Best Board Games to Play Online
Board games have a special staying power, and you do not need to dig out a dusty box to enjoy them. Every game below brings a tabletop classic to your browser with a capable computer opponent, and several let two players share one screen. Here are the best ones to play online right now.
Chess
The king of board games, fully realised. This version handles every rule, from castling and en passant to stalemate and threefold repetition, across three AI levels. Hints, undo and mid-game saves make it as accessible or as demanding as you like.
Checkers
Classic 8x8 draughts with mandatory captures, multi-jump chains and king promotion. Play against the AI or challenge a friend on the same device. Deceptively deep once you start planning your jump sequences.
Backgammon
Race all fifteen of your checkers home and bear them off before the computer does. The full rules are here, including hitting blots and re-entering from the bar, but there is no doubling cube so games stay quick and friendly.
Reversi
Also known as Othello, this is a battle of flips. Outflank your opponent's discs to turn them your colour, and whoever holds the majority when the board fills wins. Easy to grasp, tough to master, with big momentum swings.
Gomoku
Five-in-a-row on a large grid against a thoughtful AI. Line up five of your stones in any direction before the computer does. The wide-open board makes for tense, tactical duels.
Four in a Row
Drop discs into columns and connect four of your colour before your opponent. It is the perfect pick-up-and-play strategy game, quick enough for a single round yet always tempting a rematch.
Hex
A modern classic where you connect opposite sides of the board with your colour before the AI links its own. Hex can never end in a draw, and features like the swap rule and three board sizes add real depth.
Dots & Boxes
The pencil-and-paper favourite. Draw lines to complete boxes, claim them, and take another turn. Whoever owns the most boxes when the grid is full wins. Play locally against a friend or against the computer.
Whether you want a slow strategic think or a fast tactical scrap, these classics deliver. Find even more to play in the [full game list](/, or explore our other articles for more recommendations.