Top Picks by Year - Best Board and Card Games

My picks for the best 10 board games published in 2010.

My picks for the top 10 card games published in 2010.

My picks for the top 10 easy-to-find games of 2010, games which can be found in mass market retailers like Toys R Us, Target, and Barnes & Noble.

Readers share their thoughts on the best easy-to-find board games and card games published in 2009.

Although many of my picks for the best board games and best card games of 2009 are found in speciality retailers, the great games on this list are easy to find in big box stores such as Barnes & Noble, Target, Toys R Us, and…

Readers share their thoughts on the best card games of 2009.

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What do you think were the best board games published in 2009?

What do you think are the best card games published between 2000 and 2009?

What do you think are the best board games published between 2000 and 2009?

Card games have been played for centuries, but creative game designers continue to make new and innovative games. Here are the 10 games that I believe are the best card games published from 2000 through 2009. (I want to make a special note of the brilliant party game Apples to Apples, which would have been included high on this list -- except it was first released in 1999.)

Remarkably, traditional board games are thriving even as electronic games become more and more sophisticated. Today's board games are better and more diverse than ever, with games suitable for everyone from players who just want to relax and laugh to those who seek deep strategic challenges. Here are my picks for the best board games published from 2000 through 2009.

Here are my picks for the best card games published in 2008.

2008 was a great year for board gamers, particularly if you enjoy cooperative games or race games. I happen to be a fan of both. The top three games on my list of the best board games published in 2008 are cooperative games (and the Merlin's Company expansion for Shadows Over Camelot, my …

These great games are easy to find in big box stores such as Target and Toys R Us.

My picks for the best card games published in 2007.

My picks for the best board games published in 2007.

BattleLore is number one on our list of the best board games published in 2006.

Parlay is number one on our list of the best card games published in 2006.

A look at my picks for the top 10 easy-to-find board games and card games published in 2006.

My picks for the best children's board games and card games published in 2006.

A look at my picks for the best collectible games -- such as collectible miniatures games and collectible card games -- published in 2006.

My picks for the top 10 stocking stuffers of 2006 for game players.

2005 was another excellent year for board games. Here are my picks for the top 10 best board games published in 2005. I can easily envision playing all of these games for many years. This year's list includes a deep strategy game, a cooperative game, a game probably inspired by B-movies, a game full of magnetic appeal, plus six more.

This is the first year I've separated card games into their own year-end list, and there's a good reason: 2005 was a fantastic year for card games. These are my picks for the top 10 best card games published in 2005. The list includes two independent games, two car-themed games, a reprint of a classic, plus five more.

Many of the best games published each year are not widely available. But there are also many great games available in stores like Toys R Us and Wal-Mart; I refer to these as "mass market games." Here are my picks for the best mass market games published in 2005.

Every year, some fun, creative or otherwise interesting small games and game-related products are published -- and they're just the right size and price to slip into someone's stocking at the holidays. Here are my picks for the best stocking stuffers for game players in 2005.

In 2004, the quality of games published was quite remarkable. Here are my picks for the top 10 board games and card games published in 2004. Some are a bit more difficult to track down than others, but it's worth the hunt.

The top 10 board games and card games published in 2004 by major companies and easy to find as mass market retailers like Toys R Us and Wal-Mart.

These are my picks for the best small games of 2004 -- games which are inexpensive and can fit into a Christmas stocking but are still fantastic games.

I believe that 2003 was a solid year for gamers and gaming families. The 10 games on this list are my picks for the best games of the year, but they could easily be replaced by 10 different games on someone else's list.

2003 was a good year for mass market games, which I'm defining as those available in retailers like Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target. These aren't always the "best of the best" -- but these are the games that the majority of people (Americans, at least) choose from when buying for their family and friends.

Puerto Rico? Star Wars Epic Duels? Read on to find out which game tops the list, and which nine others fill out the top 10. These are my picks for the best board and games published in 2002.

What do you think were the best board games published in 2010?

Readers share their thoughts on the best card games of 2010.

Readers share their thoughts on the best easy-to-find board games and card games of 2010.