Board Games That Are Guaranteed to Ruin Friendships

Board games are a classic way to have fun with friends and family, and now many people even enjoy playing them by themselves thanks to games designed for solo players. With so many different types of board games available – from guessing games to those that test your skills and strategic thinking – there’s something out there for everyone to enjoy.

Board games are usually about having fun, but some are notorious for causing disagreements – even full-blown arguments! These games often pit players against each other, encouraging things like backstabbing, hindering opponents, and clever deception, which can quickly turn friendly competition into intense rivalry.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf

An Interesting Twist on the Original Social Deduction Game

One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a quick and lively take on the popular social deduction games Werewolf (also called Mafia). Traditional Werewolf and Mafia games can stretch on for over an hour with many players, but One Night Ultimate Werewolf is designed to be played in a single, ten-minute round.

In this version of the game, everyone has a secret role from the beginning. Players will immediately start trying to survive and identify the werewolf, while the werewolf attempts to blend in and falsely accuse others. This often results in lively, ten-minute debates best suited for close friends.

Diplomacy

The Classic Game of European Border Expansion

Diplomacy, created by Allan B. Calhamer, originally came out in the US in 1959. In the game, players choose one of seven major European powers – Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, or Turkey – and must negotiate with each other to grow their territory using armies and fleets.

This game is mostly about making and breaking deals with other players, and it can definitely lead to some hurt feelings. If you’re planning a game night with someone who doesn’t handle losing well, you might want to choose something else.

UNO: Show ‘Em No Mercy

A Brutal Version of the Classic Family Game

UNO: No Mercy is a more intense version of the classic UNO game. It really emphasizes attacking your opponents, and players are trying to make each other lose as much as they’re trying to empty their own hands – the goal is to be the first to eliminate all other players with a 25-card limit.

To win, players need to be fiercely competitive, as fortunes can change incredibly quickly – you can be on the verge of winning one moment and facing defeat the next.

Secret Hitler (or The Resistance)

One of the Most Popular Social Deduction Games

Inspired by the classic game Mafia, Secret Hitler is a social deduction game where players take on roles in either pre-World War I Europe or 1930s Germany.

I absolutely love Secret Hitler! It’s a game for 5 to 10 people where we’re all secretly assigned roles – either Liberal, Fascist, or, in one particularly tense case, Hitler himself. There are always more Liberals than Fascists, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to win for us! The Fascists have a way of pushing policies through that really help their side. Honestly, like most games where you’re trying to figure out who’s lying, it’s not for the faint of heart – expect accusations and plenty of backstabbing!

If you enjoy games similar to Secret Hitler but prefer a different setting, The Resistance is a fantastic option.

Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition

8 Hours of Competition Can Lead to Heated Rivalries

Twilight Imperium was first released in 1997, followed by second and third editions in 2001 and 2005. Over a decade later, in 2017, Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition was released and is now considered one of the best board games ever made.

Twilight Imperium is a lengthy game – a single session of this space strategy game can easily take over five hours to complete. During that time, players will be busy making deals, voting on rules, fighting battles, and competing to become the ruler of the galaxy. It’s a deeply strategic experience that can be so intense, it might strain your friendships for a while afterward!

Monopoly

Friendship Ruining Royalty

Monopoly is a classic board game, famous not just for how it’s played, but also for its ability to cause arguments between friends! Originally released in 1935 by Parker Brothers, the game involves 2 to 8 players rolling dice, purchasing properties, and charging each other rent until only one player has money left. Be warned, though – a game can take a surprisingly long time to finish.

As much as I love a good board game night, Monopoly can honestly be brutal. It’s a real mix of luck – hoping for the right dice rolls – and sometimes, just scrambling to cover unexpected costs. The constant negotiating over prices can be exhausting, and it always feels a bit mean when one player suddenly becomes super powerful and dictates the game. What really gets me, though, is that once you’re out, you’re completely out. You end up sitting there for ages watching everyone else play, which makes knocking someone out of the game feel particularly harsh. It’s a classic, but definitely not always a relaxing experience!

Catan

Negotiate Your Way to Victory

First released as The Settlers of Catan in 1995, Catan is widely considered a key game in the recent resurgence of board gaming. Along with Ticket to Ride, it’s often seen as an entry point for people getting into more complex, modern board games.

Like the game Monopoly, Catan starts out feeling like a friendly game about collecting resources and building things. However, it quickly becomes a game of negotiation. Players gather resources like brick, wheat, and sheep to build settlements, roads, and cities – the key to winning. But to get what they need, players often have to trade with each other, which can lead to intense bargaining because every trade could help an opponent win.

2025-12-01 02:40