Board games bring everyone around one table, and the best ones have lasted for centuries because the rules are simple and the play is endless. This page gathers every board game rules guide on Party Games World, from quiet strategy games like chess and checkers to dice race games like ludo and snakes and ladders, with the number of players and a short summary for each.
Click any game to open the full guide with what you need, setup, step-by-step play and common house rules. If a die has gone missing, our free dice roller works on any phone, so you can still play your favorite board game rules with dice.
Classic strategy board games
No luck at all, just two minds and a board. These games reward practice and are worth learning once and playing for life.
- Chess (2 players): Move six kinds of pieces across 64 squares to checkmate the opposing king. Our guide covers setup, every move and simple openings for beginners.
- Checkers (2 players): Move diagonally, jump to capture and reach the far row to crown a king. Captures are compulsory in the standard rules.
- Chinese checkers (2 to 6 players): Hop your marbles across a star-shaped board into the opposite point. Chains of jumps are the secret to winning.
- Mancala (2 players): Sow stones around a row of pits and capture your opponent's stones. One of the oldest counting games in the world.
- Tic-tac-toe (2 players): Three in a row on a 3x3 grid. Learn the simple strategy that means you never lose.
Board games with dice
Dice add luck and suspense, so younger players can beat adults and nobody runs away with the game too early. Many families call these race games: roll, move and try to get all your pieces home first.
- Ludo (2 to 4 players): Roll a six to enter a token, race it around the board and send rivals back to start by landing on them.
- Snakes and ladders (2 to 6 players): Climb ladders and slide down snakes on the way to square 100. Pure luck, perfect for small children.
- Backgammon (2 players): Roll two dice to race your 15 checkers around the board and bear them off, hitting lone checkers on the way.
- Business (Indian board game) (2 to 6 players): Roll dice to travel around a board of cities, buy property, collect rent and build your fortune in play money.
Tile games
Tiles instead of cards make these games feel tactile and calm. They are also lovely for mixed ages.
- Dominoes (2 to 4 (more for train games) players): Match tile ends to build a line of play. Covers the block game, the draw game and the popular train variant.
- Mahjong (4 players): Draw and discard tiles to complete a hand of four sets and a pair. Our guide explains the tiles and the basic play.
Flick and skill boards
- Carrom (2 or 4 players): Flick a striker to pocket your coins and the red queen on a smooth square board. Hugely popular across India.
Board game rules with dice: what most race games share
Many family board games for four players use a very similar dice system, so once you know one you can learn the others quickly. Here are the ideas that come up again and again:
- Entering the board. In ludo and similar race games you often need a six to bring a token out of the start area.
- Extra turns. Rolling a six usually earns another roll. Many groups add a house rule that three sixes in a row ends your turn.
- Captures. Landing exactly on an opponent sends them back to start, unless they are on a safe square.
- Exact finish. Most race games ask for the exact number to reach home. Check this before you start, as families play it differently.
How to pick a board game
- Players: chess, checkers, backgammon and mancala are for two. Ludo and mahjong suit four. Chinese checkers and snakes and ladders stretch to six.
- Age: snakes and ladders and tic-tac-toe work from about four years old. Ludo and checkers suit six and up. Chess, backgammon and mahjong are best from eight or ten, though keen kids learn earlier.
- Luck or skill: if players are very different in experience, a dice game keeps it fair. If everyone wants a real contest, pick a strategy game.
- Time: tic-tac-toe takes a minute, ludo about half an hour, and a game of Business can fill an afternoon. Agree a stopping point for long games.
- Space: carrom needs a sturdy table and room to move around it. Most others fit on a coffee table.
Want recommendations by age? See board games for kids and board games for adults. For deck-based games, visit our card games page, and for games that need only dice, see dice games.
Questions people ask
What is the oldest board game still played?
Several games on this page are very old. Mancala-style sowing games, backgammon and the ancestors of chess have been played for well over a thousand years. Snakes and ladders and ludo both grew out of older Indian games.
Which board games use dice?
Ludo, snakes and ladders, backgammon and Business all use dice to move pieces. Chess, checkers, Chinese checkers and mancala use no dice at all, so they are games of pure skill.
What is a good board game for 4 players?
Ludo is the classic four-player dice board game, and mahjong is a great four-player tile game for older players. Chinese checkers and Business also work well with four. Carrom can be played as two pairs.
What board game is best for young children?
Snakes and ladders is ideal because it needs no reading or strategy, only counting squares. Tic-tac-toe and ludo are good next steps. Checkers is a gentle first strategy game from about six.
Can I play board games without dice?
Yes. If you have lost your dice, use our free online dice roller on a phone or tablet. You can also number six slips of paper and draw one from a cup, putting it back after each turn.