2025 Board Game Holiday Gift Guide | 15 Suggestions for Any Board Gamer!

Are you the type of person that likes to have their holiday gifts in order by July? Or maybe you're a last-second gifter that's going out shopping the night before? Well, either way, in my experience, you can't go wrong with a board game, especially when you have a meticulously curated list of the best board game gifts this year right in front of you wrapped up with a bow on it.

So, if you want to know the perfect board game to give for every giftgiving opportunity this holiday season, or maybe just the perfect one to get for yourself, then might I suggest Hi, I'm Alex from Might I Suggest a Game, a channel devoted to helping you find your perfect board game. Today, like I mentioned before, I'm going to be going through my 2025 board game gift guide, where I'll be talking about 15 different games this year that I love that someone you know will love, too, maybe even you.

I've tried to split the list up into different categories, starting with stocking stuffers, aka little games that pack a big punch. Then moving on into family games that play well with lots of players or people of all ages and then ending with some slightly more strategic games with some really robust themes that'll make perfect gifts for all the fellow gamers in your life.

But as with any list, I can't fit every game on here. So if there's a great game that you're giving this year or if you want some more advice on a specific giftgiving situation, then you can find me on Cameo. That's right, folks. I'm on Cameo now and you can get your own personalized board game recommendation down at the link in the description below.

And while you're down there, don't forget to hit subscribe and that little bell button so you can get notified when I post new content. Anyways, let's get into it. Will one of these board games be the perfect gift for you? Let's find out, shall we? [music] All right, folks. We're starting off with a bunch of stocking stuffers here.

And I love this category because I love a small box game that I can take anywhere with me. And these five games really pack a punch even though they are small enough to fit in your stocking. Anyways, the first one I'm going to talk about today is Trinket Trove. Trinket Trove is a really fun shiny object collection game from Game Head that plays for two to six players in about 30 minutes and it retails at around 20 bucks.

I really love Trinket Trove because it's super cute and easy to get people to play it, but once you get into the actual strategy of the game, it really starts to sink. In the game, you will be playing as these adorable little mice and rats who are going around collecting different things like buttons and thimbles and feathers and all kinds of stuff to try to make the best sets in your hand at the end of the game.

In order to get some trinkets for the game though, you're going to have to bid for those in an auction by using the trinkets that you already have in your collection. So, you have to decide how worth it are the new items that are for sale and how many of the items you have in your hand are you willing to get rid of.

It's a really really clever system and it always has you weighing the relative value of things which is something that I really love in games and that I think Trinket Trove does really well. There's also some really interesting mechanics in the game where if you pay a bunch to get the first pick in the auction in one round then you'll have to be the first one to bid in the next round which means you don't really know what everybody else is going to be paying which means you're liable to get outbid by everyone.

Conversely, if you don't pay a bunch for the auction this round, you'll get to bid last in the next round, which will give you a really good sense of what everyone's going for, and you'll be able to bid accordingly. There's a lot of really interesting interaction that goes into this game, and I was really surprised at how strategic it was for a game that's so quick and so small.

But really, the reason why I picked this one up in the first place was because of the amazing Sandra Tang artwork. I mean, you might know her from games like Flamecraft and Critter Kitchen, but I feel like everything that she touches turns to gold these days. And Trinka Trove is no exception. This game is great for folks who love a cozy card game, who used to watch The Secret of Nim religiously growing up, or maybe people who have just recently gotten back into Red Wall.

Guilty is charged. So, if any of those things ring true for you, or if you're just looking for a really clever and strategic card game that's as compact as it is cute, then might I suggest Trinket Trove. All >> [music] >> right, the next one on my list is kind of surprising for me because generally I'm not a huge fan of IP games, but Stitch the Fix for 626, try saying that 10 times fast, is actually super fun and has been a blast for me and my family.

Stitch the Fix for 626 is a family weight card game that's based on Love Letter for two to five players that plays in about 10 or 15 minutes, and you can get it for right around $20. Now, Lilo and Stitch is a classic. I haven't got a chance to watch the new one, but this new interpretation of the Lovelet Letter franchise is actually really intriguing.

First of all, I love that I can play it with my 4 and 1/ halfyear-old. It's got some strategy to it, but also enough luck that anyone can win. And it's been really fun to see him pick up the different combos and different ways that you can affect the game. I also love that you can play it with two players or up to five players cuz that really opens the door for lots of different situations in which you could bring it out.

And I would certainly be remissed to also mention the adorable little Stitch carrier case that it comes in. I mean, that thing is really cute, and I would love to see that in my stocking come Christmas morning. Now, as far as the game goes, it takes the formula of Love Letter and changes things up slightly so that it feels like a new game, but also familiar to folks who love the original like me.

The main difference is that you've got a little token that has Stitch on it, and on the opposite side, they've got his evil side, experiment 626. Now, there are cards in the game that when you play them will flip it over or will make you swap the token and things like that. And really, the goal is the same as Love Letter, where you're trying to be the last person standing or have the highest card at the end of the round.

The amount of rules in this game is super minimal. So, anyone, even people who don't play games can get into it. And I feel like if you've got anyone who loves Ohana or loves the Lilo and Stitch franchise that this is a no-brainer for them. But even if you don't really care for those IPs, I still think this is a really fun game, especially if you're looking for games to play with your kids because it introduces that little bit of strategy, but also some fun luck that pops up every once in a while that'll make your kids shout with glee when they officially eliminate you from the round.

So, if you're looking for a really cute card game that has a surprising amount of strategy, or if you're just looking for something cute to put in a stocking this holiday season, then might I suggest Stitch the Fix for 626. >> [music] >> All right, the next one up is a really cool one called Alibis.

Alibis is a cooperative deduction word game from All Play that plays with two to six players in about 20 minutes and that you can get for around 20 bucks. Now, I love this game because it really feels like a mix between code names and so Clover and Clue or something like that. All of which I love and it always leads to some really funny situations or people defending their choices around the table.

Now, in alibis, there are a grid of suspects in the middle of the table, and each of them has an alibi except for one. You, as a group, have to determine which of the suspects does not have an alibi and eliminate all the other suspects before the end of the round. Now, each of these suspects also has a word associated with them.

And at the beginning of the round, you'll get a clue for two suspects that you'll have to connect together. So, if I got the clues hero and cloud, then maybe I would put storm or something like that. Either way, once everyone has written one word down, they will reveal it in turn, and everybody else will guess on their own personal sheet which two suspects you think it's referring to.

Then, once everyone has gone and you've eliminated all the suspects but one, you'll reveal who you think is the suspect that does not have any matches, and hopefully get it right. Now, every time you get somebody's suspects correct, you'll be able to remove some heat from the stash. And if you run out of heat before the end of the game, then you win.

Alibis is a really really clever game and I love that it's cooperative because sometimes in code names people get a little too testy with the two teams or take way too long to come up with their clues. This is a really great solution for that problem because everybody's coming up with their own clues on their own time and when you win the game you win together so everybody's happy.

It takes a game like So Clover that I love and it adds a bit of theme to it which I think is really fun. So, if you love word games or deduction games like Code Names, and you're looking for something to freshen things up this holiday season, or if you just want a game that's going to make everyone laugh around the table and come up with new inside jokes every time you play it, then might I suggest Alib.

[music] All right, number four on the stocking stuffers list is a game called Duel for Cardia. Duel for Cardia is a two-player only game that plays in about 15 minutes that you can get for around 17 bucks. And for that price and the amount of strategy that's in this game, I think this game is totally worth it.

Now, in Duel for Cardia, the tricky part is both you and your opponent have the same deck. And all you have to do is make sure that you get to five points before they do. Now, you get points by playing a card that's higher than their card. And that's really simple. But the twist is that every time someone loses a duel, i.e.

you played the lower card in the set, you get to activate that card's ability. And these abilities are crazy. Sometimes they'll make your opponent discard cards from their hand. Sometimes they'll let you have ongoing abilities that can affect the rest of the round. Sometimes they just simply discard the card that the opponent played.

If you can play the right cards and bluff your opponent's bluff and double bluff and triple bluff and all kinds of bluffs, then you'll be the first to five points and win the round. And the first person to do that twice wins the game. Now, duel forcardia is so so simple. All you do is pick a card from your hand and play it.

But there's so many different intricacies of what you should be playing next or what your opponent might be playing next that really have you thinking and secondguessing your strategy every step of the way. I love that the abilities are the same in both decks. So essentially you're playing with common information and you know what they might have at any given point.

So you can really start to build your strategy along those lines, especially if you played this game a bunch. But I also love the chaos of this game. The abilities on each of the cards seem totally broken at first, but then you remember if you're activating all of these abilities, then you're losing points and it's really a race to five points.

So, you don't want to activate too many abilities or else you're going to get run out of town. It is just a really, really clever system. I've loved my plays of it. I think this will be the perfect stocking stuffer for people who play a lot of two-player games, who love that intense back and forth competition without being too mean, and that love that really interesting mental game of trying to read your opponent and trying to predict what they do next.

So, if you're looking for your next competitive two-player card game that you can play while you're waiting for your food at the restaurant or while you're having a cozy night at home, then might I suggest Duel for Cardia. [music] All right, the last one on my stocking stuffer list is truly a stocking stuffer.

This thing is pocket-sized and I love it. It's a game called Number Wang. Number Wang is a really clever trick-taking game from Odd Candy Games that plays with four players only in about 45 minutes and that you can get for about $25. Now, this game is a little bit tricky to find because it comes from a local publisher here in Portland, but I cannot shout the prices of this game enough.

I love tricking games and this one really blew my mind this year. The concept of number wing is very simple. It's a very straightforward mustfollow trick-T game where one of the suits is trump and everybody's just playing one card into the trick and the highest value card wins. The tricky part is at the beginning of the round, you will be passing your hand to every single player around the table and they will be bidding on how many tricks they think you are going to win.

Now, this is chaotic in and of itself, right? Because you have to make sure you do the math to make sure that everybody's tricks adds up to the 13 cards that you have in the round. But also, just to make things even more crazy, after everyone has put a bid down for each player around the table, including themselves, they are going to pass two of their cards to the left.

So, you could just pass two cards and slough them off and still try to win the amount of cards that you wanted to win. Or you could try to screw everybody else over and pass maybe two of your best trump to the next person. I don't know. Could be a lot of things, but there's a lot of really, really amazing interactions that happen in this game every time you play it.

My favorite part was that during the round, everyone was like, "Oh, you got to win more tricks. Go ahead. Go ahead and win that one. Oh, wait, wait. Don't win that trick. Don't win more more tricks." And every single person was invested in the amount of tricks that everybody else was winning. So, there was this really interesting undercurrent of strategy that was happening, as well as some social negotiation, which I thought was hilarious.

Plus, you can try to do something really devious with the cards that you pass so that you can get your bid and screw everybody else over, which will be ultimately more points for you. I just think this game is so clever. It's really, really standard trick- game, so you don't have to learn a bunch of new concepts when you play it, but the chaos that ensues every single time is totally worth it and really extremely hilarious.

I think this one is a no-brainer for any person in the Midwest who loves trick- taking. If you love those simple card games like Uker or Hearts or Spades and you're looking for something that adds a little bit more spice to the table, or if you just know number Wang, that original hilarious sketch on that Mitchell and Web look.

>> Well, if you're ready, let's play Number Wang [music] >> and you want something that replicates that totally nonsequitator vibe, then this is the game for you. So, if you love trick- taking games, you love chaos, you love a good twist, you love interacting with people, and maybe a little social negotiation thrown in there, then might I suggest number.

[music] All right, folks. We're moving on to our family games now, which are games that are either playing with a lot of players or with players of all ages, but generally are just hilarious and awesome to play with the whole crew when they get together over the holidays. Now, the first one I added to this list, I added faster than I may have ever added a game before on one of my list.

This is a game called Hot Streak. Hot streak is a betting and gambling and racing game from CMK Games that plays with two to nine players in about 25 minutes, and that'll run you about 50 bucks. But let me tell you, that price tag is totally worth it for the amount of fun that you will get out of this game over and over and over again.

Every time I play Hot Streak, someone says, "I'm buying that game." Because it is just so hilarious and so funny and so many crazy things will happen every single time that I think this game really should be a staple in everybody's household. Plus, I mean, it makes a really good drinking game, too. So, another reason to get it for the holidays.

Anyways, in Hot Streak, it looks like you're going to be racing, but actually, you're going to be betting on a race between four specific mascots. These four mascots are hilarious and ridiculous, and they've even included some lore about the mascots in the rule book. But the one thing you know is that no matter what, you can't really control what these mascots are doing.

At the beginning of the game, you'll get to see the deck and the cards that are affecting all of the different mascots. Some of them will make them move forward, some of them will make them fall over, some of them will make them swerve or turn around, and you automatically know some chaos is going to ensue, but then everyone is going to bet on what they think the results of the race are going to be.

You can bet on each of the mascots, whether they're going to come in first, second, or third, or god forbid, last place where you won't get any money. But there's also one side bet that happens in each round that is something chaotic that might happen during the round. Like one of the mascots might get run over or one of them will swerve off the track and go out of bounds or one of them will be crawling at the finish line.

There's lots of different things that could happen and those side bets make it even more interesting. Now after everyone has gone and made their two bets for the round, then everyone is going to look at their hand and slip one extra card into the deck. which means that depending on how many players you have, you have a bunch of new cards in the deck that nobody knows what they are.

So, you know, the race is going to be wild. Anyways, once everybody's done that, you're going to burn three cards. 3 2 1. And then you're going to start the race by just flipping over one card at a time and moving the mascot accordingly. This is hilarious. It plays out in real time like a horse race.

You'll have people cheering and booing and yelling at the table. It is just hilarious because you'll have one of the mascots go out to a crazy lead and then you'll have someone catch up and then he turns around and then he's going backwards and then he falls down and then once the dust clears, you'll see who came in first, second, third, or fourth.

You'll determine whether or not the side bet happened or not, and then you'll deal out money to everybody who won something. And you'll play over the course of three rounds. And normally, I would say that whoever has the most money wins. But in this game, it never really says that. All it says is that at the end of the game, you'll count up your money and then you'll read a little excerpt from the rule book based on how much money you have.

I just think this is hilarious. It leads to a really fun, intense experience that's ultimately pretty low stakes. And it gets everybody up out of their seat and laughing and yelling and participating. And I just love games like that. There's always a huge moment in every game, in every round, in every race really.

And I think games that can manufacture that type of fun are just so so good. And Hot Streak is one of the best at it. I always say when I teach this game, the only thing that you can count on in this game is chaos. And that rings true every time that I play it. If you've got a rowdy and loud family, or one that loves to do fun competitions around the holidays, or if you've got a friend group that's always doing crazy stuff and is super spontaneous and is looking for that next really fun activity to do together, then Hot Streak is going to be for you.

So, if you want chaos on your game table, if you want hilarious looking mascots at your table, if you want fake Monopoly money that's really fun to hold and mess around with at your table, and if you just want a really awesome party game that plays out differently every single time you play it, then might I suggest Hot Streak.

[music] All right, the next one on my list is Brick Like This. Now, Brick Like This is a party game with Legos for two to eight players that plays in about 15 or 20 minutes, and it'll run you about 20 bucks, which is not bad at all considering it has Legos in it. Now, in Brick Like This, you'll split up into pairs.

One person is going to be describing a very specific Legohaped silhouette, and the other person who can't see the silhouette is going to be building that brick by brick, one piece at a time. Now, they can only pick up pieces and build them based on the describers's description. So, the person who has the card has to be really specific and also will end up coming up with their own language about, oh, I need a 1x3 or I need an arch or one of those little ramp thingies.

And it's always really hilarious to watch people play this game. Now, another cool part about this game is that it adds some challenges into the game. Not only can you choose silhouettes that are more difficult and that require more pieces to level the playing field if you're playing with people of different ages, but you'll also add in these different challenges each round that can make you do crazy things like only be able to describe the pieces with yeses and nos.

Now, that one is a crazy one. Anyways, this game is perfect for the family, especially if you love Legos. It's really, really clever. It's super interactive and it's really easy to scale for the whole family. So, if you got friends or family that are really into Legos, if you got some teenagers that need some help with their communication skills, or if you just want a fun family language independent party game that's going to get everyone at the table talking, then might I suggest Brick Like This.

[music] All right, the next one is actually only for two or four players really, but because the games are so quick, you can kind of have a roundroin or a tournament with everybody at the function. It's Beo. Bo is a really clever flicking and dexterity soccer game for basically two players that plays in about 15 minutes and that'll run you about 90 or $100.

But if you've got a soccer fan, you can push it up a little bit and get them a customized board that has their favorite club on it, which I think is pretty cool. The game itself is really simple. I flick and then you flick and if you make it into the goal, you score. But there's this formation of metal pegs that are in the way that are going to play defense and keep you from scoring.

You'll have to ricochet off of the elastic bands on the side or find ways to spin your ball to get it into the goal. And the first person to seven points wins. This game basically reminds me of like a portable foosball or air hockey or something like that. It's really quick and easy. It comes in this nice carrying case as well, but it's so simple that anyone can play it.

I mean, I play games with my 4 and 1 half-year-old of this one all the time and actually sometimes he beats me. So, if you can get your dexterity in order, you might be able to run the table this holiday season. But I also think there is kind of a lack of sports themed games in board gaming right now.

And I think this one is a really great gift for people who love soccer, who love the beautiful game, who wake up early to watch the Premier League, or who just love a good competition and dexterity game. I feel like sometimes family games have a hard time catching because people are worried they're going to have to have a lot of strategy going into it.

You can have some strategy in beho, but that's not the main part. You just got to flick it and try to get it in the goal. And I think that simplicity makes this one super good. So, if you've got soccer fans in your life, if your foosball table is officially broken from too many spins, you know who I'm talking about.

Or if you're just looking for a fun dexterity game that you can hop in and hop out of at any time that'll be great for any function, then might I suggest Beo. [music] All right, the next one is actually a game that's releasing this month, so you might need to give it a little bit of time before you can grab it for the holidays.

It's a game called Magical Athlete. Now, Magical Athlete is a crazy roll and move racing game from CMK Games for two to six players that'll play in about 30 minutes and that'll run you about $30. In Magical Athlete, you're going to be picking several of these crazy characters, each that has a weird and special ability that is going to affect each race that you're going to be in.

The tricky part is you're going to have to pick one of those racers that you chose at the beginning of the game to race in each round. And the interaction between your character and everybody else's character is totally different depending on what they choose. Some of the characters might make you move backwards.

Some of the characters might make you slip up like the banana. I love the banana. Whatever their powers are, they're all broken, which makes the game hilarious and really chaotic and fun to play. Now, Magical Athlete is actually a remake of a game that came out in the early 2000s, and it has this really funny art direction that kind of reminds me of cartoons in like the 70s and 80s.

But even if this goofy and weird looking box isn't quite your vibe, I promise you the game is really good. This one is perfect for parents who have kids that like Candyland or Shoots and Ladders, those really boring rolling move games needed a replacement, and Magical Athlete is it. It is the least boring roll and move game I've ever played.

And I never thought I'd be a guy who just likes to roll the dice and see what happens, but this game has made me a believer. Now, the game is going to be played over four rounds, and each round you're going to flip the board over so that it's either on the calm side or the crazy side, which also might determine some of the strategy of which racer you pick and when.

But ultimately, don't think about it too much because whatever your best laid plans are, they are going out the window immediately as soon as that first die roll happens. This game is crazy. It is hilarious. It is really fun to play both with kids and adults. Anyone can understand the game and anyone can kind of win, which is why I think it's a wonderful party game and is perfect for the holidays.

Plus, it plays up to six so you can get the whole crew involved and really have a memorable experience. So, if you're looking for a way out from the monotony that is your typical roll in moves, especially for kids games, or if you're just looking for a crazy and chaotic and weird game that's sure to make your whole family laugh out loud no matter what happens, then might I suggest Magical Athlete.

[music] All right, the last one on my family games list is Lightseed Arena. Now, I made this one last on my list because unfortunately it might be a little bit tricky to find. My local game store has it. I might have told them to source it in the first place, but if you can get your hands on it, this game is going to blow your mind.

Light Speeded Arena is a real-time space battling game for one to four players that plays in about 10 minutes that you can get for 30 bucks if you can find a copy. Now, the best parts about this game are that it's extremely fast and it's appisted, which means that you get to see the scoring for the game happen in real time, and it really feels like you're playing some sort of video game or something.

In the game, you're going to get a stack of spaceship tiles that are numbered 1 through eight. Now, the number one ships are not as powerful, but they fire first. And the number eight ships are a little bit more tanky and powerful, but they have to survive until the end. Because at the end, during the scoring phase, you'll activate all the one ships, then all the two ships, then all the three ships, all the way up to the top level.

Now, the actual chaos of the game is that you are going to be shuffling these tiles together and placing them face down, and then you'll start the timer for the game. The timer is about 10 seconds. And every 10 seconds, you'll look at a new tile. You'll figure out where on the table to place it. And then you'll have to put it down and take your hand off of it before the 10 seconds is up.

Now, this is already crazy because you have to be paying attention to where everybody else is putting their ships and where the special points for the round are going to come from because there's always going to be some asteroids in the middle that'll give you some special points. But you're taking a lot of information all at once.

And I'll tell you right now, there's absolutely no way you can strategize well enough in this game to not get something of your own blown up because at the end of the day, everybody's going to be placing eight ships. And if you're playing with a full complement four players, the entire board is going to be completely full.

You're probably going to end up shooting one of your own ships at one point. You're probably going to get points that you didn't expect. One of your ships is going to get blown up before it gets a fire. All these different types of things. It is super chaotic. And the game is over in 80 seconds because you only have 10 seconds to place all eight of your ships.

And because they're in a random order, you never really know what's going to happen. So, you just have to roll with it. Now, at the end of 80 seconds, somebody with the app is going to take a picture of the table. And the app will look at all of the ships that are on the table, and it'll score each of them individually, and you will get to see your score rack up like an arcade game until everybody's points have been scored, and then whoever has the most points wins.

This game is crazy. It might be the best real-time game I've ever played because it doesn't have so many rules that it bogs you down and you're thinking about too much during the game. Now, there's obviously things that you can consider during the round, but ultimately you don't have enough time for that.

You got 10 seconds, so you just got to put something down and hope it works and try not to get blown up. And I just think that as a premise is hilarious, super fun, and definitely worth checking out. This one is great for sci-fi fans, for fans of really crazy super fast games, for people that love watching your score wreck up or love going to the arcade and the lights and the bells and the whistles and everything, it is just fantastic, especially for those people.

So, if you're looking for a game that really puts real time back into the spotlight, that is super fast and is over so quickly that everyone will just be like, "Let's play it again," then might I suggest Lightseed Arena. >> [music] >> All right, now it's finally time to talk about some of the more strategic games.

These are games that you're going to want to get for your gaming friends, for people that have some experience in playing games, that are really looking for a theme or an experience that really strikes them. And I'll start this one off with an easy one. I mean, if you don't have this one already, I'd be surprised.

This is a game called Finsspan. Finsspan is a follow-up to Wingspan from Stonemire Games. It plays for one to five players in about 60 to 90 minutes and it'll run you about 50 bucks. Now, Finsspan, I think, is really a triumph. I was a little bit worried after they did Wingspan and they did Worms Span, which was a little bit more intense than Wingspan was, that they're going to have a hard time coming up with new stuff in this category.

But Finsspan, I think, really does the series justice while also making it a little bit more accessible for the common lay person. Now, if you've played Wingspan, you've heard this story before, but Finsspan is a engine building, tableau building game where you are collecting different animals, in this case fish, and placing them on your board that are going to improve your actions throughout the game and that are ultimately going to score you points and win you the game.

Now, the game is played over the course of four rounds, and you'll be collecting different fish in each of the rounds to add to your board. Some of these fish have instant abilities that'll give you some resources right away. But some of the fish have abilities that say when activated, which means that whenever you take an action in the column that they are placed, you'll get to take that action as well.

This improves the actions that you take each round, which make it easier for you to, for example, play more fish into your tableau. Finsspan is really great. I think it smooths out some of the corners of the original Wingspan. And one of the things I love about the game is really the theming. Now I think that birds in general in wingspan are generally named by these hoidytoidy ornithologists and scientists and all these things and they've got some very proper names.

Fish on the other hand seem to be discovered by some really crazy people who are crazy enough to not only go out into the ocean but go deep into the ocean and find some of these things. So some of the names of these fish are absolutely hilarious and definitely more my vibe than something that's you know upper crust if you will.

But other than the theme, I think the game itself is also really nice. It's streamlined. It's tight. It's quick. Even if it's your first time playing it, I think it is easier to get into than Wingspan. And if you are still struggling to wrap your head around Wingspan, Finsspan is a really great game to kind of get you there.

Once you've played Finsspan, I think Wingspan becomes a lot easier to stomach and to understand. Now, I will say I'm not sure that I would necessarily consider Finsspan a gateway game, as it were. I still think there are some concepts in there that maybe a beginner gamer might take a little bit more time to understand, but I do think it is a good game and is worth introducing.

And if you don't have the other ones in your collection, or if you do and you just like fish better, then you should definitely check this one out. So, if you're looking for a really clever engine game that has some really amazing themed fish to it, has some really intuitive actions and rules that make sense in the context of the theme, and that also just looks fantastic on the table, then might I suggest Fins Man.

[music] All right, next up is a game that kind of came out of nowhere for me this year. It's Leviathan Wilds. Leviathan Wilds is a cooperative boss battling game for one to four players that plays in about 60 to 90 minutes and that you can get for like 75 or $80. Now, I had never heard of Leviathan Wilds up until recently, but my buddy got a copy and said, "This game is kind of like Shadow of the Colossus, the board game, and my ears immediately perked up because Shadow of the Colossus is one of my all-time favorite PlayStation games." And I was super excited to just check it out on that premise alone.

But it also helped that I love cooperative games and especially ones where you have asymmetric powers and you're working together to kind of defeat a larger threat. And this is exactly that. In Leviathan Wilds, you're going to play with a combination of roles which give you sort of a custom character build at the beginning of the game that's going to give you a special deck that'll make you good at certain things.

Sometimes you'll be really fast. Sometimes you'll be good at healing other people. Sometimes you'll be good at breaking stuff, which in this game is actually quite good because you need to break these crystals that are plaguing these Leviathans and making them go crazy. What I really love about this game is the asymmetry of it.

Each character felt uniquely different and we really had to use our individual powers to their highest ability in order to win the game. But I also love that each of the Leviathans, each of the bosses that you have to beat, each of them feels unique and intuitive to the challenge we're facing. Some of them might have giant jaws that try to eat you.

Some of them might actually eat you and you'll have to do battle inside of it. Some of them you'll have to climb up. Some of them you have to climb down. Either way, each Leviathan presents a really awesome challenge that feels very thematic and is super challenging in its own unique ways. And I just love that.

I feel like the game has tons of play time because you can totally face off against the same Leviathan twice, especially if you pick new characters around the table because then the interaction of those characters around the table is totally going to change your experience with each specific Leviathan that you face.

I love a cooperative game. I love a boss battler. And I love that this one is all about climbing around trying to break crystals and complete different quests and things like that. And I just really really was blown away by this game. So, if you're a big fan of like RPGs or boss battlers, you like making characters that are special or unique in some way, or if you just like cooperative games where everybody has to work together to their highest potential in order to win the game, then might I suggest Leviathan Wilds.

[music] All right, the next one up is basically the only beige game that I've liked in quite some time. It's Galileo Galilee. Galileo Galilee is a stargazing dice manipulation game for one to four players that plays in about 75 to 100 minutes and that'll run you about 60 bucks. Anyways, even though the box cover kind of just looks like a UPS package or something like that, the game inside is actually really, really good.

In Galileo Galilee, you'll be staring up at the sky and moving your telescope to the different actions on your track. Each of those actions will let you do things like increase the value of the dice or look at some of the constellations and planets that are out there, which will help build your engine for the game.

But really, to me, the most important and the most exciting part about this game is the action track. On your turn, you can move your telescope up to three actions along the track, but every time you take an action, you've got to move that back to the end of the track, which pushes everything else up and also changes basically the order in which the actions can be taken in future rounds.

There's really this interesting level of having to plan ahead in this game where you want to move to certain actions so you can get them out of the row so that you can be available to take more of those actions later on in the game. Plus, there's the opportunity when you get to the top of your action wheel to upgrade some of those actions and make them even stronger for the rest of the game.

This game certainly has a lot of moving parts. It's definitely a point salady type thing towards the end of the game, but I really enjoyed the action system and the way that you can manipulate your dice and use those to pay for the constellations and the planets that you will be observing. The constellations themselves, they only take one color dye, but the planets, which are going to be your big hitters and big point getters, actually take two different colors of dye.

So, sometimes it'll be orange and you'll need a red and yellow, or sometimes it'll be purple and you'll need a red and blue. But either way, you have to come up with a way to get the right combination of dye and get those planets before anybody else gets them. There's also some really fun stuff with the comets letting you take extra actions, these sextants that'll allow you to get some bonus actions on your turn.

And wait for it, nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. >> Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. >> Of course, there is a Spanish Inquisition track, which I do think it's an interesting mechanic. It adds a little bit of depth to the game as well. You'll be racing to these endgame scoring conditions and also some extra bonuses there.

You'll be building up your library of information that you're doing. And whoever ends the game with the most points and who's not in trouble with the Spanish Inquisition is the best astronomer and wins the game. Galileo Galilee. It's fun. There's some really fun historical elements. I loved the theme of it.

I loved the way that the telescope was your action picker. And there were just so many little elements of this that I think worked really well together that I would definitely recommend this to anyone, especially if you are kind of into that Taiko Brahi astronomer history and that era of discovery. So, if you love looking through a telescope, if you love staring up at the heavenly bodies up there, or if you just want a really interesting Euro game that belies its beige cover and ultimately is extremely interesting and leads to some really fun decisions throughout the game, then might I suggest Galileo Galilee.

All right, we're getting close to the end and I thought I'd throw a two-player game in there just to shake things up and give something to all my two-player fans out there. So, the next one on my list is Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth. Lord of the Rings Duel for Middleear is a two-player only game that plays in about 30 to 45 minutes and that you can get for about 40 bucks.

Now, to be clear, this is technically a revamping of the original Seven Wonders Duel, which is, I think, generally considered to be one of the best two-player games of all time. So, when I heard they were just putting a Lord of the Rings IP on it, I was a little wary at first because I didn't want them to just reskin it.

But I'm happy to report that they not only put a really amazing Lord of the Rings theme to it with some amazing Vincent Dut artwork, but they also streamlined the game and added some really thematic elements to make it feel like you're actually dueling for Middle Earth while still keeping all of the elements of the original game that made it so good.

In Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth, you'll be playing as either the good guys or the bad guys, as is to be expected. And each of you has three different win conditions that you can get in order to win the game. You can win the basic way, which is just to have more points than the other person by the end of three rounds, but the fact that there are two other ways to kind of sneak in there and win, I think takes the intrigue of the game to the next level.

One of those extra win conditions is the ring track. The good guys will be moving the hobbits and the bad guys will be moving the ring wraiths. And if the ring race ever catch up to the hobbits, then the bad guys win. But if the hobbits manage to make it all the way to Mount Doom and drop the ring in, then they win the game, all on that special ring track.

So you have to be paying attention to the movement on that to make sure you don't ever get too far ahead or too far behind in that case. The other way that you can win is by controlling the map of the different kingdoms in Middle Earth. If your army just basically takes over all of the different locations, then you know, who cares what happens?

We've got control of everything. If you manage to have control in all of the different kingdoms on the map on a single turn, then you just immediately win the game. I just think this is really clever. Every single game that I've been in has been down to the wire. There have been plenty of opportunities for both players to win, and you never really get too far behind because you're kind of competing on so many different tracks that there's always one that you can exploit that the other person isn't really paying attention to.

Maybe you see them trying to take over a bunch of stuff on the board and you push back just enough or try to speedrun the ring track in order to win. or maybe you just kind of play back and forth and hope that you have enough points to win at the end of the game. Either way, those multiple win conditions and the balance of the game really make this one such a exciting experience every time you play it.

And I know that recently they've come out with an expansion for the game, which could end up being a good stocking stuffer, too. This one is a no-brainer for any Lord of the Rings fans in your life, or it would make a great gift for a couple that really enjoys that kind of strategic two-player experience without being too too mean or combative.

So, if you're looking for a really, really fantastic two-player game that will fulfill you both strategically and thematically and will really reward the player who is able to balance as many things as possible throughout the game, then might I suggest Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth. [music] All right, I may have saved the best one for last.

I'll let you be the judge, but the last one on my list for the holiday gift guide this year is Vantage. Vantage is an openw world exploration game for one to six players from Stonemer Games that'll probably take you about two to three hours and that's being kind of generous and will run you about 90 bucks.

Now that might seem big, but I can speak from experience when I say the amount of stuff that this game covers is extremely vast and you might be discovering new things in this game forever. Maybe the amount of exploration content and different options that you can do in this game are absolutely mind-boggling.

And it is crazy to me that something like this actually came out, was produced, was made, and exists in the big 2025. Basically, Vantage is one big choose your own adventure story book where you and all your friends crash land on a planet. You have maybe communications with each other over radio, but other than that, you have no idea where you are.

And you are going to have to visit different locations, interact with the sentients who inhabit this planet, and go explore all of the different corners of this world in order to figure out how to complete your mission. Each time you play, your mission will be different, and you will also be able to acquire several different destinies in the game that might lead you to go down even more different paths than you would before.

The game itself is super simple. All you do is go to a location and you choose one of the six different actions to do at that location. But here's the twist. You can only ever pick one of those actions. So, choose wisely. Once you choose an action, you'll reference it in the several different reference books that they give you, and it'll tell you how difficult that task might be.

Then, you'll roll that many dice and see if you have to take any penalties. But then you'll complete the task and do what it says and gain any equipment or any allies or any curses or any sort of thing based on the action that you took. Vantage takes the openw world concept of a board game to an entirely different level and you could just walk around for hours and hours and hours and get lost in this game, which is one of the things I love the most about it.

Now, I will say if you are a board gamer that needs an objective, that needs a win condition, that needs a sort of goal to be heading towards, then this game might not be for you. This game is all about getting lost in the experience. It is completely immersive. You have the opportunity to get so invested in this game.

You're upgrading your character. You're getting new items. You are meeting pets. You're training them to be loyal to you. You are spending your money to get local items. You are dueling with sentients. You can do pretty much anything you want on this universe. And it is so open-ended that if you are somebody who is a on a time crunch or b wanting to get to the objective immediately, you might be left a little bit wanting.

But if you're somebody like me who just loves the story of it all, who loves playing with other players because I get to get invested in more different stories that aren't even my own, or if you love games that let you just explore open worlds like Breath of the Wild or Red Dead Redemption or things like that, then you're going to really like this game.

This game feels almost like an RPG in a way where you're rolling for tests and you are doing the actions that it says on the card. It limits you on each location, which I think is actually for the better of the game because every time I play this game, it ends up being like 5 or 6 hours because I'm just so excited about what comes next that I lose track of time.

And I think that is a sign of a really exciting experience. Some might hesitate to call it a game, but I think this is a wonderful game and one that you should definitely check out if you love that sort of openw world experience. So, if you love openw world games, but you're looking for something analog to cut down on your screen time, or if you're just looking for a really fun storytelling game where you get to explore a planet and learn new things every time you visit, then might I suggest Vantage.

Thanks so much for sticking around for my 2025 holiday gift guide. I hope this list helps you know exactly what to get for everyone on your list, and that when you step into your local game store this Black Friday, that you won't be so overwhelmed. And of course, if I didn't mention a game that you're curious about, or if you're just looking for some more personalized, in-depth board game recommendations, then make sure to check me out on Cameo or drop me a note in the comments below.

Anyways, thanks to everyone who has supported this channel so far. Please don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe so I can keep growing this channel and keep helping you find your perfect board game. Once again, this has been a Might I Suggest a Game Production, and I'm Alex, your board game smalleier, signing off.