The best Devir board games in 2026: a guide by age, number of players and type of game
If you walk into the shop and stand looking at the board game shelf, there is one word you will see repeated on the spine of a great many boxes: Devir. It is on Catan, it is on Carcassonne, it is on the €12 card game you take away on holiday and it is on the €30 eurogame that will keep you thinking for two hours. And because it is on everything, the brand ends up telling you nothing: you cannot tell whether a Devir game is for your five-year-old nephew or for your brother-in-law who plays on Fridays.
This article is here to sort that out. It is not a "top 10 best board games" ranking copied from a list on the internet. It is what we would tell you at the counter if you came into the shop in Albox and said "I want a game, but I don't know which one". We are going to organise the Devir catalogue that we have physically in stock by three criteria that really matter when you buy: who you will be playing with, how much time you have and how much patience there is at the table.
A warning up front: you are not going to read here that every game is wonderful. Some are easy to sell and hard to get onto the table. Others cost €12 and get played a hundred times. We will tell you how it is.
Updated in October 2026: we have reviewed prices and stock. Código Secreto Dúo is now €26.99, La Escalera Encantada €29.99 and Exit: La Mansión Siniestra €15.99. New catalogue entries with stock are Catan Big Box 2025 (base game plus expansions, €69.99), Genial by Reiner Knizia (€24.99), Duelo por Cardia for two players (€14.99) and Ubongo Junior (€24.99, from age 5). Stock changes daily: what each product page shows is what counts.
What Devir is and why it matters that a game carries its logo
Devir is a Spanish publisher. It started in the 1980s as a distributor and specialist bookshop, and today it does two different things that are best not mixed up: it publishes international games in Spanish (Catan, Carcassonne, Código Secreto, Sushi Go!, the Exit line) and it publishes its own titles, many of them designed by Spanish authors and later translated into other languages.
Why does this matter to you as a buyer? For three very practical reasons:
- A rulebook that is genuinely in Spanish. Not a machine translation or a downloaded PDF. A printed manual with examples and, in the family games, a quick reference sheet.
- Spare parts and support. If a Catan is missing a road or a Carcassonne is missing a tile, there is someone to claim from. With imported games that have no Spanish distributor, that does not exist.
- Continuity. A successful Devir game gets reprinted. That means the expansion you want in two years' time is probably still going to be available.
We are an authorised official retailer of Devir, just as we are for LEGO, Cayro, Asmodee, Toimsa, Panini and Ninco. In practice that means we buy directly from the official distributor, not from a third party, and that if a title is in the catalogue we can order it even if it is not on the website.
The three questions we ask before recommending anything
When someone asks for "a good board game", 90% of the right choices come from answering three things:
1. How many of you will there be, and is it always the same people?
A couple who play on Sundays is not the same as a family of six who get together at Christmas. Many excellent four-player games are mediocre with two, and almost none work well with eight unless they are designed for it. If you are usually two, look for games made for two, not games that "can also be played with two".
2. How long does a game really last?
The playing time on the box is optimistic and assumes you already know how to play. Multiply it by 1.5 the first time. If the real gap in your house is half an hour after dinner, a 90-minute game will stay in the cupboard however good it is. This is, by a long way, the most expensive mistake we see.
3. Who explains the rules?
Somebody has to read the manual. If nobody in your group feels like doing that, you need a game that can be explained in five minutes. There are wonderful games that die because nobody dared tackle the 16 pages of instructions.
With children aged 4 to 7: let them win sometimes, and keep it short
At this age the game has to fit a child's real attention span, which is a good twenty minutes. Devir has one of its strongest ranges here.
El Monstruo de Colores (€28.99) is the one we recommend most for ages 4-6, and not because of the game itself, which is simple, but because children already know Anna Llenas's story from nursery or school. You play by placing emotions and talking about them. Parents often buy it because it is educational and keep using it because it works so well at the table.
Carcassonne Junior (€19.99) is the cleanest way into the "grown-up" Carcassonne. You place tiles, close off paths and get your meeples back. From age 4, 2-4 players, twenty minutes. The edition is trilingual, so if you have foreign neighbours in the area, and in the Almanzora there are plenty, it works just as well.
Catan Junior (€28.99) is the step up from age 6. It is the real Catan: you build, you trade, and there is an element that spoils your turn, but with pirates, no hidden victory points and none of the free-for-all bargaining that frustrates little ones. If Catan is already played at home, this is the natural bridge.
La Escalera Encantada (€29.99) is pure memory with wooden ghosts. The adults lose. With a 5-year-old, that is worth its weight in gold: it is one of the few games where age gives no advantage.
Go Cuckoo! (€19.99) is a dexterity game: you stack sticks in a nest without letting the eggs fall. Short, tense and very visual. It works even with adults who say they don't like board games.
Short family games: 10 to 25 minutes
This is the most useful gap on any shelf and the one almost nobody fills. Games you can bring out without ceremony, that fit into the time between dinner and the evening news.
Sushi Go Party (€23.99) is, in our opinion, the best family card game in the catalogue. You take a card, pass your hand to the player next to you, and in three rounds it is over. It takes from 2 to 8 players, genuinely and not just on paper, and the set-up board lets you choose which dishes go into each game, so it never repeats. It is the one we give as a present when we don't know what to give.
Fantasma Blitz (€15.99) is five wooden figures in the middle of the table and a card that tells you which one to grab. If the object appears in the right colour, you take that one; if not, you take the one that doesn't appear. It looks easy until your wires get crossed. The box says age 8, and that is an honest age: below it, the child gets frustrated.
Polilla Tramposa (€14.99) has the best rule ever written: you are allowed to cheat. Getting rid of cards on the sly is permitted, and losing means getting caught. With children aged 7-8 it is a party.
Cometas (€11.99) is cooperative and against the clock: sand timers that you have to keep turning before they run out, everybody at once, no turns. Ten minutes of controlled chaos for under €12. It is the cheapest game on this list and one of those that get played again and again.
Big groups and long after-dinner sessions: Código Secreto rules
Código Secreto (€24.99) is the game to have if six or more people get together at your house. Two teams, a board of 25 words, and one spymaster per team who can only give one word and a number so that their side guesses which cards are their colour. It is explained in three minutes, played in fifteen and generates more conversation than any other game on this list.
The box says age 14. In practice it works from 10-11 if the adult spymaster adapts the clues, and it does not work at all well if you mix adults with 7-year-olds on the same team.
There are two variants worth knowing about before you buy:
- Código Secreto Imágenes (€24.99): the 25 cards are surreal illustrations instead of words. More accessible if there are people in the group who don't read Spanish quickly, and very good with younger players.
- Código Secreto Dúo (€26.99): the cooperative version for two. There are no rival teams any more, just a shared goal and a limited number of turns. It is a different game, not a cut-down version.
Only two of you: don't buy a game that "also works for two"
It is the advice we repeat most. If you are going to play mostly as a couple, look for designs made for two:
- Catan Duelo (€24.99): Catan rebuilt from scratch for two players, with cards and the development of a principality. It is not basic Catan with two people; it is another game, and a better one at that number.
- Duelo por Cardia (€14.99): a duelling card game for two, with very quick games.
- Beacon Patrol (€13.19): cooperative, you place sea and coast tiles to complete the map. Calm, pretty, half an hour. It can also be played solo.
- Código Secreto Dúo (€26.99), already mentioned.
If you already play a lot: the eurogames in the catalogue
Here we step up the difficulty. Longer manuals, finer decisions and games of 60-90 minutes.
Ierusalem: Anno Domini (€29.99) combines deck-building and worker placement in the Jerusalem of the year 33. Illustrated by Enrique Corominas. For 1 to 4 players, and the solo mode is well resolved, not a half-hearted add-on.
Salton Sea (€19.99) plays with dual-use cards: each card serves two purposes and you can only take advantage of one. It is a small game in a box and a big one in decisions, and at this price it is among the best there is.
3 Ring Circus (€20.99) is a light-to-medium eurogame about running a circus: you hire performers, put on shows and travel around cities. A good bridge for someone coming from Catan who wants something with more depth without a sudden jump.
King of Monster Island (€34.99) is cooperative, for 1-5 players, with giant monsters against an island. More spectacle and less calculation. A good option if there are teenagers in the group.
And for a narrative campaign, Leyendas de Andor: El frío eterno (€47.99), which is played in chapters and reveals new rules as you go. It is the entry line to Andor, designed for parents to play with children from age 7-8. A high price, but it gives many sessions.
Tabletop escape rooms: the Exit line
The Exit games (from €14.99) are single-play escape rooms. And when we say a single play, we mean it: you write on the material, you fold it, sometimes you tear it. That puts many people off, and rightly so, but the fair comparison is not with a reusable board game, but with a real escape room, which would cost you about €20 per person.
We also have Exit: La Mansión Siniestra (€15.99). It is for 1 to 4 players, takes about 60-90 minutes, and works much better if you share out the roles instead of one person reading everything aloud.
The three mistakes we see most often at the counter
- Buying by the age on the box and not by the real reader. An "8+" on a game with a lot of text is an 8+ for a child who reads fluently. If yours still reads syllable by syllable, that game is going to be hard going.
- Buying the expansion at the same time as the base game. The expansions for Catan or Carcassonne assume you have already mastered the basic game. If you put both boxes into the first game, the table jams up. Play the basic game ten times and then expand.
- Choosing the most "complete" game instead of the one you will actually bring out. A €60 box that is played twice is a worse buy than a €12 one that is played thirty times. It sounds obvious and it is what goes wrong most.
Why Híper Ocio
We are a family shop in Albox, in the Almanzora. We opened in 1923 and today it is run by the fourth generation, with Antonio Martínez Rosado at the helm. We are part of the Toy Planet chain and an authorised official retailer of Devir, among other brands.
What we can offer you, specifically:
- The games are in the physical shop. You can come to Avenida 28 de Febrero s/n and see the box, the real size and the pieces. With board games this changes the decision quite a lot.
- We tell you if a game is not right for you. If you tell us there are two of you and you want basic Catan, we will suggest the Duelo. We sell with less margin and get it right more often.
- Free delivery across Spain from €49.99 on toys and board games. Below that amount, delivery is charged.
- Returns within 14 days according to our returns policy. We do not promise free returns or collection from your home, because we don't offer them.
- Finance with Aplazame, up to 12 months interest-free (minimum amount according to Aplazame's conditions); the details are on this page. For a €25 game it makes little sense; for a big Christmas purchase, it does.
If you are torn between two titles, write to us on WhatsApp at 623 04 44 20 and tell us how many of you there are and what ages are in the house. We will reply with a specific recommendation, not a catalogue.
Frequently asked questions about Devir games
What is the best Devir game to start with in board games?
For a family with children from age 8, Sushi Go Party (€23.99). It is explained in five minutes, lasts 20, takes from 2 to 8 players and does not get repetitive thanks to the dish set-up system. If the group is adults, Código Secreto (€24.99).
Do Devir games come in Spanish?
Yes. Devir is the Spanish publisher of these titles, so rulebook and cards are in Spanish. Some, such as Carcassonne Junior and Catan Junior, are trilingual editions, and we also have specific editions in Catalan such as Catan El Joc.
What is the difference between Catan and Catan Junior?
Catan Junior is designed from age 6: it removes the free bargaining between players, swaps the robber for a pirate ghost and shortens the game to about 30 minutes. Basic Catan says 10+ and needs players who can negotiate and trade resources, which is where the fun of the original game lies.
Can Exit games be played more than once?
No. Exit games are single-use: during the game you write on, fold and sometimes tear the material. The box is designed for a single solution.
Is it worth buying Catan or Carcassonne expansions from the start?
We don't recommend it. Expansions add rules to a game you already need to have mastered. Our advice is to play the base game at least ten times and buy the expansion when you feel it is falling short. The exception is the 5-6 player extension, which does make sense to buy from the start if there are six of you at home.
Can I buy Devir games that don't appear on the website?
Yes. As an authorised official retailer we work with the distributor's full catalogue, even though on the website we only publish part of it. If you are looking for a particular title, ask us and we will tell you whether it is available and how long it would take to reach the shop.
