Which recent board games should you consider adding to your collection in 2026? We recommend all the titles on our prestigious, all-time list of the best board games, of course - but brand new games are coming out constantly that deserve your attention. That's why we've created this up-to-date shortlist of our favorite new titles, as well as the upcoming board games that should be firmly on your radar.
Board games often release at odd times, with retailers, convention goers, and crowdfunding backers all receiving copies at different times. Because of this, we've covered our personal favorites from 2025, as well as the 2026 releases we've marked on our calendars with massive smiley faces.
2026's upcoming board games:
- Sanibel
- The Lord of the Rings Trick-Taking Game: The Two Towers
- Brass Pittsburg
- Gold Country
- The Great Library
- The Danes
- Cyberpunk 2077: The Board Game
Sanibel
Release: January 16, 2026
Elizabeth Hargrave, designer of the hit bird board game Wingspan, is back with another soothing nature title. Sanibel takes places on the Florida island of the same name, which is famous for its beautiful shells. Players will comb its beaches, drafting and placing tiles in the most satisfying, points-laden combinations. We're huge fans of Wingspan, tile games, and cozy tabletop titles, so this sounds right up our alley.
The Lord of the Rings Trick-Taking Game: The Two Towers
Release: January 16, 2026
The Lord of the Rings Trick-Taking Game took the hobby by storm in 2025, transforming the most famous fantasy series of all into a faithful, simple, and utterly addictive card game. The Two Towers is the next in the trilogy, and it retells (you guessed it) the events of Tolkien's second novel. We're expecting grand battles, cross-country adventures, and lengthy debates with Ents.
Brass Pittsburgh
Expected release: 2026
Brass: Birmingham is widely lauded as one of the greatest modern board games, so it's natural that there'd be plenty of hype surrounding its follow-up. Brass: Pittsburgh promises to build on the same economic strategy mechanics as previous Brass games, but it will also apparently innovate in some new and exciting ways.
We don't know too much about this game yet, including when it will be widely available. When it was announced, publisher Roxley predicted a 2026 retail release date, but we won't know more until the Gamefound crowdfunder launches on February 3.
Gold Country
Expected release: September 2026
Reiner Knizia might be the busiest designer in all of board games, and, generally, the titles he puts out are pretty-darned good. Gold Country is his freshest strategy game, although it's technically a re-tooling of an older game of his, Spectaculum. This promises to be an intriguing stock market manipulation game, where you'll develop mining companies and race to take advantage of California's precious resources.
The Great Library
Expected release: 2026
The Great Library began crowdfunding in 2025, and we were bowled over by how stunning it is. You don't always expect a complex eurogame to come with such delightful packaging. Hopefully, the gameplay lives up to these same standards.
You'll play as custodians of the historic Library of Alexandria, and you're tasked with all manner of tasks in the pursuit of knowledge preservation. Translate manuscripts, deliver crafts, and handle relics to improve renown and score the most points. This game looks chunky, and we're looking forward to playing it.
The Danes
Expected release: 2026?
The Danes is the long-awaited follow-up to beloved worker placement game, A Feast For Odin. Set in the same universe, and focusing on worker placement mechanics, this title sees you send Vikings out to explore new territories, hunt for treasure, and breed animals. Designers also say it will take 90 minutes per player to play - and with up to four players that's a lot of board game.
Cyberpunk 2077: The Board Game
Estimated release: Q3 2026
Billed as a "story driven tactical action game" for 1-4 players, Cyberpunk 2077: The Board Game offers "42+ hours of gameplay" in its campaign, plus an "endless Afterlife mode". There was some controversy when this was first announced, given how many board gamers have been burned by big, licensed IP board game adaptations, loaded up with millions of crowdfunding dollars, that puts beautiful miniatures before well-designed gameplay.
As journalists, we're both skeptical and open minded, however - and as nerdy gamers with a liking for neon signs, techwear, and weird future slang, we're very excited to try out a fully loaded, tabletop tactical RPG adventure in Night City. We'll see, choom. We'll see.
For more tabletop recommendations, here are the best card games around right now. We can also point you to the greatest tabletop RPGs of all time.