Adjacent to my love of TTRPGs, I always enjoy a good session of some board games. They are a wonderful way to connect with people over love of a shared theme, or appreciation of strategic choices, or the opportunity of actively exploring a cool world. There are so many board games out there is one for every occasion, and just as many ways to enjoy them. I like to categorize the board games in my repertoire based on what you can get out of them:
Frights and Horror
In my experience, a particularly evocative way to enjoy board games is as an avenue to immerse oneself in a scary scenario. The horror can feel much closer when it is a direct result of your choices, much like horror videogames, except with the chance to be social. Betrayal at House on the Hill is a classic for good reason, The Night Cage is very dedicated to its theme of desperation, Escape From the Aliens in Outer Space is a intriguing game of hide and seek that I really want to play. All of these are great options, specially for a dark Halloween night.
Nature
Board games are also a very interesting way to explore our connection to nature, and its fading presence in our world. Wingspan is a beautiful and charming game about birds, Ark Nova is a well polished game about setting up a zoo, Spirit Island is an incredible game that I could play for ages about the struggle between avatars of nature and colonial forces. All of these have incredibly well balanced systems to boot, so they are great options to play on a short rotation with an established group.
Fantasy
Another option is to leave the troubles of our current world for an entirely different one of magic. Lords of Waterdeep is one of the first board games I played and part of what made me fall in love with them, there are many Lord of the Rings board game adaptations which is great for fans of the books, Frosthaven turns up the harsh survival vibes up to 100.
Space
Or you could go for highly advanced technology instead of magic. Arcs is a recent hit as I write this, which has gotten a lot of well deserved for its galactic empire building systems; Dune: Imperium is also excellent if you prefer more political intrigue and less spaceship battles. Moonrakers is a spaceship building game that I am hoping I get to try soon.
Narrative and Story
If you have a bit of extra time to commit to gaming, there are some wonderful extended experiences that maintain a common thread through multiple sessions. Arkham Horror is a expansive exploration of the Lovecraftian horror genre with some great storytelling, Earthborne Rangers is a lovely and wholesome hike through nature to restore balance, Cyberpunk 2077: Gangs of Night City is a game I got to meet the creator of and talk to them about its design and the ways in which it incorporates story based decisions into its gameplay.
Historical
Because of my interest in history I also gravitate to board games with strong messages about historical topics. Pax Pamir offers some great insights into the Great Game and contains lovely excerpts on the contributions of various figures of the period; John's Company isnt a game you play for the mechanics, which can be obtuse and self defeating, but it is an incredible commentary on the mechanisms of colonialism, which were often those very things, to the expense of everyone involved.
Deduction
Recent discovery of mine is crime solving experiences with board game aspects, such as Detective: City of Angels. Hopefully I find more enjoyable examples of this that I can recommend here.