Our 14th year of Board Game Gift Guides is here!
For each of the past 13 years, we’ve recommended around 40 games to get your friends and family as gifts.
We know that’s a lot to look through, so we’ve dialed it back a bit this year to 25 great games!
Below, you’ll find a few games in each of the following categories to get your juices flowing about what game gifts you can give this year.
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Has a black cat crossed your path lately?
Halloween is in the air, and you never know what’s lurking around the next corner.
Actually, the Cat In The Box game doesn’t have anything to do with Halloween. (It’s just fun review timing.)
Instead, the game refers to Schrödinger’s cat.
Schrödinger’s Cat is a thought experiment devised by the Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger. If you place a cat and something that could kill the cat (a radioactive atom) in a box and seal it, you won’t know if the cat is dead or alive until you open the box. Thus, until the box was opened, the cat was both “dead and alive”.
Okay, so maybe a “dead and alive” cat is pretty Halloweenish.
However, rest assured that no cats are harmed in this unique trick-taking, card game by Bezier Games.
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We first played the party game Codenames in 2015 and were hooked like so many people around the world.
We reviewed the original party game in January, 2016 and reviews for many of the follow-up games since.
Today, we’re happy to share our thoughts on the app version of this super-popular party game.
For starters, now that Codenames is in my digital pocket, it’s not reserved for just being a party game. I can play it on the fly whenever I want since I can match up with people worldwide in asynchronous play.
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Welcome back to the world of Valeria!
In May, we reviewed the first Valeria game published by Daily Magic Games, Valeria: Card Kingdoms. It’s a fun card and dice game where players build their crew of various citizens to expand their realm and fight monsters.
Since then, Daily Magic Games has published a number of card games in the Valeria universe. Each have unique game mechanics.
Today, we’re excited to share our thoughts on one of the most recent Valeria card games, Thrones of Valeria.
It’s a unique trick-taking card game where the ranks of the different Houses (suits) change constantly. Every card played may alter your plans. We hope you’ve got what it takes to win in Valeria.
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In our recent review of World Wonders we mentioned how it’s more than just a tile-laying game and that there’s plenty to think about during the game.
In addition to the spatial layout of your city, you need to consider the money you have to spend, how your resources are growing, where you want to be in turn order, how to keep expanding with roads, and when you’ll meet the requirements for adding a monument to your city.
Well, if that’s not enough for you, Arcane Wonders has already published an expansion for the game!
It’s time to take a look at World Wonders: Mundo Wonders Pack.
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Earlier this year, I had my first chance to play World Wonders – a fun new tile-laying board game published by Arcane Wonders in 2023.
I played it at one of the Hot Games tables at SaltCon Spring 2024 and immediately wanted to play it again.
I couldn’t get it out of my mind and was still thinking about it a month later.
That’s when you know you’ve found another great family board game.
Even though I’d categorize World Wonders as a tile-laying game, it’s packed with much more than that. The game also includes economic, turn-order, and resource elements that keep players considering many choices throughout the whole game.
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In 2016, I played a fun board game at SaltCon that left me thinking about it long after – Metropolys.
The only problem was that the game was first published in 2008 and was out of print, and I couldn’t find a copy anywhere. I’ve kept an eye out for it ever since.
That’s why I got super excited a few years ago when I heard the game was being reimplemented as Skyrise!
And I was even more excited when I learned it was being designed by Adam Wyse (a game designer I’ve met, played some games with, and reviewed a couple of his games, Head of Mousehold and Gorilla Marketing) and published by Roxley Games (a publishing company that produces fantastic games and that we’ve also reviewed a bunch of).
But the real questions you’re asking are, “What’s the game all about?”, “Why did you find it so fun?”, and “Is the reimplementation any good?”
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We enjoy playing several trick-taking card games.
Our favorites over the years have been Skull King, The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, and Cat in the Box. That’s because they all present some very unique spins on basic trick-taking game play.
We’ve recently played a new trick-taking card game with unique twists that have us thinking in fresh ways yet again.
Sandbag, by Bezier Games, is a fun new spin on trick-taking card games that’s a lot of fun.
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Strange things are happening at the Wonderland amusement park.
That can mean only one thing – Finley has struck again.
It’s up to you to stop all the madness. You must Find Finley!
Find Finley is a new family board game from Fat Brain Toy Co. that will have your kids exercising their deduction and reasoning skills.
Read on to discover more about this new family board game and get a chance to win a copy for your family!
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My first encounter with Valeria: Card Kingdoms at SaltCon 2017 was an absolute blast, leaving me eager for more.
It reminded me a lot of Machi Koro, but I liked Valeria’s fantasy theme much better. Plus, I loved that everyone gains resources on anybody’s turn, not just on their own turn.
I added the game to my wish list soon after, but just never pulled the trigger on buying a copy. That is, until two years ago when Daily Magic Games published an updated version!
The new edition not only had upgraded components and streamlined play, but it was also much cheaper!
I’ve since introduced the game to many friends, and everyone has had a great time playing.
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