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

13 Beavers

Age: 7+
Players: 2-6
Playtime: 30-45 minutes
Gameplay: Push Your Luck
Publisher: Format Games
Buy 13 Beavers here on Amazon

Take a wild ride down the river and try to be the first to get your beaver to Paradise. In this push your luck game players are trying to guess if the next number in the deck is higher or lower than the face up card. Guess right, and you move your beaver forward. Guess wrong, and your beaver has to go back to their dam. Along your journey you will encounter fishing, wolves, lava, and rapids. This hilarious game is great fun for all ages!

Trio

Age: 8+
Players: 3-6
Playtime: 15 minutes
Gameplay: Memory, Set Collection
Publisher: Happy Camper
Buy Trio here on Amazon

Three is (unsurprisingly) the key number in Trio. Players are collecting three cards of the same number and trying to be the first person to collect three sets of three. The other path to victory is to collect the set of sevens. This light card game relies a little bit on luck and a bit on memory too. Players are trying to make a trio of the same number by revealing card(s) from the field or reveal the highest or lowest card from any player’s hand. Cards continue to be revealed until either a trio is made or a card not matching is revealed. There is also a spicy mode for an additional challenge, and a team mode.

Crossbows &Catapults

Age: 7+
Players: 2
Playtime: 20-30 minutes
Gameplay: Dexterity
Publisher: Restoration Games and Goliath Games
Buy Crossbows & Catapults Castle Battle here on Amazon
Buy Crossbows & Catapults Fortress War here on Amazon

For anyone with nostalgia, there is a remake of the 1983 game in partnership with Goliath and Restoration Games. There are two versions of the game available, the base game, Castle Battle and the deluxe edition with more pieces and options, Fortress War. This dexterity game has your launching projectiles on your catapult to destroy your opponent’s castle and army. Can your army keep your castle safe?

Gap

Age: 8+
Players: 2-6
Playtime: 10 minutes
Gameplay: Set Collection
Publisher: Arcane Wonders
Buy Gap here on Amazon

A light simple card game for families, Gap is a set collection game with a twist. Players are trying to collect cards of the same color to make sets. However the numbers on the card and their adjacent number impact the numbers you can take and place from the center field Your score is based on the number of cards you have the most and least of within the same colors. Gameplay is very quick with most games talking about ten minutes. The small box also makes this a great portable game or perfect to fit in a small container.

Wrath of Fire Mountain

Age: 8+
Players: 2-4
Playtime: 30 minutes
Gameplay: Area Control, Dice resolution
Publisher: Gamewright
Buy Wrath of Fire Mountain here on Amazon

This prehistoric strategy game has players trying to dominate the land, and bring dinosaurs to their aid. On the players turn they roll dice to determine what options they have. Based on the dice pieces can be placed or moved. Players need to be on the lookout for tremors (where the tiles of the board shifts) or eruptions. When an eruption occurs, that’s the end of an era and the region is scored, but that is not necessarily the end of the game. Rather, the game ends when a player reaches the points target.

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.

Gnome Hollow

Age: 12+
Players: 2-4
Playtime: 45-60 minutes
Gameplay: Set Collection, Worker Placement, Tile Laying
Publisher: The Op
Buy Gnome Hollow here on Amazon

Join the world of Gnome Hollow and build your mushroom path to collect mushrooms. This game incorporates several mechanics including set collection, worker placement, and tile placement. The artwork is stunning, and the base components are very nice. Additionally, storage for all the pieces is well thought out with designated spaces inside the box. The player boards are even magnetic to make keeping track even easier. Plus, deluxe components can also be purchased to make the game even more special. There are multiple paths to victory, and players are trying to have the most points at the end of the game.

Horrified: World of Monsters

Age: 10+
Players: 1-5
Playtime: 60 minutes
Gameplay: Cooperative Strategy
Publisher: Ravensburger
Buy Horrified World of Monsters here on Amazon

The latest game in the Horrified game series, Horrified: World of Monsters includes new gameplay, with a multi-phase challenge. There is gameplay similar to the original Horrified game. The monsters in this game each have their own challenges to overcome. Players will battle the Sphinx, Yeti, Jiangshi, and Cthulhu. While this is a stand alone game, it is compatible with Horrified: Greek Monsters, which was released last year. There are directions to mix and match the monsters between the games.

Horrified: Greek Monsters

Age: 10+
Players 1-5
Playtime: 60
Gameplay: Cooperative Strategy
Publisher: Ravensburger
Buy Horrified Greek Monsters here on Amazon

Take on the famous monsters from Greek mythology in Horrified Greek Monsters. This takes the well-known game Horrified, where players fight classic monsters, and challenges the players to work together to save the Isle of Elysium. The monsters include: Minotaur, Cerberus, Chimera, Medusa, Basilisk, and Siren. They all have unique abilities and challenges so different combinations will change the game each time you play and allow you to scale the difficulty. An additional lair mechanic has been added to this game, and you discover the lair of the monster before defeating them.

Mycelia

Age: 9+
Players: 1-4
Playtime: 45 minutes
Gameplay: Deck Building, Grid Movement
Publisher: Ravensburger
Buy Mycelia here on Amazon

Some games have a component that is unique and eye-catching, in Mycelia that is the Shrine of Life with the dew drops. The art and components of the game are just beautiful and look stunning set out on the table. Besides being beautiful this deck builder adds in other components to make a captivating game. Plus, there is also a solo mode, which adds to the flexibility of playing the game. The game board is also double sided to increase the variability.

Party Games

Block Party

Age: 8+
Players: 2-6
Playtime: 15-20 minutes
Gameplay: Party Game
Publisher: Big Potato Games
Buy Block Party here on Amazon

Channel your creativity to build a picture with blocks that looks like the target object. Block Party has everyone at the table scrambling for cubes. One player is the guesser, and the remaining players select and build one of the items listed on their card for the round. To make it ever harder, there is a challenge each round to gain more points. The aesthetic of the game harkens to Minecraft with the cubes reminiscent of pixels. Block Party takes just minutes to learn and gets everyone laughing. Plus, you do not need a big group to play, there is a two-player mode.

That Escalated Quickly

Age: 10+
Players: 2-8
Playtime: 10 minutes
Gameplay: Party Game
Publisher: Exploding Kittens
Buy That Escalated Quickly here on Amazon

Take an absurd situation and answer the question with an intensity level based on a secret predetermined number. This game encourages creative and ridiculous answers. The hilarity continues as the reader has to then put the answers in order based on how they interpret the intensity. The goal is to put them in the correct order, which is much harder than it seems.

DaDaDa

Age: 8+
Players: 2+
Playtime: 15-30 minutes
Gameplay: Party Game
Publisher: The Op
Buy DaDaDa here on Amazon

Creating a new language was never so fun. In Dadada players are assigning single syllable cards to image cards to try and communicate with other players. This one-of-a-kind game which works with a small or large group. You will never look at language and names of objects the same way again.

Games for Younger Gamers

There are so many options for games for young children beyond the “classic” games everyone knows. What is great is the newer games tend to be more fun for the grown-ups playing with the kids. These are some of the newest games for kids age 7 and younger. The games below are organized from youngest to oldest.

The Dog Ate My Homework

Age: 5+
Players: 2-4
Playtime: 10-15 minutes
Gameplay: Dexterity
Publisher: University Games
Buy The Dog ate my Homework here on Amazon

This silly game has you feeding a “homework” sheet to the dog. Next you turn the crank (the dog ear) and the paper is shredded into seven pieces, mixed up, and comes out the back end of the dog. The players have to race to assemble the picture in 30 seconds and guess the picture.

Narwhal Waterfall

Age: 6+
Players: 2-5
Playtime: 15 minutes
Gameplay: Cooperative
Publisher: Peaceable Kingdom
Buy Narwhal Waterfall here on Amazon

Can you get all six narwhals across the river and avoid the waterfall? In this unique cooperative game, players have to navigate obstacles in the river plus a moving board that pushes the narwhals toward the waterfall. There is a crank and moving board that hangs over the edge of the table so the narwhals will fall if they get too close to the edge.

Dodo

Age: 6+
Players: 2-4
Playtime: 10 minutes
Gameplay: Cooperative
Publisher: Kosmos
Buy Dodo here on Amazon

Save the egg! The dodo has a precious egg that it accidentally knocked out of the nest. Players work together to build bridges to safely get the egg to the boat at the bottom of the mountain. This game has been around for a few years in Europe and is now available in the United States. It has been recognized as a 2024 Toy Insider Top Holiday Toy and a 2024 TTPM (Toys, Tots, Pets and more) Best Artisan Toy.

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