Boardgame Genres

Boardgame genres are broken down into two “main” genres. These genres are “mainstream” and “hobby”. Almost everything on this site will fall into the “hobby” genre, while “mainstream” typically refers to the games that everyone has.

Mainstream Games

Mainstream games are known for their easy barrier to entry with less time-consuming rules, purchase accessibility (price & location) and ease of play making them easy fits for all ages. Mainstream games are typically further broken down into a few subgenres.
These subgenres are:

• Family (Monopoly, Risk, Candy Land)
• Dexterity (Jenga, Twister)
• Party (Apples to Apples, Pictionary)
• Abstract (Chess, Checkers, Go)

Hobby Games

If you talk to anyone who actively plays boardgames as a hobby, they are very likely only referring to hobby games. Unlike mainstream games, hobby games typically can’t be bought in general stores and will almost only be finding shelf space in specialty game stores. Hobby games usually require more ruleseand time to setup and learn, however it comes with the benefit of finding highly specialized and engaging games to fit any type of setting. Hobby games often have dedicated fan bases and may include expansions which can come off as intimidating for those looking to get started. Just like mainstream games, hobby games also include a list of subgenres (see game categories for a more detailed list within each genre).

• Thematic (Arkham Horror, Dune, Imperium)
• Eurogame (Catan, Great Western Trail)
• War (Paths of Glory, Empire in Arms)
• Abstract (Yinish, Blokus)