Board game shopping has its own jargon that isn't always obvious from the box art — a couple of concepts explain most of what determines whether a game will actually get played regularly.
Player count range isn't uniformly good across its whole range
A box listing "2-6 players" doesn't mean the game plays equally well at every number within that range — many games have a genuine sweet spot (often noted in reviews, if not on the box) where the design feels most balanced, with the experience feeling notably different, sometimes much better or worse, at the extremes of the stated range. Checking reviews specifically for how a game plays at your typical group size is more useful than the range printed on the box alone.
"Game weight" describes complexity, not literal difficulty
In board game terminology, "weight" refers to a game's complexity — how many rules, decisions, and moving parts a player needs to track — rather than how hard it is to win. A heavy, complex game isn't necessarily hard to win; it just requires managing more rules and options during play. A lighter game can still be strategically demanding to play well even with simple rules. Weight is more about the mental load of playing, not a measure of the skill ceiling or difficulty of winning.
Player interaction styles vary a lot between games
Some games are heavily competitive and confrontational, where players directly interfere with each other's plans; others are more parallel, where players mostly develop their own position somewhat independently with limited direct interaction; cooperative games have everyone working together against the game itself rather than each other. These are genuinely different social experiences, and a game that's a great fit for one group's preferences can fall flat with a group that wants a different interaction style, regardless of the game's overall quality or ratings.
Playtime listed on the box is often optimistic
Stated playtime is frequently based on experienced players who already know the rules well; a first playthrough with a new group learning the rules for the first time commonly takes meaningfully longer than the box suggests. This is worth planning for, especially with heavier games, rather than assuming the box's stated time applies to a first session.
The one thing people forget
Check how much table space a game actually requires when fully set up, including any expansions, not just the box size. Some games need considerably more physical table space than their box size suggests once boards, player areas, and card layouts are all set out — worth confirming before assuming it'll comfortably fit a typical dining or coffee table.