12 Best Card Games and Board Games in Singapore | Best of Lifestyle 2023

Now that the rainy season is here, outdoor activities may not be as doable as before. But do not fret, card games and board games will save you and your loved ones from boredom. When it comes to such games, the choices are endless, with more and more being released each year. Whether you want to be strategic or just want to go with the flow, for sure you will find a game that’s suitable for you. With an extensive variety of card games and board games available in the market, which then is the best card game and board game in Singapore? In our Best of Lifestyle series, we have curated the latest 12 Best Card Games and Board Games in Singapore, providing quality recommendations to suit your lifestyle needs and budget.

This article was last updated on 9 January 2023.

12 Best Card Games and Board Games in Singapore 

1. Brass Birmingham

Best economic strategy board game

With Brass Birmingham, you and your friends will travel back to the years of the industrial revolution. If you are naturally a business-minded person, then this game could be a piece of cake for you. The players will be competing entrepreneurs from Birmingham and all of you must develop, build, and establish your network in an effort to exploit low or high market demands. However, this game is not about money. To win the game, you need to score the most VPs, which are obtained from built canals and rails, as well as established industries.

Honestly, Brass Birmingham is more on the complex side, but intimidating enough to leave you wanting for more. It is also one of the top-rated games from Boardgamegeek.com, so we can only expect great things from this one. And even if you don’t get the rules at first, that’s perfectly normal. You will still be on the edge of your seat, anxiously waiting for your turn and squealing out of frustration or glee.

2. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion

Top-rated adventure board game 

For a less complicated strategic board game in Singapore, we highly recommend the Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion. Set in the unique fantasy world of Gloomhaven, the players will become members of the “Jaws on the Lion”, an infamous mercenary group from the city that is tasked to investigate the mysterious disappearances all over the town. Are they caused by monsters? Or by something far more sinister? Pick your desired mercenary from the characters of the original Gloomhaven game (and more new ones!) and vanquish the mix of monsters with your friends!

And since the game is designed to be more beginner-friendly, it comes with built-in tutorials, a learn-to-play guide, and play-surface scenario books. All of which contains gorgeous art, which makes the game even more enjoyable! Moreover, you can play the game all by yourself, and with the very detailed campaigns, you will find yourself jumping into action in no time.  

3. Arboretum

Best for nature lovers

Just like its name, the main goal of Arboretum is to build the most beautiful and efficient path towards a botanical garden. The mechanics of this card game is quite simple, so the whole family can enjoy playing it. And the best part is, the players will be able to learn more about different trees! Each card consists of a beautiful picture of a certain tree (complete with a label!), so you can admire the wonders of nature while being in an intense card game battle with your family or friends.

4. Subastral

Quick-paced intellectual card game

Another game that is both informative and easy to play is the Subastral, which is a card game that incorporates the different biomes of Planet Earth. Basically, the players will become researchers and they all need to collect notes (cards) to find out more information on the various biomes on our planet – subtropical desert, savanna, tropical rainforest, chaparral, temperate grassland, temperate forest, taiga, and arctic tundra. Each game takes only about 15 to 20 minutes, so it’s great to bring on travels! Aside from its fast-paced gameplay, what we love the most about this game is the stellar art on every card. 

5. Scythe

Board game extravaganza

A board game set on a time of unrest in Europa, Scythe explores alternate history in the 1920s. It is the time of farming and war, broken hearts and rusted gears, innovation and valour, and every player will represent a faction against the capitalistic city-state also known as “The Factory”. The factions will need to explore and conquer territories, build resources and infrastructures, and invest in new recruits for combat. And just like any capitalistic game out there, the main goal is to earn more money out of all the factions. 

Scythe is undeniably a complicated game and takes about two hours to play. It is certainly not for the faint-hearted, so be sure that all your brain cells are up for some intense play. Also, find a larger space to play on because the whole game board (plus components) is massive. It reminds us about the old war tables you’d see in medieval shows, which kind of makes sense as you’d also be in a war with your opponents in Scythe.

6. Wingspan

Best for chill game nights

Considered as the most relaxing game for adults by Games Radar, Wingspan is the perfect board game for rainy days in Singapore when you simply want to pass the time. Although it is essentially designed to be competitive, the beautifully illustrated and diverse collection of birds will be enough to calm you. Basically, the players are all bird enthusiasts that aim to discover and attract the best birds to build their own network of wildlife preserves. You need to get food tokens, lay eggs, put the birds into their respective habitats and the likes, in order to be the best enthusiast among the players. 

7. Dominion

Competitive monarchy game

Dominion is a card game that will allow you to become a part of a monarch family, even just for half an hour. The goal is simple: you want Dominion! Hence, you need to acquire valuable lands with more rivers and trees to have a bigger and more pleasant kingdom. In your quest for Dominion, you will face other monarchs that basically want the same thing as you do, so you must race to get as much of the unclaimed land as possible. The game is designed to be quick, but each box comes with a total of 500 cards so it’s not as portable as you think. 

8. Castles of Burgundy

Classic strategy board game

Probably one of the oldest board games on this list, Castles of Burgundy is a classic strategy game about planning, trading, and building. It is set before the Renaissance period in High Medieval France, so each player takes the role of an aristocrat. And just like every game involving aristocrats, your goal is to propel your Burgundian estate to prosperity and prominence. While doing so, players add settlements and castles, practice trade along the river, operate silver mines, farm livestock, and so much more. After all, the game won’t be getting a 20th-anniversary edition if it’s not that good!

9. 7 Wonders Duel

Best for couples

If you are looking for a simple board game for a Friday date night, 7 Wonders Duel is the perfect one for you. Designed specifically for two players, this game will force you to crush your partner’s civilization so that yours will be able to flourish for centuries. It is a head-to-head battle towards dominance, be it on science, military, or civilian supremacy, while also building wonders on the side. Hopefully, both you and your partner are good sports, as this game can be extremely intense. 

10. Splendor

Classic poker-style game

Imagine poker during the Renaissance period and you get Splendor. There is no real money involved, but this game is essentially a combination of chip-collecting and card development, which are the fundamentals of poker. In Splendor, players are Renaissance merchants trying to acquire mines, transportation, shops – all in order to be the most influential and richest merchant in town. Although there are a lot of elements involved in the game, you’d find the concept very easy to grasp. Even youngsters or less experienced gamers won’t have trouble playing it! 

11. Azul

Simple tile-building game 

A very challenging yet aesthetically pleasing game, Azul is definitely one of the best board games in Singapore. In this game, the players are challenged to be tile-laying artists that are tasked to embellish the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora with stunning Moorish decorative tiles. The players will then score points on how they would arrange the tiles to decorate the palace, and extra points will be rewarded for specific patterns and completed sets. Seems simple, right? You need to be strategic to get that sweet victory, though. Perhaps try to predict your opponent’s move so that they won’t be able to create their own patterns and sets.

12. Pandemic Legacy

Epic cooperative game

A game that’s most fitting in today’s happenings, Pandemic Legacy will challenge you to save humanity from mutating diseases spreading all over the world. Instead of competing with each other, you will team up with your friends as disease-fighting specialists and race against the clock to treat disease hotspots while also researching for cures. The diseases evolve as you play, so make sure that the entire team will do their best in preventing a global catastrophe! Honestly, this is the only pandemic that’s enjoyable so be sure to add this to your list of must-try board games!

FAQs

Where to buy card games and board games in Singapore?

You used to only be able to buy card games and board games in Singapore in retail stores, but now you can purchase them online for the ultimate convenience and even enjoy discounted prices! Amazon is my go-to for lifestyle products. It is also a great place to compare the price of card games and board games in Singapore. 

We hope that our guide on the 12 Best Card Games and Board Games in Singapore will help you to buy the best game for your family game night session. Do also read our other buying guides too. Please do share this along with your friends if you have found this useful. Do look forward to more buying guides that we will be releasing soon!

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