Board games for pockets and suitcases: A summer travel guide

Summer vacation is in full swing. People are heading off on holidays, going on trips, and enjoying the warm weather. But what if you get the urge to play a board game with friends or family? Most of us pack the classics like a deck of cards, Ludo, Monopoly, Bang!, or other well-known titles. But how about trying something new? Something tried and tested that won't let you down? We've got a few tips for board games that are perfect for travel and passionate players alike. We've divided the games into categories to help you choose. Let's dive in!

Pocket-sized games

In this category, we'll look at games that boast small dimensions and will fit into your bag, backpack, or even your pocket.

Mozkožrout

Mozkožrout is a card game for 2 players aged 8+, lasting about 10–20 minutes. It's a typical battle card game, most similar to Magic. Each player has their own draw deck full of monsters. Every monster has various abilities. Your task is to outplay your opponent, kill their monsters, and eventually defeat them by reducing their life to 0. But that's not all; each player has 2 so-called "brain-eaters" (mozkožrouti) in their card pool.

If you use them to steal an opponent's monster, it will fight on your side. You need to judge the best moment to use your brain-eater, as bad timing could cost you the victory. The game is truly small, so you can enjoy Mozkožrout on the go – on a train, plane, or even in a car. Read more in our review.

Tiny Epic Dungeons

Games from the Tiny Epic series are made for carrying and traveling. In a small box, you'll find surprisingly large and sophisticated games. Tiny Epic Dungeons is a cooperative dungeon crawler that won't give you anything for free. You can see for yourself in our review.

10' to Kill (Desítka)

Desítka is a trivia game where you'll learn something new and have a blast doing it. It's for 2–8 players aged 10+ and takes about 20 minutes. While Desítka has a larger box, all the fun is hidden in a small plastic case that fits in your pocket, so you can leave the main box at home. Inside is a deck of cards with over 2,000 questions. Each question has 10 answers. Players take turns answering. If you answer correctly, you get 1 answer token as a point. When it's your turn again, you can look for another correct answer. But you risk losing the points you earned earlier in that round. Will you play it safe or take a risk?

Desítka also offers several expansions with specific themes like Harry Potter, Czech Republic, or Junior for the youngest players.

Caesar!

Caesar! is a tense game where 2 players take on the roles of legion commanders trying to seize key provinces—and thus, control over all of Rome. The rules are simple, and the game's strength is its short playtime, yet it requires many tough tactical decisions! It's a pure 2-player game for ages 14+ that lasts 20 minutes. Both the box and the game itself are very small. Caesar is an area control game you can enjoy practically anywhere, offering the same feel as a big, heavy area control game. So, to battle!

Tas svůj meč a neuteč!

The last game combines a simple card game with physical activity. Specifically, foam sword fighting. The task is simple: collect 3 identical cards. But what happens when both you and your opponent need the same card? You challenge them to a duel, obviously! It's not about mindless hitting, though. The duel follows strict rules determined by the card being fought over. Tas svůj meč a neuteč! is a very accessible and simple game that guarantees fun. And it doesn't matter where you're playing it.

Games for your suitcase

The next category is games for your suitcase. These are games that have a larger box but don't take up much space to play, making them ideal for a quiet spot on your vacation.

Dungeon Pages

Dungeon Pages is a typical dungeon crawler in a non-traditional coat. The game is for 1–8 players aged 10+ and takes about 30 minutes. Players become leaders of a four-member party of traditional fantasy heroes craving honor and glory. Together, they embark on a dangerous adventure into an underground lair full of monsters, traps, and treasures, where they will spend eight rounds improving their heroes' skills and battling dangerous monsters and their minions.

The main mechanic is pen and paper. The game consists of a few sheets of paper and playing cards. Using a pencil, you record various statuses and resources on your sheet and map out the dungeon corridors you've explored. Thanks to this unique mechanic, Dungeon Pages becomes a very fun and accessible game for both families and experienced players. Party, light your torches! And off to adventure…

Azul

Azul is a creative game that has been enjoying success for several years, with publishers constantly churning out new variants. It's a visually beautiful, colorful, fast, and snappy game for the whole family. Azul is for up to 4 players aged 8+ and takes about 30–45 minutes. In this game, you'll use logic to assemble various patterns from multi-colored tiles to earn victory points. Although it's a logic game, I would personally classify it as relaxing, so you can enjoy peace and quiet on your vacation with this beautiful game.

Check out our selection; you'll find several variants of this small and interesting game.

Sky Team

Sky Team is a relatively new game for 2 players aged 12+ that takes about 15 minutes, whether from the comfort of home or on the road. In this original little game, you'll experience 11 world airports from the cockpit of a commercial airliner. Sky Team is a cooperative game where you and your partner form a pilot duo tasked with landing a plane at airports around the world.

Using dice, you'll need to communicate with the control tower, adjust your speed, balance the plane's tilt, deploy flaps, landing gear, and finally, land and activate the brakes. If you succeed, you win! But landing a commercial airliner isn't as easy as it seems!

The game prepares 21 exciting scenarios that will try to make your landings as difficult as possible. Success requires only cooperation and nerves of steel! Will you get a hard-earned round of applause from the passengers? More in our review.

Critical: Sanctuary

Critical is a project that aims to bring the RPG experience to those who have never heard the term before. The box contains 9 half-hour scenarios that form a closed story. One player is the narrator, while others try to complete tasks. The entire RPG system is maximally simplified and accessible even to players without experience in classic role-playing games. There are only a few components on the table; the main action happens in the players' imaginations. Critical: Sanctuary is a beautiful entry into the world of role-playing games.

Good old RPGs and gamebooks

The last category is a bit of a cheat, as these games take place primarily in your head, and their size is limited only by your imagination. Even so, I think they are ideal travel games. Dračí doupě and gamebooks are role-playing games where you create the story yourself—in the case of Dračák, together with friends, and with gamebooks, with the help of a book.

While these games have a steeper learning curve for the rules, the result is worth it! You need practically nothing more than a few sheets of paper, dice, and a great group of players. You don't have to stick to the famous Dungeons and Dragons; on our site, you'll find countless role-playing games that are really worth trying. Such as Forbidden Lands, Lone Wolf, Dračí Hlídka, or perhaps The One Ring.

What could be better than being with your friends, sitting by a campfire, having a beer, or being on the beach, and creating unforgettable stories full of tension and twists together?

author: Daniel Korčák