As this year comes to an end and the holiday season quickly approaches, it is time to start shopping for your friends and family. If you are shopping for a board game aficionado this holiday season, you might not know where to start when it comes to the world of tabletop board games, but fortunately, we have you covered. Whether it’s strategy, family-friendly, legacy, or party games, check out our list for our favorite board games to give as gifts this holiday season.
Download our Game On! Products Color Guide
Pandemic
With 2020 being known as the year of the pandemic, this game was included for both ironic purposes and its gameplay. Pandemic has been a favorite in the board game community for over a decade. This co-op board game casts you and other players as scientists working to discover cures to several diseases that have broken out across the world.
Catan:
Catan is a classic strategy board game that has been a longtime favorite since 1995. Catan is a civilization-building game in which players collect resources to create settlements, cities, and roads which earn them points. Between bartering with other players, building an army, and blocking other players from invading, Catan is strategic, interactive, and fun to play. This game has a longer playtime, so be sure to have the snacks on hand. This game is perfect for strategic game players with a competitive nature.
Root:
As featured in our 3 New Tabletop RPGs in 2020 blog, Root is a strategy board game set in a forest kingdom. You and your party play as poor woodland animals (a wolf, a fox, or a cat) seeking to control the forest. This game does require a bit of strategy and may be slightly more complicated for younger players, but the adorable illustrations and art style of this game make it very appealing for players of all ages.
Ticket to Ride:
Ticket to Ride is one of the more family-friendly, accessible board games for players of all ages. An interest in trains is not required but a little bit of strategy is. In this board game, you will score points by building train routes throughout the country. Whether you choose to build long routes, block an opponent’s, or build a bunch of shorter ones in order to score points fast, there is plenty to think about while playing.
Wavelength:
For the holiday parties coming up, it might be handy to have some entertainment on hand. Wavelength is a great party game, even for people who do not usually play games too. We all know that party games are often more social than strategic and made to accommodate a larger group of people. As a result, there are few rules to learn and players must read between the lines to understand the gameplay. Wavelength is a game that puts your psychic and mindreading skills to the test as you guess what is written on the other player’s card. Whether you play in teams for larger groups or individually, this game is sure to make you laugh and excite you with every turn.
Gloomhaven:
If you’re looking for a deep, captivating role-playing game to lose yourself in, then look no further. Gloomhaven is insanely deep with gameplay that will spread across multiple sessions. This game is like a bite-size introduction to tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. In Gloomhaven you are a wandering mercenary in search of loot while battling monsters in turn-based combat. This game allows you to choose your own adventure with over 50 missions to run through, thus allowing for replayability time and time again. While this game is one of the pricier options, for the committed players it could be a worthwhile investment.
Cosmic Encounter:
First published in 1977, Cosmic Encounter has been through numerous editions since first launched. You and your party take reigns of a unique alien race with the aim to establish colonies on rival planets. Each game is unique depending on how players choose to negotiate, place their ships, and play their cards. Cosmic Encounter is not like traditional attack and defense games but once you get the hang of the setup, the game truly is out of this world.
Betrayal at the House on the Hill:
Betrayal at House on the Hill is the perfect game for horror and suspense fans. This game follows a group of characters as they enter a creepy haunted mansion and explore the various rooms. The players are on the same team – at first but you will soon realize that betrayal is on the horizon. This game has over 40 different scenarios with thrilling storylines and a high level of replayability.
Whether you choose a classic board game or 2020 new release, as long as it entertains, you cannot go wrong. We hope our 2020 holiday board game gift guide makes your shopping trip a little easier. We wish you luck and happy holidays!
