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Board games as gifts: Sinterklaas and Christmas ideas

A board game as a Sinterklaas or Christmas present: how to choose by age and group, with ideas for children, families, groups and experienced players.

Short answer: Choose by age and by who they play with. Young children do best with short games with few rules; from about eight, a family can play Kingdomino or Ticket to Ride; and for a group, party games such as Just One are a safe bet. If someone already has a favourite game, an expansion is often the best present. Order in good time for 5 December and Christmas.

A board game is a present you enjoy together. This guide helps you choose for Sinterklaas and Christmas, by age and by type of group. The prices on the game cards come from the shops.

Three questions first

  1. How old are the players? The age on the box is the publisher's guide to how tricky the rules are.
  2. How many people do they usually play with? As a pair, as a family or with a big group of friends? See number of players.
  3. How much time do they have? A fifteen-minute game hits the table more often than a three-hour one. See playing time.

For young children

For children up to about six, games with short turns, little text and a clear winner work best. Look at ages 6 and up and at puzzles for kids. Co-operative games are great for young children too, because nobody loses alone; read our guide to co-operative games.

For families, ages 8 and up

From about eight, children can join in with many modern family games:

  • Kingdomino: a short tile game, Spiel des Jahres winner in 2017.
  • Ticket to Ride Europe: build train routes across a map of Europe.
  • Carcassonne: lay a landscape of cities and roads together.
  • Cascadia: place habitats and wildlife; the publisher says ages 10 and up.

More under family games and ages 8 and up.

For the whole family

For groups and parties

Party games have short rules and work with lots of players at once:

  • Just One: guess words together, for 3 to 7 players.
  • Codenames Pictures: two teams guess pictures from a one-word clue.
  • Dixit: tell stories about dreamlike illustrations.
  • Regenwormen (Heckmeck): a short dice game in a small box.

More under party games and 5 or more players.

For a group

For teenagers and adults who already play

For someone who plays a lot, a bigger strategy game makes a fine present. Think of Wingspan, Everdell or, for those who do not mind long games, Ark Nova. Not sure what they already own? Ask, or pick an expansion for a game on their shelf. An expansion only works together with the base game.

Our guide to strategy games walks from gateway games to heavy ones.

For experienced players

Small gifts and stocking fillers

A small card or dice game fits in a shoe or a stocking. Look at card games and at games that take under 30 minutes. An EXIT game is a nice small present for puzzle lovers. If someone prefers puzzles to games, browse the jigsaw puzzles.

Order in time

In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas presents are opened on 5 December; in Belgium Sinterklaas comes on 6 December. Christmas follows. In November and December shops and couriers are busy, and popular games sometimes sell out for a while. Check the shop's delivery time and do not leave it to the last minute.

Frequently asked questions

What do you give someone who already has lots of games?

Find out which games they play most and give an expansion for one of them. Or pick a new game from this year's Spiel des Jahres or Kennerspiel des Jahres winners.

Is the age on the box right?

It is the publisher's guideline for how hard the rules are and for the safety of small parts. Younger children can often join in with help, while older players sometimes find games for younger ages too simple.

Which language should the box be in?

For games with a lot of text on the cards, an edition in the players' own language helps. Games with little text play fine in another language. Editions and languages are listed separately on the product page.

Can I return a board game?

When you buy online in the EU, you have 14 days to withdraw. Keep the shrink wrap on until you are sure the present is right. Returns after that depend on the shop.

Does BoardGameDrop sell games?

No. BoardGameDrop compares shop prices. You buy from the shop you choose.

Keep browsing

BoardGameDrop does not sell or test games itself. Player count, playing time and age come from the box and the publisher; the prices are the shops’ prices today.

Games from this guide

Popular games with a current price at the shops. Compare the prices on the game’s page.

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