Holiday Gaming Gift Guide 2022 | 20 Board Games We Recommend as Gifts This Holiday Season!
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0:00 Intro
1:05 FOR THE PERSON WHO IS BOARD GAME CURIOUS
1:21 Carlo – The Quest for El Dorado
2:58 Dylann – Decorum
4:59 FOR THE PERSON WHO ENJOYS ALONE TIME
5:08 Carlo – Under Falling Skies
7:12 Dylann – Hadrian’s Wall
9:52 FOR LARGE GATHERINGS
10:00 Carlo – Wavelength
12:27 Dylann – Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
15:52 FOR WHEN ACCESSIBILITY IS TOP OF MIND
17:07 Carlo – Calico (Colour Blindness)
19:46 Dylann – For Sale (ADHD)
22:28 FOR THAT EXTRA SPECIAL SOMEONE
22:58 Carlo – Ankh: Gods of Egypt
25:19 Dylann – Sleeping Gods
27:54 FOR THE PERSON WHO ONLY NEEDS ONE GAME
28:28 Carlo – Agricola
31:03 Dylann – Res Arcana
33:44 FOR THE PERSON WHO “BUCKS THE TRENDS”
34:13 Carlo – Cosmic Frog
36:02 Dylann – Enchanted Plumes
38:49 FOR THE PERSON WHO GAMES AT 2
38:58 Carlo – Great Plains
41:09 Dylann – Caesar! Seize Rome in 20 Minutes!
44:09 FOR THE FAMILY WHO GAMES TOGETHER
44:19 Carlo – Bohnanza
47:06 Dylann – Fyfe
49:50 OUR PERSONAL PICK
50:06 Carlo – Renature
53:12 Dylann – Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest
What games are you planning to buy as gifts this holiday?What games are you hoping to RECEIVE as gifts?Let us know!
Going to buy another copy of Micro Macro for a white elephant gift exchange. Thanks for your video on the Micro Macro series. I've really enjoyed it along with some board game curious friends and family. For large gatherings, I totally agree with your picks, but another that came to mind is Ready Set Bet. Just played it with 6 people. Exciting dumb fun with some strategy hiding in there.
Definitely forwarded this video to my fiancé. I’ve mentioned a few of these before. Thanks for the backup guys. 👌🏼
I think a strong category would have been “a game to play with your family over the holidays.” Having everyone together over the holidays is the perfect time to try and plan a few games around.
A recommendation for the game would be “The Kings Dilemma”. I think it’s not too difficult to teach and play, and it lends for a ton of player interaction for you to talk to your family. It’s a good game if all your family can get into it and if your family is coming home for the holidays for upwards of a week. You can play a few sessions a day and mostly have the game complete (if you really push) at the end of the holiday vacation.
If you want a game for 7+ and your group/family doesn’t like breaking up into smaller groups (like mine) then there is no better game to go with than Deception. It’s been a hit with every single group I’ve introduced it to, plays equally well at 6 as it does at 14 (by varying the roles) and has a great expansion for those that want more variety and intrigue! It’s in my top 5 games of all time and it’s the only “party” game that even makes it in the top 50.
Funfair is our family’s favorite game! We look forward to trying out Flamecraft, First Rat, and Creature Comforts this holiday season. Thanks so much for the other suggestions! Libertalia and Great Plains has moved higher up on my wish list!
Excellent list!
Being colorblind, I love games that accommodate colorblind people, with use of shapes or patterns (looking at you TTR!) Thank you for the suggestion for us color blind folk!
Rogue!!
You guys really went above and beyond with this video. So many games I already love and new ones for me to add to my list.
1:38 This is why you're my favorite youtuber you make amazing content for us every day
Ankh is insanely cool game
𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔬𝔰𝔪 😈
I just bought Libertalia, so I am glad it rates high for you guys!
great Plains…..that is where your from lol
This was great, thanks! Category suggestion for next year: super small box games for stocking stuffers!
Someone really needs to buy Carlo the Agricola Revised Edition. 😉
Nice list, guys! I'm considering Hadrian's Wall as a "Treat yo' self" xmas gift for me. My fiancée is my main gaming partner, and she tends to love any "& Write" genre games, which is why I'm also getting her That's Pretty Clever as a stocking-stuffer.
Great content as always. Keep it up, and Happy Holidays!
Awesome list of great gift ideas. Thanks so much guys. I'll be giving a few copies of Friday to friends and I'm looking to land Sleeping Gods, Twilight Inscription or Skymines. You guys rock!🎅❤
Thanks for the recommendations. It all makes sense and your categories are very cool and well thought out. It must have been agonising for some choices. I was amazed that you did this in one session without any cut. Real pros… My only pointer or suggestion is to look at some new trick-taking card games. They can fit into a number of categories and fit the bill. Try Scout, Cat in a Box and the lovely Fox and the Forest Duet. Anyways, it’s been a nice hour to spend with you guys. Keep it up!
+1 for Ankh. My favorite of the trilogy.
Cool idea to add also atypical categories! Personally I resonate with (part of) the ADHD description, especially concerning planning, paying attention to ten different things (create order in the chaos) each turn and feeling rushed. So for example Clever and Ticket to Ride are both appealing both also not made for my ADD brain. I wonder if someone resonates with this and has any ideas.
What a terrific list and detailed yet concise! New to your channel and a sub based on this vlog:). I have marked down 9 of your suggestions to look more into. I have some very picky family members and friends that various games will appeal to…and like you said… I want to be sure I want to play the games that will appeal to them ;-). Thank you for taking the time to compile and I look forward to future vlogs. Happy holidays!
I've just stumbled on All You Can Board. Love the categories and game suggestions. Grew up in a family of 10 game-playing kids. Immediate family is ages 10-me (Mom to 4, Nënë to 5) & all game lovers. Interests are varied and with a few on the spectrum it's necessary to have lots of options.
Adult kids compete to see who can bring a game everyone will play. This summer it was Super Mega Lucky Box.
From your video, I'm going with Wavelength and putting Decorum, Great Plains, For Sale & Renature on the short list. I'd like to know which would appeal to the 11-yr old who started playing D&D this summer and can't get most of us on board (accidental pun). What would be a good sub?
Thanks!
Have shared this with multiple friends now, wish I could Like this video twice. Thanks again for this awesoem resource.
Great topics and I’m glad you guys are picking “not the typical games like wingspan.” Thanks much guys.
I bought The mind, super fun easy game, and Welcome to. I fell in love with that game, hopefully she will too 😄 great video, love it!
Loved the accessibility section! I have ADHD and I do quite well with a wide range of games, but my partner who also has ADHD really struggles with lots of downtime and heavy rules. This was a nice reminder that everyone’s needs are so vastly different 💕
My sister likes Harry Potter. You got anything for that?
I strongly object to decorum as a suggestion, we played it a couple of times and it is very tedious. Someone does something, everyone sighs, this goes on until you are allowed to pass on a requirement, then another 5-10 rounds of sighs. Please don't buy this game, its a chore rather than a game.
Very nice to see an accessibility category. It feels like many content creators and especially designers/publishers don't think much about a huge part of their (potential) customers.
19:50 I had no idea for sale is so small 😅 edit: oh its a travel edition. 😂
fun fact: although it's a game by a German designer it's incredibly hard to find it in Germany. 😒
some old games ? for me flamecraft is my 2022 game !
Thanks so much for recommending Décorum!
Ah, it’s time for what games will I buy for myself and pretend it’s for other people
Truly, the most wonderful time of year!!! GIFT GUIDE BAAABBBY
Res arcana is a favourite in my house atm, the 8 and 7yr old love playing it aswell.
Im not really hoping to receive as a gift as I've bought myself some games,
Clank is the first one as I've wanted it for awhile.
Flamecraft
Lords of the rings confrontation for my partner
For the kids I've bought some haba games for the younger two.
The 8 and 7yr old I've got dwar7s fall, silverwood grove, and some other games
Great video as always! I'm good with my collection but would instead like to somehow find and gift you Bus this Xmas =)
I just ordered Bohnanza as a family game for my niece's family. Family of 7, kids ages are 8-16. They play a lot of board games. Any other suggestions for games they can all play together? This is a great list, I'm also getting Enchanted Plumes for my brother and his wife. My wish list has Renature on it as well as Fyfe.
Isle of Cats for family – we play it all the time. Space Base for family too – although I always tell people to learn it on BGA so they're not overwhelmed by the rulebook. Everdell surprisingly is lasting – even with just 4 players, and even without using expansions. Living Forest I'm hoping comes back in stock – it isn't rated as high on BGA, but so far it's a hit for everyone on BGA. And last, Pergamon – they did a reprint through kickstarter and it's been a lot of fun, and very family friendly.
Carlo wins again 🙂
I ordered these games to myself: Basilica + mat, Cable Car, Finca, Hiroba, Mille Fiori, Nika and Xi'an!
I don't think you guys understand what a lifestyle game is.
Games I want people to buy for me: Hadrian's Wall, Awkward Guests, and possibly a stretch because it's expensive for a game I have never played and don't know if I like, A Feast for Odin. There are some others on my list but those are the most coveted. As far as games I'm thinking about buying, they go more along the lines of games I want in my collection to play with the family when they come around (which I guess Awkward Guests also fits), but I haven't quite narrowed them down. I'd like to get something in the Kingdomino…probably Origins…line. I'm going to look into Deception: Hong Kong, after this video, and I might pick up some easy peasy partyish style game like Just One or So Clover. I need to refresh my memory about what's out there in terms of those.
Getting Isle of Cats and Cat Lady for my (cat obsessed) cat….cant wait!
Great video! I love the accessible category! I wish more channels did that. I have "love letter" and "parade" going out as gifts. Just fun light card games that most people that I've tried it with really enjoy, and both really accessible.
All I want for Christmas is for my super late crowd funded games to finally…finally show up! Some of them are almost two years late!
Once I get those I think my collection is done and I'll have to send my library pics to you guys for my collection critique. Haha.
Thanks for another great video.
I froze your video at the beginning to think about what games you might recommend and am surprised you didn't mention a few – wow, you didn't mention Cascadia, Azul, Ohanami or Land v Sea (granted, the choices are endless, and Fyfe, Enchanted Plumes and Caesar! are in this weight).
As for gifts, my gaming partners are almost exclusively my immediate family – where I am the only one into the hobby – so I drive the bus and they are my passengers going along for the ride 🙂
Therefore, my BUYING gifts are "None" and there is no "hope" in hoping to RECEIVE – either I tell them or buy myself 🙂
If you like Ankh or can't afford it, check out Inis. It's similar in feel and level of strategy while also having a simple ruleset. And it's about half the cost of Ankh. I have and love both games
Great video, thanks!
Is there a campaign mode for Hadrians Wall besides the one in the rule book? There’s one for the solo mode listed in the rule book.
My Wife has bought me Ankh for Christmas and for a lot of the reasons you stated. I wanted it but was hesitant to spend the asking price. She thought it made the perfect gift. I cant wait to play it.
Great games! I just finished my Christmas wishlist and, while I did have a few games on my wishlist (Woodcraft and Hadrian’s Wall) I mainly added Folded Space inserts and deluxifications for my games. I think I’m close to moving from the stage of collecting and now focusing more on exploring my games.