Christmas Board Game Gift Guide 2025
Every year I like to draw up a gift guide to give people inspiration. I stand by my previous suggestions of 2023 and 2024, so be sure to check those out too. Included here are mostly newer releases, to keep the gift guides fresh which is why it is a good idea to revisit the older Christmas gift guides too.
So without further ado, here are some recommendations and inspirations for board games and card games to give this year!
Kids’ game
Toys and Games for children are the backbone of the festive period. ‘Toy Battle’ is a two player game that is easy to learn yet still has some strategy. In fact, enough strategy that I have regularly played this with plenty of grown-ups too. I guess that is the reason it is currently my most played game of the year!
If you need a game for more players, ‘Whirly Derby’ is a marble racing game that blurs the boundary between toy and game. It’s quite loud, especially as you can cheer on your marble. If you are willing to over-enthuse about the luck of a marble falling through a hole first, then this would be right up your street!
Two player board game
My love for ‘Agent Avenue’ in the two player space has not waivered, it is fantastically simple and perfect for adults and kids alike, so is easy to recommend. It will regularly get you saying ‘Shall we play again?”.
Otherwise, ‘Architects of Amytis’ has provided many plays, this tile-laying city building game utilises a tic-tac-toe style board with a fantastic updated twist! Both are great value too with RRPs under £20!
Family game
Crazy carnage around the table awaits the family if ‘Hot Streak’ gets unwrapped this year. This game of racing team mascots is full of surprises. The minor hiccup may be that it isn’t released in the UK until the end of November or beginning of December so you might be cutting it a bit fine! If you don’t mind being necessarily mean, ‘For A Crown’ is a fun family game! Siblings love the chance of stealing other’s rubies!
Co-operative board game
‘Alibis’ is a word game that merges popular party games ‘Just One’ and ‘Codenames’ and has been my favourite co-operative game since I picked it up at UK Games Expo. It involves linking two words with a single word which can be surprisingly difficult, but no one wants a co-op game that is too easy! Another option would be ‘The Gang’ which sees players co-operatively betting on poker hands, sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it does if you get in the zone!
Stocking filler
One day I will write my top stocking stuffers to help Father Christmas out with some inspiration. Until then I will continue to add them into these Christmas Gift Guides, and this year ‘Barbecubes’ is my go to small box game. This dexterous stacking game requires you to fill the BBQ and I love that it is available in meaty and veggie options. I think that caters for all! From the same publisher, ‘Tic Tac Trek’ is a fun two player game in a small tin too.
Party game
Gathering people and enjoying a tipple is part of the festive tradition for many. What better way to avoid engaging in conversation and small talk you can’t be bothered with than pulling a party game off the shelf to be social, yet secretly anti-social! My pick this year is ‘PlayProp’ a game of pulling corks on string or cupping them. Sure, that sounds strange when I read it back too. Now the trouble is, ‘PlayProp’ is only available on Amazon.com so you need to be organised to get this one to the table in time for a December 25th delivery.
Failing that a card game that has gone down a treat in our house is the pure push your luck game ‘Flip 7’ which is much more readily available… however, do not search for The Grinch version as you will probably want it and that is an exclusive in Walmart stores in America – so no easier to get hold of than ‘PlayProp’!
For gamers that already have everything!
I personally don’t think you can ever have too many board games! However, I am aware of some lunatics that believe they don’t need any more games. For these people you could either buy them a holiday to an asylum, or check out my Top 5 Independent Board Game Accessory Stores to support board game adjacent smaller businesses in the run up to Christmas.
I hope you have a very happy Christmas if you celebrate it, and if you don’t, I hope you still have a jolly good time too.
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