Not all of these games were originally released in the 1980s — in fact, one was released in 1935! But no matter when they first hit retail stores, they dominated family dining room tables the ’80s. Essentially, if you were a kid back then, you probably played every single one of these!
Here are the ten best board games that we all played back in the ’80s.
Connect Four
First release: 1974
Connect Four is a two-player game where players take turns dropping colored discs into a vertically suspended grid. The objective is to be the first to connect four of one’s own discs horizontally, vertically, or diagonally before the opponent does. But we all know the most fun part was releasing all the discs at the end of a match!
Mastermind
First release: 1970
Mastermind is a deduction game where one player sets a secret code of colored pegs, and the other player tries to guess the code within a certain number of turns. Clues are given after each guess to help the codebreaker crack the pattern. This was THE game for competitive siblings who thought they could guess each other’s play.
Battleship
First release: 1931
We all remember the commercials… “You sank my battleship!” Battleship is a two-player game where each player arranges their fleet of ships on a grid and takes turns guessing the coordinates of their opponent’s ships to sink them. The first player to sink all of their opponent’s ships wins.
Axis & Allies
First release: 1984
Here’s a true ’80s game! Axis & Allies is a strategy war game set during World War II. Players take on the roles of major powers (Axis or Allies) and engage in combat, economic management, and diplomacy to achieve victory. New versions of the games cover a variety of regions and wars, from WWI versions to North Africa.
Pictionary
First release: 1985
Pictionary is a drawing and guessing game where players take turns drawing a word or phrase on a sketch pad while their teammates try to guess what it is. It’s a race against the clock, and teams advance on the game board based on correct guesses. Some of the silliest memories of your parents may very likely include Pictionary nights.
Clue
First release: 1949
Clue is a murder mystery game where players move around a mansion collecting clues to determine the suspect, weapon, and location of the murder. Players make deductions based on clues gathered and try to be the first to solve the mystery.
Monopoly
First release: 1935
Monopoly is a classic property trading game where players roll dice to move around the board, buying and trading properties, and collecting rent from opponents who land on their spaces. The goal is to bankrupt opponents by monopolizing property ownership.
Risk
First release: 1957
Risk is a strategy board game where players control armies and aim to conquer territories on a world map. Players deploy troops, attack opponents, and defend their own territories, with the ultimate goal of world domination.
Scrabble
First release: 1948
Scrabble is a classic word game where players use letter tiles to form words on a game board. Each letter has a different point value, and players earn points based on the letters they use and the placement on the board. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Trivial Pursuit
First release: 1981
And finally, the quintessential 1980s game. Trivial Pursuit is a trivia game where players move around the board answering questions in different categories to fill in their pie-shaped playing pieces. The goal is to collect all six pieces of the pie by correctly answering questions in categories like history, science, sports, entertainment, geography, and arts & literature.
