Six great small-box board games

I just adore a game packed neatly in a box.

Apr 17, 2024

Large-box board games are, in many ways, the things that drive the board game hobby. In my nascent days in the hobby, I was drawn to those Euro-sized square boxes. I wanted the games that had weight to them, and that was a signal to me. I think that’s changing these days — the perception, I mean. There have long been great games that come in small boxes, and this isn’t even the first time I’ve written about the topic.

I’ve tried to not focus in too much on card games — those are innately “small box” games, but they fit a bit of a different purpose. There are still a couple here that I quite like, and I could go on for days about card games you should play.

You might rightly ask what I mean by “small box.” It’s a fair question. I’m focusing on games that have boxes that you could pretty easily toss into a backpack when you’re heading out, so long as that backpack wasn’t too full. I love very-small-footprint games (here’s looking at you, my ever-expanding Button Shy collection), but that’s another topic altogether.

Spots

I love dogs, and I love dice, though not as much as I love dogs. (Dice are not furry, and you cannot pet them. Usually, at least.) Spots is a game that combines those two things int something novel: a push-your-luck game in which you are trying to fill dog cards with those dice. If you roll and can’t place dice, though, you’ll have to bury them in the yard, and if you bury more than a combined seven spots from dice, you bust, and any dice on unfinished dogs are discarded.

Spots just works. There’s some nice variability from game to game, as you can take one of up to six actions on your turn, which are selected during game setup. Despite the variability, it’s easy to pick up and explain, which is sometimes a difficult feat. You can have your friends rolling dice and looking longingly at the cute dog drawings within minutes of pulling out the box, and that’s a true accomplishment.

Designed by Alex Hague, Jon Perry and Justin Vickers. Published by CMYK.

Xylotar

Do you like trick-taking games? Do you like sentient bears that want to play keytars? If the answer to both of these questions is “yes,” Xylotar might be just the game for you. The theme, which is not unlike what I’ve said above (it’s a bit weird), may capture some attention, but it’s the gameplay that really makes the game work.

In this trick-taker, you don’t know the values of your cards, as they’re all face-down in front of you. The suit is visible on the back, but you don’t know the rank. One of your two neighbors will be sorting the cards before they’re placed in front of you, so as you play cards, you’ll start to learn where the high cards are, where the low cards are, and what generally is in front of you.

Xylotar saw initial life as the self-published Magic Trick, which is available in the Trickster’s Table app. It’s a great way to get some reps with the game so you understand the lovely weirdness.

Designed by Chris Wray, published by Bezier Games. Scheduled for release in June 2024. A review copy was provided by Bezier Games.

Burgle Bros

Burgle Bros doesn’t feel like it’s a small box game, and fair enough — it’s the largest of the boxes on this list. It’s certainly not a large box, though, and it would quite easily fit in a backpack alongside some game-night snacks. (Maybe it’s a medium-box game, sitting roughly 7”x4”x3” — you tell me!)

This cooperative game has up to four players taking on various roles in a high-stakes heist, cracking safes, avoiding guards, and attempting (and usually failing) to avoid traps across a three-story, four-by-four building. The aforementioned guards will move around the map, and when they reach their destination, they’ll reveal a new card indicating their next patrol point. If you and your teammates can avoid getting caught too many times before escaping the building with the loot, heading out through the roof, you’ll win. If any one player gets caught too many times — well, you’re done for.

Designed by Tim Fowers, published by Fowers Games.

Gussy Gorillas

Large-group negotiation games are essentially chaos machines, and Gussy Gorillas takes that idea and add a bit of an additional boost. This is a reasonably simple set collection game with a couple twists: Some of the cards are a negative value, and also you have no idea what cards you have in hand. You’ll only discover those cards when another player negotiates for them or you decide to keep them, rendering you in a weirdly blind position. When Gussy Gorillas works, it really works. It bathes in the chaos.

Designed by Nick Murray, published by Bitewing Games.

7 Wonders Duel

It’s easy to hone in on lighter affairs for groups, but let’s not forget two-player games when we’re thinking about small-box games. 7 Wonders Duel is a favorite of mine. It’s easy to pick up and play with somebody (perhaps that’s still a ‘lighter affair’), but it’s a tactically rich two-player game.

In 7 Wonders Duel, you and an opponent will face off in an attempt to achieve a victory condition before the other. Perhaps you’ll choose to focus on a scientific victory, or maybe you’ll want to use your military might to put your opponent away. Maybe you’ll take the straightforward, three-round attempt at victory, focusing simply on getting many points.

Whatever you decide, 7 Wonders Duel is a great two-player game worth your attention. It’s related to 7 Wonders, but familiarity there doesn’t really do too much in getting you off the ground. (It won’t hurt, though.)

Designed by Antoine Bauza and Bruno Cathala. Published by Repos Production.

Hive

I’m bad at Hive. I think I told you that back in my list of two-player games you should consider playing. It’s not particularly a secret. This abstract, tactical game is all about laying down bugs, each type of which has a different ability, then harnessing those abilities into surrounding the opponent’s queen. It’s not a hard game to learn, but it’s a hard game to master. That sort of thing.

The fun part about being bad at Hive is that I can see myself improving, slowly and steadily. I still haven’t beaten my arch-nemesis (Michael, I say, shaking my fist), but I consistently feel like I’m grasping the strategy a bit more. The strategies are starting to take shape in my head. It’s taking reps, but they’re clicking.

Perhaps Hive should be disqualified from this list, as it often comes in a bag. If you want a small-box version of Hive, you’ll have to either get one of the boxed versions, or you’ll have to put the bag inside a box. If you’re OK with just a low-profile version of the game, the bag is perfect.

Designed by John Yianni and published by Gen42 Games.

Thank you, as always, for reading Don’t Eat the Meeples. Are any of these picks just the worst? Any I’m missing that you think I should have mentioned? I’d love to hear it.

Next week: We’re diving into one of 2023’s great cooperative outings.