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What is Board Game Quest?
Board Game Quest is an independent board game website built around reviews, news and discovery guides. Its main value is helping players decide what to put on their table next: it publishes recent game reviews, previews, digital board game reviews, top-ten lists, crowdfunding roundups and quizzes. The site also runs columns, interviews and convention coverage (Gen Con appears among its sections), plus a parental guidance column for families choosing games for children.
Who it suits
- Shoppers narrowing a shortlist: reviews and "Games by Rating" browsing suit someone comparing a few titles before buying.
- Kickstarter watchers: weekly crowdfunding campaign roundups and Kickstarter previews help track projects before they fund.
- Group organizers and families: theme-based quizzes (for example, which cyberpunk or racing game to play) and parental guidance content help match a game to a specific group.
- Hobbyists following the hobby: news, convention reports and interviews cover the wider scene, not just product reviews.
Trade-offs
The breadth is the appeal and the limitation: reviews, lists, quizzes, crowdfunding and convention posts sit side by side, so a reader who only wants critical reviews has to filter past the rest. Content is in English and organized by section rather than by player count or weight, so use the review text itself to judge complexity and fit.
A practical next step: if you are choosing between two games for a game night, read the individual reviews for both and check the "Games by Rating" page for how the site's reviewers rank them, rather than relying on a top-ten list alone. For a second editorial perspective on the same titles, compare with BoardGameGeek, whose user ratings and forums complement staff reviews.
Which board game should I play if I want a specific theme like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or cyberpunk?
Start with the site's theme-specific quizzes, then read a full review of the one or two games that match your group. Board Game Quest publishes "Which ... Should You Play?" quizzes for Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, cyberpunk, racing and theme-park games, which narrow a broad theme to a shortlist faster than browsing reviews by date.
How to use the quizzes
Treat the quiz result as a starting point, not a verdict. Each quiz asks about the experience you want within the theme, so answer for your actual group: player count, session length, appetite for rules, and whether you want competitive, cooperative or solo play. Then check the matching review on the same site for how the theme shows up in play, not just on the box.
Matching theme to the table
| Your situation | What to prioritize | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Two players, frequent sessions | A game designed or praised for two | Some big licensed titles need three or more to shine |
| Mixed-experience group | Simple core rules, theme carrying the fun | Deep strategy may feel thin to veterans |
| Dedicated fans who want lore | Strong thematic integration and art | Heavy rules can slow the first session |
| Solo or cooperative play | Confirmed solo/co-op modes | Competitive licensed games may not support this |
A concrete example
Suppose you want Star Wars and usually play with one other person. Take the Star Wars quiz, shortlist the entries flagged for two players, then read each review's discussion of setup time and replayability. If the top pick needs a larger group, the Lord of the Rings or cyberpunk quizzes may surface a better fit for your table rather than forcing a purchase that sits unplayed.
For release news and crowdfunding previews of upcoming licensed titles, the site's news and crowdfunding sections are worth checking before you commit to an older game.
How can I tell whether a new board game is worth buying before I spend money on it?
Start with the review and rating structure rather than the cover art. On Board Game Quest, the most efficient path is the "Games by Rating" index: it lets you filter by how reviewers scored games, so you can see whether titles in a genre or weight class you already enjoy tend to land well. Pair that with the individual reviews, which include a written verdict and, in the case of pieces like the Scales of Fate review, a clear statement of the reviewer's stance on two-player design—useful for judging whether their tastes match yours.
A practical pre-purchase checklist
- Match the reviewer's biases to yours. Read two or three reviews by the same writer. If they consistently value interaction or short playtimes and you don't, discount their praise accordingly.
- Check the genre list, not just the score. A "Top 10" list for cat games or racing games tells you how the site ranks within a niche; a high score in a niche you don't play is less relevant.
- Look for previews versus reviews. Crowdfunding previews and Kickstarter coverage describe what a game hopes to be; reviews describe what shipped. Treat the former as marketing-adjacent.
- Read the "broke up with" style lists. Negative and reflective lists ("Top 10 Board Games I Thought I'd Love But Broke Up With") often reveal the failure modes—setup time, rules overhead, replay fatigue—that scores alone hide.
- Use quizzes as a shortlist tool. The site's "Which … Board Game Should You Play?" quizzes are a fast way to narrow options before reading full reviews.
A concrete scenario: you want a two-player game for weeknights. Skim the two-player reviews for comments on playtime and rules density, cross-check the rating index for consistency across reviewers, then read one critical review of a similar title to learn the common complaints in that design space. If the same weakness appears in multiple reviews of the genre, it's a real risk for you too.
As a next step, shortlist three candidates from the rating index and read one positive and one skeptical review of each before buying.
Which recent board games are getting strong reviews right now?
Recent reviews on Board Game Quest cluster around a few titles: Scales of Fate, Nemesis Retaliation, Panorama, Mini Rogue: The Council, and Assyria: Second Edition. What the site shows is which games its reviewers are actively covering, not a score ranking, so treat these as candidates to research rather than a definitive "best of" list.
Matching the games to your table
- Scales of Fate — the review opens by pushing back on the idea that certain designs can't work at two players, which suggests it's aimed at people who mostly play head-to-head and want something with more depth than a typical duel game.
- Nemesis Retaliation — part of the Nemesis line of semi-cooperative survival games; relevant if your group enjoys hidden agendas, tension and player elimination risk more than cooperative problem-solving.
- Panorama — a lighter-sounding title worth checking if you need something that plays in a shorter window or with less experienced players.
- Mini Rogue: The Council — a follow-up in the Mini Rogue line, so it will appeal most to people who already like compact, push-your-luck dungeon crawlers.
- Assyria: Second Edition — a reprint of an older design, which usually means a heavier, more abstract strategy experience than the newer releases.
A practical next step
Read the full review for whichever title matches your group size and play time, and pay attention to the reviewer's stated preferences: a critic who loves two-player duels will weigh Scales of Fate differently than someone looking for a family-weight game. For broader discovery, the site's Top 10 lists (including themed lists like cat-themed or Stefan Feld City Collection games) are useful for finding adjacent titles, and Board Game Geek remains the standard place to cross-check player counts and complexity before buying.
How can I find board game crowdfunding campaigns that are currently active on Kickstarter?
Use Board Game Quest's recurring "Crowdfunding Campaigns of the Week" column as a starting point: it is a curated roundup of active Kickstarter board game campaigns, so it filters the noise for you rather than sending you to browse all of Kickstarter. The site also runs Kickstarter game previews, which help you judge a campaign before backing it.
A practical routine
- Check the weekly roundup first. The column is dated by week (for example, "Crowdfunding Campaigns of the Week – 10/26/26"), so the newest entry is the one to open. Older entries are a record of past campaigns, not active ones.
- Read the preview before the campaign page. Previews discuss how a game plays, which matters more than a campaign's funding total. A campaign can be fully funded and still be a poor fit for your group.
- Verify status on Kickstarter itself. A roundup reflects the week it was written; campaigns end, relaunch or fund early. Confirm the end date and whether late pledges are open before committing.
- Set a decision criterion in advance. Decide your maximum pledge and which add-ons you actually need before reading stretch-goal updates, since those are written to increase spending.
Where else to look
| Source | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Board Game Quest | Curated weekly picks plus written previews and reviews | Only covers a selection; not a live database |
| Kickstarter's own Games category | Seeing every live campaign and exact end times | No editorial filter; heavy browsing |
| Board Game Geek | Crowdfunding discussion and player impressions | Varies in quality and can be enthusiast-skewed |
A concrete example: if you enjoy two-player duelling games, start with the latest roundup, read any preview of a candidate, then check its Kickstarter page for player count and end date. If the preview raises questions about replayability, search Board Game Geek for early backer impressions before pledging.
What are the best board games to play with kids or as a family?
For family play, the most reliable picks are games that keep rules light, turns quick and downtime short; Board Game Quest's own family-oriented coverage leans toward exactly that kind of selection, with lists such as "Top 10 'STEM' Games for the 'Kids'" sitting alongside its review sections. Use those lists as a shortlist, then match a specific game to your children's ages and reading level before buying.
What tends to work at the table
- Very young children (roughly 4–6): matching, memory, colour and pattern games where luck carries most of the outcome and no reading is needed. Look for games that end in 10–15 minutes.
- Early readers (roughly 7–9): simple set collection, push-your-luck and light co-op games. Co-op is especially useful here, because adults can coach rather than compete, and a loss feels shared.
- Tweens and mixed-age groups: family-weight strategy games with a small rules overhead, hidden roles or light deduction, and games that play well at three to five players so nobody sits out.
- Adults who want a real game: "family" does not have to mean shallow. Games with simple core rules but meaningful decisions let older players stay engaged while younger ones still compete.
A practical distinction is competitive versus cooperative. Competitive games teach turn order, losing gracefully and rules fairness; cooperative games reduce tears and let a stronger player help a weaker one without taking over. Many families keep one of each on the shelf.
A concrete way to choose
Before buying, check three things on the box or product page: the publisher's minimum age, the stated play time, and the player count including "best with" notes. If your youngest is six and the game says 10+, it will usually frustrate everyone. Then run a test session with a borrowed copy or a print-and-play version if one exists.
If you want reviews rather than lists, Board Game Quest publishes individual game reviews and "Games by Rating" pages that help you judge whether a title suits children or a mixed-age table. Pair that with broader hobby coverage from BoardGameGeek, where user-suggested ages and community ratings often reveal how a game plays with kids in practice.
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