There's no shortage of epic board games out there and sometimes it is hard to find the right game that fits you and your gaming group! One problem that definitely exists with modern board games, is that they can take absolutely ages to play. Although we're big fans of long and immersive gaming sessions, we know that for most groups spending any more than an hour or two just isn't practical. That's why we've compiled a shortlist of some of our favourite board games that don't take forever to play. We have taken care to make sure that most of these games are easy to learn and pick up, so you don't waste time and can get straight into gameplay. Our same day dispatch on all orders will also remove another obstacle to having fun - we will get your game to you quicker so you can get straight into playing.

Make sure to check out our top picks below for games that only take half an hour to play! If you're after a specific game and can't find it, then make sure to drop us a message, and we'll do our very best to stock it for you!

Patchwork

In Patchwork, two players compete to build the most aesthetic (and high-scoring) patchwork quilt on a personal 9x9 game board! This is a fun game that still has a level of competitiveness and works as a great intro game to the hobby. Patchwork is a game that is specifically designed to work with 2 players, so it doesn't suffer from problems that other games face when they introduce a 2 player variant. If you are looking for a more casual experience then Patchwork is definitely something to check out!

Average Playtime 15 - 30 minutes

Number of Players 2 players

Boardgame Geek Rating 7.6/10

Garum

In Garum, each player represents a master in the preparation of a specific type of fish sauce and receives a set of 16 Cetarian Tiles. The goal of the game is to play Cetarian Tiles strategically, in order to get a huge number of their own colour symbols in selected rows or columns - the greater the influence, the higher the reward! While placing the tiles, players may apply to score, collect some bonuses and also block their opponent’s intents. Whoever scores most points is the winner. The game supports 2 to 4 players, but we recommend to play with at least 3 players. Of all the games on the list, Garum is the most likely to run a bit longer so keep that in mind if you decide to pick it up!

Average Playtime 30 - 40 minutes

Number of Players 2 - 4 players (best with 4)

Boardgame Geek Rating 7.5/10

Between Two Cities

If you're after a great new game for game night then look no further than Between Two Cities! In the game, each player builds a city with both the player on their left and the player on their right, working together to build as grandiose a city as possible. On each turn you work with your allies to place tiles into your two cities. At the end of the game, each city is scored based on its epicness. Your final score is the lower of the two cities you helped to design, so you must focus on both in order to win. The standard version of the game supports 3 to 7 players, whilst also having variants for a head-to-head 2-player game and solo play.

Average Playtime 25 minutes

Number of Players 3 - 7 players (standard version), 1-2 (variants)

Boardgame Geek Rating 7.0/10

Ticket to Ride - Ghost Train

Ticket to Ride: Ghost Train takes the gameplay of the Ticket to Ride series and scales it down for a younger audience. In general, players collect parade float cards, claim routes on the map, and try to connect locations such as the Mad Scientist's Lab, the Gingerbread House, and the Lonely Barn that are shown on their tickets. In more detail, the game board shows a map of a city with certain locations being connected by coloured paths. Each player starts with four coloured parade float cards in hand and two tickets; each ticket shows two locations, and you're trying to connect those two locations with a contiguous path of your trains in order to complete the ticket. The game supports 2 - 4 players. One of the big bonuses of this kid friendly version of Ticket to Ride, is that by simplifying the game it has also significantly shortened the playtime. This can also be used as a great introduction to modern board games, as players that enjoy playing can easily move onto the regular version of the game.

Average Playtime 15 - 30 minutes

Number of Players 2 - 4 players (best with 3)

Boardgame Geek Rating 6.8/10

Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky is a classic nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll, composed back in 1871. Carroll, who is perhaps most famous for writing Alice in Wonderland, and its sequel Through the Looking Glass, wrote the poem about a strange and powerful creature named the Jabberwock! Jellybean Games, Fractal Juegos, and Quality Beast have teamed up to create a game inspired by the works of Carroll and bring the absurd and nonsensical from the literary world onto the tabletop. The box can be used to play eight completely different games with its components, making it perfect for parties and gatherings and supplying a lot of replayability! Each box contains 18 gorgeous cards and 24 bright gems! Jabberowcky supports play for 1 to 7 players and each game is super short to play at around 15 minutes (which is why this game definitely makes the list)!

Average Playtime 15 - 20 minutes

Number of Players 1 - 7 players

Boardgame Geek Rating 6.9/10

Poisons

Poisons is a bluff-based card game in which players have to carefully weigh their risks to earn points. Each turn, players secretly add a card from their hand to each opponent's drink: an innocuous liquid or a deadly poison. When everyone has their cup filled, each player decides whether they will drink the contents of their cup. Those who don't dare to sip the mixture gain only a minimal amount of points. Those who drink their cup score the number of points revealed at the beginning of their turn, but beware if there's a single dose of poison in the glass, they get nothing! The game supports 3 to 8 players and takes around 15 minutes to play, which makes it a great fit for a casual game session or as a starter game. Poisons works really well with players that aren't looking for a lot of game pieces or set up time as it can be easily played in a more relaxed setting.

Average Playtime 15 minutes

Number of Players 3 - 8 players

Boardgame Geek Rating 6.2/10

"Poisons is a bluff-based card game in which players have to carefully weight their risks to earn points. At each turn, players secretly add a card from their hand to each opponent's drink: an innocuous liquid or a deadly poison. When everyone has their cup filled, each player decides whether they will drink the contents of their cup."

Check out these awesome board games in the related products section down below to place an order for a fun-filled gamenight! If none of these tickles your fancy, why not view our entire range of board games by clicking the button below!

---

---