Gone are the days of the same old dusty board games being dragged out only for family gatherings. The tabletop gaming world is growing fast, and with it, the demand for original, playable, and beautifully designed games. And we are definitely here for it.
Over the past decade, tabletop games, particularly board games, have seen a major boom in both sales and popularity. Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter have helped the industry flourish into a $27 billion powerhouse, expected to nearly double by 2029. Design plays a huge role in how playable and immersive a game feels, so it’s no surprise that graphic designers are embracing the challenge by creating games that not only look great but play brilliantly too. With that, they’re carving out a slice of that success for themselves.
Photo above: CMYK Games
For us, that means that a steady stream of original, beautifully crafted games land on our shelves. Many of these new-era titles break away from the traditional board game aesthetic (forget Guess Who or the iconic Monopoly!). Some are bold, some stripped back, some heavily illustrative, but all of them feel like art in their own right. More and more are gaining traction, with social accounts like Games 4 Two helping bring them to the mainstream. But for us, a few stand out above the rest.
CMYK Games
One game publisher that really hits the aesthetic sweet spot is CMYK Games. Their hit title Wavelength, a social guessing game where two teams compete to read each other’s minds, has sold over a million copies worldwide. Its app version has been downloaded more than 4 million times. With its bold, minimal look and 1970s space-age vibe, it stands out clearly against the usual mass-market offerings.
CMYK’s wider library includes over 15 games, each combining style with substance. Personal favourites include Fruit Fight, a push-your-luck card game with dreamy, hazy fruit illustrations, and Wilmot’s Warehouse, a cooperative memory game defined by its bold, minimal vector shapes and characters (think Hey Duggee, for the parents among us).
Photos above: CMYK Games
Weast Coast Games
Weast Coast Games was born from the independent brand and design studio Young Jerks. Their original game, Snakes of Wrath, began as a handmade, in-house studio hobby, but soon evolved into the debut title for their sister games company, raising nearly a quarter of a million dollars through pre-sales on Kickstarter.
Gameplay is simple: two players battle to build, heal, stab and steal snakes, with only one emerging victorious.
Aesthetically, it feels right at home in the world of Agatha Christie or classic murder mysteries. Dark, tarot-style illustrations grace the packaging, adding a sense of looming strategy and sinister play just waiting to unfold.
Photo below: Weast Coast Games
A well-designed tabletop game with strong visuals makes the mechanics easier to understand, and more importantly, creates a more immersive experience for players.
Keymaster Games
Another standout in the design-led space is Keymaster Games. All their titles carry a distinctive visual identity, but one in particular stands out: Parks, a strategic, nature-themed board game.
It’s easily one of the best-looking games out there. Every element is wrapped in beautifully illustrated artwork that nods to the iconic National Park posters created by the American WPA (Works Progress Administration), as well as Olly Moss’s celebrated visuals for Firewatch. In this case, the artwork genuinely increases the immersive gameplay, helping players imagine themselves hiking through America’s national parks, soaking in each unique and scenic landscape along the way.
Photo above: Keymaster Games
Secret Hitler
This one’s a specific game rather than a publisher. Secret Hitler is a dramatic game of political intrigue and betrayal set in 1930s Germany. That might sound dry on paper, but gameplay is far more gripping than it first appears; think The Traitors, but with a government twist. It’s all about deduction and bluffing as players try to uncover the fascists among them and, more specifically, identify who at the table is secretly Hitler.
Visually, the game leans into bold, tongue-in-cheek illustrations. Every detail has been carefully considered, even the border design on the boards nods to period documents from the time. For a deeper look, there’s a great article on Medium by Mackenzie Schubert, one of the game’s designers, who walks through the creative process and visual choices behind it. It’s those subtle details and layered references that help the game feel so immersive.
Conclusion
Of course, visuals aren’t everything when it comes to board games. You can have the best-looking game in the world, but if the mechanics are clunky or the gameplay falls flat, it’ll end up gathering dust on a shelf. But get the design right, taking care with every element, and it can create an entire experience. The games above prove that you don’t have to choose between looks and playability. You can have both.
That mindset applies across all areas of design, and it’s what sets design apart from art. Art is subjective, while design serves a purpose. It’s there to guide actions, support decisions and shape experiences. Often, the most effective design feels almost invisible; it just works. And that’s the beauty of it. Whether we’re talking about websites, signage or the packaging of a board game, good design quietly brings it all together.
More details about the games mentioned.
CMYK Games – www.cmyk.games
(Games: Wavelength, Fruit Fight, Wilmot’s Warehouse)
Weast Coast Games – www.weastcoast.games
(Games: Snakes of Wrath)
Keymaster Games – www.keymaster.fun
(Games: Parks)
Secret Hitler – www.secrethitler.com
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