Black Friday is a few weeks away, but you won’t need to wait to enjoy some fantastic deals on board games. Whether you want to buy something for your collection or friends, there are some great options to explore. All the games on the following list are not only excellent options in their own right, but you can save a decent amount of cash by purchasing them right now.
- Players needed: 3-4
- Regular Price: $54.99
- Discounted Price: $43.97
Catan will always remain one of my favorite board games due to the fantastic blend of luck and strategy. While you’re relying heavily on your dice draw, you’ll also have to place carefully to ensure getting a steady stream of resources to reach the victory condition. Again, the game emphasizes heavily what you want to do with your resources, and this is one title where hoarding is strictly discouraged.
- Players needed: 3-6
- Regular Price: $21.99
- Discounted Price: $14.97
Can there ever be a listicle about board games without Monopoly on it? Entertaining kids and adults alike since 1935, Monopoly is a fantastic way to spend some quality time with your friends and family. Like Catan, you depend on dice draws to decide your fate, but what you do with the outcome always relies on your decision-making. Buy properties, set up hotels, or go to jail – everything can happen during a round of Monopoly.
- Players needed: 3-4
- Regular Price: $39.99
- Discounted Price: $21.98
Surviving as a royal jeweler (not literally) isn’t an easy task, especially when you’ve become the very best. Essentially a pretty simple game, Splendor is about collecting gems and then using them to get the mines. There isn’t much control over the gems that you receive, but using them strategically to secure the mines relies entirely on you. In fact, short-sightedness can cost you heavily in this board game, which makes it an amazing strategy board game as well.
- Players needed: 1-5
- Regular Price: $65
- Discounted Price: $52
Wingspan is a beautiful game for nature lovers, which can get deeply compelling and extremely strategic at the same time. The core objective is to build up your engine by collecting unique bird cards. Then, you play them strategically, feed them with tokens, and help lay eggs. As you build up your aviary, you’ll need to make critical decisions at every stage. In fact, the hard part is picking between four different actions every turn. Wingspan can feel a bit complex for beginners, but you’ll get good at it in no time. Additionally, the game can be played solo as well.
- Players needed: 1-4
- Regular Price: $74.95
- Discounted Price: $51.07
Ark Nova is one of the newer additions to the board game segment, and it’s perfect for those who enjoy management games. Relying on the cards that are dealt to you, the objective is to build the ideal zoo for your animals. This means placing the right animals in their correct habitats. Unlike titles like Wingspan, Ark Nova does allow you to chain the cards in your hand when required. There are five types of core actions, so you’ll once again have to pull out a sound balancing act. Like Wingspan, Ark Nova can be enjoyed alone or with your friends and family.
- Players needed: 2-4
- Regular Price: $44.99
- Discounted Price: $35.99
While Pandemic requires you to at least have a partner to play with, it’s a co-op experience. In simpler words, you and your buddies will be using the cards to stop a global pandemic from happening. The objective is to win and win together instead of trying to outwit each other. Coordination might be key, but your chances of success will mainly depend on how well you use the cards in your hand. If you enjoy Pandemic, there are plenty of themed versions available on the market as well.
- Players needed: 2-5
- Regular Price: $54.99
- Discounted Price: $43.97
Ticket to Ride is one of those board games that look incredibly simple to play, and it is, but after a few turns, you then realize how complex it can get. Another board game that relies on cards, the core objective is to build the longest train possible. But you can’t place the bogies anywhere you want, and the color of your cards will drive it. You’ll also have to connect the location cards in your hands for bonus points and avoiding penalties. It’s not an easy job at all, as your opponent will be doing the same, and the chaos begins if both of you have to lay down tracks on the same path.
- Players needed: 1-4
- Regular Price: $59.99
- Discounted Price: $47.96
Halloween might be over, but the season of spookiness is yet to go away, and what better board game to play during this time than Arkham Horror? Themed around the Cthulhu mythos, Arkham Horror requires you to don your investigative hat and figure out what’s going on in the mysterious town you find yourself in. To solve the mysteries in Arkham, you’ll have to rely on the instructions on the cards. The core gameplay is divided across different campaigns, and you can pick up several expansions (which all fit with the core set).
- Players needed: 2
- Regular Price: $34.99
- Discounted Price: $21.99
The original 7 Wonders requires you to build the finest empire possible across different ages. The Duel version has the same fundamental mechanics, but it’s tailor-made for two people. Winning in 7 Wonders Duel can be achieved in different ways – you can invade your opponent, research something marvelous, or build a city that takes you closer to the victory condition. The Duel version also results in quicker games, and you don’t have to set up a full board game night to get enough people to play in the first place.
- Players needed: 1-4
- Regular Price: $75
- Discounted Price: $59.98
Everdell is perhaps one of the most beautiful board games that I ever played. Unlike Catan or Monopoly, Everdell is about going on an adventure where you get to build up your own civilization. The playing board is absolutely gorgeous, but Everdell isn’t about visual gimmicks. You create your own civilization of critters and cute animals using different cards. You can play alone or with your friends in a competitive way. The Standard edition is currently available at a discount, and it’s an amazing deal. If you love Everdell, you could also pick up expansions in the future.
