To point their squad of guessing agents in the right direction, they must deliver one-word clues with a single numeric figure to denote the connections on the grid. The gist: Twenty-five word cards lie in a grid, and only the two Spymasters know which ones belong to their team. It’s the ultimate test of restraint - and you’re liable to fail it every time. Each draw offers the potential to stack up points, generate valuable rubies, or one-up your rivals’ efforts, endlessly tempting you to pull just one token more. The rewards: As you buy more unusual ingredients, Quacks transmutes your ingredients bag into a bubbling cauldron of combo possibilities. But what are the odds you’d really pull that one-in-seven chance token. The risks: Plop one too many cherry bombs into the mix, and your pot is liable to erupt in your face, costing either victory points or cash for a botched brew.

Draw tokens or call it quits like a craven as you push to fill your spiral board further for ingredient-buying money, powerful rubies, and game-winning victory points. The only problem is, you’re never quite sure what you’ll pull out of your ingredients bag next. The gist: As potion peddlers in a medieval fantasy town, you’re competing to brew the most potent mix for customers. That way you can assess the situation logically before diving in headlong regardless because caution is the way of cowards. We understand that you’re no fool, so our list of push-your-luck board games highlights the risks and rewards on offer in each.

To that end, we’ve rounded up the best push-your-luck board games to electrify your game table with cries of elation and regret-filled groans of despair.

There’s something inexorably fun about pushing the odds to breaking point, even if Lady Luck occasionally feels the need to reach over and deliver a deserved slap to the face for your impudence. But that’s the exact reason you signed up. Triumph, travesty - both are weighted equally with each tumble of the dice.

Games that require luck