The Top 3 Cooperative Board Game Experiences

I’ve been playing board games for well over a decade now, and have amassed a huge collection of games. Add to that the access to games I have because of my gaming group, and I’ve had the privilege of playing hundreds of games. Cooperative games have always been something I enjoy, so in this article we will look at my top 3 cooperative board games.

Editor’s Note: I have not played every game known to man, and there are popular cooperative games I have not played, or played and didn’t particularly enjoy. This list is based on my own experiences.

Descent: Legends of the Dark

When Asmodee Canada reached out and asked if I wanted to review Descent: Legends of the Dark last year – in preparation for the ACT 2 release in 2023 – I was a bit skeptical. I love flashy games, and Descent is a flashy game, but I wasn’t sure I would love the systems at play.

After about 45 hours in the world of Descent, I’ve really enjoyed the story and how players work together to strategically tackle each mission. If you enjoy a great, detailed fantasy setting, and wide variety of playable characters, and a ton of tokens and cards, then Descent might be for you. It’s definitely for me!

Lord of the Rings: Journey’s in Middle Earth

We are only two games deep, and already we have a repeat publisher. Fantasy Flight Games make terrific experiences, and Lord of the Rings is right there with Descent. I flip-flop between which system I prefer – as they are very different – but the fact that each game plays very differently makes me love them for different reasons.

I’m very invested in the Lord of the Rings universe, and it was a lot of fun playing through the various campaigns available. Again, there are tons of cards here, and I love that the game uses a card drafting mechanic for doing combat rather than dice roles. This is a unique one for me, and one I highly recommend!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (So Pandemic)

Pandemic, Pandemic Legacy, you name it, it’s probably not a bad game. I’ve enjoyed Pandemic quite a bit and for many it is the marque cooperative game. A lot of games have borrowed from Pandemic, and there have even been spinoff titles using the same system.

The best, in my opinion, is Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Instead of destroying viruses and getting cures, players are tasked with eliminating droids from planets in order to take down the games villain. It’s a lot of fun, and if you are a Star Wars fan, feels a bit more thematic than Pandemic ever did.