Christmas Gift Suggestions: Board Game Edition
Sharing some of my family's favourites, and why we love them
Please be aware that there are Amazon Affiliate links in this post. If you make a purchase using these links, I will receive a small compensation. I will never recommend something I don’t agree with.
I’m not quite sure where 2025 went after the spring, but here we are… one month away from Christmas!
I know it may be hard to see through Substack articles but I actually have a lot of different interests, and I thought I’d offer some suggestions based on a few of my favourite things… board games!!!
I’m an avid board game player, and my family has been collecting board games for the past fifteen years. Here are some of my favourites broken down into four different categories - Simple & Quick, Medium Level Games, Cooperative Games, and one Big Beasty Game you may enjoy.
Simple & Quick
These are games that are easy to learn, easy to teach, and fun for all ages. They make it to our table often, are great for family get togethers, or a fun with friends. Basically - they’re party games, something my husband recently realized was missing from our collection and has been working hard to include.
Flip 7
A favourite no matter what! Whenever we take it somewhere, people end up on their phones looking for ways to get their own copy. My eight year old niece is awesome at this game. She has more self-control than her Aunt, that’s for sure.
Simple Rules - With the exception of 0, which has one card, each number has that many cards in the deck. Like Blackjack, you can choose to accept another card or stay. Don’t get double numbers, or you bust. Add in a few extra cards like “Freeze” where you can stop other players from gaining cards, and it’s even more fun. If you “Flip 7” number cards without busting, the round ends and you get fifteen extra points.
Players: 3+
The Gang
Do you like Poker? Have you ever wanted to play cooperative Poker? I know, it seemed confusing to me, too. But The Gang does just that. You’re working together to break into the vault in a daring heist. Through a secret message system you attempt to deduct whose hand is better in a range from worst to best.
This game can be up to six rounds but I don’t think we’ve ever got that far. If you succeed three times, you win. Be careful not to set off the alarms though, which follow the three strikes your out rule. Depending on if you win or lose, the next round is easier or more difficult.
Players: 3-6
Medium Level Games
These games include a little more strategy than simple party games. They take a little longer, and there’s a little more involved when it comes to teaching others how to play. I’ll be honest, it’s hard to narrow down the list of my favourites. These are by no means my “Top 2,” they’re just two I really enjoy.
A Place for All My Books
Are you an avid reader with no shelf control? I love this game for its theme, and it’s mechanics. You’re trying to shelf books throughout your house according to different goals you want to achieve. You can go to town to visit the library, read in the park, or visit the bookstore but be careful not to exhaust your social battery. There are also fun little upgrades for your house that you can purchase to add points to your final tally.
I picked this one up off Kickstarter, and my husband went along with it but he was skeptical. When it came in, he enjoyed it as much as I did! It’s a clever little game about organizing books. What more could an introvert ask for?
Players: 1-4
Rock Hard: 1977
This game has hit my table so much since we picked it up. We also enjoy taking it with us to teach to others. While the rules may seem complicated to begin with, the actual game play is very intrinsic. Not to mention, the theme is spot on. You’re trying to become a big rockstar while balancing a job, recording demos, and working on getting more reputation, chops, and songs. Sugar can help, but be careful you don’t overdo it or you’ll be sent to recovery.
This really is an exceptional game. I can’t say enough good things about it.
I couldn’t find this one on Amazon, so you may have to check out your friendly local game store.
Players: 2-5
Cooperative Games
Looking for something that’s fun but doesn’t include a lot of competition between the players? How about cooperative games, where you’re working together against the game to win as a team.
Flock Together
The premise for this game is near and dear to me. You play as a group of chickens working together to protect each other, and your coop, from predators. As a chicken owner, this is such a great game. As a board game lover, the theme, components, mechanics, and quality are beautiful. Did I mention it’s FULL of puns!? You can play as Atilla the Hen, and I heard there’s an expansion coming where you can play as Cluck Norris.
You go out into the yard to forage, come back to the coop to lay eggs, and your chicken grows from a chick, to a pullet/cockerel, to a hen/rooster. Defeat the predators to gain cool upgrades, and try to make it through the seasons.
**Special note: I’m not including an Amazon affiliate link for this one because it’s ridiculously priced. If you’re in Canada check 401Games, Board Game Bliss, your local store, or Board Game Oracle.
Players: 1-5
Dorfromantik
Dorfromantik is based on the popular videogame but I’ll be honest, I’d never heard of the game when I picked this one up for our collection. There’s a reason this game won the Spiel des Jahres in 2023. It’s a simple, calm game where you work together to complete the different objectives. As you progress along the campaign you’ll get the opportunity to open boxes that have new content to help you in later games. Bonus: It’s really easy to reset the game back to the beginning, so you can play the campaign over and over again.
Dorfromantik is also a great solo game, although playing two campaigns at once can become a bit confusing.
Players: 1-6
Big Beasty Game
I love it when a game takes a couple hours to play. I don’t even care if I win, I just love the time spent puzzling over them, and trying to figure out my next play. That’s where this category comes from. These are games that a complex (“crunchy” is the term we use in the board game world), and you can sink your teeth into.
Last year I recommended Ark Nova, and it’s still my all-time favourite game. But, in the interest of sharing new content, here is another game that takes some time, and offers lots of fun.
Return to Dark Tower
Return to Dark Tower has a huge, beautiful table presence. Technically a cooperative game, you work together to defeat the tower. While there’s an app component, it doesn’t overtake the game, and there’s still lots of think-y strategy to be had. The app also connects to the tower, which spins and dumps tiny skull onto the game board.
We’ve played this a few times, and haven’t won once but we still love it. It’s a gorgeous game, but an incredibly price-y one as well. I recommend checking Board Game Oracle to see where you can get the best price because I doubt you’ll find it on Marketplace.
Players: 1-4
What are some of your favourite games? I’d love to hear them!