“St. Patrick’s day is like Valentine’s Day for people who love Jameson and bad decisions. Like us.”
Words have never resonated more true. But seriously, these board games have the craic while also being strategic and challenging.
If you’re looking to spend a night in with friends, have a pint of Guinness (or two), and enjoy some brilliant St. Patrick’s Day board games, there’s no better place to start!
🏆 Our Top Picks for Best St. Patrick’s Day Board Games
In a hurry? Take a quick peek before you go.
Looking to show off your love of board games this St. Patrick’s day? Why not check out some board game shirts from our friends at Meeple Design?
Inis
Players: 2–4
Playing time: 60- 90mins
Immerse yourself in Celtic legends.
Eagerly in search of land, you’ll captain your ship through the dissipating mist until you see the silhouette of cliffs. Your new home awaits you.
Inis is a game of prosperity, where rival clans contest each other until the Great Council elects the next High King of Inis. Play well, and you’ll ascend to the throne.
Players take on the role of a Celtic chieftain arriving in a new land. You’ll work to construct sanctuaries that’ll nurture spiritual enlightenment as well as travel to new places.
Inis is a brilliant game for the diplomatic and power-hungry among us. As Inis states, “The greatest chapter of Celtic lore has yet to be written.”
Inis: Seasons of Inis Expansion
Want to add a 5th player? No problem! Explore 6 new territories with an extra player and new cards, and lead your troops from the harbor to the island with Inis: Seasons of Inis expansion. Go back to the adventure, warrior, and may the gods be on your side.
Korrigans
Players: 2-5
Playing time: 45min
Korrigans are fairy-like creatures similar to dwarves, sprites, or leprechauns. In Korrigans, players take control of a team of Korrigans as they move throughout the wilderness looking for a pot of gold.
Players move around the map while slowly uncovering locations and narrowing down the possibilities of where the pot of gold is hidden.
Korrigan is one of the best St. Patrick’s Day games out there. The rules are easy to learn and anyone from adults to children will be able to quickly pick up the rules and start playing. The artwork and production value of the tokens and board are beautifully done, and the theme and gameplay are simple yet entertaining.
WolfWalkers
Players: 2–4
Playing time: 10-30mins
When Irish eyes are smiling, they’re probably up to something.
– Irish Proverb
If you’re a fan of the Oscar-nominated film, Wolfwalkers, you’ll love this game.
The game’s objective is to find your wolf soul before soldiers find your lair. Can you avoid the soldiers, collect your wolf soul, and find the best roads through the woods?
Wolfwalkers has players take on the role of their favorite character from the film. You’ll race across the board, exploring the lush green forest to find your wolf spirit.
Wolfwalkers is a brilliant St. Paddy’s game because it has four different game modes, three cooperative and one competitive, so there are varying difficulty levels. You could go on co-op quests with players or be ready for a competitive challenge. This game has something for everyone.
Celtic
Players: 2
Playing time: 40-60mins
The Lord of Wetterau needs a successor. If you think you’ve got what it takes, you’ll have to prove yourself worthy.
In Celtic, players travel the lands and trade with their neighboring tribes. In a point-to-point movement, each turn, you’ll make one move to advance your family members. In this economic St. Paddy’s game, you’ll have to have your wits about you as some locations have goods to collect and goal cards to fulfill.
Gather five-goal cards first and become the most influential Celtic Lord!
Tara: Ireland’s Royal Board Game
Players: 2
Playing time: 20-30mins
Tara: Ireland’s Royal Board Game is inspired by the Book of Kells and the beautiful patterns woven throughout. In this collection of multi-awarding winning games, players immerse themselves into a Celtic heritage and the world of ancient legends.
These games have a 3-dimensional strategy that’ll suit beginners or experienced players; as the game designer Murray Heasman says, “The game takes five minutes to learn, yet a lifetime to master.”
All three games stimulate the mind and are great fun to play, but starting with the simpler Sacred Hill is recommended to introduce you to the game elements.
The second game, High Kings of Tara, introduces the kings and you’ll be working to build forts. Last, but most definitely not least, Poisoned Chalice is where players try to take over complete control.
If you find the beauty and detail of the Book of Kells inspiring, you’ll enjoy these three games.
Keltis
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 30mins
Based on Lost Cities, Keltis is a multiplayer game in which players play cards to move pieces along the stone path board. With five different colors/symbols, things get tricky as you’ll also have to play your cards either ascending or descending.
There’s no luck of the Irish with Keltis. You’ll have to have a great strategy to win the game to move five playing pieces to the highest space.
Taking only 30 minutes to play, you’ll plan your strategy for the next play between Guinness breaks!
Hibernia
Players: 3-4
Playing time: 40mins
Hibernia takes you to the Iron Age of Ireland.
With unique Euro-style mechanics, players roll their dice and score points with each turn. Die rolls prevent players from attacking each other every turn, which keeps player positions dynamic.
Hibernia is a fast and straightforward wargame. Although resorting to obliterating violence is a fun outlet board games supply, Hibernia requires you to plan and cleverly outmaneuver your opponents.
Celtica
Players: 2-5
Playing time: 30mins
May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent.
-Irish Proverb
There’s an Irish legend about brave men who were given amulets sacred until the Vikings destroyed cities. Players must now find the amulet pieces scattered across the lands to restore the Celtic glory.
Set in the 11th century, players collect amulets (each divided into nine parts) with the help of five druids. Collect the most amulet pieces and win! Celtica is a fantastic game to play with friends or family where you’ll see how far you’re willing to go to become king.
Luck O’ The Dice
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 45mins
Luck of the Irish rings true to Luck O’ The Dice.
Luck O’ The Dice is a game of coins, cards, and dice. Players must roll correctly to gather coins with two types of cards: dice cards, and leprechaun cards. Leprechaun cards help players advance their play or inhibit their opponents. These cards rely on the dice, so you’ll never be quite sure of the outcome, hence the luck.
You’ll have to press your luck to be the player with the most amount of coins.
Irish Gauge
Players: 3-5
Playing time: 60min
If you’re looking for something a bit crunchier on St Patrick’s Day, Irish Gauge may be the choice for you.
This economic train game has players building up their rail network through a gorgeously laid-out Ireland board. Irish Gauge hits all the great points when it comes to high-strategy games. It can be taught quickly but to actually consider yourself a master of the game, you’ll need to dedicate yourself to learning the ins and outs of the mechanics.
If you want an Irish-themed board game that makes you think this St. Patrick’s day, then Irish Gauge will get you there, full steam ahead.
Whiskey Business!
Players: 2-6
Playing time: 30mins
If you’re looking for a party game for your rowdy. St Paddy’s celebrations, look no further, Whiskey Business! is a party game of risk-taking and whiskey-making.
Whiskey Business! Is a strategic dice game that moves fast. Players take on the roles of competing distillers producing the elixirs of life, whiskey, scotch, bourbon, and rye, and you’ll need to make sure you balance every part of the process.
From rolling dice to gain ingredients to spoiling a batch, you’ll have until the last call to have the largest number of barrels. You even run the risk of sampling your own stash too much and finding yourself intoxicated, beyond the ability to run a distillery.
That’s quite okay, however, because it’s St. Paddy’s and you can steal your opponent’s barrels.
Find a good Irish whiskey and toast to the winner!
Blarney
Players: 3-4
Playing time: 30mins
Have you got a bit o’ wit and a lot of o’ Blarney?
Blarney is a little-known word game that’ll have your friends and family smooth-talking as they deceive you. Every player receives an obscure word. The game aims to score the most chips by convincing and deceiving your opponents that your invented definition is correct.
Are you full of Blarney?
Wrap-Up
Mura gcuirfidh tú san earrach ní bhainfidh tú san fhómhar.
Translation: If you do not sow in the spring, you will not reap in the autumn.
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best St. Patrick’s Day board games! Have you tried any of the games on this list? We’d love to hear your thoughts so drop a comment below.
“May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.” Have a happy St. Patrick’s day!
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Ready Player Christine. Since my first D&D game, which took a turn for the weird and wacky (probably my influence), the world of board and tabletop games came alive. Now today, I get to write about these fantastical, fictional, and downright fun worlds.