Tabletop Games Gift Guide

men playing chess; image from wikipedia

Black Friday! Christmas season is almost here. Need gift ideas? Consider a tabletop game. There is a lot of good in games as a hobby (and my game page has more information). This post offers suggestions on what to buy and where to buy it.

What to Buy

Below are 11 games I would recommend for nearly anyone who enjoys this hobby. The five criteria I apply: it must be solid, available, accessible, alternative, and fast.

• Solid
• It is highly regarded. BoardGameGeek (BGG) permits user ratings; an average rating of 7 or higher is a safe threshold (though there are some great games in the mid-6 range).
• Available
• It is still published. It is readily available at or under MSRP at local game stores, online sellers, etc. There are many good games that are out of print and thus insanely expensive (or difficult) to find. 
• Accessible
• It is relatively simple. All games have a learning curve, but some require a lot of investment. As with ratings, BGG lets users rank games with a 'weight' from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most complex to learn. I look for games with an average weight of 2.5 or lower.
• Alternative
• It is not a common game. Not "old-school" games like Monopoly, Sorry, or Risk. And not industry staples like Catan, Carcassonne, or Dominion. These are good (or great) games, but very common, and a lot of people have them already. 
• Short
• It plays in an hour or less. (Once you get the hang of it, anyway. Those first sessions always go longer.)

With these in mind, here are 11 games (in no particular order) that I recommend. The link goes to my review.

Clank! A Deck-Building Adventure

2–4 players, 30–60 minutes

BGG Rating: 7.8

BGG Weight: 2.24

A deck-building game combined with dungeon crawler.

Isle of Skye

2–5 players, 30–50 minutes

BGG Rating: 7.4

BGG Weight: 2.25

An auction tile-placement game set in the Scottish Highlands.

Marvel United

1–4 players, 40 minutes

BGG Rating: 7.6

BGG Weight: 1.82

A cooperative game where you each are a Marvel hero battling against a foe of your choice. 

Parks

1–5 players, 30–60 minutes

BGG Rating: 7.7

BGG Weight: 2.13

You control two hikers exploring national parks.

Space Base

2–5 players, 60 minutes

BGG Rating: 7.5

BGG Weight: 2.12

A "dice chucker" where even your opponents' turns matter.

Oltree

2–4 players, 60 minutes

BGG Rating: 7.5

BGG Weight: 2.32

Cooperatively restore a fallen kingdom, using your specialty to great effect.

Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done

2–4 players, 40–60 minutes

BGG Rating: 7.5

BGG Weight: 2.45

Expand influence in Medieval Europe as one order of Knights preparing for the Crusades.

Pandemic: Fall of Rome

1–5 players, 45–60 minutes

BGG Rating: 7.6

BGG Weight: 2.43  

Cooperatively stave off the barbarian hordes as they seek to destroy the Roman Empire.

Archaeology: The New Expedition

2–5 players, 20 minutes

BGG Rating: 7.1

BGG Weight: 1.28

This is effectively a variant of Rummy, with a fun theme and fresh twists.

Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game

2 players, 30 minutes

BGG Rating: 8.0

BGG Weight: 2.02

A fast-playing, two-player deckbuilder. 

Dragonwood

2–4 players, 20 minutes

BGG Rating: 6.6

BGG Weight: 1.35

Though its BGG rating is lower, I argue that this game is sneakly good, and great for kids.

Where to Buy

Your Local Game Store (LGS) is always the first recommendation. Keep these stores in business; they offer the community a place for people to gather.

If you have no LGS, there are a few online options:

Miniature Market has a ton of games and generally good prices;

Cardhaus is the same.

Boardlandia is recommended; 

Gamenerdz is too.  (I've never used these last two).

Happy gaming!