While Munchkin is truly a one of a kind game, there are some other options that you might enjoy. Below you’ll find 14 board games like Munchkin with elements of teamwork, betrayal and humor.
1. Smash Up
- Players have 8 factions to choose from and to combine in countless ways
- Players draft 2 factions and combine them into a force to be reckoned with
- Players make 2 decks, taking turns drafting
- Players use their decks to score on base cards that are placed on the table
- With modular expansions to add new strategies and factions, you won’t get bored
- Expansions can be used to increase the 2 to 4 player count, which makes this a good game for larger groups
- Lighthearted game that doesn’t have a lot of strategy and tends to be less stressful than other types of games
2. Cosmic Encounter
- Very fast and easy for new players to learn
- Requires strategy, skill, and negotiation for players to be able to win
- Players try to take control of the universe
- Has 100 plastic ships as well as 50 alien races
- Great for 3 to 5 players, and offers 1 to 2 hours of play time
- With tech cards, players must research new ships and build new technology in order to win
- No 2 games will ever be the same, thanks to the number of cards, number of alien powers, and how customizable the game is
- Features expansions if you want more gameplay
- There are many opportunities for diplomacy, bluffing and backstabbing other players
3. Rune Age
- Deck building game that is set in a beautiful fantasy world
- Thanks to the scenario-based design, players are able to adjust how much interaction they have
- Players can even choose to play cooperatively, if desired
- Has more than 250 cards, a custom 6-sided die, and 38 tokens
- Players are in control of 1 of 4 races trying to become the dominant race
- There are 4 different scenarios included in the game with different objectives
- Thanks to the ability to adapt the game to different playing styles, it’s great for groups or for individuals who tend to get bored playing the same game over and over
4. Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre
- Perfect for 2 to 6 players and features rules that are easy to learn
- Cards have more than 100 unique and funny illustrations
- The spell-combining mechanism allows for endless variation when playing this game
- Players have to combine cards in order to create the most powerful spells and then attack their opponents
- By creating larger and more powerful spells, they will be able to try to demolish their opponents
- Use arcane artifacts to make modifications to the spells
- Offers endless replay value because the cards can be combined in numerous and endless ways
- Features 20 spell source cards, 40 spell delivery cards, 40 spell quality cards, 25 treasure cards, 25 dead wizard cards, 8 wild magic cards, 8 hero cards, and more components
5. Cutthroat Caverns
- Dice-less game that only relies on the cards to be played
- Has an immersive feel of an RPG, although it is a much easier to understand and to play card game
- Has cooperative gameplay as well as back-stabbing, which is fun for players of all ages
- Features 25 different encounters, all with unique group and individual strategies to create very different game play
- Requires strategic thinking and planning ahead in order to have the best chance of survival and winning
- Players have to know when to strike and when to wait for a better opportunity, which gives this game a lot of excitement and suspense
6. Drinking Quest: Journey into Draught
- Only suitable for adults to play, as it is a drinking game
- Features all of the fun and the staples of classic fantasy RPG games, but has much higher stakes
- Players have to finish their real drink if their character dies and they want to bring them back to life
- Thanks to the “one drink per quest” limit, this game isn’t dangerous to pay
- The high-quality cloth map and collectible coin token improve the appearance of this game
- Designed to be played by up to 4 players, but a 5th can play as the monsters, if desired
- Short game play prevents people from getting bored
7. Give Me the Brain!
- Funny card game that will keep people laughing and keep the mood light
- Fun illustrations will keep everyone interested in the game
- Players are zombies who work at a fast food restaurant and want to finish their work to leave
- With only one brain to pass around, players have to take control of it before they are able to empty their hand to win
- The playing cards have been designed to be very high-quality so that they won’t tear or bend during play
- Players need to understand resource management and be able to decide what jobs to fulfill first to empty their hands
8. Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot
- Strategic gameplay is fun for players 13+
- Includes 36 small cards, 165 large cards, 6 12-sided die
- Plays right out the box without players needing to bring expansions, although there are ones available to improve gameplay
- Great game for large groups, especially with expansion packs
- Players have to keep their bunnies alive while killing their opponent’s bunnies
- By using many different strategies, such as weapons and forcing opponents to Feed the Bunny, players will be able to destroy their opponent’s bunnies
- When all carrots are gone from the market, then the game is over, and the player who holds the Magic Carrot is the winner
9. The Order of the Stick Adventure Game
- Great for fans of the popular webcomic, The Order of the Stick
- Features a new expansion deck
- New cards and rules allow for fast gameplay when players want to enjoy a game but don’t have a lot of spare time
- Players compete to try to fulfill their backstories
- All players have to learn new skills, find and gather loot, and work hard to try to win the game the fastest
- Players can make alliances with each other and then decide to betray them at a later time if it best suits their needs
- Takes up a lot of space, so it’s important to pick the gaming surface correctly
10. Spank the Monkey
- This fast-paced card game requires players to be sneaky in order to win
- All players work in a junkyard and have to climb piles of junk in order to reach a monkey and spank it
- Junk cards are played on top of each other to create a “board” for each player
- Using reinforcement cards to strengthen the junk pile is the best way to ensure that you can climb up it in order to reach the monkey
- During the game players must try to attack their opponent’s junk piles to try to make them fall down
- The tallest junk towers will give players the advantage and ability to finally reach and spank the monkey
11. Citadels
- Offers great replay value, is easy to learn, and can be adjusted so that players of all abilities and play styles can enjoy the game
- Has 12 new districts and 9 new characters
- Players try to construct a majestic metropolis to be selected as the Master Builder
- By using local citizens to get money and build districts, players work to not only improve their own cities, but also hinder the efforts of their opponents
- Players have to try to predict what their opponents will do so that they can come up with a strategy that will prevent them from reaching their goals
- Great for 2 to 8 players
12. Gyrating Hamsters
- Players try to hoard hamsters, fight all of their opponents, and avoid chaos
- First player who has 16 total hamsters or who can hoard 9 from the same clan is the winner
- With the option of winner-take-all-battles, it’s easy for a single player to get ahead, if they are brave enough for a duel or war
- While it is easy to start hoarding hamsters, other players will quickly attack, which means that everyone has an equal chance of winning this game
- With a draw and play model, this game is easy for new players to understand
- Features both strategy and luck
13. Unstable Unicorns
- Strategic card game that relies on building an army of unicorns and betraying your friends to win
- The first player who can build an army of 7 unicorns is the winner
- Draw and turn based play is easy for most players to understand and keeps the game running smoothly
- While it is tempting to get ahead, this will put you as a target for the other players to attack
- Offers multiple expansions to add new cards and make this game work for larger groups of people
- Very unpredictable game prevents people from getting bored when they play
- While gameplay can look complicated, the rules are very easy to understand
14. Sixteen Samurai
- Players use dice and cards to face each other on the battlefield
- After assembling 16 Samurai into a clan, players batter the other clans on the table
- All Samurai have 4 abilities that vary to make them different (power, armor, speed, and karma)
- Special cards are added to play to make the game more challenging
- Fast game doesn’t take a long time to play, making it great for when you don’t have much time
- Each victory is due to the characteristics a player chose in their Samurai, as well as chance
- Due to the easy rules and the fast play, this game is great for beginners