We’re living in a golden age of board game releases right now. With hundreds of board games to choose from and with the holidays coming up, picking out which games to buy can be a big task. Whether you’re shopping for a friend or a family member, there are many things to consider as you browse. Depending on who you are shopping for—(is it for you and your family to play over the holidays?)—it’s time to plan out what you and your family would enjoy playing together time and time again.
That’s where I come in. I’ve filtered the options down to the best of the best in five different board game subcategories, depending on your target audience. I’m not just basing choices on the most fun to play, but also what will surprise and delight people encountering a game for the first time; either as a gift or for an initial play. After all, there’s never been a better time to be a board gamer, so this is a fantastic opportunity to spread festive cheer with games that bring people together.
Best Board Game Gift Ideas for Adults
When a hobby game has become as popular as Wingspan, it’s hard not to recommend it to an even bigger audience, as there are, of course, great reasons for that popularity. It’s got an appealing theme, an addictive gameplay loop and rich strategies to explore. It also features beautiful art and stylish components, which make it particularly pleasing as a gift option. As such, it hits a perfect sweet spot as a great board game for adults across different requirements. If you want something a bit faster or more interactive, I’ve provided some other great suggestions in the carousel below.
Best Board Game Gift Ideas for Kids
Picking out board games for children has the added difficulty of finding something that’s age appropriate, but you’re unlikely to go wrong with Rhino Hero Super Battle. It’s great fun for adults as well as kids. You’re using cards from your hand to build a skyscraper, up which your wooden heroes will climb and dice-off, and these kinds of dexterity balancing games cut across ages. However, our additional options below give you a choice of more fully child-focussed games, or some basic strategy to start them off.
Best Card Game Gifts
Card games have come a long way since a quick round of Spades was the height of novelty, and that includes cooperative titles like our pick in this category. The Crew features the trick-taking you might be familiar with from playing card games like Whist, but players have missions dictating certain cards they need to win in order for the group to succeed, so it’s no longer a matter of slapping down the highest card you can. Strategy and nuance are required. As are all the recommended games below, which includes some more heavier and more competitive fare. On a similar (but different) note, check out our picks for the best trading card games.
Best Single Player Board Game Gifts
Playing on your own is an increasingly popular way to spend time with board games. Even without the social aspects, there’s still a lot of enjoyment to be had from the challenges and tactile delights of tabletop play. But hey, with the award-winning Dorfromantik: The Board Game you don’t have to choose as it plays well cooperatively with a group in addition to solitaire. However, you choose to play, you can sit back and enjoy its chill, puzzling gameplay and branching campaign. But if you want something a bit more intense, or specifically designed for solo play, check out our alternative suggestions, or click over to our list of the best solo board games.
Best Party Games and Group Game Gifts
If the holiday season is a traditional time for both games and parties, why not combine both by offering a top-tier party game as a gift? Word-based clue-giving title Codenames has it all: a choice of competitive or cooperative play, a wide range of suitable player numbers and ages, a great balance of skill and tension and even occasional moments of hilarity when clues or guesses go terribly wrong or stray into double entendre territory. No wonder it’s won a raft of awards since its release. Despite its flexibility, some of these additional suggestions can offer you a few more thrills, or some bigger belly-laughs.
For even more holiday gift ideas, check out our gift guides below:
The Best Harry Potter Gifts I’d Recommend for Any Potter FanaticBest MTG Gifts I’d Recommend for Any Fan: Cards, Cases and MoreBest Lord of the Rings GiftsThe Best Gift Cards to Give Out This Holiday SeasonThe Best Xbox Gift Ideas
Matt Thrower is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in tabletop games. You can reach him on BlueSky at @mattthr.bsky.social.
