There’s no ‘I’ in team, and as they say teamwork makes the dream work. What better way to prove it than with a cooperative board game? Like many winning combinations – scones with jam and cream, hot chocolate and marshmallows, eighties music and really big hair – some things just work better together. With this in mind, we’ve come up with a list of games that work best when combined with a group of good friends. So gather your gamers, call in your crew and get the old band back together. It’s time to get this show on the road.

Mysterium

Calling all amateur sleuths and psychics!

Fancy yourself as the next Sherlock Holmes? Do you like your board games to have a ghostly twist? Well, grab your detective kit, because you’re about to be working together to solve a ‘who-dunnit’ style murder mystery in this spooky cooperative card game.

Channel your inner medium and use the clues to crack the case. Super-simple rules make this one of the top cooperative board games to play (according to our crystal ball).

What Next

Adventure awaits.

Rampaging koalas to the left, giant killer robots to the right. In this game, there’s hundreds of different paths to turn down — and there’s no telling what you’ll find along the way.

Assemble your team and choose your own adventure as you take on three unique stories and over 60 action-packed challenges. To win the game, you’ll need to master the mini-games, work together and reach the finish line in one piece. Think you’ve got the skills to survive?

Chronicles of Crime

Take your investigation skills to a whole new level...

Technology addicts of the world unite! In Chronicles of Crime you’ll be using your mobile phone to discover a virtual reality world where criminals run amok. Search for clues, hunt down the killer and crack the case to bring them to justice.

Sounds like a winning combo to us – collaborative board games and virtual reality? We’re on board. (Get it? On ‘board’? Anyone? We’ll get our coats.).

Tranquility

You know what they say – silence is golden.

One of the best cooperative board games with a difference, players will have to keep quiet while playing because there’s a super-strict ‘no talking’ rule. Fill the sea with islands and steer your ship home on calm and serene waters to emerge victorious.

The challenge of this is to work together to meet your goal without saying a word. The Big Potato office has never been so quiet...because we’re working hard obviously.

The Crew: Quest for Planet Nine

The universe is waiting – what will you discover?

This space themed game is great if you like your missions varied, as this one comes with fifty to choose from. You’ll explore the universe and discover new planets - but remember, success depends on all players rising to their individual challenges. You can play this as a duo making it a great choice for people looking for 2 player co op board games, or in small groups of up to five.

The truth is out there, waiting to be discovered by your intrepid astronauts. Better get those gravity boots out of the closet...

Pandemic

Paging Doctor Big Potato to the game table...

You may have heard of this one, as Pandemic has won a list of game awards almost as long as your arm. It’s been around for a while but it’s a classic (a bit like some of our team).

Each player takes on an individual role like Scientist or Operations Expert, uniting to defeat the virus trying to take over the globe. We’re polishing the beakers and firing up the Bunsen burners. Meet us in the laboratory.

Escape the Castle

The greatest escape since...well, the great escape.

There’s no dungeon dark enough to keep you and your team of adventurers down. Watch out though, because this castle is full of traps and dangers. One wrong turn, and you could find yourself facing a scary monster — or something much worse.

Send out the message to all your friends, this castle is ready to be conquered. If you can’t get a mobile signal we recommend sending out a raven instead.

Citadels

More twists and turns than a game of twister on a merry-go-round...

Werewolves, vampires, scary things that lurk in the dark - no, we’re not talking about the guest list for the office Christmas party – we’re talking about Horrified. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped onto the set of a classic Hollywood Horror movie playing this one. Work together to defeat the villains and rid the town of marauding creatures, or risk letting the whole place get overrun!

A great game for playing behind the sofa, because everyone knows that’s the best place to hide when there are monsters on the rampage right?

Quirky Circuits

The best robots come in the littlest packages.

Could this be the cutest robot-themed game ever? One look at these adorable characters and we know you’ll be in love. I mean, who could resist Gizmo the robotic cat?

Get your team together to programme an adorable robot friend and help them complete tasks and missions. Just remember not to get your wires crossed or you might have a malfunction on your hands.

However (and wherever) you manage to next get together with your favourite people, there are plenty of coop board games waiting to be played and conquered. Half the fun is in finding out what you and your friends love, so don’t be afraid to try something new.

Just remember that whether you try your hand at one of our suggestions above, find something brand new, or dust off an old family favourite, working together really does bring rewards. As a wise man* once said ‘if you take the team out of teamwork, it’s just work. Now, who wants that?’

*Fun fact: it was Matthew Stover who said this, the novelist behind several books in the Star Wars franchise, and let’s be honest; those characters knew a thing or two about cooperation. After all, they brought down a whole empire.