i prefer games that:

• have rules explainable in 5 minutes or so
• move relatively quickly

list, with a few points about why i like each game:

• ricochet robots - insanely small ruleset, can play against oneself, can play co-op or competitive, can play fast and loose or slow and contemplative, very comp-sciencey
• dominion - fast gameplay, deck-builders are fun
• codenames - wordplay, shared context with friends you've known for a while, can play co-op or competitive
• jaipur - duel with simple rules, fast gameplay
• unlock! - escape room, lateral thinking, can ignore timer if needed
• sushi go! - fast gameplay, cute artwork
• hive - fast gameplay, chess-like, forces the player to trade between attack and defense. downside - easy to force a stalemate
• bang! - social deduction with no arguments, mooderately quick gameplay, simple ruleset
• seven wonders - fairly simple gameplay, many ways to win