Gifts For Board Game Lovers – Unique Board Games
Finding the perfect gift for a board game lover can be a challenge, especially if they already have a collection that rivals a small game store. But don’t worry—whether you’re shopping for a seasoned strategist who loves complex challenges or someone who just enjoys the fun and camaraderie of game night, we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ve scoured the world of board games to bring you a carefully curated list of unique and captivating games that will stand out, even in the most impressive collection.
These aren’t just your typical, run-of-the-mill games. We’ve selected innovative titles that offer fresh mechanics, immersive themes, and gameplay experiences that are sure to surprise and delight. From strategy-heavy games that will keep players engaged for hours, to quick and quirky picks perfect for a casual evening with friends, there’s something here for every type of gamer.
Whether you’re looking to introduce someone to the latest hits in the gaming world or uncover a hidden gem that will be a new favorite, our selection is designed to make your gift-giving experience a breeze. Get ready to find that perfect board game that will not only be a great addition to their collection but will also create memorable moments around the table for years to come!
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The History of Board Games
We will start with book with an amazing researched insights on the mechanisms of games, the author adds his unique insight drawing upon 20 years of experience as a professional games researcher, critic and game inventor to explore lesser-known and experimental games. Games covered in this entertaining title include Alquerque; backgammon; chess; Cluedo; Draughts; Fox & Geese; Go; Halma; Ludo; Monopoly; Noughts & Crosses; Oware; Pachisi; Scrabble; Snakes & Ladders; solitaire; Trivial Pursuit are included, along with many more.
The Best Active Games
Dodgeball at Home Game
Players: 2-6
Ages: 7+
Average Playing time: 15 Minutes
Type: Dodgeball Card Game
Learn in: 5 Minutes
The World’s First Dodgeball Card Game, collect matching sets of cards faster than your opponents while simultaneously ducking, dodging and throwing squishy airborne burritos.A simple, easy and super fun game for kids and adults. Before buying this, be aware that it’s best played in a big enough room where you can’t break things! This game has also the outdoor edition with huge inflated airborne burritos or even the Avocado edition, either stand alone game or as a combo Burrito/Avocado.
The Shocking Game
Players: 1-4
Ages: 14+
Type: Electronic
This Lightning Reaction Reloaded game is shockingly fun, each player grabs a handle from the base then press the button in the center, watch the red light blink and listen to the suspenseful music play. Wait for it…. when the red light turns green GO! Press the trigger button as quickly as possible, be the last to react and get the electric shock. Kind of a “Green light, green light” game from the hit Squid Game TV series, it has a low, medium and high setting to how much electric shock can you take…very little or electrifying, but don’t worry you will always survive!
Half Foosball, Half Air Hockey
Players: 2
Ages: 8+
Average Playing time: 10 Minutes
Type: Half Foosball, Half Air Hockey
Klask was ranked as the #1 party game of 2015 in Sweden and Norway! Ideal for parties big and small, families, or just couples having a game night, Klask is fun is great gift for game board lovers. Get your hand under the table! Try to score but watch out for the hole! Use your magnetic handle and striker to defend your half, avoid the biscuits (magnets) and send the ball flying into your opponent’s goal to score. Be careful not to land your striker in your own goal!
The Solo Skill Game
Players: 1
Ages: 9+
Type: Solo skill game
Pindaloo is a juggling game which is both challenging and fun. Whatever your age, you’ll hone your motor skills and improve your hand to eye coordination as you master the basics of play, and go on to develop your own cool tricks. They can even challenge their friends for the longest run or coolest tricks.
The Telephone Party Game
Players: 4-8
Ages: 12+
Average Playing time: 15-30 Minutes
Type: Sketch game
Learn in: 3 Minutes
The outrageously fun party game Telestrations will keep everyone entertained and laughing! Draw what you see then guess what you saw for hilarious and unpredictable outcomes. Casual, family, party and strategy gamers alike all agree that Telestrations is one of the top 10 board games to add to their game collection, and game night. It’s an engaging game that can be played over and over with many different ages and types of groups/gatherings – No drawing skills required which makes it a perfect group game. See how it’s played on this YouTube video.
The Best Dice Games
The Bluffing Dice Game
Players: 2-8
Ages: 8+
Average Playing time: 15 Minutes
Type: Dice game
Learn in: 5 Minutes
Bluff your way to victory in this hilarious dice game! Bamboozled is party style bluffing game where players must roll the dice and tie or beat the previous player, but if they don’t they have to bluff, watch the how to play YouTube video here and you will surely be love it. Fast and fun new game that is great for kids, teens, adults, families, parties, game nights, and pretty much everything in-between which makes it the perfect board game lover gift.
The Best Card Games
A Russian Roulette Card Game
Players: 2-10
Ages: 7+
Average Playing time: 15 Minutes
Type: Card game
Learn in: 2 Minutes
A Kitten-Powered Russian Roulette Exploding Kittens Party Card Game for up to 10 players. Purr-fect party game for family and friends who are into kittens and explosions and laser beams and sometimes goats suitable for all occasions, including a family game night, beach trip, road trip or drinking with friends! Easy to learn…. If you draw an Exploding Kitten, you lose and you are full of loser sad-sauce. All the other cards in the deck help you avoid or mitigate your risk of drawing an Exploding Kitten. If you don’t explode, YOU WIN! Loved by millions this Game Of The Year Award Winner sold more than 10 million copies sold, breaking records in kids games, adult games and everything in between. Check this YouTube video to see how it’s played.
Adults Only Party Game
Players: 4+
Ages: 17+
Average Playing time: 30-60 Minutes
Type: Card game
Learn in: 2 Minutes
This hilariously twisted “That’s what she said” party game will surely bring a lot of laughs, all the cards within the game are designed to work together to maximize the evening’s hilarity and minimize those awkward well-that-wasn’t-funny moments. After each round, players can discard one card that doesn’t tickle their pickle and redraw to keep their hand funny and fresh. The player known to be the most twisted of the bunch is the first judge, and starts the game by reading a red setup card to the group, while the remaining players select the most hilarious card from their hand for consideration. The judge awards the winner the red setup card as a marker, and the first player to collect five setup cards wins.
Hilarious Family Party Game
Players: 4+
Average Playing time: 30-90 Minutes
Type: Card game
Learn in: 1 Minute
If you liked the adult game above but you are looking for a family game, this is the perfect gift for board game lovers, it has the same concept but this Kids Against Maturity is a family game, with age-appropriate toilet humor and funny innuendos for the adults, it can be enjoyed by all ages. Each player gets 10 white answer cards and takes turns asking the blue question cards. Each question asker chooses the funniest answer, and the player with the highest amount of most amusing responses, wins the game. Best results when played with 4 players or more.
Surprisingly Strategic Game
Players: 2-4
Ages: 7+
Average Playing time: 10 Minutes
Type: Card game
Learn in: 3 Minutes
Taco vs Burrito, a wildly popular surprisingly strategic card game created by a 7 year old Alex Butler, that grossed over $1 million. Basic gameplay and easy to master but the action cards shift the game into unpredictable territory, exciting up to the very last card! Super fun game for the borad game lovers. Check out this YouTube video to see how it’s played.
Picture Matching Card Game
Players: 2-8
Ages: 6+
Average Playing time: 10 Minutes
Type: Card game
Learn in: 1 Minutes
This fun for all ages Spot it! Card game will be a nice addition for board game lover’s collection, has five different games modes that test who’s the fastest to spot matching symbols and call them out! Believe me, it is harder than it seem, sometimes you are staring at the pictures thinking you don’t have a match while the cards are designed in a way that there is always a matching picture.
Card Game For Two
Players: 2
Ages: 8+
Average Playing time: 20 Minutes
Type: Card game
Learn in: 10 Minutes
Expansion packs available for up to 6 Player battle game: 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 2v2v2, or free-for-all
Described as “combat Yahtzee” and extremely addictive, Dice throne is a game of intriguing dice, tactical card play, powerful heroes, and unique abilities. Attack opponents and activate abilities by rolling your hero’s unique set of five dice, accumulate combat points and spend them on cards that have a large range of effects, such as granting permanent hero upgrades, applying status effects, and manipulating dice directly. And as a plus, it has amazing art.
Be The Bad Guy Game
Players: 2-4
Ages: 13+
Average Playing time: 30 Minutes
Type: Card game
Learn in: 10 Minutes
Since its launch in 2013, Boss Monster has become a best selling card game and a fan favorite across the globe. In this top selling card game you get to be the bad guy, luring in hapless heroes and slaying them. To slay those heroes you’ve got an arsenal of traps and monster at your disposal. Build out the minotaur’s maze to slow heroes down, or uncover a bottomless pit to catch them, this game never gets boring, every game is different with 75 room cards to employ. And don’t worry if it looks a bit complicated, filled with unique art and fun references but it’s still quick and easy to learn. Check out this YouTube video to learn how to play it.
A Marvel Game
Players: 1-4
Ages: 14+
Average Playing time: 30-45 Minutes
Type: Deck Building Game
Learn in: 4 Minutes
For the board game lovers and marvel fans, players choose a number of hero decks from the likes of Spider-man, Hulk, Cyclops or Wolverine then choose a mastermind villain (Magneto, Loki, Dr. Doom, etc.) and stack that particular villain’s attack cards underneath it. See how it’s played via this 4 minute YouTube video.
The Game That Makes You a Hilarious Storyteller
Players: 4-11
Ages: 16+
Average Playing time: 1 hour
Type: Funny Party Game
Learn in: 4 Minutes
The Best Board Games
A Cooperative Board Game
Players: 1-6
Ages: 10+
Average Playing time: 60 Minutes
Type: Cooperative Board Game
Learn in: 6 Minutes
In this cooperative board game they either win or lose together, but only the player with the most victory points is declared the Master Slayer. To win, players must play through all 49 Monster tokens, slaying all the Monsters that are revealed. Players lose if the Monsters destroy all the Castle Towers. This fun board game may be played as a solitaire game and even has rules variations which allow for customization of difficulty.
The Railway Board Game
Players: 2-5
Ages: 8+
Average Playing time: 30-60 Minutes
Type: Train adventure board game
Learn in: 15 Minutes
Players collect train cards that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who can fulfill their Destination Tickets and to the player who builds the longest continuous railway. This is the prefect gift for game board lovers, especially if they own an Echo device which allows you to play against Alexa… say “Alexa, launch Ticket to Ride” and they can play against Alexa.
Not The Usual Trivia Board Game
Players: 2-12
Ages: 14+
Average Playing time: 15 Minutes
Type: Trivia
Learn in: 5 Minutes
An addictively entertaining trivia game where it will only be a matter of time before you hear yourself say, ahhh!… I should have known that! In contrast to traditional trivia formats, you don’t receive points for answering questions correctly, instead, points are subtracted for every incorrect answer! A fun, educational game which can also by played individually or in teams, recommended max of 3 to a team, playing as many as 12 people in total (4 teams).
The Pandemic Board Game
Players: 2-4
Ages: 8+
Average Playing time: 45 Minutes
Type: Cooperative Board Game
Learn in: 5 Minutes
Now that we lived through a real life pandemic maybe it’s time to take matter with your own hands in this fun cooperative board game. You and others get to travel around the world, treat local populations, and collect sets of City cards to complete research. Make sure to contain the spread, if there are too many outbreaks, you’ll lose the game. Watch this how to play YouTube video to get a feel of the game.
