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Best legacy board games (2026): a legacy game changes permanently as you play. You put stickers on the board, write on cards, open sealed boxes and sometimes tear things up, so your copy becomes a record of your group's story. Most are campaigns of 10 to 24 sessions played with the same people. That makes them perfect for a regular game night, a couple looking for a long project, or a family that wants something to look forward to every week.
Best legacy game overall: Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Your team fights four diseases across a year of in-game months, and every decision carries over to the next session. Sealed boxes reveal surprises, characters gain scars and new abilities, and the story has real twists. It is the game that made legacy design famous.
Price band: $30+ (about $80) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Legacy board games at a glance
Plan for a regular group before you buy.
- Best overall: Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 — cooperative year-long campaign (about $80)
- Best for families: My City — 24 short episodes by Reiner Knizia (about $35)
- Best fantasy campaign: Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion — tutorial built into the campaign (about $60)
- Best competitive: Charterstone — build a village over 12 games (about $80)
Is a legacy game right for your group?
Legacy games ask for commitment. You will get the best experience with the same group each session, because new players miss the story so far and the changes you made. Before buying, think about how often you can meet. A campaign of 12 games played twice a month takes about half a year. If your group changes a lot, a family-weight legacy game with short episodes, or one that becomes a replayable game afterward, is the safer choice.
1. Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 — best cooperative campaign
Players: 2–4 (ages 13+) · Price band: $30+ (about $80) · Pick for: Best cooperative campaign · See Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 on Amazon
It starts like regular Pandemic, but each month brings new rules and objectives. Cities can fall into chaos, characters can be lost, and you will open sealed components at key moments. You get up to two tries at each month, so the campaign runs 12 to 24 sessions.
New to the base game? Our cooperative games for team building guide covers similar team games.
Skip it if: you dislike permanently marking up a game. That is the whole point here.
2. My City — best gentle legacy game for families
Players: 2–4 (ages 10+) · Price band: $30+ (about $35) · Pick for: Best gentle legacy game for families · See My City on Amazon
Each player builds a city on a personal board by placing building tiles, and the campaign runs across 24 episodes. Rules are simple, sessions are short, and when the campaign ends you can flip the board for a replayable version.
If your family loves it, the follow-up My Island offers another 24-episode campaign by the same designer.
Skip it if: you want a dramatic story. My City is more puzzle than plot.
3. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion — best fantasy campaign for new players
Players: 1–4 (ages 14+) · Price band: $30+ (about $60) · Pick for: Best fantasy campaign for new players · See Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion on Amazon
This standalone Gloomhaven game uses card-driven tactical combat with four new mercenaries. A five-scenario tutorial teaches the rules step by step, which makes it far easier to start than the original big box. It is fully cooperative.
It suits groups who love role-playing games and want a long adventure.
Skip it if: your group wants quick sessions. Each scenario takes a while.
4. Charterstone — best competitive village builder
Players: 1–6 · Price band: $30+ (about $80) · Pick for: Best competitive village builder · See Charterstone on Amazon
Each player develops a section of a shared village, unlocking new buildings and rules as the 12-game campaign goes on. By the end you have a one-of-a-kind board that you can keep playing. It is designed by Jamey Stegmaier, the creator of Wingspan's publisher, Stonemaier Games.
It works for families, solo gamers and game groups alike.
Skip it if: you want a cooperative campaign.
5. Risk Legacy — best for groups who love conflict
Players: 3–5 (ages 13+) · Price band: $30+ (about $56) · Pick for: Best for groups who love conflict · See Risk Legacy on Amazon
The classic world conquest game becomes a campaign where winners sign the board, cities get founded and destroyed, and sealed packets open as the story unfolds. The box includes over 275 military units, and each game takes about an hour.
It is ideal for a friend group that already argues happily over regular Risk.
Skip it if: anyone in your group dislikes direct attacks.
6. Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West — best legacy game for train fans
Players: 2–5 (ages 10+) · Price band: $30+ (about $103) · Pick for: Best legacy game for train fans · See Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West on Amazon
Build a railway company across North America over 12 games, unlocking frontier boxes with new rules and content. It was designed by Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock and Alan R. Moon, and after the campaign you keep a unique board to play again.
It is a big gift for families who already love Ticket to Ride. See our Ticket to Ride vs Catan comparison for the base game.
Skip it if: you have never played Ticket to Ride. Learn the base game first.
7. Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated — best deck-building campaign
Players: 2–4 · Price band: $30+ (about $91) · Pick for: Best deck-building campaign · See Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated on Amazon
Clank! Legacy turns the deck-building dungeon heist into a 10-plus game campaign where your choices shape the board, the cards and the story. Sessions run 30 to 120 minutes, and after the campaign there is a replayable post-campaign game.
It is the funniest game here, packed with jokes for fans of fantasy adventure.
Skip it if: you have not tried Clank! yet.
Legacy games by commitment level
| Game | Campaign length | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| My City | 24 short episodes | Light |
| Charterstone | 12 games | Medium |
| Ticket to Ride Legacy | 12 games | Medium |
| Risk Legacy | About 15 games | Medium |
| Clank! Legacy | 10+ games | Medium |
| Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 | 12–24 sessions | Medium-heavy |
| Jaws of the Lion | 25 scenarios | Heavy |
Tips for finishing a campaign
- Schedule sessions in advance. A recurring night keeps the story moving.
- Keep a group journal. A few notes after each session help everyone remember what happened.
- Agree on absences. Decide ahead of time whether you play when someone cannot make it.
- Gifting a campaign? Pair it with ideas from our gifts for board game lovers guide.
Legacy board game questions
What is a legacy board game?
A game that changes permanently between sessions, with stickers, sealed content and rules that evolve across a campaign.
Can you replay a legacy game?
Some, like My City and Charterstone, become replayable games after the campaign ends.
What is the best legacy game for beginners?
My City is the gentlest, with simple rules and short episodes.
