Co-op adventure board games are some of my favorite games because they usually require plenty of teamwork to beat and they’re often very replayable. They’re the games that I find easier to get lost in since there’s usually some sort of story playing out and a lot of character customization. Plus, they’re often also the best campaign board games out there, and my group loves a great campaign game.
There are a lot of fun adventure games to choose from right now, so this was a pretty tough list to make. Co-op exploration games, survival games, role-playing games, and quite a few other types of board games can all fall under the “adventure games” umbrella. Rather than just picking the best cooperative games that have some sort of adventure element to them, I chose games that consistently make my group feel like we’re going on adventures.
This is one of those lists that I’ll need to update regularly since there are plenty of adventure card games and board games that come out each year. I’ll update this page early if we end up playing a great one before the next scheduled update.
Let’s get to it! Below you’ll find some of the best cooperative adventure board games!
10. Heroes of Terrinoth
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
I’ve been playing Heroes of Terrinoth for years now and it continues to be one the most quick and fun adventure games in my collection. It’s a game of activating your cards, rolling dice, and hoping to take down a big boss. There are a bunch of cool heroes to play with and you can play the quests as a campaign or just as one-off missions.
I prefer some of the adventure card games you’ll find higher up on this list, but I can get way more people to play Heroes of Terrinoth. I usually play this one when I’m in the mood for a quick fantasy card game adventure.
Read our Heroes of Terrinoth review
Get your copy of Heroes of Terrinoth
9. Aftermath
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Aftermath is a very solid storytelling adventure game and my group’s favorite of Jerry Hawthorne’s Adventure Book Games series so far. It has a great story, going through the adventures with your powered-up rodents is a lot of fun, and the campaign system makes the post-apocalyptic world change as you play through the game.
Aftermath works equally well as a light family board game and as a campaign game that a group of adult gamers can play, which is a unique combo.
Read our Aftermath review
8. Champions of Hara
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Champions of Hara is such a cool adventure game. The tiles that make up the world shift around as you play, which forces you to tweak your strategy on the fly. Your goal is to grow as powerful as you can through exploration and then take down one of the powerful villains. The characters are all unique and change how you play each game, and there are a lot of challenging scenarios to choose from.
Champions of Hara is probably the most underrated adventure board game on this list and it’s a game that I think plays equally well at two, three, and four players.
Read our Champions of Hara review
Get your copy of Champions of Hara
7. Mage Knight
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
What makes Mage Knight a top-notch adventure board game is that it gives you pretty much total control over where you go, how you develop your heroes, and who you go to battle with. It’s not an open-world game, but it does give you more freedom to explore than most other cooperative games.
Mage Knight is one of the heaviest board games in existence, but most people who take the time to learn how to play it find that it offers a rich adventure experience with some fun deck building mixed in.
Read our Mage Knight review
6. Paleo
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 10+
Paleo is one of the best exploration games because, well, its unique exploration mechanic just works so well. You have to work together in this game to find the resources you need to survive and thrive during the Stone Age. There’s plenty of cooperation and it mixes in some fun gameplay elements, like simultaneous action selection and push-your-luck.
Paleo is an intense, thematic survival board game and one of the best cooperative games I’ve played in the last five or so years.
Read our Paleo review
Check out our Top 5 Cooperative Limited Communication Games!
5. The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 14+
It’s really hard not to feel like you’re on an epic adventure while playing The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth. The large map tiles bring Middle-earth to life on the table, and the game has one of the best action/test systems that you’ll find in a co-op board game. It’s an app-driven game, but I don’t mind that in this case because the app takes care of all of the fiddly work for you while also remembering what you’ve done in past missions.
This is a great LOTR adventure board game, especially for groups of 3-5 players.
Read our The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth review
Get your copy of The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth
4. Legends of Andor
Players: 2-4 | Ages: 10+
If you like adventure games and you’re also a big fan of puzzly games, Legends of Andor might just be the cooperative adventure game you want to get. Your goal in this one is to complete the tasks of each campaign, which involves moving around the map, gaining items, getting stronger, and attempting to stop the enemies before they take over your kingdom.
Legends of Andor is a pretty easy game to learn how to play, but it requires plenty of cooperation to beat. It’s an excellent fantasy adventure game with some of the best board game artwork I’ve seen.
Read our Legends of Andor review
Get your copy of Legends of Andor
3. Sleeping Gods
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 13+
Sleeping Gods is easily the best storytelling adventure game that I’ve played so far. The writing is excellent, the artwork pulls you in, and, unlike most of the other storytelling games that I’ve played, the gameplay itself is very solid. My group had a great time exploring this world.
With all of that being said, you still should only get Sleeping Gods if you have a group that is or might be into playing through a long campaign game with quite a bit of reading. If you do have that type of group, chances are Sleeping Gods will end up being a huge hit.
Read our Sleeping Gods review
Get your copy of Sleeping Gods
2. The Lord of the Rings: LCG
Players: 1-2 | Ages: 13+
If you’re on the hunt for great adventure card games, The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is the one I’d recommend getting. It’s one of the best two-player card games around because the art is great, the heroes, enemies, and locations all feel like what we know from the books/movies, and it plays very smoothly once you learn the rules.
If you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings, I highly recommend this card game. If you aren’t, take a look at Marvel Champions, which is made by the same publisher and has similar mechanisms. Both are awesome adventure games.
Read our The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game review
Get your copy of The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
1. Robinson Crusoe
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Seeing Robinson Crusoe at this top spot should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen the Best Co-op Board Games list. There are a lot of things that make it an amazing adventure game, but the most important thing is that it always tells a great story. You get pulled into the game’s world and it’s just a blast exploring the island, building useful items, hunting, and attempting to complete your objectives. It’s extremely tough to beat, but I always have a great time playing this one.
Robinson Crusoe is easily the best board game adventure I’ve experienced and the best co-op exploration game that I’ve played.
Read our Robinson Crusoe review
Get your copy of Robinson Crusoe
What are your favorite cooperative adventure board games? Any that didn’t make this list?
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter if you want more co-op board game content sent right to your inbox!
