Board games

Play Board games for free online at Starbie

At Starbie, we have a large collection of free board games for one or more players. All of the games shown on this page are browser games. This means that each game can be opened in an internet browser window and played directly, no downloads required. We also have a page dedicated to board games with multiplayer options, allowing users to compete with other online players. Our overview of Board and Card Multiplayer games can be found here

What are board games

Board games are tabletop games designed for one or more players. Usually, a game will have a playing board with a unique design, as well as special pieces that players can move according to the markings on the playing surface. Board games can be competitive, with each player trying to defeat the others, or collaborative, where players form a team and must work together to complete the game. Some board games are best played with multiple people, such as Cluedo or Monopoly, which other games, such as Peggle are usually played as single-player games.

History of Board games

Throughout history, board games have travelled far and wide across the globe. Some of the earliest evidence of board games dates back to 3500 BC, found at Ancient Egyptian burial sites. Many of the games we are familiar with today are based on ancient games that emerged elsewhere and have evolved over time. For instance, Go originated in China, Chess in India, Backgammon in ancient Mesopotamia, and Patolli was played by the ancient Aztecs in Mesoamerica. Board games revolving around strategic thinking and army deployment have been used to train military strategy, but board games involving dice have also been frowned upon or even banned as gambling.

Board game rules

There are lots of different board games, and the rules vary per game. For some games, the rules are very straightforward, such as Snakes and Ladders and Ludo. However, there are also a number of highly strategic board games, where luck and the roll of the dice play no part. It often takes players a lot of time and practice to become truly proficient at games such as Checkers, Go and Chess. Fortunately, our games often come with optional tutorials, so that players unfamiliar with the rules can learn how to play. There is also often a rule overview, which players can access via the menu options. On our game and catalogue pages, we also briefly explain what each game is about.

Popular Board games

We’ve already mentioned some popular board games above, with links to our dedicated game pages. Players can also browse our collection to find lots of other popular board games such as Backgammon and Domino, or try the official online edition of Rummikub. Have fun playing!