Board games have seen a huge increase in popularity over the past decade, as gaming hobbies of all kinds have been reaching wider audiences year by year. So whether you’re new to board games, wanting to add something new to your growing collection, or just want something to play other than monopoly, here are some new board games released in 2021 that you can bring to your table!

Lizard Wizard

A successor to 2018’s Raccoon Tycoon which sees players assume the roles of entrepreneurial woodland creatures, Lizard Wizard allows players to embrace their inner scaly spellcaster. As an intrepid magic-using reptile, your spellcasting abilities are highly sought after, and swaths of customers come to you to purchase spells. But in order to craft the right spells you first need to harness the proper magical resources and energies, and hire the right mages to use them. The aim of the game is to grow your magical enterprise, managing spell and resource cards, researching magic and delving into dungeons to become the most powerful and industrious lizard wizard in the land of Astoria!

Critical Role Adventures

Keeping up with the fantasy trend, the popular Dungeons and Dragons actual play show Critical Role has started their own publishing company, Darrington Press, to release board games and other physical media. Among the first products they plan to release this year is a board game called Critical Role Adventures, an adventure game which follows the characters of Vox Machina, the group of adventurers at the centre of Critical Role’s first series. The game is a collaborative story experience, with social interactions, combat encounters, treasure to find and more for your gaming group to play through.Dinosaur World

If fantasy adventures aren’t your thing, how about dinosaur zoos? In Dinosaur World, take the helm of a newly developed and rapidly expanding park where these monstrous creatures from the past are on display for the enjoyment of your paying customers! Dinosaur cloning technology has recently become available, so competition is high and new parks spring up all the time! You’ll need to manage your park by hiring the right staff to build the park, attractions, keep your patrons safe and of course, clone new dinos. Run your park well, avoid visitor deaths, and keep your investors happy to win!Flourish

If you want to build something a little more down-to-earth than a prehistoric theme park, you should try Flourish, a game that lets one to seven players build their own garden. Gardening is a favourite pastime that lots of people partake in, especially over the pandemic this spring and last summer. But if you want to experience the calming joy of gardening with a few friends around your table over the course of an afternoon instead of the course of a season, this game might be for you. The game is easy to learn, offers both competitive and cooperative gameplay options, and beautifully illustrated cards pieces with serene garden imagery to create a fun and replayable growing-season experience.

Amsterdam

If history and mercantilism is your thing, then look no further. Amsterdam is a game set in the titular European city at the cusp of the 20th century, as the players take the role of local merchants developing their enterprises and abilities to build the city as they see fit. Trade goods with other players, ferry them around the city through canals and warehouses, manage workers and build your merchant empire. Part of the Stefan Feld City Collection of similar board games set in different historical cities around the world, the game is in development on kickstarter in tandem with a game for the German city of Hamburg.