Reflecting on the past year is a wonderful tradition that helps draw lessons for the future and spot current trends. That’s why Gallu the Rooster decided to compile a ranking of Ukrainian-language board games that enjoyed immense popularity throughout 2024.
Top Board Game Picks from Gallu Shop
This ranking features both brand-new Ukrainian localizations and timeless classics that stay trendy year after year, despite the constant influx of new releases and announcements. The list is based on the performance of the Gallu Shop online board game store. We analyzed which games sold best in 2024 and piqued the most interest among our customers.
Now, let’s dive into the Top 10 board games of 2024! We’ll start from the 10th spot. But keep in mind: this ranking is just our subjective take, and it’s up to you to decide which game truly shines and deserves the spotlight. We’ve simply gathered the board games that were undeniably hot this year.
Here we go!
Tenth Place
Kicking off our Top 10 is a popular semi-cooperative association game with detective elements—"Mysterium", designed and published in Ukraine by IGAMES.
One player takes on the role of a ghost, while the others become mediums. Legend has it that a former resident of this mansion was wrongfully executed for a murder he didn’t commit. His soul seeks peace, and the mediums must help uncover the true culprit. You have just seven days to unravel this tangled case using the ghost’s clues.
"Mysterium" boasts three expansions, which not only diversify gameplay but also introduce new mechanics. For convenience, all expansions are gathered in the "Mysterium Series" section.
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Ninth Place
Next up is an atmospheric and deep economic Eurogame with resource management, published by "Lord of Boards"—"Brass: Birmingham".
Set in Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution (1770–1870), you’ll find yourself in the West Midlands, building an industrial empire. Manage logistics, upgrade factories, sell goods, take loans, and conduct research.
Though the rules seem fairly straightforward, "Brass: Birmingham" is packed with strategic mechanics and nuances. A typical session lasts 2 to 3 hours, unfolding across two eras—canals and railways—each spanning 8–10 rounds.
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Eighth Place
This is an unrivaled family board game with card-engine-building mechanics and stunning components, published by "Ihromah"—"Wingspan".
Designed for 1–5 players, "Wingspan" spans four rounds where you attract and breed birds from various habitats into your personal preserve. Each new bird, with its active and passive abilities, creates an “engine” effect in its environment—forests, fields, or ponds—helping players earn victory points.
"Wingspan" offers numerous expansions and accessories, making the Wingspan series even richer and more engaging.
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🔹 Worth a special mention is a new release from December 2024—"Wyrmspan". Built on the core mechanics of "Wingspan" by Elizabeth Hargrave, it offers a more complex gameplay experience reimagined through a dragon-themed lens.
"Wyrmspan" didn’t make this ranking in time, but given its demand, it’s quite likely to appear in the Top 10 board games of 2025!
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Seventh Place
One of the best association games for groups, published by "Ihromah", and rightfully in the top 50 party games on "BoardGameGeek"—"Dixit".
Each turn, one player becomes the “storyteller,” tasked with crafting an association for a chosen card that some players will guess correctly while others won’t. If everyone or no one guesses the storyteller’s card, they score nothing!
"Dixit" has a wealth of expansions and variants, adding new illustrations and mechanics. All games in the series are fully compatible with each other, expanding the gameplay possibilities.
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Sixth Place
This game raised over $500,000 on Kickstarter in 2023 and became a hit among strategy board games in 2024! "Mycelia" from "Ihromah" is a strategic game with area control mechanics and dynamic sessions, where you’ll compete for space to build a mushroom kingdom.
Players vie for territory and resources, grow mushrooms, expand their mycelium, and even leverage mushroom layouts to their advantage. Each turn consists of just two actions, but smart planning is key to victory!
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Fifth Place
At fifth place is not just one game, but the entire "Between Us" series from Memo Games!
These are conversational psychological games for various groups—friends, families, colleagues, or even romantic couples. Each box contains 150 question cards split into 5 thematic categories. Players take turns asking and answering, uncovering fascinating stories and surprising insights about each other.
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Fourth Place
A humorous card game for groups, this is a parody of dungeon-crawling RPGs with character progression, races, and classes—"Munchkin".
"Munchkin" plunges you into the world of role-playing games without tedious rules or long texts. Just humor and fun! Don your Latex Armor, wield a Gentleman’s Cane, sip some Useful Slime, and charge forth to slay the Legless Pony and the Bullrog. But watch out—your friends are ready to throw a wrench in your plans with extra monsters, curses, or last-second buffs to your foes just when victory was in sight. Isn’t that a blast?
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Third Place
A legendary family board game from "Lord of Boards", perfect for literally everyone—"Ticket to Ride: Europe".
The gameplay of "Ticket to Ride: Europe" is simple and requires no lengthy rule-learning. Each player has secret route cards listing two cities they must connect with rail lines to earn victory points. That’s where the battle of wits, tactics, and psychology begins…
The "Ticket to Ride" series now includes a plethora of extra maps, expansions, and standalone games with this mechanic.
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Second Place
A charming Tetris-like strategy game about rescuing adorable cats, with stunning artwork and wooden figures, from "Geekach Games"—"The Isle of Cats".
Exploring the island, you’ll rescue cats and hunt for treasures. Cats and treasures come as tiles of various shapes, requiring careful placement on your ship. Keep families together, complete objectives, and leave room for new finds. The game’s minimal conflict makes it a family favorite—everyone arranges their rescued cats and treasures on their own ship board, rarely interfering with others.
"The Isle of Cats" also has expansions that diversify gameplay and add new “fuzzies.”
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First Place
Taking the triumphant top spot is 2024’s undisputed hit—"The Witcher: Old World". Thanks to "Geekach Games", we got to enjoy this bestseller in Ukrainian. Beyond the base game, Ukraine also received the "The Witcher: Old World - Deluxe Edition", which stands out with 28 breathtakingly detailed plastic bestiary figures and three expansions: "Monster Trail", "Skellige", and "Mages".
Players journey to an ancient era when monsters roamed the Continent, and the once-unified Witcher guild split into six rival schools. Witchers must prove their prowess with blade and blood, hunting beasts and competing against each other. Only one will etch their name into legend!
In "The Witcher: Old World," you become a witcher—a professional monster slayer. As terrifying creatures stalk the Continent, witcher schools train their pupils, honing unique skills and subjecting them to mutations deadly to ordinary folk—all to slay as many monsters as possible.
You’re one of them—a young witcher fresh from the Trial of the Grasses. Now on the open road, your choices alone will determine whether you leave a mark on the Continent’s history.
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Galu the Rooster hopes you enjoyed this 2024 board game ranking. Let us know in the comments if you agree with this Top 10, or share your own personal ranking—we’re sure it’ll be fascinating!
We also recommend checking out our Top 10 legendary board games.
