Awesome board games for stocking stuffers
The holidays are here. With shopping somewhat of a quagmire, it is important to find those gifts early. If you are like me, stocking stuffers are one of the last-minute gifts I tend to think of. Don’t get caught in a post office slowdown or crowded shopping areas. Plan now to knock out those board game stocking stuffers. I have some great board games for stockings recommendations. These board games for stockings recommendations not only include great board games but include some card games and board game accessories as well.
Here is the goal for the recommendations:
- Grouped by Age – and fun for that age group!
- Mix of games/card games/accessories
- Fit in a stocking – well maybe
Under 5 – 8 Years Old
Boardgame: Hey, That’s My Fish
A fun little game where each player takes the role of a penguin. Your goal is to collect as many fish as possible. Younger kids will learn gameplay basics like taking turns and winning and losing. Older kids and adults will enjoy the subtle strategic play that exists in this game. It is a very easy game to learn. It is a game that plays just as well at 2 players as it does with 4 people. It doesn’t take up a lot of space and should be able to be learned and played on Christmas. I did a board game review of Hey That’s My Fish here.
Boardgame: Rhino Hero
I’m not sure if this is a card game or a board game. In Rhino Hero players delicately try and place their cards on top of each other in an attempt to build an escalating tower. Players will attempt to build a base for the climbing rhino, then build additional walls and further layers. A great game that builds tension and excitement as the tower grows taller and taller. Players each start the game with five roof cards, and they take turns adding walls and roofs to a single building. On a turn, you first place walls on the highest floor, then you choose a roof card in your hand and place it on the wall.
Card game: Spot It
A simple matching game. Each player will flip over their card – there will always be a match between the two cards – spot the match, win those cards. Easily small enough to fit in a stocking. Because of its size, it makes a great travel game as well. This game works well with the youngest of players. I also like it over the traditional Old Maid and Go Fish line of games.
Generally around $10 to $17 dollars, depending on the version you get. Of all the games listed – I think this one fits best in a stocking!
Accessory: Playing Card Holders
Small hands can often have a difficult time holding playing cards. It’s a frustrating challenge for small hands that has an easy fix. Playing card holders come in two styles generally. Some you load the cards into a handheld holder and others where you place the cards in a small tray. I much prefer the tray over the handheld option.
Depending on style you are looking at anywhere from $5 to $20. There are some nice wood options that aren’t as prone to tipping over.
8 to 11 Years Old
Board Game: Pocket Hive
A Mensa Select game where you work to surround the opposing player’s queen bee. It is a highly addictive strategic game for two players that is not restricted by a board. While you move to surround your opponent’s queen at the same time you’ll be using your army of insects to prevent them from doing the same. Each insect has a special ability that you can use to your advantage. Take care though, you have a limited army to accomplish your goal. One last thing – don’t let the age range fool you here. This game is a great two-player game, no matter what the age.
Board Game: Silver and Gold
Just a delightful “Flip and Write” game. We take this on road trips. You’ll be flipping over cards with polynomial shapes and you will be marking out those shapes on dry-erase playing cards. The more cards you are able to complete, the more points you can score. Additional points along the way if you mark out special icons like gold coins and palm trees. A great little filler game – perfect for airports. A 2020 Kanga Gameplayer Winner.
Card Game: Trash Pandas
Part push your luck and part set collection Trash Pandas is humorous game for this age group.
Your turn starts by rolling (and re-rolling) a die that will tell you how many actions you can take a turn. Careful though – double up on an action, and you’ll be doing very little.
After your die rolling, you’ll take your actions which will include “stashing” cards for points, drawing new cards, and perhaps even stealing cards from other players. There is a little bit of “take that” built into the game – but it is still a game we bring to the table often.
Accessory: Dice and Dice Bag
Let’s face it – dice get lost. Having a nice supply of back up dice will eliminate the need to go into your other games looking for replacement dice. There are plenty of options where you can get upwards of 50 dice of differing colors. Even if you aren’t looking for replacement dice, there are plenty of standalone games (TENZI) that you just will want a lot of extra dice for.
12 to 15 Years Old
Board Game: Zombie Dice
A zombie-themed apocalypse game where you get to be the zombie. Roll the dice to collect as many brains as you can. Press your luck and collect the brains, before you find the business end of a shotgun. This game has such a small footprint – it is great to throw in the backpack or duffel bag when traveling as well.
This little game will vary between $12 and $18 most of the time.
Board Game: Ultra Tiny Epic Galaxies
There is a whole line of board games known as “Tiny Epic” games. They have a number of different themes and gameplay styles. As the name suggests, these games are known as small box games. Ultra Tiny goes one step farther and shrinks the game just a bit more. Tiny Epic took arguably their most popular Tiny Epic game – “Galaxies” and shrank it down to size. I want to stress, this is the exact same game as the “regular” Tiny Epic Galaxy.
In Tiny Epic Galaxies, each player controls a galactic empire, aiming to expand by acquiring highly contested planets and increasing their fleet of shifts. The game uses dice-rolling and cards to drive the action. The number of dice you roll is determined by the strength of your galaxy. Each die is hash symbols representing the various actions you can take, such as moving a spaceship, increasing your culture or energy resources, or advancing influence over newly discovered planets.
A small box game with a lot of strategy packed in. You should be able to find this for under $25 most of the time.
This deck builder continues to show up in all sorts of great games lists. Star Realms is a spaced themed card game where players will attempt to build a space fleet by buying starships and star bases, then unleashing them on their opponent. Once one player loses 50 of their starting points, the other player wins.
This is a tight game! It has a downloadable app you can use as a scorekeeper, a handful of expansions, and a very low sticker price. This can go into a stocking easily under $20. I like that it has expansions because if it’s a hit – you’ve got one of your next birthday presents lined up in the form of an expansion.
A great complement to Zombie Dice. A nice dice cup can be used in any type of dice game. Dice cups do an excellent job at keeping the dice contained and not running all over the table and/or game board. You can find a variety of themed dice cups, including a zombie one if you really want to go all out! It may not seem like a glamorous gift – but nothing is less glamorous to a board gamer than have dice spew across a game board!
A nice alternative to a dice cup would be a dice tower. They probably won’t fit into a stocking and cost a bit more, but they do an even better job of containing those wild dice!
Over 15 years Old
Board Game: Bang: The Dice Game
An expedited and simpler version of the great game Bang!. Bang dice keeps many of the great aspects that make Bang! a great game. A very short learning curve ensures that this game will be quick to learn and play. With a much shorter playtime than the original Bang!, this works great at family gatherings and parties. A great filer of time if you are in between games or waiting for people to show up.
Card Game: Sea Salt and Paper
Another great little small box card game from the publisher Pandasaurus Games. In this Rummy adjacent small box card game, you will be looking for combinations of cards to score over a number of rounds. The game also introduces a very interesting push your luck mechanic, where you can end the round and declare you have the most points currently. If that ends up being the case, you can limit the points your opponents score. Guess wrong though, and you’ll find yourself the one short on points.
While playing this game, you can also play combo cards that will allow you extra draws, steal cards, or even take an additional turn. When points are hard to come by, that is huge. A great little card game that fits nicely in any sized stocking.
Card Game: Love Letter
Love Letter is a great deduction game. When it first came out it was a 4 player game. Now, in its most recent release, it can accommodate up to 6 players. This is the version you want to make sure you get. Some players may initially get hung up on the theme of a “love letter” as a girls-only game. It really isn’t. It is a great deduction game, that just happens to uses the idea of delivering a love letter. If you think your receiver will really be hung up on the “Love Letter” theme. This is one of the first games I recommend to people when just starting a board game collection.
You might not think of a simple draw bag as a board game accessory. However, I find them to be invaluable. Often you need to do a blind draw and these bags are a great solution. We used to use just a brown lunch bag, which is OK, but bags are relatively cheap, durable, and can be easily packed with your games. They also function during game storage keeping pieces from falling around loosely in the box.
There are a ton of different sizes and styles. I would highly suggest getting a solid one. They will facilitate the blind draws that a lot of games need. They can come in multiple colors, and if you really wanted to go all out, you could even spend a few extra bucks and have some sort of logo or name printed on them.
This is not the year you want to get caught late in the game looking for stocking stuffers. If you are like me you won’t want to be in a crowded shopping area and checkout line. I also wouldn’t rely too much on the mail – so I would highly suggest ordering now! Boardgame stocking stuffers offer a great choice to fill those socks! Whether you have an avid board gamer on your gift list, or just want to change up the pace I hope this list generates some ideas.