Best Small Portable Board Games (Travel Sized)
Board games are not always the most portable affairs, especially once you go beyond the abstract and start looking at themed games, war games, or more heavy-duty RPG-style experiences. Yet, traveling with a board game is so much more enjoyable than traveling with a digital game! These days, smartphone games are a dime a dozen, but playing a board game with your travel buddies is an unparalleled experience that can make even the longest trip feel like an adventure.
My criteria when looking for good travel games is simple:
- Is it portable? There can’t be too many pieces and the board (if there is one) cannot be too large.
- Is it deep? I like games that allow for a deeper level of play. Granted, in a portable game we’re mostly going to find lighter games, but that’s okay — there are ways for a light game to feel deep, and that’s what’s important. Basically: does strategy count?
- Is it simple to play and easy to learn? This is really key. If you’re traveling you don’t want to expend a bunch of energy trying to learn to play something complex, you want to be able to set right up ad go, even if you’re playing with people new to the game! You also want a session to be able to pay relatively quickly so you don’t have to pack up a game in the middle when your flight gets called.
- Is it fun? Sort of a no-brainer, but it should be fun to play! For this reason, I’ve included a wide range of games on here, from abstract strategy games, to themed games, to themed variations on some old classics.