The end of the year is upon us and its filled with the usual sights, sounds, and smellls. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, hot spice cider brewing on the stove, bells jingling, and of course, gamers arguing around the table. If you are reading this article, either you are a gamer or are getting ready to shop for one on your list. And if you aren’t sure what to get them this year, the BGQ crew is here to help.
As usual, we’ve played the games, consulted the elf on the shelf, and have our yearly recommendations ready for you. Whether you are just looking for something small for your kids, or the next giant minis game for your significant other, we’ve got a recommendation for you. So grab a cup of hot chocolate, curl up by the fire with your tablet of choice, and let’s do some shopping!
Classic Board Games
Every year we try to start off the guide with the classics. These are games that have not only left their mark on our hobby, but have stood the test of time. If you are not sure where to start, any of these gems is a perfect choice. They have been enjoyed by countless gamers and continue to sell years later.
Ticket to Ride
Designer Alan Moon created this gem back in 2004 and it continues to make its way to gaming tables even to this day. It’s fun, accessible, and has a ton of expansions for added variety. In Ticket to Ride, you are trying to build train routes across major cities on the board. The gameplay makes this one quick to learn and fast to play. If you have played card games like Rummy or Gin, then Ticket to Ride should be an easy transition.
2-5 Players • Ages 8+ • 37 minutes • $43
Pandemic (review)
Designer Matt Leacock has created a cooperative game that has players racing against time to cure four diseases threatening the world. Pandemic is one of the most popular cooperative board games and has long since become a staple in every gamer’s collection. Pandemic is easy to learn and very challenging to win, which helps give the game high replay value. It has also inspired a number of thematic offshoots should you be looking for more Pandemic options.
2-4 Players • Ages 13+ • 45 minutes • $35
Catan (review)
Catan is the granddaddy of board games and is probably most Americans’ first experience with a “Eurogame.” In this game of trading and construction, players must build up their settlements and roads by using the island’s five resources. The game features very easy-to-learn mechanics and a healthy dose of player interaction via the importance of trading resources. Catan is a game that every gamer will probably play at least once and is one of the ultimate “gateway games.”
3-4 Players • Ages 10+ • 90 minutes • $43
7 Wonders (review)
7 Wonders is a fantastic card game that introduced players to the card drafting (pick and pass) genre. In 7 Wonders, after you select your card, you then pass your remaining hand of cards to the player sitting next to you. The gameplay is unique, it has a quick playtime, and expands all the way up to 7 players with zero loss of quality or added length. 7 Wonders is easily one of our favorite games and one we’re always willing to play.
2-7 Players • Ages 10+ • 30 minutes • $38
Carcassonne (review)
Carcassonne is a tile-laying game with almost no setup time because you build the game board as you play! In Carcassonne, players are building out cities, roads, monasteries, and farms to try to score the most victory points. Each turn, a player will draw a tile and add it to the tiles already on the table. If the player completes one of their buildings, they score victory points for it. The rules are simple, the turns quick, and the game is very accessible.
2-5 Players • Ages 8+ • 45 minutes • $34
Cooperative Board Games
Board games don’t always have to be about head-to-head competition. Sometimes, the joy of camaraderie and working together is what people crave. Cooperative board games pit you and your fellow players against the game itself. Some are more action-oriented, while others have a more puzzly nature.
Kinfire Chronicles: Nights Fall (review)
The first game from publisher Incredible Dream ended up being an excellent dungeon crawler with some unique mechanics. Kinfire Chronicles: Nights Fall tasks the heroes to protect the city of Din’Lux and help rebuild the world beyond. The diceless combat is handled through card play, yet there are also plenty of cards you play out of turn which helps keep the player interaction high. From battling monsters to exploring the world, to taking on quests from NPCs, there is always something to do in Kinfire Chronicles.
1-4 Players • Ages 12+ • 45-60 minutes • $149
AI Space Puzzle (review)
Earth as you know it is no more. You are among just a handful of survivors who managed to escape the devastation aboard a spaceship. Yet your peaceful sleep has been interrupted by a malfunctioning AI. You need to repair the ship but the AI has been damaged and its communications are garbled. In AI Space Puzzle, it’s up to you and your fellow crewmates to decipher its cryptic messages and reach the proper rooms with the correct security keys. Work together and save the ship… and humanity!
2-5 Players • Ages 8+ • 30 minutes • $29
The Mandalorian: Adventures (review)
This year saw the release of The Mandalorian: Adventures, a cooperative board game that follows around the famed Mandalorian from the Star Wars universe. This adventure game has missions based around episodes from the TV show, and its great cooperative play pulled from The Initiative, The Mandalorian Adventures drops players in the shoes of a variety of characters from Season 1 including Mando, Greef, Paz, IG-88, and more!
1-4 Players • Ages 8+ • 30-60 minutes • $49
Roll Player Adventures (review)
One of the most compelling parts of role-playing games is the narrative. Another is the character development as you level up and gain gear. A lot of the games that are RPG-like tend to be combat-heavy dungeon crawlers. Roll Player Adventures provides a more balanced mix of combat encounters and skill checks than most dungeon crawlers. Combat and skill checks are both accomplished by rolling dice and using cards to manipulate those results. Succeeding and failing will alter how the story advances. Roll Player Adventures is fully cooperative and can even be played solo with one character and the adventures will take you all over Thunderworks’ Games lands of Ullos.
1-4 Players • Ages 12+ • 90-120 minutes • $99
Dorf Romantik
This Spield des Jahres winner helped launch the “cozy” genre of board gaming. The rules are simple—draw a tile and play a tile—with the goal being to complete tasks and earn achievements. The campaign-style play also has you opening up boxes and adding in new tiles and components over the course of many games. The light ruleset of Dorf Romantik also means that it can be enjoyed by just about anyone!
1-6 Players • Ages 8+ • 30-60 minutes • $37
2023 Choices:
Marvel D.A.G.G.G.E.R.
Micro Macro Crime City
Horrified: Greek Monsters
Party Games
While the name may suggest that these are games to play at a party, they are really more about social interaction and casual gameplay. A party game can usually accommodate a large number of players (but not required) and features really simple rules with lots of interaction.
Mutton Bustin (review)
Welcome to Mutton Bustin where everything is made up and the points don’t matter. Well not really, but that’s the feel of this silly dice-rolling game. In each round, one player is rolling dice as fast as they can, while the others rolling their own dice trying to “buck off” the first player. In addition to rolling dice, the sheep players have to perform silly actions and say crazy phrases (like Hot Dogs, Hot Dogs, Get Your Hot Dogs) in between locking dice. There is a lot of action in Mutton Bustin, and all of it is silly.
2-4 Players • Ages 8+ • 15 minutes • $19
The Gang
The Gang takes the familiar mechanics of Poker and drops it into a cooperative game. Gone is the “poker face” and bluffing, and now you must work together to make sure everyone has ranked their hands from weakest to strongest. Yet it’s not as easy as it sounds because communication is limited to the form of grabbing numbered tokens each round. And once you have a feel for the gameplay, there are even challenges and boosts added in to change up the game even more!
3-6 Players • Ages 12+ • 20 minutes • $14
Flip 7
This simple push-your-luck card game was a sleeper hit from Gen Con 2024 and works great for groups of any size. In each turn in Flip 7 a player is dealt a card, and their goal is to not collect a pair. If they do, they are out and score nothing that round. Yet the longer they can stay in, the more points they will rack up. Add to that the fact that the cards in the deck are unevenly distributed, mixed with a few unique action cards, and you have a great party game.
3+ Players • Ages 5+ • 20 minutes • $13
2023 Choices:
Noobs in Space
That’s not a Hat
Fire in the Hole
Two-Player Games
Not every game needs a group of players to be enjoyable. Whether it’s simply you and a friend, or you are looking for something to play with your significant other, a 2 player game will fit the bill.
Kinfire Delve (review)
This card game takes characters from the world of Kinfire and drops them into a dice-rolling dungeon delve. Each round players will need to roll dice to tackle one of the four obstacles in their path, and while they may optionally play cards to boost their chances, your cards are also your lifeblood, so you don’t want to spend them unnecessarily. Make it all the way to the bottom of the deck and the final boss awaits you. What’s great about Kinfire Delve is that you can play cards to help your partner, helping to keep things interesting even when it’s not your turn.
1-2 Players • Ages 12+ • 45-60 minutes • $19
The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth (review)
The award-winning game 7 Wonder Duel has been rethemed into the Lord of the Rings universe. Yet this isn’t just a simple pasted-on theme as the mechanics have been updated to fit this new world. Now there is a map of Middle-Earth for you to send your armies two, and a path for the ring bearer to travel as they head to Mount Doom with the Nazgul close in pursuit. If you are shopping for a fan of The Lord of the Rings, then The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth is an excellent choice.
2 Players • Ages 10+ • 30-45 minutes • $34
Sky Team
In Sky Team, you and your copilot need to land the plane safely, yet it’s not as easy as it sounds. Each round you’ll roll 4 dice and need to play them to specific locations in the cockpit. With limited communications, you need to do your best to anticipate your fellow player’s actions. You’ll need to adjust speed, flaps, landing gears, avionics, and even clear your flight path. There is plenty to go wrong on your descent, but land the plane safely, and even more challenging missions await you.
2 Players • Ages 15+ • 10 minutes • $29
Sail
This two-player trick-taking game tasks you and your partner with navigating treacherous waters and avoiding the deadly Kraken. Each round, two cards are played into a trick, and the action of your ship will be based on the combination of cards played. Will you sail on course, or collide with the tentacle of a Kraken? The great gameplay in Sail, combined with the fantastic art from Weberson Santiago makes this one a great gift!
2 Players • Ages 10+ • 20 minutes • $29
2023 Choices:
Boop
Undaunted: Battle of Britain
7 Wonders: Duel
Eurogames
In stark contrast to war games, the eurogame prioritizes managing resources and collecting victory points over direct conflict. There are many games that fall in this category, from light to heavy, and the euro game can appeal to a broad number of gamers.
River of Gold (review)
Sail the famed river of gold from the Legend of the Five Rings universe. In this euro game, you’ll establish your trading empire as you sail down the river. You can stop to trade goods, invest in ports to improve their offerings, or maybe complete tasks for clients. In River of Gold, it’s up to you how you want to earn points and become the best merchant in the realm.
2-4 Players • Ages 10+ • 60-90 minutes • $48
Wyrmspan (review)
This follow-up to the hit Wingspan board game now lets players take care of dragons instead of birds. During the game, you’ll build a sanctuary for dragons on your own player mats across three Caves: Crimson Cavern, Golden Grotto, and Amethyst Abyss.
With lots of combos and engine building, Wyrmspan is for players who love to utilize tons of unique card combinations to chain together points. If you are shopping for someone who thinks Dragons are cooler than birds, then this is the *span to get.
1-5 Players • Ages 12+ • 90 minutes • $59
Pirates of Maracaibo
Pirates of Maracaibo is a race game that uses cards to establish the map. Players are pirates sailing through the Caribbean, exploring the islands, recruiting crew, grabbing loot, establishing black markets… you know, pirate stuff. It is a race game where players balance exploring the sea vs. getting to Maracaibo to end the round. After three rounds, the player with the most points is the best Pirate ever! If you are looking for a middle-weight Euro with SIGNIFICANT replay value (the cards used for the map are randomized, your ship has 22 upgrade slots, etc.), that is easy to learn but has tough choices.
1-4 Players • Ages 12+ • 45-120 minutes • $49
2023 Choices:
Ark Nova
The Castles of Burgundy
The White Castle
Miniatures Games
Miniatures games, or minis games as they are more often referred to, are games for people who love those little plastic figures. Whether a painter at heart or just someone who can appreciate how cool the sculptures look, minis games are more popular than ever. Most of the time the gameplay in minis games is tactical with lots of combat and dice chucking.
Star Wars Shatterpoint
A galaxy far, far, away is no stranger to miniatures games and the latest offering is Star Wars Shatterpoint. Instead of controlling legions of nameless troopers, you’ll command icon heroes from the Star Wars Universe. Obi-Wan, Darth Maul, Ashoka, and others make up your squads as you battle for objectives on 3D terrain. While the miniatures do require assembly (and painting if that’s your thing), they look absolutely amazing on your tabletop and the gameplay is just as good.
2 Players • Ages 12+ • 90-120 minutes • $130
Heroscape: Master Set – Age of Annihilation
The classic skirmish game has been brought back in a new and updated edition. Once again the light, smooth gameplay has been married with 3D stackable terrain and pre-painted minis (depending on the edition you get). The heroes and troops are from all throughout time and history, so you can have sci-fi soldiers battling valkyries while also taking on dragons and robots. Fans have been clamoring for the return of Heroscape for a long time and this year finally granted their wish!
2 Players • Ages 8+ • 60-120 minutes • $100
BattleTech Beginners Box (review)
Battletech has been around for decades and has seen quite a resurgence lately. If you ever thought about dipping your toes into this game of armored combat, the beginner’s box is a great place to start. It eases you into the rules slowly, with just a few mechs and some basic rules. You’ll know after a couple of plays if the game is for you and if you want to dive deeper into these skirmish waters.
2 Players • Ages 8+ • 120 minutes • $24
2023 Choices:
Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone
Snap Ships Tactics
Resident Evil: The Board Game
Card Games
Card games come in many shapes and varieties, but they usually lack a large game board and tons of plastic pieces. This not only makes them more budget-friendly, but also a lot easier to take with you on the go.
Ashes Reborn: Red Rains (review)
Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn is a Living Card Game that’s been around for quite a long time. It was reintroduced to fans as Ashes Reborn in a new and updated version. However, it really took on a new life over the past year or so with Ashes Reborn: Red Rains. This turns a competitive LCG into a solo/cooperative experience. You can use any existing (or new) Phoenixborn deck to take on a fiendish Chimera. Cast spells, summon allies, and work together took take down the monster before he defeats you.
1-2 Players • Ages 12+ • 30-60 minutes • $35
Sea Salt & Paper (review)
The first thing you’ll notice about Sea Salt & Paper is its great production values. It’s only a simple deck of cards, yet the artwork is all photography of original Organimi art. This creates a visually stunning game that’s also a ton of fun to play. The game has a Rummy-like feel to it as you are collecting sets of cards and occasionally playing them in front of you for bonuses. The game even has a push-your-luck mechanic where you can end the round early to try and score bonus points.
2-4 Players • Ages 8+ • 30-45 minutes • $14
Fateflip Washed Ashore (review)
This solo card game drops you on a deserted island with little memory of what happened to you. All you know is that you were on an old wooden sailing ship and must now figure out how to survive. Fateflip: Washed Ashore uses just a deck of cards and a few stat trackers to provide a narrative gaming experience over three acts. The game is small enough to be played just about anywhere, but its story and the choices to make keep things interesting.
1 Player • Ages 10+ • 35 minutes • $14
2023 Choices:
Star Wars: The Deck Building Game
Imperial Miners
Forest Shuffle
Thematic Games
Sometimes you don’t want to hunt for victory points, but instead, want a game that draws you in with its story or world. These games usually combine great production values with engaging gameplay that draws you in from the very start.
Thorgal: The Board Game
What do you get when you combine Norse mythology, interstellar travel, Atlantean legend, and fantasy and horror elements? None other than the son of Varth and Haynee, grandson of Xargos—Thorgal!—who has crash-landed on our planet and been adopted into the Viking world. Thorgal: The Board Game is a new cooperative narrative adventure from Portal Games features seven stand-alone scenarios, several characters straight from the pages of the serialized IP, and a central Book of Tales that provides flavor for each undertaking. Players utilize three fresh polynomial systems for combat, wounds, and journeys. They’ll also find a unique action selection system that can be upgraded and manipulated through their choices. Join the star-fallen warrior Thorgal.
1-4 Players • Ages 12+ • 90-120 minutes • $89
Tales from the Red Dragon Inn (review)
The Red Dragon Inn is a series of party games from Slugfest Games that’s been around for quite a while. Yet the series took a right turn with Tales from the Red Dragon Inn. No longer a simple card game, this is now a narrative dungeon crawler that takes your party on a series of adventures. What’s unique about this game is that combat is smooth and quick, with every attack hitting and doing damage, so you constantly feel like you are making progress towards your goal. For a solid fantasy dungeon crawler, Tales from the Red Dragon Inn gets top marks.
1-4 Players • Ages 10+ • 60-120 minutes • $80
Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West
Ticket to Ride is one of the most popular modern games in the world (see the classic section above). This year they merged this great route-building game with legacy game mechanics. In Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West, you’ll step into the shoes of a railway company owner in North America. Your goal is to build an empire, amass wealth, and create a railway legacy over the course of the 12-game campaign. Legacy games are full of surprises and will have you opening secret boxes, putting stickers on the board, and creating a unique experience.
2-5 Players • Ages 10+ • 20-90 minutes • $95
Tamashii: Chronicle of Ascend (review)
This cyberpunk-themed board game tasks you and your fellow players with taking on an evil AI that has dominated the world. Think The Terminator meets The Matrix. You’ll jump in and out of bodies as you take on a series of missions in this scifi world. Tamashii uses pattern matching as a form of programming to launch attacks, upgrade your character, and hack computers. The game is also scenario-based, and while it has an overarching story, the missions can really be played in any order with any group of friends. Add on some great production values and excellent gameplay and you have a winner with Tamashii: Chronicle of Ascend.
1-4 Players • Ages 12+ • 60-180 minutes • $90
2023 Choices:
Frostpunk: The Board Game
Thunder Road: Vendetta
Spirit Island
Family Games
If you are looking for games that can be played not only with family members but also non-gaming friends, then Family Games are an excellent choice. Easy-to-learn rules, friendly themes, and minimal downtime are hallmarks of the genre.
Star Realms Academy (review)
Star Realms is an award winning deck building game, and this year saw the launch of a family version. With no reading required, Star Realms Academy is the perfect entry into the deck building genre for brand new players or even kids! Play your cards, buy new ones, and attack your opponent. The rules are simple enough for even a 6 year old to play, but the gameplay still has that great Star Realms core which makes it fun even for older gamers.
2 Players • Ages 6+ • 20 minutes • $26
Blast Track (review)
This fun tile laying game has players building a roller coaster over the course of the game. The rules are simple: draw a tile and then play a tile to extend your track. There are loops, tunnels, hills, and other features to help make your track the most exciting one in the park. Blast Track is the followup to the BGQ favorite Slide Blast, with a bit more of a gamer twist on the game this time, yet still family accessible.
2-6 Players • Ages 8+ • 30 minutes • $24
In the Footsteps of Darwin (review)
Get ready to help Charles Darwin in his writing of the famed On the Origin of Species. In this tile-drafting game, you’ll sail the Beagle to grab species tiles and add them to your study board. In the Footsteps of Darwin has quite a few ways to score points and clever mechanics that make turns lightning fast. Do you want to collect different sets of animals to gain bonus points, or would you rather focus on one type of species to earn theory tiles? There are quite a few paths to victory in this game.
2-5 Players • Ages 6+ • 30 minutes • $38
2023 Choices:
The Quest Kids
Hansel and Gretel
Junk Drawer
Stock Stuffers
If you are looking for just a little something extra for someone on your list, then check out these Stocking Stuffers. These are great games that won’t break the bank, are small in size, and under $25.
Cargotraphers / Cargotraphers: Heroes (review)
Set in the world of Ulos, this game from the Roll Player universe drops the players in the shoes of the royal cartographers sent to map the territories of the Northern lands. Over the course of the game’s 4 seasons, players will compete to earn the most reputation by drawing out their map using a variety of polyomino shapes. And for those that already love Cartographers, or just want more of the goodness, the stand-alone expansions Cartographers: Heroes includes a new range of ambush monsters that are more aggressive, and Hero cards to combat those monsters on your map! And for those that truly want it all, you can also get the Collectors Edition box to store everything in one neat package!
1-100 Players • Ages 10+ • 30 minutes • $24
A Gentle Rain (review)
Some games are stressful brain burners that leave you feeling exhausted afterward. And then there is A Gentle Rain. The goal in A Gentle Rain is to place all the tiles in such a way that you can also place all 8 lilies. Place tiles, match edges, and maybe bloom a flower. A Gentle Rain is a zen-like experience for 1 player that is as peaceful to play as the name implies. It’s the type of game for a cozy evening near the fireplace with a nice cup of hot cocoa. Keep score and try and beat your highest score… or don’t and just enjoy the journey.
1 Player • Ages 4+ • 15 minutes • $19
Seaside (review)
A game that can be played just about anywhere, Seaside’s components, outside of the rulebook, consist of a canvas bag and a bunch of wooden tokens. On a player’s turn, they draw a token from the bag and decide what to do with it. Some get put in the communal sea, while others are placed in front of you. There is a push-your-luck element where you want to fill the sea to be able to grab them with other tokens, but not too much as you may just help out your opponents instead of yourself. The wooden tiles are mostly weatherproof, so you can play it at your gaming table, or even at the beach!
1-5 Players • Ages 8+ • 20 minutes • $39
Marvel Remix (review)
This spin-off of the popular card game Fantasy Realms takes that familiar gameplay and merges it with a Marvel theme. Players are dealt a hand of seven cards that contain characters, items, or locations from throughout the Marvel Universe. Then, players go about arming their characters with powerful equipment or maneuvers and use their cards to pull off epic combos. Marvel Remix is a bit of hand management and set collection in a fun little package.
2-6 Players • Ages 10+ • 20 minutes • $29
Rafter 5
In Rafter Five, you and your fellow players want to build as large a raft as possible, but you are not working together. Playing the game is simple. On your turn, lift a rafter, place a raft card on the playing area, replace the rafter, then place one of your treasure chests somewhere on the raft… ideally in a precarious position because if someone else knocks off this chest, they take it. If you collect 5 chests on your board, you are out! It’s an accessible dexterity game that fits in a small box and has a nice table presence as well.
1-6 Players • Ages 7+ • 20 minutes • $17
2023 Choices:
Scout
Super Mega Lucky Box
Deep Sea Adventure
Source: Board Game Quest
