Paris is one of those cities that works ridiculously well as a board game setting.

Paris gives game designers a lot to work with: the Metro, Notre Dame, the Paris Opera, artists, cafés, crime, landmarks, food, fashion, and a ridiculous amount of history.

I started looking for Paris-themed board games expecting to find a couple of obvious choices. Instead, I ended up with games about everything from building Metro lines to solving murders at the opera.

So if you want to bring a little Paris to game night, these are the games I’d start with.

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Explore Paris by Metro, Bus, and Pencil

Some of the easiest ways to turn Paris into a board game involve the city itself. Routes, neighborhoods, landmarks, Metro lines — basically, somebody hands you Paris and says, “Okay, now fix the transportation system.”

Ticket to Ride: Paris

2–4 players | Ages 8+ | About 10–15 minutes

If you already know Ticket to Ride, this is probably the easiest place to start.

I also included the original Ticket to Ride in my list of board games that are great for new players.

Ticket to Ride: Paris is one of the smaller City editions, so you get the familiar route-building without sitting down for a full game of Ticket to Ride. Instead of trains, you’re traveling around 1920s Paris by bus and trying to connect destinations around the city.

It’s short, colorful, and very Paris. The smaller size also makes it a good pick when you want to play something real but don’t want game night turning into a three-hour event.

Next Station Paris

1–4 players | Ages 8+

This one hands you a map of Paris and some colored pencils and basically says, “Congratulations. You’re in charge of the Metro now.”

In Next Station Paris, cards tell you what kind of station you need to connect next, and you draw your Metro lines directly onto your sheet. You’re trying to connect districts, reach landmarks, use crossings well, and build a network that actually scores points instead of becoming a colorful mess.

Because everybody is working on their own map at the same time, there isn’t a ton of sitting around waiting for someone else to finish a turn.

It also works solo, which is always a nice bonus.

Murder, Mystery, and Belle Époque Paris

Apparently Paris around 1900 was irresistible to board game designers who wanted everybody solving crimes.

I’m not complaining.

Kronologic: Paris 1920

1–4 players | Ages 10+ | About 30 minutes

This is a straight-up deduction game set around the Paris Opera.

You’re trying to figure out who was where and when by piecing together where the different characters went. Some clues stay private, while other information has to be shared with the table.

So even though everyone is working from some of the same clues, nobody has exactly the same information.

There are 15 investigations in the box, so this isn’t one of those mystery games you finish once and shove on a shelf.

And the Paris Opera setting is doing a lot of heavy lifting for me here. If I’m going to investigate suspicious behavior, I would much rather do it in an enormous old opera house than somebody’s suburban kitchen.

Chronicles of Crime: 1900

1–4 players | About 60–90 minutes

In Chronicles of Crime: 1900, you play Victor Lavel, a journalist in Belle Époque Paris who apparently cannot go anywhere without running into a murder, robbery, or kidnapping.

This is a cooperative investigation game that mixes physical cards and locations with an app. You scan cards, question suspects, examine evidence, and work through puzzles while trying to solve each case.

The 1900 setting is part of the fun here. Paris is changing quickly, with the Exposition Universelle, the Olympics, and the opening of the Metro all happening around the same time.

If the idea of wandering around old Paris questioning suspicious people sounds more appealing than building train routes, this is probably the one I’d look at first.

Crime Pays, Apparently

Caper: Europe

2 players | About 25–35 minutes

Okay, this one is not exclusively Paris.

Caper: Europe lets two players stage heists in Paris, Rome, London, or Barcelona. Each city has its own cards and twists, so you can specifically choose Paris when you want to keep with the theme.

You recruit thieves, give them equipment, send them after valuable goods, and compete for control of different locations.

It’s basically a stylish little duel between rival criminal masterminds.

Instead of being the detective trying to solve the crime, you finally get to be the reason the detectives are having such a long night.

Artists, Cafés, and the Bohemian Side of Paris

Bohemians

1–4 players | Ages 14+ | About 45–60 minutes

This one immediately got my attention because the theme is so specific.

In Bohemians, you play an aspiring artist wandering Paris around the turn of the 20th century. You’re trying to find inspiration, meet muses, socialize, create art and — unfortunately — occasionally do something practical like go to work.

That last part feels painfully realistic.

You’re basically trying to decide how your artist spends each day. Do you work? Go on a date? Attend a social event? Chase inspiration? Actually create something?

This is probably the game here that leans hardest into the whole romantic-artist-in-Paris idea. It isn’t just using the Eiffel Tower as wallpaper. You’re actually playing out the life of an artist in historical Paris.

Go Much Further Back in Paris History

Notre Dame

2–5 players | Ages 10+ | About 45–75 minutes

This one takes us much further back than the roaring twenties and Belle Époque.

In Notre Dame, players represent influential families living in medieval Paris around the famous cathedral. You’re trying to improve your district, gain prestige and manage resources while also dealing with a growing rat problem and the threat of plague.

So, slightly less glamorous than sipping coffee in Montmartre.

This is definitely one of the heavier games on the list. You’re constantly deciding what needs your attention and what you can afford to let slide.

I like this one because it gives you a completely different Paris. Same city. Very different problems.

And Now We Eat Cheese

Fromage

1–4 players | Ages 14+ | About 45 minutes

Fromage is not a Paris game. It’s a France game.

But I’m keeping it because it just feels like it belongs here.

You play a French cheesemaker in the early 20th century, making, aging, and selling artisan cheeses while trying to build the most prestigious creamery.

The board rotates as you play, which also ages the cheese you’ve already made and brings new sections around to each player. It’s a worker-placement game, but the rotating board gives it a very appropriate “please stop touching the cheese, it isn’t ready yet” mechanism.

If we’re doing a game night built around France, I’m not going to pretend cheese doesn’t belong here.

This would also be stupidly easy to turn into a themed game night. Put out bread, fruit and cheese, play Fromage, and suddenly you have put much more effort into the evening than you actually did.

For the Cheese-Obsessed Game Night

If you’re already committing to a French cheese game night, apparently cheese dice exist too. They’re completely unnecessary, which is honestly part of the appeal.

A Little Paris for an Ordinary Card Game

Boardwalk Paris Playing Cards

Not everything on the table has to be a full board game.

Boardwalk’s Paris deck is a standard deck of playing cards with a Paris theme. The cards have jumbo faces and the company’s lightweight Featherlight finish.

I wouldn’t count these as one of the main games, but they’re a fun extra if you’re putting together a Paris-themed game night or gift.

Use them for whatever card game your family already plays and at least everybody can pretend they’re losing money somewhere much more glamorous.

Which Paris Game Should You Try First?

The nice thing about this list is that these games really don’t play alike.

For something quick, Ticket to Ride: Paris is probably the easiest place to start. Next Station Paris is a better fit if you like puzzle-style games and drawing out your own routes.

If mysteries are more your thing, I’d look at Kronologic: Paris 1920 for deduction or Chronicles of Crime: 1900 if you want a longer investigation.

Caper: Europe is the two-player pick, Bohemians is the one I’d grab for the whole artist-in-Paris vibe, and Notre Dame is there when you want something a little heavier.

And if your main question was whether I could work cheese into a Paris board game post, apparently the answer is yes.

I regret nothing.

Apparently you can do just about anything in board game Paris: build the Metro, investigate murders, rob people, struggle as an artist, manage medieval neighborhoods, or leave the city entirely and make cheese.

Cheaper than airfare, anyway.

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Explore More Board Games:

• Board Games That Take You to Paris Without Leaving the Table
  From solving crimes at the Paris Opera to building Metro routes and living as a bohemian artist, these Paris board games bring the City of Light straight to game night.
• 10 Board Game Expansions to Take Game Night to the Next Level
  Already love the base game? These board game expansions and alternate editions add new challenges, characters and ways to shake up your next game night.
• Board Game Accessories You Don’t Think You Need Until Game Night Gets Messy
  Game night can get crowded quickly. These useful board game accessories help protect cards, organize tokens, contain runaway dice and make setup, play and cleanup much easier.