Board games are such a great way to bring people together and make wonderful gifts. The board game industry just keeps putting out amazing games. We have gone through many of the new games and curated a list of games that have caught our attention, plus fit a wide range of ages, styles, and experience. Not to mention some themes that will grab your attention. We created a list with something for every member of the family in mind, plus gaming accessories that can be gifts alone or paired with a game.

Games for the Whole Family

Next Station Paris

Next Station Paris is the latest flip and write in the Next Station series. Each city in the series has something special and unique. For Paris it is the monuments. Players flip cards and simultaneously mark their sheet so play moves quickly. The game, as with the first two, is played over 4 rounds with 4 different colored pencils.

Tacta

Age:7+
Players: 2-6
Buy Tacta Here on Amazon

Easy to learn and quick to play, Tacta is a card laying game. Players match shapes on the cards, and try to cover dots on their opponent’s cards. With more strategy than expected, you need to choose carefully where you place the next card. The size of the play area is only limited by the size of the table, so the play area can accommodate the space players have available.

Hutan

Age: 8+
Players: 1-4
Buy Hutan here on Amazon

Set in and named for the beautiful Indonesian forest, players work to create a vibrant rainforest. Hutan has a mix of drafting and tile laying flowers. Once players lay two layers of flowers, they can then grow trees. A full area of tree draws in a native creature. Hutan has beautiful components and table presence, and is easy to learn, yet jam packed with strategy. Plus, there are variations to make the game easier or more difficult to best suit the players at the table.

Combo

Age: 10+
Players: 2-6
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Combo takes a little bit of a bunch of different familiar gaming elements and turns them into something special. It is a competitive game with shared cards that do require some cooperation. Players are trying to make combinations of cards to form Poker like sets. The twist is it’s the cards played out used to collaboratively make these combos. Only the players who have cards as part of the strongest combination score points.

Biomos

Age: 8+
Players: 1-4
Buy Biomos here on Amazon

Build your planet by matching the terrain with the point cards. The game has three different game modes (standard mode, family mode, and solo mode), so players can find the mode that best fits the gaming group. The planet cards are well designed to hold the exact number of terrains, and the components are beautiful. See how your planet evolves as you build the terrain.

Games For the Experienced Gamer

Some of us have that gamer in our lives, or are that gamer, that loves more complex games. These are new games that will be a good fit for those who like more complexity and components to their games.

Australis

Age: 10+
Players: 2-4
Buy Australis here on Amazon

A beautiful strategy game with high quality components set in the East Australian Current. Players are Sea Turtles trying to earn the most points in the sea. On their turns, players draft dice to feed fish, settle coral, or swim further and build your ecosystem engine. The game allows different ways to victory so players can find the strategy they prefer.

Horrified Dungeons and Dragons

Age: 10+
Players: 1-5
Buy Horrified Dungeons and Dragons here on Amazon

Fight against the iconic monsters from Dungeons and Dragons: The Red Dragon, Displacer Beast, Beholder and a Mimic. In this cooperative game, each player selects one of the five heroes based on the classic heros: wizard, rogue, fighter, cleric, or bard. Of course, each has their own special abilities and skills to help succeed on their journey in Waterdeep.

Gwent

Age: 14+
Players: 1-5
Buy Gwent here on Amazon

For fans of The Witcher 3 video game, the mini game Gwent has been turned into a physical game. It has the same game play and cards from the video game. Players can take the strategies they had perfected as they played the mini game, and bring it right to the table. Now fans of Gwent can play it with their friends and family. There are multiple modes of play including up to four players and solo.

Updated Games

A few games that have become foundational to expanding hobby games to more players have been updated in a few ways. This is the perfect time for fans of these games to get a fresh copy or share the game with friends and family.

Catan

Age: 10+
Players: 3-4
Buy Catan here on Amazon

Catan was released in the United States in1996 and has been a “new classic” in the board game world. In Catan, players build settlements, cities and roads. Players need to spend resources such as sheep, wheat, wood, brick and ore. The 6th edition of Catan was released this year, and there are some noteworthy updates. First the artwork and components have been revamped and enhanced. The most significant update is that the rulebook has been revised to make it more streamlined and easier to read and understand the rules for a new player.

Splendor

Age: 10+
Players: 2-4
Buy Splendor here on Amazon

In Splendor, players take on the role of Renaissance merchants collecting gems. This engine builder has long been a gateway game into the engine building mechanic. For the 10th anniversary the game has been updated. These updates include fresh artwork, updated colors to improve the readability, and revisions to the rulebooks for clarity.

Ticket to Ride

Age: 8+
Players: 2-5
Buy Ticket to Ride here on Amazon

The quintessential gateway game, Ticket to Ride is the game which has brought so many people into the board game hobby. Originally released in 2004, players use the mechanics of set collection and area control to build train routes and try to meet their personal objective. A refresh was released this year with updated artwork, larger cards, and three new ticket cards.

Party Games

Caution Signs

Age: 8+
Players: 3-9
Buy Caution Signs here on Amazon

A hilarious drawing party game. Each sketcher gets two cards, a Descriptor Card and a Subject Card. Those get combined to make a silly drawing. Once drawings are completed in secret, the descriptor cards as well as Subject cards used are mixed together plus additional ones added in. Players then have to guess which cards make a set to match the pictures.

Flip 7

Age: 8+
Players: 3+
Buy Flip 7 here on Amazon

There are some games that every family should have in their basic gaming collection, and Flip 7 is one of them. Easy to learn, engaging, quick playing and good for a wide range of players. The goal is to flip over seven unique cards successfully. Flip 7 has a push your luck element, and a higher risk to bust with higher card numbers. Will you get the bonus by collecting 7 cards, or bust trying?

The Cat Mitt Game

The Cat Mitt Game is a ridiculous fast paced dexterity game. Players are trying to shake treat cubes out of the treat ball while wearing mitts. They then drag the treat to their treat card and onto their kitty card. This silliness is magnified by the player to the left rolling dice frantically trying to end the active player’s turn by rolling a double meow.

Games for Younger Gamers

Dizzy Duckies

Age 18 months- 5 Years
Buy Dizzy Duckies here on Amazon

Dizzy Duckies is a game for the very youngest gamers. Designed to grow as the child grows. The difficulty can be increased by having the memory games get more challenging. Kids can learn colors, shapes, feelings, and develop their fine motor skills with this adorable game.

Push Push Penguins

Push Push Penguins is a cute roll and move game with a few twists. Players are trying to get to the finish line, but there is an Orca in their way and the first penguin is scared away. The second player to the finish line is the winner. Penguins are also pushed along and can be bumped by the penguins behind them. With simultaneous dice rolling to determine movement, the game plays quickly and has minimal downtime.

Disney Villainous Unstoppable

Age: 7+
Players: 2-4
Buy Disney Villainous Unstoppable here on Amazon

Take on the role of one of four classic Disney villains to complete your personal goal. For fans of the Villainous series or just a Disney fan, this is a wonderful first step into that world. With many elements that translate to the original games, Villainous Unstoppable is a much easier and accessible game for younger and more novice players.

Board Game Accessories

Being a gamer lends itself to collecting. Sometimes it is challenging to find an amazing fit or you want to get something that is not a new game. Perhaps you need a small item for a small holiday container. There are great accessories that can enhance the gaming experience for a huge range of gamers.

Game Storage On the Shelf

Storage of board games can get challenging. Depending on your storage situation you may need to store them on their sides instead of laying flat. One item I have invested in are bands to hold the box closed and minimize the change of pieces falling out. This also helps with traveling with games where the lid is a smidge loose.

Click here for Silicone Rubber Bands on Amazon

Click here for Elastic Box Bands on Amazon

Traveling with Games

There are bags for carrying games, and then there are bags! You can get a more basic tote bag to bring your latest favorite to game night, or go all out on a special game hauling backpack or tote.

Click here for a USA Board Game Bag