games manage to combine simplicity and strategy as elegantly as Ticket to Ride. This railway-themed game tasks players with collecting colored train cards to claim routes across various maps, from North America to Europe and beyond. Its streamlined mechanics allow new players to learn quickly, while offering seasoned gamers layers of strategic depth as they plan optimal paths and block opponents. The vibrant artwork and ever-growing library of expansion maps ensure the game never feels stale. In 2025, Ticket to Ride continues its reign as a best-seller, appealing to both casual gamers and competitive strategists. Its broad appeal makes it a must-have for anyone visiting a board game store in Phoenix, AZ, where it’s likely displayed proudly among staff favorites.

Catan: Settling, Trading, and Dominating the Island

Another fixture in the best-selling hall of fame, Catan (formerly known as The Settlers of Catan) remains one of the most beloved gateway games of all time. It revolutionized the modern board gaming landscape with its blend of resource management, negotiation, and modular board design. Players collect and trade wood, brick, sheep, wheat, and ore to build settlements, roads, and cities in pursuit of victory points. Its interactivity and variability ensure that no two games are ever the same. Catan’s popularity hasn’t waned in 2025—instead, it has flourished thanks to new expansions and a fresh generation of fans eager to dive into its intricacies. Local game nights at a board game store in Phoenix, AZ, often feature Catan as a centerpiece, drawing in newcomers eager to discover what makes the game so engaging.

Wingspan and Wyrmspan: From Birds to Dragons

Wingspan, a game that once seemed like a niche hit for bird lovers, has now become a staple in board game collections worldwide. Its serene gameplay, focused on building habitats and attracting birds with unique abilities, pairs beautifully with stunning artwork and educational content. It’s an engine-building game at heart, rewarding long-term planning and synergy between card abilities. In 2025, its popularity remains strong, bolstered by continued expansion packs and crossover appeal among nature enthusiasts.

The success of Wingspan paved the way for Wyrmspan, a spiritual successor that trades aviaries for dragon lairs. Set in a mythical universe, Wyrmspan invites players to excavate caves and entice dragons of various types to inhabit them. Though the thematic shift is vast, the core gameplay maintains a similar structure—engine-building, resource management, and strategic placement—all wrapped in a gorgeously illustrated fantasy world. The game’s lore and mechanics have quickly captivated players, making it one of the most successful new entries of the year. Both games are top choices for those browsing a board game store in Phoenix, AZ, particularly among fans of immersive, visually striking titles.

The Rise of Narrative and Cooperative Experiences

As players seek deeper emotional connections and teamwork in their games, narrative-driven and cooperative titles have surged in popularity. Among the standout entries in 2025 are Arcs, Daybreak, and Sky Team—each offering a unique twist on collaboration and storytelling.

Arcs transports players to a sprawling galactic empire teetering on the edge of chaos. The game’s modular campaign system allows players to shape the outcome of their spacefaring civilizations through successive sessions. With its blend of diplomacy, combat, and legacy elements, Arcs appeals to fans of epic sagas and strategic depth. It’s an ideal choice for groups looking to embark on a long-term narrative adventure.

Daybreak, on the other hand, brings real-world urgency to the table. Designed by the creator of the hit game Pandemic, Daybreak focuses on the global fight against climate change. Players work together to develop sustainable technologies, enact policies, and mitigate the devastating effects of environmental disasters. The game is both educational and emotionally resonant, making it a compelling pick for socially conscious gamers. Its cooperative nature encourages discussion and teamwork, aligning with broader trends in modern game design.

Sky Team offers a more intimate cooperative experience, placing two players in the cockpit of an aircraft attempting to land safely. The game relies on silent coordination and trust, as each player has distinct responsibilities and limited communication. This dynamic creates tension and exhilaration, turning even a short session into a memorable experience.

These titles exemplify a shift toward games that emphasize shared goals, narrative progression, and impactful decision-making. At any reputable board game store in Phoenix, AZ, these cooperative games are likely to be recommended for couples, families, or gaming groups seeking immersive and emotionally rich gameplay.

Strategy Enthusiasts Rejoice: Food Chain Magnate and Acquire

While family-friendly games and cooperative adventures dominate many top-selling lists, hardcore strategists haven’t been left out. Two standout titles in 2025—Food Chain Magnate and Acquire—cater to those who crave depth, optimization, and competitive economic gameplay.

Food Chain Magnate is a complex simulation of fast-food business management. Players hire and train staff, develop marketing campaigns, manage resources, and vie for dominance in a competitive marketplace. Its retro aesthetic and ruthless gameplay may seem unassuming at first, but beneath the surface lies one of the most intricately balanced strategy games available. Its success this year reaffirms the strong appetite for intellectually demanding board games that reward long-term planning and adaptability.

Acquire, meanwhile, brings the cutthroat world of corporate mergers and hotel investments to the tabletop. Originally released in the 1960s, Acquire has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to a polished reprint and renewed interest in economic-themed games. Players buy shares in hotel chains, merge corporations, and strategically influence the board to maximize profits. Its blend of luck, timing, and strategy has made it a hit among both nostalgic fans and new players discovering it for the first time.

For anyone seeking a mental challenge, both titles offer a satisfying experience that tests foresight and analytical thinking. They are frequently stocked in the strategy section of a board game store in Phoenix, AZ, where knowledgeable staff can guide enthusiasts to their next big challenge.

Exploring the Board Game Boom in Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix has become a growing hub for board game culture, with local stores serving not just as retail outlets but as gathering places for gaming communities. Events, demo nights, tournaments, and casual game meetups bring people together around shared interests and new discoveries. A well-stocked board game store in Phoenix, AZ, is more than just a place to shop—it’s a venue to learn, play, and connect. Whether you’re a family looking to bond over a new game, a couple seeking the perfect two-player title, or a hobbyist diving into the next big strategy hit, these stores offer an invaluable resource. With the best-selling games of the year flying off shelves, there’s never been a better time to get involved in the hobby.

From tried-and-true staples like Monopoly and Ticket to Ride to cutting-edge new releases like Daybreak and Wyrmspan, the top board games of 2025 demonstrate the medium’s remarkable diversity and creativity. Whether you’re playing to win, cooperate, or simply enjoy the journey, these games offer a window into new worlds and lasting memories. Be sure to stop by a local board game store in Phoenix, AZ, to experience the magic in person and bring home one of the year’s most celebrated titles.

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Imperial Outpost Games is your one-stop shop for all things tabletop gaming. With a wide selection of board games, miniatures, and hobby supplies, we cater to all types of gamers. Our family-friendly store features games for children, families, and parties, making it the perfect spot for game night. As a locally owned business, we also offer a large game room for customers to come in and play their favorite games with friends and other members of the community. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!