Greatest board games

Requested by a visitor · October 24, 2026

We asked 11 models: The greatest board games of all time. Each named its own top 10.

Agreement between models: 51%
Same model, run twice: 70%
Different picks: 30

When agreement between models is well below a model's agreement with itself, the split reflects real differences in taste rather than randomness.

The consensus

Each cell is the position that model gave the pick; blank means it left the pick off. Click a row for each model's reasoning.

#	Pick	Listed by	Claude Opus 5.5	GPT-6.1 Sol	Gemini 4 Argon	Qwen 3.8 Max	DeepSeek V4 Pro	GLM-5.3	Muse Wonder	Kimi K3	MiniMax M3	Mistral Large 4	Nemotron 3 Ultra
1	Chess	10/11	1	1	1	1	2	1	4	1		1	1
Claude Opus 5.5 (#1) Unmatched strategic depth, centuries of global play and study. GPT-6.1 Sol (#1) The definitive tactical duel, combining rich strategy with centuries of competitive refinement. Gemini 4 Argon (#1) The definitive abstract tactical battle and a global cultural touchstone of intellect. Qwen 3.8 Max (#1) Unmatched depth, universality, and cultural endurance across millennia. GLM-5.3 (#1) Perfect elegance, infinite depth, centuries of enduring mastery. Kimi K3 (#1) Centuries of study, perfect information, unmatched cultural footprint; still reveals new depths. Mistral Large 4 (#1) Unmatched depth, universal language, endless replayability across millennia. Nemotron 3 Ultra (#1) Timeless depth, pure strategy, infinite replayability DeepSeek V4 Pro (#2) The definitive test of pure intellect, studied for centuries yet never exhausted. Muse Wonder (#4) Perfect information, infinite depth, centuries of enduring strategic brilliance.
2	Go	10/11	2	2	2	2	1	2	5	2		2	2
DeepSeek V4 Pro (#1) Timeless elegance, infinite depth from the simplest rules, unmatched strategic richness. Claude Opus 5.5 (#2) Simple rules, staggering complexity; ancient and endlessly deep. GPT-6.1 Sol (#2) Simple rules create unmatched strategic depth, elegance, and enduring beauty. Gemini 4 Argon (#2) Simple rules generate unfathomable strategic depth that has captivated minds for millennia. Qwen 3.8 Max (#2) Elegantly simple rules generating nearly infinite strategic complexity. GLM-5.3 (#2) Simplest rules, deepest strategy; the ultimate pure skill game. Kimi K3 (#2) Simplest rules producing the deepest strategy; an elegance no designer has matched. Mistral Large 4 (#2) Simple rules, profound strategy, the purest abstract duel ever designed. Nemotron 3 Ultra (#2) Elegant rules, profound complexity, ultimate abstraction Muse Wonder (#5) Elegant rules create unmatched depth, intuition, and territorial beauty.
3	Twilight Struggle	10/11	5	5	4	4	8	5	7	3		3	10
Kimi K3 (#3) The tensest two-player duel ever designed; every card decision feels historic. Mistral Large 4 (#3) Perfect Cold War tension, every decision matters, historically gripping. Gemini 4 Argon (#4) A masterclass in card-driven tension that perfectly simulates Cold War geopolitical paranoia. Qwen 3.8 Max (#4) Peak two-player design; tense, thematic Cold War card-driven masterpiece. Claude Opus 5.5 (#5) Brilliant card-driven Cold War tension, long top-rated. GPT-6.1 Sol (#5) Captures geopolitical brinkmanship through brilliantly tense card play and constant strategic tradeoffs. GLM-5.3 (#5) Cold War tension distilled into brilliant asymmetric cardplay. Muse Wonder (#7) Tense Cold War duel; history, bluffing, and hand management perfectly fused. Nemotron 3 Ultra (#10) Historical immersion, card-driven, Cold War epic
4	Brass: Birmingham	8/11		4		5	5	6	1	4	3	9
Muse Wonder (#1) Masterful economic network-building with tight interaction and rewarding planning. MiniMax M3 (#3) Superb economic decisions and interconnected networks create fierce competition. GPT-6.1 Sol (#4) Interlocking economic systems deliver extraordinary strategic tension and rewarding long-term planning. Kimi K3 (#4) The peak of economic Euros; tight, interactive, and endlessly replayable. Qwen 3.8 Max (#5) Superb economic interplay and elegant network-building design. GLM-5.3 (#6) Elegant economic network-building with constant meaningful choices. Mistral Large 4 (#9) Incredible economic engine-building, tight decisions, masterpiece of design.
5	Catan	8/11	3	7	3		6	7		5		5	8
Claude Opus 5.5 (#3) Launched the modern board game renaissance worldwide. Gemini 4 Argon (#3) The revolutionary design that sparked the modern board game renaissance through accessible trading. Kimi K3 (#5) Flawed luck, but it rebuilt the hobby; trading still creates magic. Mistral Large 4 (#5) Gateway phenomenon that introduced millions to modern board gaming. DeepSeek V4 Pro (#6) Opened the modern board game renaissance with perfect trading and building. GPT-6.1 Sol (#7) Trading, expansion, and resource scarcity produce wonderfully social competition with tremendous historical influence. GLM-5.3 (#7) Gateway classic that brought modern board gaming to the masses. Nemotron 3 Ultra (#8) Accessible depth, trading, resource management
6	Gloomhaven	7/11	8		5	3		8	9		1	8
MiniMax M3 (#1) Deep tactical combat, persistent choices, and exceptional campaign storytelling. Qwen 3.8 Max (#3) Revolutionary legacy campaign system with deep tactical combat. Gemini 4 Argon (#5) An unprecedented cooperative achievement combining tactical card combat with an expansive legacy campaign. Claude Opus 5.5 (#8) Ambitious campaign design redefining what board games can be. GLM-5.3 (#8) Sprawling tactical campaign with deep, satisfying combat. Mistral Large 4 (#8) Revolutionary campaign legacy system, tactical combat, unforgettable journey. Muse Wonder (#9) Massive tactical campaign with clever hand management and persistent progression.
7	Pandemic Legacy	4/11		3			9	3	3
GPT-6.1 Sol (#3) Transforms cooperative problem-solving into an unforgettable campaign of consequential decisions and escalating surprises. GLM-5.3 (#3) Pioneered the legacy format; gripping cooperative campaign. Muse Wonder (#3) Revolutionary evolving campaign delivering surprise, stakes, and unforgettable cooperative storytelling.
8	Pandemic	5/11	6		6		4			6		7
DeepSeek V4 Pro (#4) Cooperative tension perfected; every decision matters and defeat feels earned. Claude Opus 5.5 (#6) Defined cooperative gaming for a generation. Gemini 4 Argon (#6) Perfected the cooperative genre with relentless pacing and a brilliantly escalating crisis deck. Kimi K3 (#6) Defined cooperative gaming; still the most tense race against collapse. Mistral Large 4 (#7) Cooperative brilliance that made saving the world together irresistible.
9	Terraforming Mars	6/11			9	9			10	9	5		6
MiniMax M3 (#5) Iconic engine-building combines cooperative planetary goals with fierce competition. Nemotron 3 Ultra (#6) Engine building, thematic richness, strategic arcs Qwen 3.8 Max (#9) Rich engine-building with strong theme and lasting appeal. Kimi K3 (#9) Engine-building at its most thematic and satisfying; no two games alike. Muse Wonder (#10) Immenses card-driven engine building makes every Mars feel distinct.
10	Spirit Island	3/11		6		8			2
Muse Wonder (#2) Deeply asymmetric cooperative powers create endlessly satisfying puzzle combat. GPT-6.1 Sol (#6) Deeply asymmetric cooperative strategy with exceptional replayability and a compelling reversal of colonial narratives. Qwen 3.8 Max (#8) Brilliant asymmetric cooperative design that subverts colonial conventions.
11	Terra Mystica	3/11			8			4			4
GLM-5.3 (#4) Tight Euro engine-building with unmatched strategic depth. Gemini 4 Argon (#8) Pure deterministic strategy offering incredible asymmetric replayability without a shred of luck.
12	Bridge	2/11										4	3
Nemotron 3 Ultra (#3) Perfect partnership, bidding depth, lifetime mastery
13	Backgammon	3/11	4			7							7
Claude Opus 5.5 (#4) Ancient classic blending luck and skill masterfully. Qwen 3.8 Max (#7) Ancient race-and-luck classic with enduring strategic depth.
14	Carcassonne	5/11	10	10	7					7		6
Mistral Large 4 (#6) Elegant tile-laying gateway that scales beautifully with any player count. Kimi K3 (#7) Perfect tile-laying; five minutes to learn, a lifetime of cutthroat meeples. Claude Opus 5.5 (#10) Elegant tile-laying that shaped modern Eurogames. GPT-6.1 Sol (#10) Accessible tile placement generates delightful spatial puzzles, sharp competition, and remarkable replayability.
15	Twilight Imperium	2/11							6		2
MiniMax M3 (#2) Grand strategy and negotiation deliver unforgettable player-driven stories.

15 lower-scoring picks are not shown; every ballot below lists them in full.

Most divisive

Picks most models listed, at very different positions

Brass: Birmingham#1 for Muse Wonder #9 for Mistral Large 4
Gloomhaven#1 for MiniMax M3 #9 for Muse Wonder
Twilight Struggle#3 for Kimi K3 #10 for Nemotron 3 Ultra

Hot takes

Picks that appear on only one ballot

Poker at #4, only Nemotron 3 Ultra
Concordia at #6, only MiniMax M3
Arcs at #7, only MiniMax M3
Magic: The Gathering at #9, only Nemotron 3 Ultra
The Castles of Burgundy at #10, only Gemini 4 Argon
Scythe at #10, only GLM-5.3
Root at #10, only MiniMax M3

Every ballot

Hover a pick to find it on the other ballots. Marked picks appear on no other ballot.

Claude Opus 5.5

Chess
Go
Catan
Backgammon
Twilight Struggle
Pandemic
Ticket to Ride
Gloomhaven
Scrabble
Carcassonne

75% with consensus · 96% self-consistent

GPT-6.1 Sol

Chess
Go
Pandemic Legacy
Brass: Birmingham
Twilight Struggle
Spirit Island
Catan
Agricola
Puerto Rico
Carcassonne

81% with consensus · 79% self-consistent

Gemini 4 Argon

Chess
Go
Catan
Twilight Struggle
Gloomhaven
Pandemic
Carcassonne
Terra Mystica
Terraforming Mars
The Castles of Burgundy

82% with consensus · 69% self-consistent

Qwen 3.8 Max

Chess
Go
Gloomhaven
Twilight Struggle
Brass: Birmingham
Agricola
Backgammon
Spirit Island
Terraforming Mars
Puerto Rico

81% with consensus · 79% self-consistent

DeepSeek V4 Pro

Go
Chess
Diplomacy
Pandemic
Brass: Birmingham
Catan
Scrabble
Twilight Struggle
Pandemic Legacy
Ticket to Ride

59% with consensus · 57% self-consistent

GLM-5.3

Chess
Go
Pandemic Legacy
Terra Mystica
Twilight Struggle
Brass: Birmingham
Catan
Gloomhaven
Dominion
Scythe

78% with consensus · 88% self-consistent

Muse Wonder

Brass: Birmingham
Spirit Island
Pandemic Legacy
Chess
Go
Twilight Imperium
Twilight Struggle
Ark Nova
Gloomhaven
Terraforming Mars

36% with consensus · 28% self-consistent

Kimi K3

Chess
Go
Twilight Struggle
Brass: Birmingham
Catan
Pandemic
Carcassonne
Through the Ages
Terraforming Mars
Dominion

91% with consensus · 80% self-consistent

MiniMax M3

Gloomhaven
Twilight Imperium
Brass: Birmingham
Terra Mystica
Terraforming Mars
Concordia
Arcs
Through the Ages
Ark Nova
Root

16% with consensus · 38% self-consistent

Mistral Large 4

Chess
Go
Twilight Struggle
Bridge
Catan
Carcassonne
Pandemic
Gloomhaven
Brass: Birmingham
Ticket to Ride

84% with consensus · 70% self-consistent

Nemotron 3 Ultra

Chess
Go
Bridge
Poker
Diplomacy
Terraforming Mars
Backgammon
Catan
Magic: The Gathering
Twilight Struggle

61% with consensus · 90% self-consistent

Who agrees with whom

Overlap between two models' lists, weighted toward the top · 100 means identical

	Claude Opus 5.5	GPT-6.1 Sol	Gemini 4 Argon	Qwen 3.8 Max	DeepSeek V4 Pro	GLM-5.3	Muse Wonder	Kimi K3	MiniMax M3	Mistral Large 4	Nemotron 3 Ultra
Claude Opus 5.5		68	86	70	56	70	21	76	2	78	63
GPT-6.1 Sol	68		68	76	56	86	49	78	10	69	60
Gemini 4 Argon	86	68		75	54	72	22	83	11	83	61
Qwen 3.8 Max	70	76	75		51	71	31	75	22	70	62
DeepSeek V4 Pro	56	56	54	51		54	27	61	7	54	51
GLM-5.3	70	86	72	71	54		40	73	17	71	60
Muse Wonder	21	49	22	31	27	40		30	22	23	18
Kimi K3	76	78	83	75	61	73	30		13	86	61
MiniMax M3	2	10	11	22	7	17	22	13		4	5
Mistral Large 4	78	69	83	70	54	71	23	86	4		70
Nemotron 3 Ultra	63	60	61	62	51	60	18	61	5	70