Pair of dice stacked on top of each other on blurred grass surface, outlined by light green halo effect on red and green-dotted background.

Our top 5 vintage board games

Roll up and roll the dice…These amazing antique board games will transport you to a different world! Check out our favourites below.

1. The Mansion of Happiness (1800)

Black and white Georgian era board game

Picture a magical game where you embark on an epic journey to collect virtues like bravery, honesty and kindness while dodging tricky vices. Would you be the first to reach the incredible Mansion of Happiness and claim victory? It’s a race like no other!

2. Pachisi (1855)

A red fabric board game

In this game, you’ll be travelling back to a place called Sindh in ancient India, which is in modern day Pakistan. Pachisi (which is also sometimes called 25) is very similar to Ludo, but much harder! Roll the dice, move your pieces and try your best to outsmart your opponents as you rush towards the finish line. It’s an intense race filled with suspense and excitement.

3. Kismet (1895)

A blue, white and red board game with snakes and ladders

You might recognise this game as Snakes and Ladders, but it’s also known as Kismet – which is the Arabic word for destiny. The illustrations on the board show a variety of moral lessons; the snakes represent the consequences of bad behaviours such as cruelty, disobedience and lying, while the ladders represent rewards for good behaviour, such as listening in school, kindness and happiness. How well do you think you’d do?

Just a quick random question – you don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.

Have you heard of the V&A Museum (or Young V&A)?

A photo of the V&A collection of a toy Jabba the Glob made by Hasbro for the Star Wars film The Phantom Menace. The toy is green and shows Jabba with a frog hanging out of his mouth next to a tub of Star Wars slime.

Yes and I love it! 16%

I already knew about it. 13%

Nope, it’s new to me! 36%

Not really sure what it is? 35%

Privacy notice– Warning: This page will open in a new tab

4. Wheeling (1900)

A game with a circular track

Ready to pedal your way to victory? Then hop on Wheeling from 1900, a thrilling board game inspired by the world of cycling. Move your piece around the track, gather points for winning races and conquer exciting challenges. Get ready for some high-speed fun!

5. The Cottage of Content or Right Road and Wrong Ways (1848)

A game with a map to a house

This might be the most cottagecore game in our collection… The Cottage of Content is a charming and funny game designed to teach you about the importance of having good morals. As you move across the board and complete tasks, you’ll either earn or lose points depending on the road you take. So who will be happiest in The Cottage of Content?