The best board games to play (and gift) this summer

In a world that can seem increasingly digitised and isolating, board games offer a unique chance to connect with others. And over the holiday period, the right game can make all the difference while spending time with friends and family.

But board games are part of a multi-billion-dollar industry, so it can be hard to decide which games to try out — or which ones to gift. Luckily I have some recommendations.

4,000 years of arguing over a die

Board games have been part of societies for at least 4,000 years. The Royal Game of Ur, which scholars discovered in the tombs of ancient Sumer (now modern-day Iraq), can be dated back to about 2500 BCE.

This not only showed board games as an integral part of ancient home life, but something people held dear. From what archaeologists can glean from the rediscovered rules, the game involved moving pieces around a board (and probably inspired later games such as backgammon).

Meanwhile, in Mediterranean cultures such as Athens and Rome, dice games were often played at taverns, with people gambling on the results. Indeed, according to historian Karl Galinsky, the Roman Emperor Augustus "loved gaming, literally rolling the dice for hours".

Today, tabletop games are a massive industry. Some games, such as Kingdom Death: Monster and Frosthaven, were boosted by millions of dollars raised through online crowdfunding campaigns

Modern board games can range from party games that can take about half an hour, to epic war games that can take a whole day. Australia has contributed significantly; one of the most critically acclaimed board games of the 21st century, Blood on the Clocktower, was designed by Sydney-based Steven Medway.

The gift of gaming

For those prone to decision paralysis, there are a number of resources devoted to covering the vast range of board games available. These include critic channels such as Shut Up and Sit Down, as well as YouTube channels such as No Rolls Barred, where you can see various board games being played.

There are even online digital libraries such as Board Game Arena, where you can try games (including some of the list below) before you buy them.

With that said, here are my seven recommendations for anyone wanting to try out a new board game these holidays.

1. Sushi Go Party

Sushi Go Party is a colourful, fast-paced game that has great art, and a "menu" that can be changed depending on the number of players (up to eight) and their familiarity with the game. Players win the game by creating the best combination of cards, depending on what's available, by rotating the cards from player to player like a sushi train. It's easy to learn, and relatively cheap.

2. Wavelength

In the party game Wavelength, teams have to try to guess the location of a hidden target on a spectrum, using a clue from one "psychic" team member. The ends of the spectrum reflect two binaries, such as hot–cold or optional–mandatory, and the target falls somewhere in between.

The closer the team gets to where the psychic thinks the target should go, the more points they score. Wavelength is one of those games that no matter if your team gets it right or wrong, you can expect people to give their 2 cents.

3. Mysterium and Mysterium Park

Mysterium and Mysterium Park are team games where players play mediums seeking the counsel of another player — a ghost — who gives them clues to important information about murders in the house, including the ghost's own murder.

The ghost offers the other players tarot cards with abstract artwork with which they must attempt to discern the murder weapon, location and culprit.

4. The Quacks of Quedlinburg

The Quacks of Quedlinburg game sees players take the role of potion makers at the local fair, who must push their luck by drawing ingredients out of a bag to make the best potions without them blowing up in their face. It's simple to teach and hilarious when someone else blows up their cauldron (although arguably less when it's you).

5. Modern Art

Modern Art is is one of the most celebrated games from board game designer luminary Reiner Knizia. Players are art dealers auctioning off beautiful paintings done by five professional artists. Players might even forget to play as they get caught up in simply admiring the pieces they are auctioning off.

Modern Art remains a fiendishly clever game that is easy to learn but hard to master.

6. Heat: Pedal to the Metal

Heat: Pedal to the Metal is a strategic racing game based on 1960s Formula 1 racing. The base game boasts four tracks on two gorgeous boards, and lovely little cars that pass each other and risk spinning out around corners.

7. Nemesis

Nemesis is by far the most expensive (and complicated) game on this list, Nemesis can best be described as Alien: the board game.

Players have to move through a spaceship, discovering rooms and items as they go, taking care not to alert the horrific extraterrestrials that have managed to get onto the ship — represented by amazingly designed pieces. It's a truly tense and fun experience for a full afternoon.

Matthew Thompson is a lecturer in history and communications at University of Southern Queensland. This piece first appeared on The Conversation.