30 Minutes or Less
Best games: 30 Minutes or Less
Quick-hit picks. Setup, play, reset, dinner.
Light
Azul
Pattern-laying tile game. Looks beautiful on the table. Teaches in five minutes.
Medium
7 Wonders Duel
The two-player version that's actually better than the original. Tense, every choice matters.
Light
Codenames
Word-association party game. Plays with grandparents, college kids, anyone in between.
Light
Splendor
Gem-trading engine builder. Plays in 30 minutes, scales clean from 2 to 4.
Light
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
Cooperative trick-taking. 96 missions of escalating difficulty. Plays anywhere.
Light
Patchwork
Two-player tetris-quilt. Tense, quick, looks great on a coffee table.
Light
Dixit
Surreal-art storytelling game. Cross-generational. Hits in mixed groups.
Light
Lost Cities
Two-player card game by the designer of Catan. Travels well. Plays clean.
Light
Camel Up
Bet on racing camels. Riotous, light, plays loud. The party-night pick.
Light
Just One
Cooperative party game. Give one-word clues. Sets up in 30 seconds.
Light
Sky Team
Two-player cooperative airplane-landing dice game. Tense, beautiful, 20 minutes.
Light
Lost Cities: Roll & Write
Solo-and-coop dice version. Pencil-and-paper, no shuffle, fits a backpack.
Light
Arboretum
Arrange tree-card paths. Tense hand-management for two, lighter at four.
Light
Point Salad
Drafting card game with vegetables. Plays in 30, teaches in 3. Surprisingly deep.
Light
Forbidden Island
The cooperative gateway. Cheaper, simpler Pandemic. Plays with 8-year-olds.
Light
Klask
Magnetic two-player tabletop game. Reflex-based, no rules to read, addictive.