I too am hugely in love with modern board games!
Not only do I love playing them, but I love the fact that if they're good, they can stick around for as long as the cardboard and wood lasts. I can pull out a game I bought 10 years ago and still enjoy it today, or 10 years from now.
Some of my absolute favorite games:
Easy to learn and play in under a half hourAge of War - a cool little dice game like a condensed version of that old game Samurai.
Eight Minute Empire: Legends - like Risk, but takes about 1/10th the time and remains fun through the whole game.
Love Letter Batman - my favorite version of this 16 card game. Plays up to 4 people, very fast and lots of strategy in a tiny package. Plus little wooden Bat Signals.
Lost Legacy - a slightly more advanced version of Love Letter. 16 cards again but sets can be combined (there are 6+ versions out there) to play more than 4.
Swamped - a semi-cooperative game where everyone fights for control of a boat traveling through a swamp, collecting ingredients. Oh and there's a giant crocodile following along trying to eat you too.
Red7 - super fast game that changes as you play it. Each round lasts perhaps 5 minutes.
Codenames - Wonderful party game that plays with teams of 2+ people. Easy to learn, lots of fun to play.
More involved, longer gamesSeasons - one of my all time favorite games. 2-4 players, with a little bit of card drafting and lots of strategic play. No two games are quite the same.
Camel Up - a racing/betting game that plays up to 8. The winner is the one who makes the best bets, not the one who comes in first.
Tiny Epic Galaxies - a small game package with tons going on. Expand your galaxy, take over planets and influence your opponents.
DC Deck Builder - horrible name, great game system. A deck building game where each player starts off with the same 10 cards and purchases others to build up their deck, all while tackling super villains.
Oceanos - explore the ocean, collect treasures, build a better submarine!
Eminent Domain - another space conquest game but with no real direct player conflict. Elements of deck building here too.
Scythe - easily the most beautiful game I own. Set in an alternate 1920's players fight for territory and resources while building giant mechs and advancing their factions.
Zooloretto - an awesome game about building the best zoo.
Those are just a few. I own over 200 games and while I've slowed down my purchasing quite a bit (especially since I found FIRE stuff) I still make the occasional purchase and look at these as an investment. Not monetarily but as a way I very much enjoy spending my time. When I finally punch that clock for the last time, I'm very much looking forward to play more games!