Players will have a completely different experience depending upon whichever faction they choose to control, with the Marquise de Cat’s building goals being vastly different from the rebellious Woodland Alliance’s desire to establish sympathy across the woodland. The war for the great wood is a bloody one and only one faction may be victorious, which means a lot of anguish and cruelty needs to happen first. A board game about warring forest creatures, Root may first appear absolutely adorable - the illustrations by Kyle Ferrin are some of the best on the tabletop - but beneath the woodland whimsy it’s incredibly savage.

The designer of Root, Cole Wehrle, has created an astonishingly good catalogue of board games, but none outshine the glory that is Root. This asymmetrical board game provides an intense strategic experience Each faction in Root has its own set of gameplay mechanics for players to get their heads around. Begin your journey into tabletop gaming with this selection of some of the best board games you can play right now. Whilst some of the tabletop titles on this list are suitable family board games, others are designed for more mature audiences - there is certainly something for everyone. Become an accomplice to Sherlock Holmes, travel across the stars and fight terrifying monsters to save humanity in the best board games you can play in 2023. From the historical to the fantastical to the horrifying, you’ll find more than enough variety when it comes to theme in our list of the best board games. Whether you’re looking for something intense and strategic or are seeking a lighter experience, there’s plenty to choose from when it comes to great tabletop titles that are available right now. However, some of the best board games in 2023 have been published in the past 10 years and are just waiting for players to discover them.

There are a lot of tabletop titles out there, but how do you know which ones are the best board games? Besides your family classics such as Monopoly and Cluedo, the majority of people aren’t hugely familiar with most board games - especially those released in the last couple of decades or so.

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