It usually feels like there are so many new board games and tabletop RPGs on the way that you'll get buried under them, and going to events like Gen Con or the UK Games Expo (where the show floor has more than its fair share of unreleased titles being previewed) doesn't make that any easier.
So let's cut through all that noise. Here are the upcoming and new board games, card games, wargames, and TTRPGs that I think are worth your time in the not-so-distant future. If you ask me, they have the capacity to top lists of the best board games and best tabletop RPGs when they hit shelves. In other words? It's worth keeping a close eye on them as 2024 progresses – if they're not on your radar yet, they should be.
Wherever possible, I've included the release dates for all of these projects too… or at the very least, a rough estimate. If the current launch window is TBA, I'll update this page as soon as I know more.
Upcoming board games and tabletop RPGs
The gothic sci-fi of Warhammer 40K may be better known, but its fantasy sibling has just as much to offer. Age of Sigmar – a world of swords, sorcery, and dirty great monsters – is about to launch its fourth edition via a massive box set called 'Skaventide,' and honestly, I can't wait.
Yes, the inclusion of revamped Skaven ratmen VS new, edgier Stormcast Eternal knights is compelling enough. But that fact that Skaventide features the quicker, more accessible Spearhead game type is what appeals to me more. I know I'm not alone in saying that I don't have as much free time as I used to, so a bitesize version of this wargame that can be completed in an hour or so is just what I've been looking for. I've always been a little wary of diving into Age of Sigmar because it seemed a little overwhelming, so that's the perfect invitation.
You'll be able to pre-order Skaventide from June 29, and it'll hit shelves this July 13.
How do you break out from under the shadow of a certain Lovecraftian TTRPG? With a board game-esque approach and easy-to-understand dice pool system, if you ask Arkham Horror.
This role playing spinoff allows you to lead a band of investigators through increasingly spooky scenarios, and it seized my attention like a ghoul bursting from a crypt when I sat down with it at this year's UK Games Expo. Even though it returns to the Lovecraft mythos we've seen before with Call of Cthulhu, it still carves a niche for itself.
To start with, I'm a fan of how it 'board game-ifies' combat and exploration via physical tokens and a battle map with removable elements (I felt like a kid again while lifting the roof off a barn where dodgy things were clearly going on).
Secondly, I appreciated that it wasn't just using another d20 system we've seen before. Instead, this new tabletop RPG relies on dice pools to represent your available actions. As you take physical or psychological damage and negative effects, dice are removed from that pool so you have less to work with. Your characters will also be saddled with flaws the further into the adventure you go. Because these dice are so important to everything you do, you better take good care of them.
It's unclear when the Arkham Horror RPG will be out, but the tentative release window right now is fall 2024.
I certainly didn't have a Lord of the Rings-themed 7 Wonders game on my 2024 bingo card, but there we go. I managed to take a look at a prototype during this year's UK Games Expo and came away excited; it doesn't just feel like a reskin of the 2-player Duel.
For one thing, it uses a tracker for Sauron's Ring and the journey to destroy or find it. Following that track is another victory condition you can add to the usual lineup found in 7 Wonders.
For another, it uses a handsome little map of Middle-earth with tiny army tokens to represent the warring factions of Tolkien's world. This feels very in-keeping with a saga where vast battalions march against one another.
While I need to see more to say whether The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth will emerge from under 7 Wonders' shadow, things are looking good so far.
You can expect it to hit shelves fall 2024.
Although it's still a ways off, there's plenty to be excited about where the Gloomhaven RPG (adapting the world of the board game series for pen and paper, albeit with less randomness than most TTRPGs) is concerned. When I caught up with the lead designer, Danielle Lauzon, at UK Games Expo, she told me how much has changed since the system was announced a year or so ago.
For one thing, the combat's seen some refining and its cards have been condensed in number. Plus, you don't need to worry so much about movement; you won't need to choose between moving and attacking as you do in the board game, as the team found that this (ironically) slowed things down. Crucially, the narrative impact of an action has been given much more weight. Rather than being a purely tactical decision, you're also encouraged to think about the story your actions will produce.
Finally, the addition of guilds and a reputation system adds a lot to the experience overall; your decisions will dictate what the factions think of you, and what opportunities are available as a result.
You can expect playtesting for the Gloomhaven RPG to begin later in 2024 ahead of a release in the first quarter of 2025.
For recommendations that are available now, don't miss these board games for 2 players, the top board games for families, and fantastic party board games.
