We put together a massive 2024 pop culture gift guide to make your holiday season a lot less stressful. But what if, instead of the perfect nerdy present, you specifically need something for your favorite geeky gamer? (Which might be yourself!) Since we are members of that illustrious group, we’ve once again curated a special tabletop gift guide for you. Our list includes plenty of great new games that arrived in stores this year, along with some tabletop-inspired items for those in need of something a little different in the gift department.
What Board Games Mean To Me, Edited by Donna Gregory ($19.95)
Celebrate the best of the board games community with this collection of essays from designers and fans alike. In it, players write about what they love about this passion that connects so many of us. Curated by “lifelong hobby gamer” and game book editor Donna Gregory, What Board Games Mean To Me is a fun way to stay connected to tabletops even when we’re not sitting at one.
Dungeons & Dragons 2024 Player’s Handbook – 5th Edition ($59.99)
Dungeons & Dragon threw itself one hell of a 50th anniversary party this year. The quintessential RPG celebrated half a century of tabletop fun with its biggest and best Player’s Handbook ever. This updated 5th Edition (which marked its own 10th anniversary this year) is really a must-have for gamers. It’s also worth gifting as an art book thanks to its many fantastic illustrations. Combine it with Wizards of the Coast’s new Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual, and your holiday shopping will be done before you start. It’s definitely one of our favorite items on this tabletop gift guide.
Monopoly Board Crawl, A Drinking Game for Adults ($19.99)
We know Hasbro releases a million different versions of its iconic game every year, but Monopoly Board Crawl is different from the rest. Very different and very boozy. This fun take on the game is officially designed for players 21 and older (ONLY!) because to win, you have to actually drink. Could that lead to someone flipping a table when they don’t like what happens? Yeah, sure, but that happens with regular Monopoly, too. Only, with this variation, you get to enjoy drinking with your friends before that happens.
The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth ($34.99)
If you’re on a journey for a perfect two-player game, leave the Shire behind and head to The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth. It’s a reskin of 7 Wonders Duel that’s rich with Middle-earth lore that captures the fun, spirit, and beauty of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved epic. That is if you choose to play as the Fellowship. You can also embrace the iconic fantasy’s dark side by playing as Sauron. No matter your allegiances, it’s a fantastic gift for any gamer and tabletop fan reading this guide, but a perfect one for those who also love The Lord of the Rings.
Talisman: The Magical Quest Game – 5th Edition ($59.99)
This year saw the 5th Edition of Talisman: The Magical Quest Game hit stores and we think it’s the best version yet. Designed for players 12 and up, the classic epic adventure race is still finding new ways to entertain more than 40 years after it first arrived in stores. It’s also really pretty to look at and features some amazing, highly-detailed character figures.
Charcuterie: The Board Game ($39.99)
One of this year’s best new games is a delectable dish. We almost mean that literally, too. Charcuterie: The Board Game asks 2-6 players to put together some tasty tiles. The one who designs the best-looking arrangement of meats and cheeses will win. Not only is this a super fun, super re-playable game for both newbies and veterans of board game nights, it’s a perfect excuse to provide the group with a real charcuterie board to enjoy between moves.
Magic: The Gathering Foundations Beginner Box ($31)
The best gift for a gamer isn’t always a new release or a gorgeous set of die. It’s another person to play with! But it’s not always easy to find them since so many of our favorites can seem intimidating to newcomers. That’s why Magic: The Gathering‘s Foundations set is the perfect gift for both you and the person you give it to. Its 350 cards, spanning the entire history of the iconic game, provide everything someone needs to build their first-ever deck while they learn how to play. Once they do, you’ll just have to make sure you have an extra chair for game nights. This tabletop gift guide would absolutely not be complete without it.
Monkey Palace: A Lego Board Game ($39.99)
We love, love, love any game that also asks us to physically build something, but only Asmodee’s Monkey Palace lets us do that with LEGO bricks. The strategic 2-4 player game (for ages 10 and up) asks you to craft taller and longer stairs so you can climb high enough to get Banana Points. The result is a wildly entertaining game that is always different and embraces why we love playing both board games and with LEGO bricks.
Life in Reterra ($29.99)
Life in Reterra was always one of our most anticipated games of 2024 because it comes from designers Eric Lang and Ken Gruhl, and it did not disappoint. It takes 2-4 players through a very different kind of post-apocalyptic setting and gives them three different ready-to-play themed building sets with which to build their new community. This colorful strategic tile game also boasts beautiful art and a captivating story, providing an engaging and unique playthrough for both kids and grownups every time.
Betrayal: Deck of Lost Souls ($19.99)
Betrayal at The House on The Hill is one of our absolute favorites, and we play it all the time. But this year, we got a new way to immerse ourselves in that spooky saga. Betrayal: Deck of Lost Souls is a standalone Tarot-inspired card game of secret strategy that also looks incredible. This “cursed deck” asks 3-5 players to overcome the many horrors that hope to entrap you forever. It’s a challenging game that only gets better and better the more you play and understand how to win/survive.
And that’s all we have for our tabletop gift guide this year. Hopefully, your holiday shopping is now almost complete.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He wants to hear your best tabletop gift suggestions. You can tell follow him at Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.