My 2022 Board Game Holiday Gift Guide | 10 Suggestions for Family & Friends!

ah yes the holidays are upon us now I might be a little biased but I always think that board games make the best gifts so to help you all out I put together a list of some of my favorite games from this year and the people that they'd be perfect gifts for plus I tried to get it done a little bit early this year so you could get those Black Friday deals that is a brilliant idea I cannot believe I didn't think of that so if you want to know what board games will make the perfect gift for your friends and family this year then might I suggest thank you hi I'm Alex from might I suggested game a channel devoted to helping you find your perfect board game today like I mentioned before we're going to be going through my holiday gift guide for 2022.

now I really only had two qualifications for this list number one is that the game is relatively new AKA it came out in the last year or so and number two it had to be available at retail either at your local game store or online so if you didn't see your favorite new game on here it's probably because it didn't fit into one of those two boxes anyways I'm really excited to get into it but before we start I wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who helped me get over a thousand subscribers we just passed the 1K Mark which was one of my big goals for the year so to celebrate this Milestone I'm gonna be doing a giveaway that's right I'm gonna be giving away one of the games that's on my list today to enter this giveaway drop me a note in the comments and let me know what board game you're hoping to get for the holidays this year and while you're down there you can do step number two which is to hit subscribe and that little bell button so you can get notified when I post new content and if you want to know what game I'm giving away you're gonna have to stay till the end guys do you really think it was going to be that easy so without further Ado let's get into it well one of these games on my holiday gift guide be the perfect game for you let's find out shall we [Music] [Applause] all right the first board game that we're talking about is for the kids I know almost everybody's gotta buy something for this age group and the older you get the harder it is to know what they want so let me help you out if you're buying for kids that are ages five and over then might I suggest Turtle Splash Turtle Splash from Lucky Duck games is a perfect mix of a dexterity and a memory game that plays with two to four players in about 15 or 20 minutes the easy rule set and quick play time is perfect for kids that haven't quite nailed the concentration thing yet or for adults that have a very short attention span who could you possibly be talking about in Turtle Splash you're gonna have two distinct parts of your turn in the first part of your turn you're going to be flicking the turtle and trying to get it to land perfectly in the watering hole the quality of your shot will determine how many actions you get to take in the next part of your turn now after you see where the turtle landed you'll be able to flip over these animal tiles to try to rescue them onto your personal board but here's the twist you're only allowed to rescue them in a specific order which means that if you flip over an animal that's not able to be rescued yet you're out of luck although you might get a little life preserver that'll help you get more actions later you'll keep flicking the turtle and trying to flip over the right animals until one person rescues all the animals on their personal board and that player wins this game is super simple and it's a blast to play with kids and adults alike in fact I think the kids might have an advantage because it seems like they've got a better memory than me anyways can't you remember anything I remembered the Alamo this game is tactile and fun and the illustrations are super cute so even if your kid isn't quite up to the level of the game yet it's still a really tactile experience to mess around with the components so if you're looking for a great game that can get the kids and the adults together and might even hold their concentration for more than 10 minutes then might I suggest Turtle Splash [Music] [Applause] all right next up what do you get for the people that have everything I feel like this every year when I try to buy something for my parents and even though I've put in a lot of legwork to try to get them into games I know that there are some games that'll work better than others usually the formula is to find something that has a familiar mechanic but does it in a different way and that's one thing I really love about gift of tulips gift of tulips from weird Giraffe games is a simple but beautiful card game for two to six players that plays in about 20 minutes the rule set is really easy to explain which makes the game really quick to get into which is always nice because I feel like it's a lot easier to explain to my parents with an example round in gift of tulips you're going to have two tulip cards in your hand and on your turn you'll have to decide whether to keep it in your bouquet add it to the bouquets in the middle which will affect endgame scoring or give that tulip to another player I love this positive player interaction in games because it keeps the game from being too mean which is really important at a family gathering these days I also should mention that the game rewards you with points every time that you give tulips to someone else there's not a lot of games out there that have that sort of mechanic so I really like that in gifted tulips plus I mean with the name gift of tulips you gotta be giving gifts somehow anyways when the deck runs out you'll check the end game scoring for the bouquets in the middle and whoever ends up with the most points wins this game is really easy to pick up but it hides a depth of strategy that I think gives it a lot of replayability especially for a small box card game it reminds me a lot of the classic card games that you'd play at a family gathering anyway so I'm predicting that this one might become a tradition for years to come so anyways if you're looking for a super simple card game with really beautiful art that's going to be easy enough to explain to your parents so that they can play it even when you're not there then might I suggest gift of tulips [Music] the next one up is for the power couple in your life I feel like every family has a couple that looks like they've got everything figured out this power couple you know they're smart they're talented they look great so this is a game for them it's so big two players so back two players from Panda Source games is an abstract tile collection game for two players only that plays in about 20 minutes the way I've been describing it to people is that it's a mix between Jaipur and chess both of which are great two-player games so this one couldn't go wrong anyways and so big two players you'll be moving the ankh Pawn around the board collecting sets of goods for you to sell later while also positioning the ankh on the board in a direction that might mess with your opponent this game is a perfect game for that power couple because they always seem to think a couple moves ahead everybody I mean they've got their life planned out 10 years into the future so they definitely can plan a couple turns in advance now although the theme in this one isn't something to write home about I think the gameplay more than makes up for it there's so many different ways to win that you always have to be adjusting your strategy based on what your opponent does sometimes all you have to do is collect the highest scoring tiles but sometimes your opponent might be trying to end the game early so you have to figure out what sets to play and when as well as really pay attention to what tiles you'll be giving your opponent I love the back and forth in this game and just like chess when you win it makes you feel really smart I think this game has been criminally underrated all year and it's got a pretty good price tag to boot so if you're looking for a game that has enough variability to have great replayability and is fast enough and light enough to get in a few rounds after dinner and have it not feel like too much of a burden then might I suggest so back two players [Music] [Applause] all right this next one is for the dog lover in your life it seems like everybody knows either an adult that loves their pet more than they love their kids or a millennial that loves their fur baby more than words can express [Laughter] so if you're looking for the perfect game for that dog lover in your life then might I suggest spots spots from CMYK games is an adorable pressy luck dice game for one to four players that plays in about 30 minutes this game is fast and super easy to learn and I think it balances the luck and the strategy perfectly in spots would be taking actions to roll the dice and place them on your different spotted dogs now the tricky part is if you ever roll dice that you can't place they've got to go in your doghouse and if the value of your dog house goes over seven then you bust Lord have mercy I'm about to bust and all the dice that you place on your dogs up to this point are gone now there's a few ways to mitigate that either you can take an action to complete any dogs that have been finished or you can try to finish all of your dogs in one turn if you fill out all of your face up dog cards on the same term without busting then you'll get to complete them simultaneously and draw new dog cards this little twist in the game makes pushing your luck totally worth it even if it means you'll have to start from square one at some point during the game you'll continue rolling the dice and completing your dog cards until one player completes six total dog cards at which point the game ends immediately and that player wins I love that this game is a race to the finish it makes the dice rolling at the end of the game feels so exciting and every game that I've played of this one has ended in some sort of exciting climax I love games that feel like they have that sense of pace and anticipation and spots does that perfectly so if you're looking for a super cute game that's really easy to learn and great for the whole family but perfect for your resident dog lover then might I suggest spots [Music] all right next one up is for the thrill seeker we all have that one dark horse that we're buying a gift for maybe it's your buddy who's super into skydiving or that cousin that just used to be obsessed with Tony Hawk Pro Skater as a kid [Music] either way if you're looking for a gift that's super sick then might I suggest skate summer skate Summer from panosaurus games is a super sick skateboarding game for two to five players that place in about 45 to 60 Minutes I really loved how thematic the gameplay was plus the really cool street style art in this one really seals the deal in skate summer you're going to be trying to put together the perfect run by pulling off sick Combos and trying not to bail out while simultaneously moving around the board and collecting different goals the first phase of the game is all about practicing your tricks every time you play a trick card you're gonna have to roll the dice to check your balance and if you roll too many hits you're gonna have to bail out so plan your tricks accordingly now the reason why you would want to push your luck with those Trick cards is because they also serve as your ability to move around the board and collect different goals and gear which will give you points at the end of the game you'll keep skating as hard as you can until one player's score hits the end game token at which point you'll add up all the end game bonuses and whoever has the most points wins skate summer is a blast it's super thematic the art and the components are amazing and let me tell you it's even better when you play the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack in the background so if you're looking for a really fun and super thematic game about skateboarding that'll have even the most hardcore person in your friend group super stoked than might I suggest skate summer [Music] now on the other side of the spectrum we've all got those home bodies in our family or our friend group that would much rather stay inside with a good book than go do something crazy like the thrill seeker outside bad it's not scary it's not it's not my friend he wants to hurt me maybe they're into crosswords or Sudoku or even one of those daily wordal games I'm calling this person the puzzle fiend and I've got a perfect game for them it's paint the Roses paint the roses from Northstar game studio is a Cooperative deduction logic puzzle game for two to five players that plays in about 60 to 75 minutes this game is perfect for your friends and family that love to think and love the thrill of solving a good problem anyways and paint the Roses you're going to be placing these little rose bush tiles in the Queen's garden and giving your teammates Clues to help them guess what your whim card is your win card might be based on color based on Bush shape or a combination of both and you can definitely scale the difficulty level depending on who's playing every turn you you have to guess somebody's whim card and if you get it right you'll get to move further down the track but if you get it wrong then the Queen of Hearts who's chasing you down the track gets to move even further if you're able to complete the entire Garden before the Queen of Hearts catches you then you win this one is definitely a brain burner at times but if you really love working together to solve these logic puzzles then this game is going to be perfect for you it's definitely the type of game that you get better at the more times that you play it and once you play it once it's easy to get hooked so if you're looking for a thinking logical game that's perfect for those people that are usually at the table solving a jigsaw puzzle then might I suggest paint the Roses [Music] [Applause] all right now I've got a game for the most chaotic person in your family you know the one that likes to live on the edge a little bit maybe messing with people is their love language maybe they threw a few dollars on the Thanksgiving game who knows either way they're Loose Cannon so here's a perfect game for that risk taker it's 3 000 Scoundrels 3 000 Scoundrels from unexpected games is a wild wild west Tableau building and bluffing game for two to four players that plays in about 60 to 90 minutes if you're a player that very rarely goes in with a strategy and you're just looking to create some chaos then this one might be for you anyways in 3 000 Scoundrels you'll play as a steampunk Western character trying to create the best Posse of Scoundrels so that you can steal the highest scoring safes from all the banks now the tricky part is you can only take certain actions by playing certain cards on your turn the Scoundrels in your Posse might make those actions a little bit easier to do but if you're ever in a bind you could always just Bluff You'll Play layer action cards face down so you can always say that you have the card even if you don't have it now if someone else calls you out on it then at the end of the round you'll resolve that and you could lose points if they catch you bluffing but most of the time it's totally worth it I mean it's the Wild Wild West no one's really telling the truth are they one of the really cool things about this game is that it uses these translucent sleeves these card sleeves allow you to create some really interesting Combos and they change from game to game which means the replayability of this one is super high after a few rounds you'll check the reputation track in Whoever has the highest reputation wins 3 000 Scoundrels has great variability and I really love the bluffing elements of it that allow you to have a little bit more control over what you do on your turn obviously there are consequences but no risk no reward right so if you're looking for a light to medium weight super thematic game that's great for fans of classic westerns or just that Will Smith movie and perfect for the resident Chaos Agent in your life then might I suggest 3 000 scoundrels [Music] [Applause] the next one is for the resident host the social butterfly the person that loves getting people together I've got a perfect game for them it's green team wins green team wins from 25th Century games as the majority wins party game for 3 to 12 players that plays in only 15 minutes after I picked up this game at Gen Con I have not been able to stop playing it and I've mentioned it in a bunch of my videos already so I had to include it in my holiday gift guide and green team wins you have to do exactly what it says you have to be on the Green Team if you want to win everyone starts on the orange team but as soon as you answer a question correctly you'll move to the Green Team now what exactly is correctly well you just have to be in the majority if you find your answer in the majority at the table then you'll get a point and if you're already on the Green Team you'll get another bonus point but if you're not at the majority in the table then you won't get any points and you'll move back to the orange team loser also we have a house rule that says if you're the only player not in the majority you have to argue your case but usually we don't have to enforce that one because you're arguing anyways green team wins is a blast from start to finish it always Sparks great conversation and it's perfect with a few drinks so if you're looking for a game that'll get the whole party laughing and will only get better as the night goes on than might I suggest green team wins [Music] [Applause] the next one is a perfect board game for that DIY fanatic you know that classic home decorator maybe it's your live laugh love mom who's been watching a lot of HGTV in her spare time this is honestly one of my favorite Beach slogans relax you know unless they're Spring Breakers playing music after 9 pm and in that case we call the police or maybe it's your roommate who has too many houseplants and you don't know how to tell him either way this is a perfect game for that home decorator it's decorum decorum from Floodgate games is a Cooperative game about decorating your house for two to four players that plays in about 30 to 45 minutes per scenario this game is cooperative but it definitely feels like most of the game is figuring out how to get on the same page as the rest of your teammates in decorum you'll start with a scenario which gives each player a different set of objectives that they have to complete your goal is to complete all of those objectives within the house and even though it doesn't feel like it at first there will be at least one perfect solution that'll complete all of the objectives together now you might be thinking oh that doesn't sound too bad we'll just communicate and make sure that everybody knows what they're going for aha but here's the trick you can't communicate on your turn you either take an item of decor and put it in the house or move something that's already in the house then you'll go around to each of the other players and they'll tell you yeah I like it or no I hate it and based off of that information you have to figure out what but everybody's secret goals are now at first blush that seems a little impossible but don't worry at certain intervals throughout the game you'll be able to share information with other players so that you don't end up getting too frustrated because trust me it might happen you'll keep placing objects in the house and moving things around until every player's objectives are completed at which point you win this game has a really funny theme and it really hits home especially if you live with roommates and they were roommates God they were roommates but it's a great opportunity for conflict resolution and a great reminder that you can actually communicate in real life so if you're looking for a cool looking game with an awesome theme that's perfect for the HGTV Super Fan in your life then might I suggest decorum [Music] [Applause] and last but not least we've got a game for those super fans of superheroes we all know that person in our life that's built their entire personality on the Marvel movies no judgment here it's pretty cool but either way if you're looking for a board game for them then might I suggest Marvel Dice Throne Marvel Dice Throne from the op is a dice chucking combo building game for two to four players that plays in about 20 to 40 minutes I only kind of like the original dice Stone series but I think the addition of the Marvel theme really enhances this one in Marvel Dyson you'll get to choose from the different characters in the box and try to use their special abilities and combos to take out your opponent even though the mechanics of the game are super simple mostly you just play cards from your hand and throw the dice and see what happens the intricacy and the replayability comes from the differences between characters before Marvel characters represented in the base box are Thor Loki Scarlet Witch and Miles Morales all four of these characters have totally different play Styles because they have totally different Power hours but even with all the differences in the characters they still seem super balanced and because it is a dice rolling game there's always that element of luck that can totally even the playing field my favorite thing about this game is that each of the characters is super thematic I mean Miles Morales attacks don't do a ton of damage but he's really quick and can use his combo ability to string his attacks together Loki on the other hand does all of his damage by messing with his opponents he doesn't have a lot of Defense but he can totally nullify any damage then if he gets lucky with his illusions on my way down to coordinate search and rescue on my way down to coordinate search and rescue I'm I mean honestly each character has a different play style and a different strategy attached to that and all the different combos lead to a totally different game each time personally I'm not a huge Marvel Fanboy but this game really surprised me and its thematic Nature has made it one of those games that's gotten to the table a lot recently so if you're looking for a board game that includes a ton of back and forth action and is perfect for that Marvel fan in your life then might I suggest Marvel Dice throne thanks so much for sticking around for my holiday gift guide for 2022.

I really tried to include a lot of different demographics so that you would have the pick of the litter When shopping for all the important people in your life but I know why you're all really here you want to know what that giveaway is so without further Ado the game that I'll be giving away is drum roll please marble dice Throne Marvel Dice Zone really surprised me and you know what else surprised me reaching a thousand subscribers this year so one lucky winner is gonna go home with a copy of Marvel Dice Throne check out the description on this video for more information about the giveaway and don't forget all you have to do to enter is subscribe and drop a comment below to tell me what game you really hope someone gets for you this holiday season anyways thanks so much for everyone who supported me so far please don't forget to like comment and subscribe so we can keep growing this Channel and keep helping you find your perfect board game once again this has been a might I suggested game production and I'm Alex your board game sommelier signing off foreign