13 Gifts for board game enthusiasts
From the Still shopping? Our gift guide has something for everyone on your list series
Looking for a gift idea for the board game lover in your life? Or just hoping to find something fun to play this holiday season? Here are some popular games for the 2018 holiday season.
Codenames
Codenames is a social word game with a simple premise and challenging game play. Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their codenames. The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the table. Their teammates try to guess words of their color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin. Find it on Amazon.
Azul
Azul captures the beautiful aesthetics of Moorish art in a contemporary board game. Players compete as artisans decorating the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora. By carefully drafting the correct quantity and style of tiles, the most clever of artisans plan ahead to maximize the beauty of their work (not to mention their scores!) while ensuring they wasted no supplies in the process. Find it on Amazon.
Dinosaur Tea Party
It’s the most sought-after invitation of the year: Dinoton Abbey for high tea. Now you’re all gussied up in your bespoke finery and sporting the hottest fascinator straight from Savile Row. There’s just one problem: You can’t remember anyone’s name. Who’s that, sporting the fancy brooch and toting along her pet chicken? Is that Jeannine? Beatriz? Oh dear. If you’re not careful, you’ll commit a faux pas that will quickly find its way into the gossip pages of the Raptor’s Home Quarterly. Dinosaur Tea Party is a thorough reimagining of Whosit?, the 1967 identity-guessing game. Each player is a dinosaur with a hidden identity. Players take turns asking each other questions to figure them out. “Pardon me for asking, but are you wearing a hat?” “What lovely camouflage you’re sporting. Are those spots?” When a player thinks they’ve figured everybody out, they announce their guesses. The other players indicate whether they’re correct by dropping their sugar cubes into the dino teapot, which cleverly reveals if any of the guesses are wrong but not which ones. The first player to deduce everyone’s name wins the game and is sure to be invited back for Sunday supper. Find it on Amazon.
Scythe
It is a time of unrest in 1920's Europa. The ashes from the first great war still darken the snow. The capitalistic city-state known simply as "the factory," which fueled the war with heavily armored Mechs, has closed its doors, drawing the attention of several nearby countries. Scythe is a board game set in an alternate-history 1920S period. It is a time of farming and war, broken hearts and rusted gears, innovation and Valor. In scythe, each player represents a fallen leader attempting to restore their honor and lead their faction to power in Eastern Europa. Players conquer territory, enlist new recruits, reap resources, gain villagers, build structures, and activate monstrous Mech. Find it on Amazon.
The Mind
In The Mind, each player receives a hand of cards equal to the number of the level: one card in level 1, two cards in level 2, etc. Collectively you must play these cards into the center of the table on a single discard pile in ascending order but you cannot communicate with one another in any way as to which cards you hold. You simply stare into one another's eyes, and when you feel the time is right, you play your lowest card. If no one holds a card lower than what you played, great, the game continues! If someone did, all players discard face up all cards lower than what you played, and you lose one life. Find it on Amazon.
Ex Libris
You are a collector of rare and valuable books in a thriving fantasy town. The Mayor has just announced a new seat in the Village Council, Grand Librarian. The prestigious and lucrative position will be awarded to the citizen with the most extraordinary library. You’ll need to expand your personal library by sending your trusty assistants out into the village to find the most impressive tomes. Sources for the finest books are scarce, so you’ll need to beat your opponents to them. Find it on Amazon.
Sushi Go!
Pass the sushi! In this fast-playing card game, the goal is to grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they whiz by. Score points for making the most maki rolls or for collecting a full set of sashimi. Dip your favorite nigiri in wasabi to triple its value. But be sure to leave room for dessert or else you’ll eat into your score! Gather the most points and consider yourself the sushi master! Find it on Amazon.
Terraforming Mars
In the 2400s, mankind begins to terraform the planet Mars. Giant corporations, sponsored by the World Government on Earth, initiate huge projects to raise the temperature, the oxygen level, and the ocean coverage until the environment is habitable. In Terraforming Mars, you play one of those corporations and work together in the terraforming process, but compete for getting victory points that are awarded not only for your contribution to the terraforming, but also for advancing human infrastructure throughout the solar system, and doing other commendable things. Find it on Amazon.
Reef
During the game, players serve as the reef itself -alternating turns of carefully selecting which colors and patterns in which to grow and expand - the more beautiful the reef, the more points they will score! reef is suited for players 8 and older. While it could take thousands of years for a coral reef to grow, we expect a game of reef to only take about 30 – 45 minutes. Find it on Amazon
Star Wars: Rebellion
In Star Wars: Rebellion, you control the entire Galactic Empire or the fledgling Rebel Alliance. You must command starships, account for troop movements, and rally systems to your cause. Featuring more than 150 plastic figures and two game boards that account for thirty-two of the Star Wars galaxy’s most notable star systems, Star Wars: Rebellion features a scope that is as large and sweeping as any Star Wars game before it.
Century: Spice Road
While quick and easy to learn, the century trilogy will fully engage even the most strategic players. Discover the beauties of the spice trading road and its colorful markets with the amazing artwork by international renowned artist Fernanda Suárez. Wrap your mind around simple and pure game mechanics combined with a touch of deck-building system that lead to endless strategies and decisions. Century Spice road is truly an outstanding game. One you will play over and over and...over again! Find it on Amazon.
Gloomhaven
Take on the role of a wandering mercenary with their own special set of skills and their own reasons for traveling to this remote corner of the world. Players must work together out of necessity to clear out menacing dungeons and forgotten ruins. In the process they will enhance their abilities with experience and loot, discover new locations to explore and plunder, and expand an ever-branching story fueled by the decisions they make. This is a persistent game that is intended to be played over many game sessions. After a scenario, players will make decisions on what to do, which will determine how the story continues, kind of like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book. Find it on Amazon.
King of Tokoyo
King of Tokyo is a game for 2 to 6 players where you play as Mutant monsters, rampaging robots, or even abominable aliens battling in a fun, chaotic atmosphere. Roll dice and choose your strategy: will you attack your enemies? Heal your wounds? Improve your monster? Stomp your path to victory. Find it on Amazon
Deadlines for getting your gifts in time for Christmas are here. Whether you're shopping for a child, grandparent, foodie, tech-lover or anyon…