Level Up! Board Game Recommendations

In honor of our 2025 Adult Summer Reading theme, Level Up!, we’re going to highlight some of the great games from WPL’s board game collection!

Collaborative Games

Pandemic (45-60 minutes)

Originally released in 2008, Pandemic is a collaborative game focused on curing several virulent diseases that have broken out over the world. Players must work together to research cures before things get out of control. It’s popularity launched a number of spin-off games including Pandemic: Iberia and Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu.

Pandemic: Iberia (45-60 minutes)

A Pandemic spin-off set in 1848, players take on the roles of nurse, railwayman, rural doctor, sailor, and more to find the cures to malaria, typhus, the yellow fever, and cholera.

Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu (45-60 minutes)

Ramping up the tension of other Pandemic spin-offs, Reign of Cthulhu has players working together to defeat twelve eldritch horrors instead of four virulent plagues. Players must work together to seal portals in the fictional towns of Arkham, Innsmouth, Dunwich, and Kingsport.

Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective (60-120 minutes)

These collaborative games provide different cases for players to work through and solve. The game provides suspect interviews, newspaper clippings, maps, and more. Thoroughly researched to provide an authentic Holmes experience, the game will test the wits of all its players.

2 Player Games

Sky Team (15-30 minutes)

Collaborative and designed exclusively for two players, Sky Team challenges its players to silently act as pilot and co-pilot to successfully land their plane at airports around the world. Using only dice to control the speed and axis of the plane, extend landing gear, contact control and ensure a safe and smooth landing, players must silently work together to avoid a crash landing.

Rivals for Catan (45-60 minutes)

A card based spin-off of the popular board game Settlers of Catan, players will duel as princes of Catan to build and expand settlements. Gather resources, build roads, expand cities and conquer the enemy player to rule Catan.

General Games

MLEM: Space Agency (30-60 minutes)

It is the year 2075 and cats, having successfully taken over the world, are now aiming for cosmic dominance. Players will compete to send their intrepid feline exploration teams into space. Roll the dice, push your luck, and see who’s kitty explorers will find fame and admiration in space.

Dune (120-180 minutes)

Compete as one of six great factions to take control of Arrakis through alliance, treachery, and strategy. Play as a noble family, guild, or religious order to negotiate, bluff, and fight the way to total control over the most valuable resource in the universe, melange.

Sagrada (30-45 minutes)

Compete against other players to create the most beautiful stained glass window. Draft colorful dice and use tools-of-the-trade to create different patterns and designs.

Arboretum (30-45 minutes)

Collect gorgeous tree cards to design the best arboretum by creating beautiful garden paths. Focus just on creating paths, or up the competition by strategically selecting trees to keep them from other players.