Features•Holiday•Lists

2019 Board Game Gift Guide

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

It’s the time when we round up our very favorite picks to create a list of the best board game gifts for 2019!

This list has something for everyone on your list. Yes, all gift guides claim this, but I promise you that you’ll find something great on here whether you’re looking for yourself, your spouse, your kids, friends, grandparents, dog, or a white elephant! Okay, maybe not a dog, but definitely a white elephant!

I’ve broken everything down into these categories to help keep everything organized by age and skill.

Toddler and Preschool Games (2-4)
Kid Games (5-8)
Family Games (8 and up!)
Teens & Adult Games
Party Games
Stocking Stuffers
Gaming Accessories

Ho! Ho! Ho! Let’s Go!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our full disclaimer here.

Toddler and Preschool Games (2-4)

Go Away Monster

This is a great option for the littlest members in the family. Go Away Monster is the perfect game to introduce to kids between 18 months and 2 years of age, showing them basic game mechanics, turn taking, while also helping to encourage language development.

Roll and Play

This is more of an activity than a game, but the whole crew will enjoy jumping up and moving about the house as they roll the large plush die and perform the action. It’s perfect for kids as young as 18 months! Our little ones love it, the big siblings enjoy helping them read and do the actions, and I love sitting back and watching them have fun together without me! Christmas Miracles.

Snail Sprint

HABA always pulls through with some great games each year and Snail Sprint was one that our preschoolers just adored. The components are top notch and utterly adorable while the game offers players simple enough choices so that they can play independently and confidently. Our full review can be found here.

Need more toddler ideas? I got you! Click Here!

Kid Games (5-8)

SOS Dino

Help save the eggs and get the dinosaurs to safety before the lava takes over the board. This tile placement game has serious Christmas toy factor while still offering a great gaming experience for younger players. No gimmicks with this one! Our full review can be found here.

Zombie Kidz Evolution

Fact: In our house, this is our most played kids game of the year. One of the first legacy campaign games for kids, I love how this introduces new and more complex rules slowly over the course of many plays. It’s so fun for kids to work towards opening new envelopes and completing new objectives. It’s like a game with lots of little presents inside. Our full review can be found here.

Dinosaur Tea Party

Two dinosaur games on your list? Yes, two dinosaur games. Boys and girls alike love attending this tea party. This is a great deduction game for kids in this age range with a fun silly theme that encourages role play. Our full review can be found here.

Valley of the Vikings

This year’s Kinderspiel award winner bowls itself straight onto our gift guide! The kids are all smiles and giggles when playing this. Our full review can be found here.

My Little Scythe

This is probably my very favorite kids game of all time. From the mechanics, to the components, to how both the kids and I feel playing it, everything about the game is perfect. Read our full review here!

Family Games (8+)

Planet

This has some serious wow factor when it comes to presentation. I love the gorgeous new take on tile placement in this magnetic, 3D puzzle that has everyone trying to create the most life supporting planets. Our full review can be found here.

Quacks of Quedlinburg

Probably one of my favorite games we played in 2019. Quacks of Quedlinburg is a fantastic push your luck game that has not yet disappointed. Each game has been fun, silly, and enjoyable. Easy to teach to just about anyone. Can’t say enough good things about it!

Blue Lagoon

I love Blue Lagoon a little more each time I play it. It’s a tight area control game that plays fantastic at all player counts. Plus it’s beautiful ta-boot! Get it for the game lover in your life and crank up that Moana soundtrack in the background while you’re playing!

Honga

One of the very best family games from this year. Honga has so much going on in the game, offering players a variety of interesting choices and strategies, all while maintaining an ease of play that stays inviting and not overwhelming to younger players around the age of 8. A true family game! Our full review can be found here.

Teens and Adults

Wingspan

My favorite game from this year hands down. (Wings down? Wings up?) Build an engine of birds into your habitat reserve to score the most points from types of birds, eggs, and round goals. It’s just fantastic. It can be a little hard to track down, but if you can, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Our full review can be found here.

Cryptid

A pure deduction game, Cryptid is a quieter more thoughtful game that always ends in an exciting finish. Use your powers of deduction to track down the location of a legendary creature. All you’ll know is your one clue, so you’ll have to pay attention to what other players do or don’t do in order to track it down first. Our full review can be found here.

Targi

A two player game that is full of interesting choices and fun decisions. The unique placement mechanic and how players gain cards from the center based on the intersection points of the rows and columns their meeples on the edges of the board created is so fun. It’s a unique two player with a great depth of strategy.

Tapestry

One of the hottest games right now. And for good reason. Tapestry is fantastic. We have loved playing this over the last couple of months! There is a lot to love about the game, but if I had to narrow it down to one, I’d say that I love just how repayable it is and that with every new game I get so excited to utilize new strategies. Each play feels new while the game becomes more familiar. Read our full review here.

Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game

We have been playing Legendary for almost 8 years now and it is still our number one favorite game in our collection. If you are looking for a deck building game and especially if you are a fan of Marvel properties, this has got to be on your list! Pick up the base game, then add even more of your favorite characters through the small and large box expansions that add new cards and mechanics. It’s so much fun. I think I’ll go play it right now!

Party Games

Pictionary Air

Before you jet out of here because you just read the word Pictionary, hear me out! This is such a fun little game that is perfect for large groups and would be a holiday hit. Wrap it up for a white elephant, gift it to family member, then make them open it immediately and engage everyone in this hilariously challenging technology fueled spin on the classic game. It’s also the perfect way to humble those Pictionary showoffs!

Drop It!

Some genius took their kids’ shape blocks and made a game out of it. I’m not mad, I’m just jealous. We absolutely love this one. It’s great for kids and adults alike and very easy to modify to allow younger players to play. Such a simple, clever game.

Just One

It’s the best party game of the year, and you don’t have to take my word for it, it won the 2019 Spiel des Jahres! Just an utterly fantastic word game. You’ll be working together to help one of your teammates guess a mystery word by each writing down “Just One” clue. Every group we have played this with has loved it. I’ll be brining it to all of our family events this Christmas for sure.

Camel Up

One of the silliest betting games I’ve ever played. We’re putting it in the “party” category because it plays up to 8 and has that right dose of zany that it feels at home here as well. Everyone will be betting on five racing camels trying to win the most money. It has great components, silly art, and ridiculous moments that are sure to have you and your friends laughing and rethinking your camel racing betting futures.

Stocking Stuffers

Fantasy Realms

I love a good card game and the tight card drafting and set collection mechanics in Fantasy Realms make it absolutely addicting. You’ll draw a card then discard a card trying to make the best hand you can through combos and special abilities. Takes seconds to teach with a wide breath of possible strategies. It also has a free app to help with scoring! I love it!

Cover Your Kingdom

The spin off to the family favorite hit Cover Your Assets has arrived! Cover Your Kingdom is the punny, magical creature recruiting game you need in your life. This makes a fantastic game to gift or bring to Christmas as it teaches quick and plays 2-8! Read my full review here.

Kingdomino Duel

I’m all about a good roll & write! Kingdomino Duel has a classic feel and is a great choice for anyone looking for a light 2 player game. Read my full review here.

6 Nimmit

This is an essential card game. Not only is the game itself fun, but you can use the cards to play a wide variety of other games as well! One deck, many games!

Deep Sea Adventure

Want to find out how greedy your friends are? This is the game for you. This game comes in a nice small box, perfect for traveling and offers a fun push-your-luck experience that is easy to teach and plays quick. Win win!

Gaming Accessories

Maybe you are looking for something special to enhance the experience of playing a game. Here are four of my favorites!

Card Holders

Holding cards can be difficult for little hands. These card holders are my favorite to use with my kids. They sit on their own on the table and cards can be added and removed easily. Even better, they’re beautiful and come in a pack of four! If you have multiple kids, you can buy one box, add one card rack to each of their stockings and call it a win!

Dice Tower

If you play a lot of dice games or D&D, a dice tower could be something you’d really enjoy. Not only to they ensure a quality roll every time (that sounds amazing!), but it also keeps the roll contained in the tray so the dice do not go rolling off the table onto the floor.

I can’t say enough good things about MageWood Gaming’s hand crafted hardwood dice towers. David’s towers are absolutely stunning. We love ours! It makes such a beautiful statement on the table and adds to the experience. He has multiple hardwoods to choose from so your tower can match your tastes perfectly. It makes the perfect gift!

Bit Bowls

Bit bowls are helpful to keep all of the bits and pieces of your game organized and passed around the table. We use IKEA bowls and condiment cups currently but I also love the foldable styles with the snap sides.

Game mats

Neoprene gaming mats really up the play experience. I love how a game mat provides a great base for everything that makes cards and components easier to pick up. We picked up a Big Viking Mat and have so far been very pleased with it. They come in a couple different, non-distracting colors and a variety of sizes to fit your needs and/or table.