If you're introducing someone to board games for the very first time, AZUL is almost impossible to get wrong. You take colourful tiles from the centre of the table and arrange them on your board to decorate a palace wall. That's it. The rules take five minutes, the tiles feel wonderful in your hand, and within one game you'll start spotting clever moves — like leaving your opponent with tiles they can't use.

Why it made the list: It looks beautiful, teaches in minutes, and works just as well for couples as it does for families.

Splendor is the ideal first "proper" strategy game. On your turn, you do just one thing: take gems, reserve a card or buy a card. Each card you buy makes future purchases cheaper, so you get the thrill of watching your gem empire grow. Games take about 30 minutes, and there's almost no luck — which means you'll improve every time you play.

Why it made the list: It's the purest "easy to learn, hard to master" game there is — and our how to play Splendor guide has you playing in minutes.

Dixit is perfect for friends who like to talk, joke and get creative. Everyone holds cards with dreamy, surreal illustrations. One player describes one of their cards with a word, a phrase or even a song lyric, and everyone else plays a card that fits the clue. Then the whole table votes on which card was the storyteller's. There's no reading, no maths and no wrong way to give a clue.

Why it made the list: It's the game non-gamers ask to play again — and a Spiel des Jahres winner.

CATAN is the game that made modern board games famous, and it's still the one most people remember as their "gateway". You collect resources, build roads and settlements, and trade with everyone else at the table to get what you need. It has a few more rules than the games above, but after one playthrough it clicks — and then you'll want to play it every weekend.

Why it made the list: It's the most social strategy game ever made. Read our beginner's guide to CATAN before your first game.

In Carcassonne, you draw a tile, place it next to the others, and slowly build a medieval landscape of cities, roads and fields. You can drop one of your little wooden meeples on a feature to claim it for points. Every game creates a completely different map, and kids as young as seven can play alongside adults.

Why it made the list: It's calm, visual and endlessly replayable — a brilliant family board game.

Codenames Images splits your group into two teams. A "spymaster" on each side gives one-word clues to help teammates find their team's pictures in a grid — while avoiding the other team's cards and the dreaded assassin. It's quick, competitive and gets everyone shouting guesses across the room.

Why it made the list: It turns a big group into two teams in seconds, and the picture version works across any language.

That's Not a Hat is the fastest way to get a room laughing. You pass "gift" cards face down around the table, saying what each one is. The receiver can accept it — or shout "That's not a hat!" and flip it over. Nobody can remember everything for long, so it quickly becomes a hilarious bluffing game.

Why it made the list: You can explain it in one sentence, and it plays up to 8 people in 15 minutes.

Flip 7 is a simple card game with a big "one more card" temptation. Flip cards one by one to add up points — but flip a number you already have and you bust. Bank your points or push your luck for the bonus of flipping seven different numbers. It's quick, tense and extremely addictive.

Why it made the list: It's the perfect warm-up game for any game night, and it's under ₹1,000.

Jaipur is a fast two-player trading game set in a Rajasthani market. Take cards from the market or sell sets of goods like diamonds, spices and cloth for tokens — the earlier you sell, the better the price. Every turn is a small, satisfying decision, and a full match takes about half an hour.

Why it made the list: It's easy, quick and full of tension — ideal for couples and roommates.

Once you've played a few of the games above, Wingspan is the perfect step up. You attract real bird species to your wildlife preserves, and each bird makes your actions stronger — so by the end, every turn sets off a chain of rewards. It has more going on than Splendor or AZUL, but it's relaxing, gorgeous and wildly rewarding.

Why it made the list: It's one of the most-loved board games in the world, and the natural "second game" once you're hooked.