The holiday season is here, and there's no better way to delight the board game enthusiast in your life than with a fresh addition to their collection. Whether they love conquering empires or diving into cooperative campaigns, this gift guide has everything you need to make their holiday unforgettable.

From 2021-2024's best releases, we've curated the top board games for every budget, from best value board games, to heavy hitters for your collection dreams. With a spotlight on heavy strategy, worker placement, and competitive vs. cooperative showdowns, we've even included expansions and deluxe editions to level up their game nights like never before.

Ready to become the ultimate gift-giving champion? Dive into this guide and discover the perfect game to keep your board gamer entertained all year!

👉 Related: Christmas Board-Gaming Gift Guide for Families & Casual Gamers (2024)

Disclosure

1. This article is not a review. It is a quick overview of these games.
2. The article includes games based on our own opinions. We have played some of the games, but not all of them.
3. The games are not sorted in any particular order. If you want to learn more about a particular game, click on the included links!
4. The article contains affiliate links - when you buy through links on our site, we may earn commission at no cost to you.

Saw a mistake? We are just human, and some errors can happen. If you saw a mistake in the article, let us know in the comments below or send us a message.

Board Games Under $50 – For Casual Enthusiasts and Quick Play

Cascadia (2021)

Why it's great: A beautifully designed tile-placement board game with light strategy, Cascadia immerses players in nature as they build ecosystems. Its easy-to-learn rules make it perfect for families and casual gamers. At the same time, the depth of strategy keeps everyone engaged. With stunning art and replayable scenarios, this game is a hit for nature lovers and strategic thinkers alike.

Game length: 30-45 minutes

Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea (2021)

Why it's great: This cooperative trick-taking game offers an engaging underwater adventure through over 50 unique missions. Players must work together, using clever communication and strategy to succeed, making it a highly rewarding group experience. Short playtimes and escalating difficulty make it perfect for quick, immersive gaming sessions.

Game length: 20-30 minutes

Player count: 2-5

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Azul: Queen's Garden (2022)

Why it's great: Azul: Queen's Garden adds fresh mechanics and strategic depth to the award-winning Azul series. Players use tiles to build a garden, competing to create intricate, high-scoring designs. With beautiful components and endless strategic possibilities, this game appeals to casual and competitive gamers.

Game length: 45-60 minutes

Player count: 2-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Cartographers (2021)

Why it's great: Cartographers combine map drawing with puzzle-solving, offering a creative and engaging experience for solo or group play. Its flexible player count makes it great for family gatherings or solo sessions, with plenty of strategy as players compete to draw the best map. The roll-and-write mechanic ensures every game is different, keeping it fresh and replayable.

Game length: 30-45 minutes

Player count: 1-8

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Cryptid (2022)

Why it's great: Cryptid is a clever deduction game where players race to uncover the hidden location of a mysterious creature. Each player has part of the information, so it's all about asking the right questions and outsmarting opponents. The simple rules combined with deep strategy and interaction make it a great choice for fans of puzzle and logic games.

Game length: 30-50 minutes

Player count: 3-5

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Spheres of Life: Mythical Forest

Why it's great: Spheres of Life: Mythical Forest is the ultimate fantasy competitive card game, blending strategy, luck, and fast-paced play. Its compact design makes it perfect for quick sessions, but it offers enough depth for repeat plays. With magical creatures and powerful spells, it's a must for fantasy fans and competitive gamers alike.

Game length: 5-20 minutes

Player count: 2-7

👉 Buy Here

 

Board Games Between $50 - $100 – For Strategy Fans

Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition (2021)

 

Why it's great: A streamlined, faster version of Terraforming Mars, Ares Expedition focuses on deck-building and engine-building mechanics, making it perfect for players who want deep strategy in less time. Set in the future, players work to terraform Mars through careful planning and resource management. It's a great pick for a dynamic yet strategic game with a sci-fi theme.

Game length: 45-90 minutes

Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Dune: Imperium (2021)

Why it's great: Dune: Imperium is set in the vast and intense Dune universe and combines worker placement with deck-building. With political intrigue, strategic battles, and resource control, this game offers high player interaction and deep strategy. Fans of the Dune franchise and complex games will enjoy the mix of tactics and themes.

Game length: 60-120 minutes

Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Brass Birmingham (2018)

👉 Related: Brass: Birmingham review.

Why it's great: Brass: Birmingham is the highest rated game on BGG, so it must be good, right! It cleverly blends resource management with building canals and railroads to maintain your business dominance in the 18-19th Century England! We've played it and loved it.

Game length: 60-120 minutes

Player count: 2-4

👉 Buy on Amazon

 

Lost Ruins of Arnak (2021)

Why it's great: Lost Ruins of Arnak takes players on an adventure where they must balance deck-building and worker placement to explore a mysterious island. The combination of exploration, resource management, and artifact collection offers strategic depth and thematic immersion. This game's mix of mechanics makes it a versatile and engaging option for strategy fans.

Game length: 60-120 minutes

Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Viticulture: Essential Edition (2022)

Why it's great: Set in the vineyards of Tuscany, Viticulture is a highly strategic worker placement game about managing a vineyard and producing wine. The seasonal mechanics and careful resource allocation make every move meaningful, and the game's thematic richness adds to its overall charm. It's a perfect blend of thematic storytelling and deep strategy.

Game length: 45-90 minutes

Player count: 1-6

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Endless Winter: Paleoamericans (2022)

Why it's great: Endless Winter offers a fresh take on the worker placement and deck-building mechanics set in the prehistoric world of Paleoamericans. Players lead their tribes through hunting, building, and advancing technologies in a harsh environment. The mix of strategic planning and thematic immersion makes it a great choice for those who enjoy complex, multi-layered gameplay.

Game length: 60-120 minutes

Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Board Games Between $100 - $200 – For Enthusiasts Who Love Depth

Gaia Project (2022)

Why it’s great: Gaia Project is a spiritual successor to Terra Mystica, offering deep strategy and complexity as players terraform planets and expand their galactic empires. With modular boards, asymmetric elements and factions, and intricate resource management, this game is perfect for those who love mastering long-term strategies in a sci-fi setting.

Game length: 60-150 minutes
Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Feudum: Big Box (2021)

Why it’s great: Feudum is a deep, strategy-heavy Eurogame that blends worker placement, area control, and resource management in a medieval setting. The Big Box version includes expansions that add even more layers of strategy, making it a perfect choice for experienced gamers who love complex, multi-faceted gameplay.

Game length: 80-180 minutes
Player count: 2-5

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

On Mars (2022)

Why it's great: On Mars delivers a heavy strategy experience focused on building and managing a colony on the red planet. The game's intricate mechanics blend worker placement, resource management, and technological development to create a rich, multi-layered challenge. Its depth and complexity make it ideal for players who love brain-burning strategy games.

Game length: 90-150 minutes

Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Everdell: Complete Collection (2023)

Why it's great: This comprehensive edition of Everdell includes all expansions, making it the ultimate experience for fans of the beloved woodland city-building game. With its charming artwork, strategic worker placement, and resource management, Everdell offers a relaxing and competitive experience. Adding new expansions adds depth and variety, making this collection perfect for dedicated gamers.

Game length: 40-120 minutes

Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated (2022)

Why it's great: Clank! Legacy takes the deck-building adventure of Clank! and adds a legacy component, meaning your choices in one game have lasting impacts on future sessions. The story-driven progression and evolving board create a unique and personalized gaming experience. It's ideal for players who enjoy campaign-style games with an ever-changing narrative.

Game length: 90-120 minutes

Player count: 2-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Nemesis: Lockdown (2021)

Why it's great: Nemesis: Lockdown takes the survival horror genre into space, offering players a tense and strategic experience as they fight to survive against an alien threat. The game's mechanics combine hidden objectives, player cooperation, and high-stakes decision-making to create a thrilling experience. Every move matters in this atmospheric, story-driven game where danger lurks around every corner.

Game length: 90-180 minutes

Player count: 1-5

👉 Buy on Amazon

 

Betrayal Legacy (2022)

Why it's great: Betrayal Legacy builds on the classic Betrayal at House on the Hill by adding a legacy system, meaning that your decisions in one game will carry over to future sessions. As players explore a haunted house, each game reveals new twists, surprises, and changes to the board and storyline, making it perfect for groups who enjoy long-term gameplay with evolving narratives.

Game length: 45-90 minutes

Player count: 3-5

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

The Witcher Old World (2023)

Why it’s great: The Witcher: Old World is an adventure-packed board game set in the legendary Witcher universe, long before Geralt of Rivia’s time. Players take on the role of rival witchers, hunting dangerous monsters, learning new skills, and exploring the vast lands. With beautiful miniatures, an immersive storyline, and rich decision-making, players must balance their quests with engaging in duels, developing their witcher abilities, and crafting the best strategies to survive the treacherous world.

Game length: 90-150 minutes
Player count: 1-5

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Board Games Between $200 - $300 – Premium Experiences

Frosthaven (2023)

Why it's great: Frosthaven is the highly anticipated sequel to Gloomhaven, offering an enormous cooperative campaign filled with new scenarios, characters, and puzzles. With endless replayability and an immersive storyline, it's a must-have for serious board gamers who love strategy and teamwork. The sheer depth and variety in gameplay make every session exciting and unpredictable.

Game length: 90-150 minutes per session

Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Middara: Unintentional Malum – Act 1 (2023)

Why it’s great: Middara is a fully cooperative narrative-driven dungeon-crawler with branching storylines, detailed miniatures, and customizable characters. This massive game offers hundreds of hours of gameplay with a rich story and immersive mechanics.

Game length: 60-180 minutes per session
Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Gloomhaven (2021)

Why it’s great: Gloomhaven is the quintessential dungeon-crawling board game that redefined cooperative play with its immense campaign and deep, tactical combat. Players take on the roles of mercenaries in a dark and evolving fantasy world, completing quests, battling monsters, and making decisions that impact the unfolding story. The game’s scenario-based system and legacy elements provide hundreds of hours of gameplay, making it a perfect investment for serious gamers who love strategic depth.

Game length: 90-150 minutes per session
Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Twilight Imperium: Third Edition (2022)

Why it’s great: Twilight Imperium: Third Edition is an epic space strategy game that combines political intrigue, massive galactic warfare, and exploration into one sprawling experience. Players lead unique factions vying for control of the galaxy, using diplomacy, trade, military power, and alliances to achieve victory. The game’s massive scope allows for deep strategic play, with each game offering a unique and immersive narrative driven by player choices.

Game length: 4-8 hours
Player count: 3-6

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Foundations of Rome (2022)

Why it’s great: Foundations of Rome is a visually stunning city-building game where players take on the role of architects competing to construct the greatest landmarks in ancient Rome. With oversized, intricately detailed building miniatures, the game brings the Roman Empire to life as players strategically place structures on the board to score points through land acquisition, building placement, and population growth. The blend of accessibility and depth makes it engaging for both casual and serious gamers.

Game length: 60-90 minutes
Player count: 2-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

 

Board Games $300+ – The Ultimate Gaming Experience

Kingdom Death: Monster (2023)

Why it's great: Kingdom Death: Monster is a dark, cooperative board game where players must work together to survive in a brutal world of terrifying monsters. The game blends deep strategy, tactical combat, and immersive storytelling, with each session offering new challenges. Its high-end components and miniatures elevate the experience, making it a must-have for those who love intense, narrative-driven games.

Game length: 60-180 minutes per session

Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Settlers of Catan 3D Collector’s Edition

Why it’s great: The Settlers of Catan 3D Collector’s Edition brings the classic Catan experience to a whole new level of immersion with stunning 3D terrain tiles and beautifully hand-painted pieces. This deluxe edition features a fully sculpted board, where the forests, hills, and fields come to life, making the strategy of resource collection and trading feel even more engaging. The attention to detail in every component elevates both the aesthetic appeal and the gameplay, offering a tactile experience like never before.

Game length: 60-120 minutes
Player count: 3-4

👉 Buy on Amazon

 

Primal: The Awakening

Why it’s great: Primal: The Awakening is a cooperative, boss-battling board game set in a rich, fantasy world, where players face off against massive, fearsome monsters. With deck-building mechanics and tactical combat, it offers deep strategy as players must craft weapons, manage resources, and adapt their tactics to defeat each colossal creature. What sets this game apart is the immersive experience of facing off against detailed, large-scale miniatures, bringing the intense combat scenarios to life.

Game length: 90-120 minutes
Player count: 1-4

👉 Buy on Amazon
👉 Buy on Noble Knight

 

Conclusion

Whether you're after a quick, fun game to enjoy with friends or a deep, strategic experience to immerse yourself in over the holidays, this guide has something for every type of board game enthusiast. From casual picks to epic gaming adventures, these games offer endless fun, challenge, and excitement.

This Christmas, give the gift of strategy, creativity, and adventure with these incredible board games. Which one will you choose for your favorite gamer? Let us know in the comments, and remember to subscribe for more holiday gaming tips!

In the meantime, feel free to explore what Joyful Games has to offer - from board game reviews and board game tips to fun board and card games. 

 

FAQ Section

What are some great board games under $50 for casual players?

Games like Cascadia, The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, and Azul: Queen's Garden are excellent options under $50. These games are easy to learn, fun to play, and offer a mix of strategy and casual gameplay, making them perfect for beginners or family game nights.

Which strategy games are best for enthusiasts willing to spend between $50 and $100?

For strategy fans, games like Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition, Dune: Imperium, and Lost Ruins of Arnak fall within the $50-$100 range. These games feature complex mechanics like deck-building and worker placement, offering deep, satisfying gameplay.

Are there any high-quality board games between $200 and $300 for serious gamers?

Serious gamers will appreciate premium experiences like Frosthaven, Twilight Imperium: Third Edition, and Foundations of Rome, which offer rich strategic gameplay, immersive narratives, and detailed components. These games are perfect for long, in-depth sessions.

What are some board games priced above $300 for collectors or advanced players?

For collectors or those who want the ultimate gaming experience, titles like Kingdom Death: Monster, Settlers of Catan 3D Collector's Edition, and Primal: The Awakening provide massive gameplay with stunning visuals, making them ideal for serious board game enthusiasts.

Do any of these board games offer expansions for even more gameplay?

Yes, many of these games, such as Viticulture: Essential Edition and Everdell: Complete Collection, have expansions that add new content and mechanics to enhance replayability and keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.