It’s THAT time of year again! It’s with great excitement that we are once again offering an assortment of holiday gift guides featuring ideas for younger kids, pop culture gifts, various home and electronics, games for older kids and more. Of course, everyone knows how much we value family game nights so we are kicking this year’s guides off with a list of games for the family.

We’re creatures of habit (you are too, right?) so we set up our guides in the same format as we have since 2014. The name of the product, company, product photo and description along with a link of where to (hopefully) purchase it. We have also continued to include our  logo behind the brand which is an indication that we’ve written about the product in more detail in a separate article. On the fence about whether you are interested? Click on that logo and it will take you directly to the article where you’ll find an overview or “how to play” along with several photos of it. If you find something you plan to purchase, we hope you’ll consider clicking through our links (or returning to our site to click through later) because we sometimes get a small commission when you purchase through a link we’ve provided.

Before I move on to the list, I want to confirm that we ARE launching our annual Mega Giveaway promotion today at noon! Between today and December 31st, you’ll find an assortment of awesome prizes so be sure to come back daily to see what we’re giving away! We hope these guides help you have a stress-free shopping experience and are able to enjoy the happiness the holidays offer.

Block Ness

Blue Orange Games

The Block Ness monsters are finally rearing their heads but there’s just one problem – the loch isn’t big enough for everyone! Each turn, players must add a piece to their monster following placement rules. They then move the head or the tail of their monster to the new piece. Be as strategic as you can by using the space on the lake to your advantage and be the last one to elongate your monster to win!

ArchRavels

XYZ Game Labs 

Experience the colorful and crafty world of fiber arts with ArchRavels! In this board game, you’ll play as one of four characters, each with their own unique crafting specialty. Hit the Yarn Bazaar to build up your stash. Follow the patterns to make cuddly bears, warm blankets, and cozy scarves. Along the way you’ll get some unique special requests. Turn in your completed items to master a pattern, complete projects, and score points. When the project list runs out, the crafter with the most points wins!

Zombie Chase

Playmonster

You’re trapped inside an amusement park with the janitor-turned-zombie, but the only way out is find a key in the dark, spooky shed. But be careful! At any moment you could get zombified! If you do become a zombie, you’ll be on a new team–go after other players until you catch them all! It’s an exciting Zombie Chase!

Galaxy Trucker

Czech Games Edition 

In this fast and goofy family game, 2 to 4 players begin by simultaneously rummaging through the common warehouse, frantically trying to grab the most useful component tiles for building their spaceship – all in real-time.

Once the ships are launched, players encounter dangerous situations while vying for financial opportunities – each hoping to gain the most valuable cargo and finish with as much of their ship still intact as possible. It’s a blast!

The Key: Theft in Cliffrock Villa

HABA USA

There has been a shocking string of robberies at Cliffrock Villa. Valuable works of art have been stolen! The players start their investigations and combine clues about the perpetrators, time of the crimes, stolen items, and escape plans. They need to generate the right number code to put the thieves behind bars. In the end, it’s not necessarily the fastest investigator who wins the game, but the most efficient one.

Downforce

Restoration Games 

Fast-paced and easy to learn, Downforce offers the thrill of racing distilled to its essence. Players get their cards, bid for their cars, and the race is off. Betting during the race gives players a chance to back their favorites, even cars owned by other players. Can you get to the turn before them? Can you back the right car to collect on your bet? Every turn and every card makes a difference.

Frequent Flyer

Frequent Games

The new high flying game of smart air travel. Frequent Flyer is a game of strategy. Save your frequent flyer miles or use them? Stay on the west coast or travel back to the east coast? Upgrade to first class or stay in coach? Choose wisely and be the first player to visit all 20 U.S. cities and return to their home city will be the winner. For 2 or more players, ages 10+

For Sale Autorama

Eagle-Gryphon Games

For Sale Autorama is a quick-playing auction game about buying and selling vehicles – from classic cars to custom rides. During the first phase of the game, players bid to hire talented advisors who will assist them in the two following phases when (in phase two) players purchase vehicles; and after all cars have been bought, (in phase three) they sell those vehicles for a profit.

Scarf-N-Barf

Steve Jackson Games

Scarf-N-Barf is a silly, fast-paced card game that will keep you glued to your seat . . . unless, of course, you have to jump up to BARF. Play Food cards and Ride cards, then roll the dice to find out which player can keep the most carnival food down. Eating Chocolate Covered Bacon while riding the Octopuke? We dare you!

The Whatnot Cabinet

Pencil First Games 

Everyone enjoys discovering small, precious objects, but a special few have a knack for assembling them into a true collection. Leave your house, uncover beautiful objects, arrange them in your Whatnot Cabinet, and create a wonderful collection of curiosities. Discover memorable collectibles as you journey through nature and fill your cabinet with rare, unusual, and intriguing objects!

Andor: The Family Fantasy Game

Thames & Kosmos

Venture into a land of fantasy and legend! In this cooperative family role-playing game, each player chooses one of four powerful heroes: the magician, the warrior, the archer, or the dwarf. Your heroic journey begins with a mission to rescue some wolf cubs that are lost in a dangerous mine. Andor: The Family Fantasy Game features gameplay that is similar to the popular Legends of Andor, but more approachable to younger players, making it a great introduction to the entire Legends of Andor series of games.

Allegory

Calliope Games

Compete with others as renowned authors, bidding with Lore chips in an interactive auction setting to collect cards & scribe a trilogy of tales. Can you write your way into history? Allegory is a bidding game of lore & hidden strategies for 2-6 players ages 8 & up. Game lasts 30-50 minutes.

Super Mega Lucky Box

Gamewright

It’s a spectacular game of colossal fun! Reveal numbers one-by- one, and cross off the corresponding boxes on your cards. Get three-in-a-row to unlock bonuses, which help you cross off more boxes, trigger even bigger bonuses, and boost your score! Everyone plays at once so there’s never a dull moment in store! Winning will take a bit of strategy and some Super Mega Luck!

MicroMacro: Crime City

Pegasus Spiele 

Welcome to Crime City, where crime never sleeps! Pick up your magnifying glass and chase down the perp as you work to solve 16 unique cases – ranging from petty theft to cold-blooded murder – all on an enormous and highly detailed city map! Winner of the 2021 Spiel des Jahres award – MicroMacro is sure to bring thrilling fun to gaming tables this holiday season!

Picky Kitty

Goliath

This hungry kitty is a picky eater! He’s used to eating all of his favorite foods…and absolutely hates vegetables! Spin the spinner to see what to feed the kitty. But be careful…give him too many veggies and he will flip his plate! Be the first player to feed the kitty all of your vegetables without the kitty flipping your veggies to win! For 2-4 players, ages 4 and up.

People always say that it’s better to shop earlier and avoid the rush, but this year is quite different. It’s not about the rush… it’s about availability. Many companies expressed concerns about low supplies of their products and whether their shipments of new goods would make it off the boat and into stores in time. So if there’s something you’re interested in, don’t mull on it too long. Keep watch over the next couple weeks as we roll out the rest of our guides filled with ideas!