Best Rainy Day Board Games
It’s raining… it’s pouring…but these games are nowhere near boring! Here, we’ve gathered the best rainy day board games to keep you entertained while indoors.
These games have engaging gameplay and take you to new worlds with their creative themes. You can forget about the weather and enjoy the moment. So get cozy, curl up, and bust out one of these rainy day gems. You’ll be feeling sunnier in no time! Find the best rainy day board games below.
🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Rainy Day Board Games
In a hurry? Take a quick peek before you go at the best board games for rainy days.
Best Rainy Day Games
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Players: 1-8
Playing time: 60-120 minutes
London is frequently gray and rainy, so jumping into this theme shouldn’t be hard! Grab an umbrella and wander down the Victorian-era alleyways as you collect clues and solve crimes.
Your team of detectives must work together under the guidance of Sherlock Holmes. You have everything you need to crack the case. Piece together evidence and disprove theories to find the culprit.
Each Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective game comes with eight crimes, including murders, thefts, and vandalism. You’ll have newspapers, interviews, a map, and a directory to review.
There’s nothing like a mystery game to keep you engaged on a rainy day indoors. Pull up a cozy chair and stay dry while catching the criminal.
The Castles of Burgundy
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 30-90 minutes
Maybe you can’t travel to Burgundy, but you can still dream! Use that imagination to transport you to sunnier pastures.
The Castles of Burgundy is a tile-placement and dice-rolling game. Each player has their own board and starts with one estate in the middle of undeveloped land. You have five rounds to build the land, get resources, and earn points.
Players have several options, and dice play an important role in most. Roll the die to determine what tiles you can use. Tiles must be placed on the correct color and number and adjacent to an existing tile. Worker tiles can be collected and cashed in to adjust dice rolls. Goods can also be traded for currency.
Points are awarded for tiles placed and regions completed with several bonus options. So build that territory and use your space wisely.
Mysterium Park
Players: 2-6
Playing time: 30-45 minutes
This game is a circus! You’ve got clowns, cotton candy, and a colorful crew. A bright layout and creative theme will keep you interested while indoors.
However… something dark is brewing. The director has gone missing and strange happenings are occurring throughout the area. As a group of psychics, you may be able to contact the spirits and uncover the mystery at Mysterium Park.
The spirits send you visions. Take a peek at the illustrated cards and piece together the visual clues. But time is ticking – you have six days to figure out where the director is and who or what is behind his disappearance.
Are you a good psychic? Then take a stab at how this game ends! If you haven’t tried the original Mysterium, check out our full review!
The Quacks of Quendlinburg
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 45 minutes
When it’s pouring outside, why not make some powerful potions? As quack doctors, you aim to combine ingredients to form the most valuable pot.
A scoring track will keep tabs on how many points your potables create, while the chemists’ color-coded books will help you keep ingredients safe. Players draw and add chips to their mixing pot each round according to specific rules.
Pushing your luck may give you the highest-scoring mixture – or it could cause a cherry bomb! Explosions will cost you points, so you might want to think twice before stirring that pot.
The Quacks of Quedlinburg combines strategy and luck. The right mix of both will make the best brew!
Calico
Players: 1-4
Playing time: 30-45 minutes
Life’s a stitch! If you’re stuck at home on a rainy day, try putting some needle to thread in this crafty game.
Calico is a competition to construct the coziest quilt. Players pick patch tiles to add to their personal quilts. Use those tiles strategically – different pattern combinations can score you points. They may even catch the eye of a cute kitten or earn you extra buttons.
Patterns, buttons, and cats are all worth points. It’s an easy-to-learn game with a good amount of variability and scaling. Plus, the theme might help you feel slightly cozier by the end!
Arkham Horror
Players: 1-6
Playing time: 120-180 minutes
If you’re both a history and science-fiction fan, Arkham Horror is calling your name!
Arkham Horror is based in the Roaring Twenties, when life should be all speakeasies and flapper dresses. But nothing is easy in Arkham. Aliens have invaded, and it is your job to squash these beasts before they take over the town.
The modular board is five connected hexagons that resemble a dystopian reality. As detectives, you each have unique abilities to help your mission.
Travel the board, exploring different corners and interacting with the monsters. Test your skills and risk strength with a dice roll – you may defeat evil or take an unfortunate hit. If you can outlast the creatures, your mission is a success!
A strong, scary, Lovecraftian theme and engaging, long quests are a great way to kill some time — just don’t get killed in the process!
Meadow
Players: 1-4
Playing time: 60-90 minutes
Head outdoors in this sunny, nature-themed game. You will hike through the beautiful Meadow, collecting sets of cards as you go.
Your goal is to create a beautiful and valuable landscape. You might need a certain number of flower or insect cards before building a road. Continue on your journey, and add to the terrain as you travel.
Points are awarded for goals and discoveries you make along the way. When you reach the final bonfire, you’ll need to move quickly and solidify those points before the sun goes down.
The artwork, theme, and flow of the game are what most people enjoy. No two meadows will be the same, making this an excellent choice to play again and again.
Above and Below
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 90 minutes
Your village was destroyed, and it is up to you to rebuild from scratch.
Luckily, you’ve come across the perfect land! The land is fertile and uninhabited — above ground, that is…the vast tunnel network below holds a group of underground dwellers who are sometimes challenging to work with.
You must go above and beyond to build your community. Gather the best group of villagers with varying skills. Earn Village Points by exploring lands, collecting resources, and completing adventures.
Above and Below is heavily influenced by narratives. The vibrant character cards and setting bring the story to life. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure game mixed with luck, strategy, and problem-solving.
Everdell
Players: 1-4
Playing time: 40-80 minutes
Escape to the magical forest of Everdell!
Everdell comes with a beautiful board of streams and grassland topped with a 3D tree. You are one of the many cute critters living here. You might be a family of rabbits, squirrels, or raccoons. A forest is a busy place, so you’ll need to get to work!
Taking place throughout four seasons, your group of critters must collect cards and resources to complete missions. You need the right combination of cards to perform actions and earn points.
Points are counted at the end of each round, with bonus conditions at the very end. You may be ahead for most of the game, but other creatures may pull ahead with that big bonus!
Will your critters have a successful season? Enter Everdell to find out!
Tiny Towns
Players: 1-6
Playing time: 45-60 minutes
Players are mayors in this Tiny Town!
You must build the best city possible and beat opponents to take the one seat left on the city council.
Each player has their own building board and a monument card to start. Take turns being in charge by holding the master hammer and deciding which resource will be distributed that turn. Place resources on your board in specific arrangements to fulfill building cards. Once a card is complete, exchange resources for that building.
Once all the players have completed their towns, add buildings and monuments and subtract empty spaces.
Tiny Towns has a solo mode as well as competitive. It’s a puzzle involving strategy, logic, and timing. Since it’s raining and you’ve got time, why not create your own Tiny Town?
Wrap-Up
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best rainy day board games! Try one of these entertaining games to chase away the rainy day blues and pass the time while having fun!
Have you tried any of the games on this list? Did we miss any of your favorites? Drop a comment below and let us know what you think! We’d love to hear from you.
