You could pretty easily argue we're living in a golden age for board games. Sure, board games are nothing new, but people seem to really be into tabletop gaming, and the market has responded. All your favorites are still a ton of fun, but there are so many new games with new twists and complexity on the board game formula, it's an amazing time to be a player. If you know someone who loves board games, we've got some awesome suggestions to get the games going.
We all know Robin Hood's side of the story. He robbed from the rich, and gave to the poor, and the Sheriff of Nottingham was tasked with exacting justice on not just Robin Hood, but his whole squad of merry men.
The Sheriff of Nottingham game takes the familiar stories and looks at them through the eyes of the Sheriff himself. His name is Greg Nottingham. Actually, that's not true at all, but bluffing is all part of the game. Players take turns as merchants who need to pass the player tasked with the role of the Sheriff. Bribery and deception are part of the game, but you can just tell the truth if you think that might work. Remember, honesty is the best policy, except when it costs you the game.
See Sheriff of Nottingham on Amazon
More great games to consider:
- Coup: Manipulate, bribe, and lie your way to absolute power. So, you know, the normal way.
- Liar's Dice: The classic dice bluffing game comes in a super nice box.
The Long Night is an expansion for Dead of Winter: a Crossroads Game, but it can also be played as a standalone table-topper. The players are tasked with containing threats brought on by the Raxxon Pharmaceutical corporation. Its creators call it a "meta-cooperative psychological horror game."
In The Long Night expansion, a new location is introduced with new terrors and challenges. There's some serious risk-reward gameplay happening in the game, which could lead to some real fun times around the table with friends. Sure, you can get more powerful items by raiding the Raxxon facility, but in doing so you'll release more powerful enemies. Give this to a friend to fill your holiday with the joyful sound of high-stakes table talk.
See Dead of Winter: The Long Night on Amazon
Dead of Winter
Some more Dead of Winter gift ideas (you're welcome!):
So you want to give a game as a gift that can be played with 2-4 friends in about an hour? There are a ton of options, but if you want a game where the goal is to keep deadly diseases contained for a whole year and in the process, save humanity, Pandemic Legacy Red is pretty much the perfect fit.
Ah, but it gets even cooler, because each play session is part of an overarching story that takes anywhere from 12-24 sessions to complete. It's a great gift to bring friends together, and you get to save the world from disease, which is a bonus.
See Pandemic Legacy Red on Amazon
Pandemic Legacy Volume 1
Even more Pandemic gifts.
Hey, remember that game Sim City? Well, what if, instead of being a computer game, it was somehow made into a card game? That's Machi Koro for you. The comparison to Sim City isn't quite as one-to-one, but the goals of both are the same: build a city and help it flourish, growing it into the largest city in the region. The competitive twist, coupled with the card playing mechanic, makes this a super fun way to build up a metropolis at the expense of whoever else is sitting at the table.
The deluxe edition includes over 300 cards, as well as the Harbor and Millionaire's Row expansions. All of it comes in a cool, collectible tin, so when game night's over the recipient of your thoughtful gift can put it on display. Now who's the real winner? Friendship, that's who.
See the Machi Koro Deluxe Edition Card Game on Amazon
Machi Koro Deluxe Edition Card Game
Also, try the Machi Koro Harbor Expansion, if you know someone who already has and loves the original game.
Exploding Kittens is the most-backed project in Kickstarter's history. It definitely helps the illustrations for this fast-paced card game are done by the same artist who does The Oatmeal. There's a lot to unpack here, but if you're unfamiliar, The Oatmeal is a wildly successful web comic, and Exploding Kittens are a mechanic of the game itself, and not actual baby kitties who explode, thankfully!
It's real simple to play, too, which is why it makes an awesome gift. There's something to be said for mastering the complex rule sets of many modern games, but there's also something to be said about a game that promises it takes just 2 minutes to learn and 15 minutes to play. If you know someone short on time who still wants to have fun, Exploding Kittens is a solid choice.
See Exploding Kittens on Amazon
There's also an Exploding Kittens: NSFW Edition, which is (unsurprisingly) not safe for work or children.
Crabs live in the sea. That's a fact. Because they are almost always surrounded by water, which is the wettest substance known to science, crabs have no need for humidity. Even at 100% humidity, the air is nowhere near as wet as the sea, which was previously established as the place crabs spend most of their time. It's no wonder they're against humidity, then!
Crabs Adjust Humidity, the card game, is actually an unofficial expansion to the hilarious, insanely popular Cards Against Humanity series. The set includes 80 white and 32 black cards to add a little bit of crustacean snap to your Cards Adjust Humanity game. Perfect for the friend whose Cards Against Humanity deck needs some fresh but still inappropriate choices.
See Crabs Adjust Humidity on Amazon
Monopoly is a classic board game with tons of variations and special editions. If you have a Rick and Morty fan in your life, you'd do well to gift them this melding of two amazing things. It's Monopoly as you know and love, but with Rick and Morty stuff in it. Which makes it perfect.
The traditional houses and hotels of Monopoly have no place in the rich fiction of the Rick and Morty universe, and have instead been replaced by custom flooble cranks and gobble boxes, as it should be. Also, the board places have been changed out to better reflect locations from around the Multiverse, like the Cromulon Dimension and Planet Squanch.
See Monopoly: Rick and Morty Edition on Amazon
There are other classic games mixed with cool licenses. Consider the following:
Today's complex games have complex storage boxes, and complexity is many times the enemy of order. In other words, those storage boxes end up getting busted, or lost, or used to store buttons.
If you know someone with a game stored in some series of Ziploc bags and shoeboxes, consider getting them one of these Broken Token organizers. They have solutions for specific games, like Mage Knight or 7 Wonders to name a few. Chances are, if it's a popular game, they have a storage solution for it. Help someone you love by getting them a solidly constructed organizer for their favorite game this holiday season.
See Broken Token Organizers on Amazon
Give the gift of organization and your friends and loved ones will think of you as the person who tamed the beast of a messy game area.
But wait, there's more! Try giving one or more of these to the game lover in your circle of acquaintances.
- Ice Speed Chess Set: Do you know anyone who loves chess? Get them this set of ice trays to make frozen chess pieces and then you're either forced to play incredibly quickly, or enjoy a tall cool glass of sweet tea together. Mmmm-mmm!
- Forbidden Island: Use teamwork to capture 4 secret treasures from the ruins of the Archaen empire.
- Blokus: It only takes 30 minutes to play a round of Blokus. Perfect for a busy someone with a busier family. Plus it's real fun.
- Small World: Classic fantasy races like orcs, dwarves, and more, battle for a world too small to hold them all.
- Star Wars Imperial Assault: There are actually two Star Wars games to play: the campaign and skirmish game.
- Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures: What else more do you need to know? It's a Star Wars game with miniatures!
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens X-Wing Miniatures: Again, this should have sold you just by the name alone. Miniatures rule.
- 7 Wonders: A bit of a steep learning curve but a ton of fun.
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