12 easy-to-find games for last-minute gifts

Sometimes, you need a gift on short notice.

So, you’ve read my gift guides. (Maybe! It’s totally fine if you haven’t. Let’s just pretend you have for the sake of argument. Thanks.) You’ve seen the games that might be a little hard to find. You’ve seen the games you needed to order ahead of time for gifts. It’s too late for that now. (Well, it might not be if you hurry. That’s hardly the point, though.) You’re running out of time, and you need to get a board game to give as a gift.

This gift guide deviates from my usual entries in that I’m checking the stock of these items at some big box stores with in-stock options available. I’m checking two stores specifically, both of which carry board games: Target and Barnes and Noble. Their presence at these locations should be a good indicator that they’re available elsewhere, too.

Before we move on, though, I’d like to urge you to check out your local game stores if you haven’t already. Perhaps you don’t have a great local option; I get it. Still, just, you know, check again. Local game stores are such great options for learning, playing and buying games. You won’t regret it, and they’ll be able to steer you to some incredible titles they have available.

Alright — let’s get on with the show.

Wingspan and Root

For strategy gamers

• Wingspan is that game with all the birds. There are so many birds. While I think I’ve migrated over to Wyrmspan as my preferred gaming experience, Wingspan can offer a lot to gamers making the jump from casual games to more strategic games. It’s a non-confrontational competitive game with some of the best bird art you’ll see. Designed by Elizabeth Hargrave, published by Stonemaier Games.

• Betrayal at House on the Hill is (at times) a crowd-pleaser, and while it’s not a game I can recommend personally, I know a lot of people enjoy it. My gripe: There’s a hidden traitor mechanic that upends the game somewhere between 1/3 and 2/3 of the way through, at which point a ‘haunt’ begins. That haunt completely upends the way the game functions. Designed by Bruce Glassco, Rob Daviau, Bill McQuillan, Mike Selinker and Teeuwynn Woodruff, published by Avalon Hill and Habsro.

• Root is one of the great strategy games of a generation. It’s fully asymmetric, and each player has a completely different set of strategies and abilities. That asymmetry is the basis for a woodland conflict pitting faction against faction. It’s a great game. It is also one of the more difficult games to teach, as if you’re playing with an entirely new set of players, you’ll end up teaching a different set of rules for each player. (It’s not just enough to understand what you can do, after all. You have to understand what the other players can do, too.) Designed by Cole Wehrle, published by Leder Games.

• Everdell is a well-regarded worker placement game. I’ve not played it, but I’ve heard near-universal praise for it. It’s one I saw in-stock at a number of big box stores. Designed by James A. Wilson, published by Starling Games.

Azul and Ticket to Ride

For casual strategy gamers

• Azul may be making its way to lots of tables these days, but it could still make a great gift. It’s a puzzly abstract game with beautifully chunky tiles, and what’s not to love about chunky tiles? Designed by Michael Kiesling, published by Next Move Games.

• Ticket to Ride is the classic route-building game in which you’re placing trains and taking tickets. I think this one holds up really well, but be warned: It does get a little aggressive, and when somebody blocks your route, it’s not a great feeling. Designed by Alan Moon, published by Days of Wonder / Asmodee.

• Horrified is a nice cooperative game where you’re working against classic movie monsters. It’s easy to teach, quick to play, but it still requires coordination and communication. Nice game. Designed by Prospero Hall and Peter Lee, published by Ravensburger.

• Kurt Vonnegut’s GHQ is a game I’ve not played, but there’s a really interesting story behind it. Geoff Engelstein, a very talented game designer and one of the great minds in board games today, revived the game from the archives of author Kurt Vonnegut, who originally designed the game in 1956. Designed by Kurt Vonnegut, developed by Goeff Engelstein, and published by Mars International.

Codenames | Photo by Matt Montgomery

For casual gamers

• Bananagrams is easily found at big box retailers, and if you’re looking for a fast-paced word game, this is a great option. I grew up playing Scrabble, and it still holds a special place for me, but it’s a terribly long game for what it is. Bananagrams is fast, and there’s no board — you’re just putting words together on a table, and you’re trying to do it faster than anyone else. Designed by Rena Nathanson and Abe Nathanson, published by Bananagrams, Inc.

• Codenames is increasingly one of those games families have on their shelves, and you could help move that along by giving it as a gift. Ii’s a clever team-based word game, and it plays so well with families. Designed by Vlaada Chvatil, published by Czech Games Edition.

• Telestrations is one of those rare party games that doesn’t rely on the same old tricks. It’s basically the game of telephone, but instead of whispering words to somebody, you’re drawing pictures. It’s a riot. No designer is credited, and it’s based on a public domain game.

• Coup is a great little bluffing game. You’ll start with two role cards, which tell you the actions you can do — but you can always lie about your role and do any action. Designed by Rikki Tahta, published by Indie Boards & Cards.

Four small publishers and imported-game-sellers worth checking out

I know this one’s a little unusual for me — but if I’m going to talk about some games you can get last-minute, I’m also going to tell you about some places I love to buy games online. (As a reminder, I make zero money off of things like this — this is because these folks love games and bring some real joy to the hobby.)

• New Mill Industries — I really love a bunch of games on offer here, but I played Gachapon Trick this week, and it was just delightful. I’m also a big fan of Enemy Anemone, and there are a bunch of interesting trick-taking games here.

• Ninja Star — They’ve brought in some nice games from Tokyo Game Market this year, and I really love Yokai Septet, which they publish.

• Portland Game Collective is run by some great folks, and they publish some great games — like the new edition of Haggis and the English edition of Tricktakers. Five Three Five and Bridge City Poker are also particular highlights, and you’ll find some really cool imports there, too..

• Tricky Imports — This is one of my favorite spots to grab imported games when I’m not doing a larger order from a Japanese proxy service.

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Thank you, as always, for reading! I played a few new games this week, and I’m looking forward to talking more about them, and I still want to hone in on The Gang. We’ll see what next week’s newsletter brings. Stay safe and warm out there this week.