Gifts for Board Game Lovers

Board game fans are past Monopoly and usually have a shelf of games already. They like games that are quick to teach, play well with their regular group, and are still fun on the tenth play. These are modern favorites that have stayed popular for years, not just one season.

Under $25 6 ideas

  1. Codenames

    Two teams, one-word clues, a grid of cards. Works for four to a dozen people and with people who say they do not play board games.

    Czech Games EditionStocking stufferWhite elephant

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  2. The Crew: Mission Deep Sea

    A cooperative card game where the table has to win specific tricks without talking about their hands. Small box, huge replay value, very popular with gamers who like a puzzle.

    KOSMOSStocking stuffer

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  3. Sushi Go Party!

    A fast card-drafting game for up to eight, with a menu of options so it never plays the same way twice. Easy enough for kids, clever enough for adults.

    GamewrightStocking stuffer

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  4. Hues and Cues

    Give a one-word clue for a color on a giant grid of shades and see who lands closest. A party game that gets loud arguments about whether something is teal.

    The OpWhite elephant

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  5. Exploding Kittens

    A quick, silly card game of avoiding the kitten that blows you up. Good for family gatherings and for gamers who need a fifteen-minute filler.

    Exploding KittensStocking stufferWhite elephant

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  6. Love Letter

    Sixteen cards, five-minute rounds, a lot of bluffing. Fits in a coat pocket for restaurants and travel.

    Z-Man GamesStocking stuffer

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Under $50 7 ideas

  1. Cascadia

    A relaxed tile-laying game about building a Pacific Northwest landscape and placing wildlife. Won the top German game award, and plays well solo or with up to four.

    Flatout GamesAn experience

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  2. Azul

    Draft colorful tiles to decorate a palace wall. Five minutes to teach, the pieces feel lovely, and it is as good for two as for four.

    Next Move GamesAn experience

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  3. Splendor

    Collect gem chips, buy cards, build an engine. A quiet, thinky classic that new and experienced players both come back to.

    Space CowboysAn experience

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  4. Patchwork

    A two-player game about stitching a quilt from odd-shaped pieces. One of the most-played two-player games around, and a good pick for couples.

    Lookout GamesAn experience

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  5. Catan

    The game that started the modern hobby for a lot of people. If they somehow do not own it, it still gets played at nearly every family holiday.

    CATAN StudioAn experience

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  6. Pandemic

    Players work together to stop four diseases before time runs out. The best entry point into cooperative games, where the table wins or loses as one.

    Z-Man GamesAn experience

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  7. Wavelength

    One player gives a clue to land a hidden dial somewhere between 'hot' and 'cold' or 'underrated' and 'overrated'. A party game that is really about how your friends think.

    CMYKAn experience

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Under $100 5 ideas

  1. Wingspan

    A beautifully drawn card game about bringing birds to your nature preserve. Each bird you add makes your later turns stronger. It wins over people who do not usually like strategy games.

    Stonemaier GamesAn experienceFor display

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  2. Ticket to Ride

    Collect train cards and claim routes across the map of North America. The easiest 'real' board game to teach to grandparents and kids at the same table.

    Days of WonderAn experience

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  3. Spirit Island

    A heavier co-op game where players are island spirits driving off colonizers. For experienced groups who have outgrown Pandemic and want a game that fills an evening.

    Greater Than GamesAn experience

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  4. Brass: Birmingham

    An economic strategy game about the Industrial Revolution and one of the highest-rated board games ever. For the friend who likes long, crunchy games.

    RoxleyAn experience

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  5. Ark Nova

    Build a modern zoo, run conservation projects and juggle a hand of hundreds of unique animal cards. Deep, varied and a huge hit with heavy-game fans.

    Capstone GamesAn experience

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$100 and up 2 ideas

  1. Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition

    An all-day galactic empire game for three to six players. The board game equivalent of a tradition; groups plan a day around it once or twice a year.

    Fantasy Flight GamesAn experience

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  2. Star Wars: Rebellion

    A two-player game of the original trilogy: one side hunts for the hidden Rebel base, the other tries to survive. A big box with many miniatures, and loved by gamers who are also Star Wars fans.

    Fantasy Flight GamesAn experienceFor display

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