Looking for the perfect board game to gift? Look no further! Our expert head of retail, Jay, shares the best games by price, genre, and player count

Christmas is just around the corner, and if you’re anything like me, you get a teeny tiny bit obsessed about finding everyone the perfect gift.

Whether you are looking for a gift for a family member, friend, or your emotional support coworker, board games make excellent presents. However, it can be tricky to match the right game with the right person. 

This is why I met up with Jay, our Head of Retail and local board game expert, and asked him to share his best game recommendations for everyone and every occasion!

Featuring recommendations organised by price, genre, and player count, we have the perfect game for every player: from friends, families and couples, to party hosts and serious gamers. Plus, stay tuned for our expert’s favourite hidden gem, and news of our new Chance & Counters experience packages!

Let us make your Christmas season that much easier — and that much more fun!

Meet the Expert

Hi Jay! Thanks for meeting with me today and sharing some of your board game expertise.

Do you want to start by telling our readers a little bit about yourself? Where does your love for board games come from?

I actually didn’t get into board games until 2017. I used to work in the music industry, running record labels, organising events. But when I had kids, the party lifestyle had to wind down. 

With my first kid, I was determined to keep him away from screens, so I was looking for a good communal activity for us to spend time together doing. That’s when I ran into the ‘Dice Tower’ YouTube channel. At first, I was confused. What are these grown men doing talking about board games? But I got curious and decided to give it a chance. I bought a game for my kid and me to play, and then also bought Pandemic for my partner and me. However, turned out the boy actually preferred playing Pandemic! 

Playing games became one of my favourite things to do, especially with my kids. When I get interested in something, I like to dive deep, so I started playing more games, and going to expos. And I was amazed at what board games could do. I had gone from playing HeroQuest and Monopoly as a kid and jumped straight into this new era where game mechanisms are so advanced and exciting. 

That’s a really sweet way of getting into board games. And it actually brings me to my next question. As Christmas approaches, why do you think board games make such great gifts? 

Particularly in the context of Christmas, it’s such an established tradition. People get to gather, and even if for the rest of the year they don’t engage much with board games, they will at this time of year, so it’s a very unique time.

Yes. One of my favourite things about giving games as a present is that you’re not just giving people a thing, you know, it’s an opportunity to spend time with the people you love. Like you did with your son.

Exactly.

Now, this is just something I’m a bit curious about, but could you share a bit about how you go about matching the right game to the right person?

Absolutely. When I started working at C&C, I was a Game Guru, and my job was literally to match game to person and make sure people were having a good time. 

The most important thing to understand is what type of experience people are after with their game. If it’s a couple, they’ll want something that’ll allow them to get to know each other. If it’s a large party, they’ll want something fun and frivolous. 

When you recommend a game to someone, you want to understand what their expectations for the evening are and what type of experience they want to have.

That’s a great way of thinking about it, and it is probably quite helpful for people reading to start thinking about what type of game is right for their loved ones.

So, with all that said, shall we dive in?

The Gift Guide!

Let’s start easy.

What are the best (small & affordable) board game stocking fillers?

Bandido, all day long. You can play it if you’re four, if you’re 99 — even older (provided you’re still alive).

You can also go for the travel editions of party games, like Sounds Fishy, or Chameleon. 

All these are simple, fun party games, very affordable, and perfectly sized to fit in your Christmas stockings.

Best board games under £10?

It would have to be Flip 7. It was this year’s runner-up for the Spiel des Jahres board game prize (beaten by Bomb Busters, also a great game). It’s a push-your-luck, blackjack-style game. The goal is to draw unique cards to reach a high score, but if you get two of the same cards, you lose everything.

(It’s a very good alternative for people who like Uno but want to try something new.)

Best games under £25?

That would have to be Hues and Cues, which was the best-selling game of last year. It’s incredibly popular at C&C, and especially great for big groups. It’s also a very simple game. You’re just guessing which colour someone’s card is based on their word-clues, but it’s great fun. (Yes! And it’s a great opportunity to find out which of your friends might as well be colour blind.) Yeah, it sparks a lot of discussions. Like, ‘what? Barney the Dinosaur is not that colour’. And you know, in the end, it’s never about the board game itself but what happens around it.

Now, some suggestions by Genre and Player-Count

What is the best family board game?

I have two suggestions for this one. 

First, I’d say Just One. It’s been a bestseller over the past few years, and it’s always one of my most recommended at C&C. 

It’s a cooperative word-guessing game. Basically, one player guesses a mystery word through the other player’s one-word clues. However, if any of the cues are repeated, they get eliminated, making the final guess that much harder.

The Second suggestion is a strategy game: Fire Tower. It’s a 2-4 player, nice family game, where you are trying to burn down each other’s fire towers. It can be a bit mean, but it’s just a fun time. (And it could feel cathartic, if Christmas family time is wearing you thin).

What are the best board games for kids

For younger kids (3+) I’d suggest Outfoxed, where you are trying to stop a naughty fox from stealing pies.

For slightly older kids, 6, 7, 8 and over, I’d suggest Forbidden Island, where you’re working together to collect treasures and escape before the island sinks.

Both are cooperative games, which I always find work better when playing with kids. Because everyone is working together, there is no stress with winning or losing.

What is your pick for best dexterity game?

Oh, that would have to be Misfits. It’s like a more chaotic version of Jenga, where you are building up a tower with odd-shaped blocks. It’s a great game with great production quality. Really nice for when you just want a more straightforward game to play in a group.

What are the best adult party games? Good board games to play with friends?

Can’t go wrong with Scrawl — the yellow version, the green one is the family edition. Basically, it’s a doodling guessing game. The worse you are at drawing, the more fun you’ll have.

Another option is Wavelength. It’s very popular and a great opinion-based game. You get to find out more about your friends, see what you agree or disagree on. Although beware, it can get contentious. This is by far the game that causes the most arguments at Chance and Counters!

For an alternative option, give Things in Rings a go. (Oh, this is one of my favourites). You’re basically filling in a Venn diagram, but you don’t know what the categories are. It’s another one that’s more about the game outside the game, where it sparks a lot of fun debate when the categories are revealed. (Absolutely! I played it with someone who didn’t accept ‘elbow’ into the ‘things that can catch on fire’ category, which is completely wrong! You can absolutely catch an elbow on fire!)

What are the best Trivia board games to gift?

CDSK has been my go-to trivia game recently. It’s a great, modernised version of classic trivia games. Because the questions are split into 10 levels of difficulty, the game becomes more inclusive, for example, for different age groups, or knowledge niches, and overall becomes more competitive. (Yes, everyone gets more of a chance than with, say, Trivial Pursuit. I know I can’t get a sports question to save my life).

What are your best Two-Player board game recommendations?

For a more competitive and ‘thinky’ session, Leaders is brilliant. It’s a spin on chess. You begin with a leader and basically build up a team to try to encircle and take down your opponent’s leader. It has beautiful production and art, all at a remarkably good price point.

Alternatively, give Jaipur a look. It’s a more casual game, great for couples. Playing as merchants, you can trade amongst yourselves and strategise how to enhance your reputation. However, there is some random luck involved, meaning there is no overt antagonism. It’s a good cosy game.

Finally…

Jay, as our board game expert and Head of Retail, what is your insider pick?

My ‘connoisseur recommendation’ is the Kinfire Delve series. I am really passionate about these games. They’re stripped-back dungeon-crawl type of games, where you team up to conquer the dungeons, using combo cards and strategy.

They’re also great value, just under £20, but the quality of the components and art looks much more expensive. 

Thank you so much, Jay, for your time and knowledge. I’m sure a lot of people will have found these suggestions really helpful!

However, if you are still undecided about what to give your nerdy friends for Christmas, fret not! 

Chance & Counters offers gift cards which can be used either on our online retail shop or at any of our sites. You can let your friend find their own perfect game!

Alternatively, if what you are really hoping for is not only a present, but an experience, have a look at our brand new experience packs! Whether you’re partners, mates, or family, we can offer you a great deal, with game time, food and drink included.

Give yourself the best gift, a good time with your favourite people, while we look after you for the evening!

All of these games are available online or at our Chance & Counters board game cafés in Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham.