15 Table-Ready Gifts for Board Game Lovers
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We are living in the golden age of TV. But did you know we're also living in the golden age of board and tabletop games? Board games are a tricky proposition during quarantine, but they're a great way to spend time with your quarantine pod. More people than ever before are flocking to online game shops to pick up obscure board games or check out the latest Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks. Some games are even good for playing over Zoom.
Even if you're an avid board gamer yourself, it can be tough to decide what to buy for someone who loves board games or tabletop games. Everyone has different tastes, and board gamers are a finicky lot. Don't worry. Whether you're shopping big or small, for kids or adults, we've found something for every kind of board gamer.
Be sure to check out our many other buying guides and gift guides for the holidays.
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Updated December 2020: Added new picks and updated old ones.
For Cyberpunks
First things first, yes, it is related to blockbuster video game Cyberpunk 2077. This tabletop version is actually the predecessor to the newly released action-RPG from CD Projekt Red. Cyberpunk 2020 takes players through the nightmarish hellscape of a dark and futuristic 2020. It's differently nightmarish than the real 2020. Augment yourself with cybernetic weapons and upgrades, struggle to survive, and do lots of crimes in the dark underbelly of Night City. It's a great way to spend the holidays!
For Stepping Up Your Card Game
Illimat is a fun and bizarre game based on the idea of creating a "modern classic" card game. The kind of game that just feels lived in, a game people have been playing for centuries. That idea brought The Decemberists to veteran game designer Keith Baker, and together they made delightfully-cryptic Illimat.
It's a card game, but there are board game elements. Essentially players take turns playing cards into different fields in the play area, trying to set themselves up with a perfect harvest. Problem is, your opponents can see what you're doing and their plans might conflict with yours, leading to some tense moments of interpersonal subterfuge. It's fun, I promise.
For Woolgatherers
Settlers of Catan is an enduring classic, and for good reason. It’s approachable for new players but deep enough for experienced (and very competitive players) to really dive in. On the surface, the game is simple. You build settlements across the island of Catan in pursuit of economic domination. There’s no violence or combat in this game; it’s all about managing resources and trying to outsmart your opponents.
For Scorekeepers
Never underestimate the value of a high-quality pencil. For reals. Descended from the legendary pencils used by traditional animators, the Blackwing is a really good pencil. Also it looks cool and has a name like a scary cave dragon. These are a great gift for any board gamer. Whether they play Yahtzee or Dungeons & Dragons, they’ll appreciate the feel of a high-quality pencil like the Blackwing.
For Dice Collectors
Dice are a staple at any table, and they’re a great gift for any board game enthusiast. These dice from Wyrmwood Gaming come in a variety of colors, finishes, and materials—including stone. They start at just $10 for a set of high-quality six-sided dice and go up to $95 for dice cut from gemstones. My favorites are the malachite and obsidian sets.
This set here is a great choice for any tabletop or board gamer, but definitely check out Wyrmwood's online store to see if you can't find the perfect set for your loved one—and maybe pick up a dice vault to keep them safe.
For Notetakers
OK, it’s a little more expensive than your standard Mead or Office Depot brand graph notebook, but this little thing is a simple luxury that any board or tabletop gamer will appreciate. Designed to lay flat when it’s open, this gridded notebook features high-quality paper from the legendary Japanese stationer, Midori. Well, they’re legendary if you’re the kind of person who gets excited about stationery (it me).
For the RPG-Curious
If you have a loved one who plays Dungeons & Dragons or know someone curious about dabbling with tabletop roleplaying games, this is a good gift to consider. The Player’s Handbook has everything you need to play D&D (other than dice and pencils), and it serves as an excellent entry to tabletop roleplaying games as a whole. Plus, it never hurts to have more than one of these for reference.
For Adventurers
Some games are great for informal get-togethers, the kind of game you can just breeze through in an hour or two. Talisman is not one of these games. It is an all-day, clear-your-schedule kind of game.
Think of it as a modern revision of a classic adventure board game, in which each player takes control of a hero and tries to see them safely through the challenges and dungeons littered throughout the map, gaining levels and loot along the way. Plus, there are tons of expansions you can pick up to spice up your adventures. There's nothing like spreading out the Talisman board, breaking out some snacks, and digging in for a day of dungeon delving with friends.
For Families
This one is a great family game. In Grimm Forest, you are one of the three little pigs trying to build houses on your little plot of land. As you might imagine, there are some obstacles, and not just wolves of the big and bad variety. Grimm Forest is home to familiar faces from folklore, but they play roles you might not expect.
It’s a fun subversion of familiar fairy tales explored through a surprisingly cutthroat resource management game. This one is good for all ages, and it sees a lot of play in my house even though we’re a bunch of jaded millennials.
For Experts
It’s hard to describe Thornwatch, but it's definitely for advanced players. This hybrid board game and roleplaying game is a lovingly crafted tapestry of rich world-building and inspired, thoughtful design. And it’s a real treat to look at. The artwork is evocative, gorgeous, haunting, and playful.
It’s expensive and takes quite a while to learn, but once you get a grip on the rules it’s a fast-moving adventure through an endless, haunted forest. I cannot get enough of it.
For All Those Tiny Pieces
Board games are a lot of fun until it’s time to clean up. The more complex the game, the more itty bitty pieces you’re going to have to organize, sort, and put away. Small plastic organizers like these are perfect for complex games with lots of tiny pieces.
For Protecting Your Table
If you play a lot of board games, you probably spend a lot of time at a table, and nothing wears out a table’s finish quicker than sweaty beers or sodas. Sure, coasters aren’t that exciting, but they are always welcome in a household that does a lot of gaming. These ones are a nice finished wood, with a subtle polyhedron (20-sided die) design engraved on them.
For Storytellers
This is another nontraditional role-playing game, but any board or tabletop gamer in your life will love it (trust me). It is based on the same system as Monsterhearts but uses it in a very different way. Through a single three- to four-hour session, you and your group take control of a woman wed to a wealthy older man harboring a dark secret. You and each player represent part of the bride’s psyche, and as a group you direct her actions as she explores the halls of her husband’s sprawling—and occasionally horrific—manor. It's a little like a very twisted version of Pixar's Inside Out.
If your loved one is a fan of horror, mystery, and role-playing, give this one a try. It's tense and creepy, and even folks who aren't into traditional RPGs tend to find themselves drawn in by the mystery.
For Monster Lovers
This one is a bit of an unconventional role-playing game, but it’s one of my favorites. It's built around a system that is less combat-focused than traditional D&D, putting you in the shoes of a teenager navigating the pressures and complexities of your burgeoning adulthood—also you’re a monster. Think Buffy, The Vampire Diaries, and The Craft. It’s an R-rated game with mature content like sex, addiction, and trauma—but it does it with a deft and thoughtful hand.
It's not all heavy content, though. At the core, it's just a really fun tabletop game robust enough to handle complex and messy stories. This is also one of the only role-playing games out there built with queer identities in mind—there’s even a section offering advice on how to use Monsterhearts 2 to explore these themes.
For Adults Only
Totally adults-only, but Cards Against Humanity is a must-have for any board game cabinet. It’s a take on the classic family game Apples to Apples, but if it was created by the worst humans on the planet. It’s transgressive and occasionally offensive, and it’s a great gift for the board gamer in your life as long as they have a delightfully horrible sense of humor.
