We love giving the gift of gaming to family and friends. In this annual holiday gift guide, we’ve got games for just about any skill level. Like last year, we’re categorizing them by stocking stuffers (small, under $15), family games (supports a wide age range), and strategy games (excellent for those who enjoy a good challenge). Find a game to give this year that is within budget and will bring loads of memories.
Stocking Stuffers
Floral
Publisher: Hachette Boardgames
Number of Players: 2-5
MSRP: $15
Floral is that small game that gets thrown into a bag as we head out for dinner. This card-layering filler game is great at just about any player count and it’s one of our favorites to take on the go. Players are building out their garden as they layer cards made up of six squares with a variety of flower colors.
Each round, you are able to claim and score a card in the center of the table as long as you have the majority of that color flower. You’ll add another card to the center display each round, and if you plan well, you can set yourself up to have multiple options on your next turn. Floral is a quick and puzzley game that has more strategy than you would think in a fifteen minute game. It’s small size makes it a great gift to show up in a stocking this year for Christmas.
Floral is available at your local game store, from the Hachette Boardgames webstore, or online through Amazon today.
Wallet Games from Button Shy
Publisher: Button Shy Games
Number of Players: 1-6
MSRP: $10-$15
When we talk about stocking stuff games, Button Shy Games are a fantastic fit! These 18-card, wallet games are some of the most portable and affordable games around. For the person who enjoys a good solo puzzle, ROVE is an excellent option that has expansions has expanded since its release a couple years ago. If you’re looking for a solid two player trick-taking experience, Mysticana is literally the one game that stays in my bookbag no matter where I travel.
Over the past year, two wallet games that we have really enjoyed are Skulls of Sedlac and Shallow Regrets. Both of these games play fantastic with two and three players. There’s something for everyone from Button Shy Games and they make excellent gifts for just about any type of gamer.
Shop the incredible line of wallet games on the Button Shy webstore this holiday season.
Odin
Publisher: Helvetiq
Number of Players: 2-6
MSRP: $15
We found out about Odin when visiting France back in the Spring and had to grab a copy. Players are trying to shed all the cards from their hand to end the round. Players with cards still left in their hand will earn a point for each card.
The twist in Odin is that when playing a card, you have to take a card from the previously played set. Cards can be paired by color or identical numbers to get rid of the most cards. Once a player hits a score of eighteen points, the player with the fewest points wins the game. Odin is an easy to learn, fast-paced, and portable card game that makes a great stocking stuffer.
Odin is available at your local game store or online through Amazon today.
Barbecubes
Publisher: Alley Cat Games
Number of Players: 2-6
MSRP: $15
It may be Winter, but it’s always time for Barbecubes. This dexterity game in a tin requires a steady hand and supports up to six players. On your turn, draw a card to see what item has to go on the grill. Using tweezers, you’ll gently lay the item on the grill.
Drop the food into the grill and you’ll gain the card as a penalty. Earn two cards and your out of the game. Barbecubes is a really fun experience for a wide age range and portable enough that it can go just about anywhere. This is a game that we played all Summer and it’s not going to stop just because there’s a chill in the air.
Barbecubes is available at your local game store or at Barnes & Noble stores nation wide.
Family Games
3-2-1 Countdown
Publisher: Grandpa Becks Games
Number of Players: 2-8
MSRP: $19
Full Review of 3-2-1 Countdown
Our family enjoys a good card shedding game and 3-2-1 Countdown is one that hits the table often. Everyone is trying to shed their hand of cards before their opponent but each turn you’ll draw a new card into your hand. Collecting similar card numbers will allow you to discard more cards at one time, getting closer to an empty hand.
Players can catch their opponents off guard by holding five or less points in their hand and ending the round. But, be careful, because someone may have a lower score in their hand. This game is just the right amount of player interaction and is really fun trying to read the other players at the table. 3-2-1 Countdown is a game that gets a lot of time on our table and would make an inexpensive gift this holiday season.
3-2-1 Countdown is available at your local game store, through the Grandpa Beck’s Games webstore or online through Amazon today.
Harvest
Publisher: Keymaster Games
Number of Players: 2-4
MSRP: $49
Last Christmas I purchased Harvest for my wife and it’s been a great addition to our collection. This remake of the original 2017 game has gorgeous artwork and a great production as players work to plant and sell their produce.
Each player has an asymmetric ability as you plant, water, and sell the various crops in the game. This is a great worker placement game that sprawls across the table with artwork from Tierra Conner. Using your farm land to raise buildings can give you major perks or end game scoring. Families who are looking for a casual farming game that can be played over and over will enjoy Harvest.
Harvest is available at your local game store, through the Keymaster Games webstore, or online through Amazon today.
Toy Battle
Publisher: Asmodee & Repos Productions
Number of Players: 2
MSRP: $32
We have played a lot of Toy Battle this year. This 2-player focused game has you deploying toys into battle across eight different maps that come in the box. Each toy has a unique ability that is triggered when it’s deployed and the game is deceptively strategic.
Toy Battle plays in around twenty minutes and the rules are really straight-forward. This little box packs a lot of content which means that it will keep hitting the table. Don’t be surprised if this becomes a family favorite for that person on your gift list.
Toy Battle is available at your local game store or online through Amazon today.
Fountains
Publisher: The OP
Number of Players: 1-5
MSRP: $40
Watch a Full Playthrough
Can you build the most impressive and highest scoring fountain? Fountains is a gorgeous tile placement game where players are building water features that have an incredible table presence. Players will draft new pieces for their fountains each round as they move action tokens around the central board.
Fountains rewards players that build multiple levels and focus on the different scoring criteria for that game. This is a game that we’ve taught over a dozen times and is excellent for a wide variety of gamers. We’ve been really impressed with the replayability of Fountains and it’s a wonderful gift to give this holiday season.
Fountains is available at your local game store, on The OP webstore, or online through Amazon today.
Botswana
Publisher: 25th Century Games
Number of Players: 2-5
MSRP: $25
We picked up Botswana at the beginning of October and it’s been a huge hit for our family and friends. This game that was originally released in the 90’s has been beautifully remade with artwork from Weberson Santiago. The premise is simple. Play an animal card from your hand, collect a matching animal token from the center of the table.
Animal cards are numbered zero to five for each animal type. Each card you play manipulates the value of that animal. When the round ends, you gain points for each animal token you collected based on the last card of that animal type. This is a fast, fun, and thinky filler game that is fantastic for families. Botswana is a game that will be opened on Christmas morning and on the table by lunch.
Botswana is available at your local game store, on the 25th Century Games webstore or online through Amazon today.
Strategy Games
Wroth
Publisher: Chip Theory Games
Number of Players: 1-4
MSRP: $65
Since checking out Wroth at Origins 2025 this Summer, I’ve been enamored with the gameplay and style of this area control game. Players choose a faction and battle it out on a neon, neoprene map. You’ll draft dice each round as you advance your troops into the best scoring locations on the map.
Each faction has asymmetric special abilities and unique troop types. If you’re familiar with Chip Theory Games, you know that the level of production on this game is top-notch. Wroth is a game that has lots of replayability as you dig into each of the five factions in the game. This visually stunning game is an excellent pick for the competitive gamer in your life.
Wroth is available at your local game store, on the Chip Theory Games webstore, or through Miniature Market today.
Tea Garden
Publisher: Capstone Games
Number of Players: 2-4
MSRP: $60
Full Review of Tea Garden
This year has been huge for designer Tomáš Holek who also designed the hit game SETI. Tea Garden is one of his latest releases from Capstone Games. Up to four players are building out tea gardens across the Yunnan region in China. With a smash up of deck building, resource management, and area control, Tea Garden has a lot going on.
The more we’ve played Tea Garden, the more we’ve enjoyed this release. There are lots of avenues to score points as you train through the university system, impress the emperor, and harvest the best tea leaves on the countryside. If you have someone on your list that loves a good strategy game, Tea Garden might be a great fit.
Tea Garden is available at your local game store or online through Amazon today.
Shackleton Base
Publisher: Pandasaurus Games
Number of Players: 1-4
MSRP: $85
Full Review of Shackleton Base
For that space loving person on your gift list, Shackleton Base is an excellent option. Players are competing corporations that are setting up bases on the south side of the moon. You’ll manage resources and energy that is shared among all the players at the table.
Shackleton Base is a crunchy and competitive worker-placement game. From the dual-layered player boards to the screen printed astronaut meeples, this game is a premium board game experience. Players who enjoy finding combos and competing for resources will find a lot to love in this game from Pandasaurus Games.
Shackleton Base is available at your local game store or online through Amazon today.
River of Gold
Publisher: Office Dog Games
Number of Players: 2-4
MSRP: $55
River of Gold is the game that I regret not having on my Top Games of 2024. This release from Office Dog Games is not only gorgeous, but it’s a game that I think about almost immediately after putting it back on the game shelf. Players sail their ships along the river as they invest in building new structures, gaining resources and fulfilling contracts.
Turns move fast with players getting to choose one of three actions on their turn that is connected to the die roll from the previous turn. Use divine favor to manipulate the dice and focus on gaining influence among the different clans in the game. River of Gold is easy to learn, hard to master, and an incredibly beautiful game that we love to play.
River of Gold is available at your local game store or online through Amazon today.
We’ve got even more gaming gift ideas from last year. You should check it out!
