Games By Decade: Best Board, Card And Video Games By Era

A guide to the games of each decade, from Mah Jong and whist drives to Wordle and Baldur's Gate.

Pick an era below for its board games, its card games, its video and arcade games, and how people played them at home.

Every date is real. Where a game reached Britain later than America, both years are given.

Pick a decade

• 1920s - Mah Jong mania, the birth of contract bridge, and a board game in every parlour. Guide: /blogs/news/1920s-games
• 1930s - Monopoly arrives, Scrabble is invented, and pinball gets its first coin slot. Guide: /blogs/news/1930s-games
• 1940s - Cluedo invented in an air-raid blackout, Subbuteo on the carpet, cards in the NAAFI. Guide: /blogs/news/1940s-games
• 1950s - Scrabble reaches Britain, Risk redraws the map, and a computer plays noughts and crosses. Guide: /blogs/news/1950s-games
• 1960s - Plastic action games, Twister on the floor, and Spacewar! running on a lab computer. Guide: /blogs/news/1960s-games
• 1970s - Mastermind and Connect 4 at home, Uno and Top Trumps in the pocket, Space Invaders in the arcade. Guide: /blogs/news/1970s-games
• 1980s - Trivial Pursuit on the table, a Spectrum on the kitchen TV, and Pac-Man everywhere. Guide: /blogs/news/1980s-games
• 1990s - Magic and Pokemon cards, Articulate! and Catan on the table, and the PlayStation under the telly. Guide: /blogs/news/1990s-games
• 2000s - Euro games reach the UK, the poker boom hits television, and the Wii gets everyone off the sofa. Guide: /blogs/news/2000s-games
• 2010s - Codenames and Cards Against Humanity at parties, Minecraft and Fortnite everywhere else. Guide: /blogs/news/2010s-games
• 2020s - Lockdown put the board back on the table, and Wordle got the whole country doing the same puzzle. Guide: /blogs/news/2020s-games

How games changed

• 1920s-1930s: parlour games and bridge, then Monopoly (UK 1936) makes the boxed board game a household object.
• 1940s-1950s: Cluedo (1949), Subbuteo (1947) and Scrabble in Britain from 1954.
• 1960s-1970s: plastic action games, then Pong (1972) and Space Invaders (1978) move play onto a screen.
• 1980s-1990s: Trivial Pursuit and the Spectrum, then Magic (1993), the PlayStation (UK 1995) and Catan (1995).
• 2000s-2020s: euro games and the Wii, then phones, Minecraft, lockdown board games and Wordle.

Play something now

• Decade quiz - ten questions on any era, with the answer explained. /tools/decade-quiz
• Decade trivia game - timed, with points, streaks and a saved best score. /tools/decade-trivia-game
• Board game guides - how to play, what to buy and what suits which group. /pages/board-games

Shop greetings cards

How to write it so it lands

• Pair a decade's games guide with its music guide and you have a themed party without doing any more work.
• For a reminiscence group, start with the card games - almost everyone played the same handful.
• A game's invention date and its British release date are often years apart. Check both before setting a quiz question.

Where to shop next

• 1920s games: board, card and video
• 1930s games: board, card and video
• 1940s games: board, card and video
• 1950s games: board, card and video
• 1960s games: board, card and video
• 1970s games: board, card and video
• 1980s games: board, card and video
• 1990s games: board, card and video
• 2000s games: board, card and video
• 2010s games: board, card and video
• 2020s games: board, card and video
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Board game guides: what to play and how
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade quiz: test your memory
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Milestone birthday cards
• All decade guides in one place
• Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
• Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
• Decade history by era
• Decade calendars: every year from 1920
• Decade music: songs, genres and trends
• Decade films: best movies and directors
• Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends
• Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
• Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays
• Decade technology: gadgets and computers
• Decade shopping guides
• Decade games: board, card and video games by era
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
• Shop art prints and posters
• Shop greetings cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Shop funny cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Good luck cards
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What decades are covered?

Every decade from the 1920s to the present, each with its board games, card games, video and arcade games, and how people played.

Are the release years accurate?

Yes. Dates are real, and where a game came out in Britain later than elsewhere - Monopoly in 1936, Scrabble in 1954, the PlayStation in 1995 - both are given.

Do you sell board games or video games?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. These guides are free to read and copy for quizzes, parties and reminiscence sessions.

What is a good example of decade games guides?

"1920s-1930s: parlour games and bridge, then Monopoly (UK 1936) makes the boxed board game a household object." is one of 19 examples on this page. Pick the one closest to the tone you want, then add a specific detail of your own - a shared memory, a date, a name - so it reads as yours rather than copied.