They’ve raised hundreds of millions of dollars and been played by tens of thousands of happy gamers.
Here are the 25 absolute best Kickstarter board games since Kickstarter launched in 2009.
Most Popular Kickstarter Board Games of All-Time
1. Zombicide ($18.2 million)
CMON launches Kickstarter board games like it’s their job.
Oh wait, it is their job.
A whopping 35 projects later, these guys are Kickstarter gaming royalty.
They’ve launched 6 different versions of Zombicide, raising a combined total of over $18 million with their zombie-themed board games.
2. Frosthaven ($12.9 million)
Gloomhaven was a smash-hit board game in 2017, so why not release a Euro-inspired dungeon crawling sequel?
Frosthaven ended up being a HUGE success in 2020 coming with with just under $13 million!!
Whoever said sequels are subpar should take some notes from these guys.
3. Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game ($9.5 million)
If you haven’t heard of Avatar then we are just going to assume you live under a very sad rock.
Over 81,500 backers brought Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game – an officially licensed game – to life so you can try out another type of roleplaying if you’re into that sort of thing.
4. Marvel Zombies – A Zombicide Game ($9 million)
I’m not afraid to admit that I cried like a baby during Avengers: End Game.
With Marvel Zombies – A Zombicide Game, the heroes never die, they just change.
I can get behind seeing Thor zombified.
5. Exploding Kittens ($8.8 million)
The rage I experience when I draw an Exploding Kitten card has no equal.
It’s almost as bad as when I stub my toe walking up stairs.
Exploding Kittens is an outrageously fun card game that absolutely killed it on Kickstarter back in 2015.
Now four years later, it’s just about everywhere.
6. The Witcher: Old World ($7.4 million)
Last year (2021 that is if anyone else is lost in time) the creators of The Witcher: Old World not only raised over $7.4 million but also unlocked 71 stretch goals.
When you look up “overachievers” in the dictionary you should see these guys front and center, not that I’m jealous or anything.
7. THE 7th CONTINENT – What Goes Up, Must Come Down. ($7 million)
If your dream job growing up was to be a superhero but you fell a little short and now go by the title of family disappointment, look no further.
THE 7th CONTINENT – What Goes Up, Must Come Down is the first ever board game where YOU are the hero!
You may not beat out your sibling who is a neurosurgeon as favorite child, but you’ll be a close second after playing this game.
8. Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon ($6.4 million)
When life gets just a little too predictable sometimes, you need something to keep you on your toes .
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon will bring you adventure, survival and exploration mechanics with over 100,000 words of branching story scripts provide many different paths to your goal as well as several different endings to your adventures!
Even your Gen Z cousin who critics everything you do can’t say they’re bored playing this game.
9. Darkest Dungeon: The Board Game ($5.6 million)
If you’re afraid of the dark this may NOT be the game for you.
Darkest Dungeon: The Board Game has you gather heroes, brave the darkness and face lurking abominations.
No night lights allowed when playing this game.
10. Dark Souls™ – The Board Game ($4.9 million)
Girlfriend keeps yelling at you for playing too many combat video games and wants you to do something “in the real world”?
Dark Souls™ – The Board Game is a strategically challenging, deeply immersive combat exploration game for 1-4 players set in the Dark Souls™ universe.
AKA this is an excellent workaround to not get in trouble with your girlfriend…maybe.
11. Rising Sun ($4.2 million)
Politics and negotiating your cup of tea?
Personally I’d rather listen to Baby Shark on repeat for 10 hours straight than step foot on Capitol Hill.
To each their own I guess…
In Rising Sun, clans use politics, negotiation, strength and honor to be victorious in battle set in feudal Japan.
12. Trial by Trolley ($3.5 million)
From the creators of the wildly popular Joking Hazard game comes another party game that is a little different than most….
Trial by Trolley is a game of moral dilemmas and trolley murder.
If you’re someone who has an irrational hate for Nickelback, this is the game for you.
13. Joking Hazard ($3.2 million)
Joking Hazard is a lot like most party games…
If in most party games someone can play “Awesome!” in response to a card that says “I have cancer.”
14. Bears vs Babies ($3.2 million)
Bears vs Babies, eh?
I’d MUCH rather face a starving grizzly than a crying baby on a cross-country flight.
That’s the truth.
You know what else is true?
The Bears vs Babies Kickstarter board game is made by the same team that created Exploding Kittens.
It’s a card game where you build monsters that eat babies.
Sounds freakin’ awesome to me.
15. Fireball Island – The Curse of Vul Kar ($2.8 million)
Apparently Fireball Island was a really popular board game from the 1980’s.
But I wasn’t even alive then and I’m far too lazy to do any research, so we’ll just have to leave it at that.
This modern version has you avoiding fireballs on, you guessed it, an island!
16. The Blinding of Isaac: Four Souls ($2.6 million)
Sometimes we all need something in our life to brighten our day.
Insert the official Blind of Isaac: Four Souls multiplayer card card which introduces all things sunshine and daisies – sacrifice, betrayal and hoarding.
17. Throw Throw Burrito ($2.5 million)
Throw Throw Burrito is the genus idea where you mix a card game and dodgeball.
This game is perfect to break out when you invite your friends over who definitely went too hard In middle school gym class.
Pro tip: move all breakables out of the house before playing.
18. Unstable Unicorns ($2.1 million)
Unstable Unicorns is sorta like Exploding Kittens with a few cool twists.
Players play cards in “Stables,” which everyone can see.
So you know exactly who’s about to win the game…
And can then do everything humanly possible to stop the SOB before it’s too late!
19. Flamecraft ($2 million)
Players in Flamecraft compete to enchant the town with dragons who make coffee and cakes.
These dragons definitely seem a lot more friendly and cuter than the dragons from Game of Thrones.
20. Secret Hitler ($1.5 million)
Secret Hitler is actually pretty controversial (for obvious reasons).
The game itself promotes lying and deception in order to win.
My ex-girlfriend should play, she’d be excellent.
21. Million Dollars, But… The Game ($1.4 million)
Bet you didn’t think you’d be reading the words “Rectal exam” today, did ya?
In Million Dollars, But, the group debates who has the most preposterous scenario.
P.S. Their campaign video is hilarious, and is filled with gems like this:
“Our cards are handwritten in China by laser printing machines in mass quantities, where they’re then placed in the most advanced storage technology on the market… a box.
22. Muffin Time: The Random Card Game ($1.3 million)
If you already own Cards Against Humanity and need a new hilarious and unpredictable game, you should give Muffin Time a chance.
This chaotic game comes with more twists and turns that you can shake a spork at according to their campaign page – whatever that means.
23. Tiny Epic Zombies – A Game of Brutal Survival ($854,483)
Sometimes you want to be the survivor that saves the world…
And sometimes you want to be the zombie that takes down humanity.
Hey, we don’t judge.
With Tiny Epic Zombies – A Game of Brutal Survival you can choose your chosen desire and battle your friends to see who is victorious.
24. Dinosaur Island ($500,000)
First Fireball Island, now Dinosaur Island?
Just how much more deadly can these islands get?!
Dinosaur Island pits players against each other in a quest to build the best dinosaur theme park.
I’m sure nothing could go wrong.
25. Cards Against Humanity ($15,570)
Looking for a quick and easy way to feel incredibly uncomfortable in front of your grandma?
Look no further than Cards Against Humanity.
An undeniably awkward (and super fun) card game that lets you combine totally unrelated cards to create wildly inappropriate phrases.
P.S. You may be wondering how the heck this world-famous Kickstarter board game only raised $15k. The biggest reason? It debuted in 2010, long before Kickstarter’s heyday.
Over 200,000 people have already joined The HypeSquad. Have you?
