Getting ready for gift giving season, gamers? Then you’re in luck! For this year’s holiday gift guide list, I wanted to put together a group of gamers that are great for a budget! With MSRPs on games going up, it was harder than I thought to find some high quality for low prices, but I like all the games on this list, and I hope you will too! I’ve added some links to help you find them to buy online, but don’t forget to check your friendly local game stores too, to help support gaming stores everywhere! Let’s check them out!

Are You a Robot?

Mechanics: Bluffing; Social Deduction
Players: 2-3
Price: $2.00
Buy
My younger brother asks to play this every time I go home! It’s tiny and quick, and easy to play a ton of times in a row. If you want something super light that tests your bluffing skills, check it out.
My Review

Qwixx

Mechanics: Roll & Write; Dice Rolling
Players: 2-5
Price: $9.99
Buy Here or Here
A great introductory game to the roll & write genre. This one is just about rolling dice and deciding whether to wait for the perfect roll, or start marking off further boxes, knowing you can never go back. If you have enough sheets, you can really play with any number of people and it’ll still be a good time.
My Review

Get the MacGuffin

Mechanics: Deduction; Hand Management; Player Elimination
Players: 2-11
Price: $10.00
Buy Here (Great deal on the game, expansion, and promo) or Here
This is a great, portable card game for any size group (up to 11) that’s funny and silly, and plays really quickly, so the player elimination doesn’t feel extremely disappointing, like it can in some games.

Sushi Go!

Mechanics: Drafting; Set Collection
Players: 2-5
Price: $10.99
Buy Here or Here
It’s a pick and pass card game! Just take a card and pass your hand, and repeat. So simple, everyone can enjoy it! All of the cards score differently, so there’s a little strategy in what you take, and memory in knowing what cards may come back to you as you continue to pass. Really fun for the whole family.

Love Letter

Mechanics: Hand Management; Deduction; Player Elimination
Players: 2-4
Price: $11.99
Buy
Quality card game that’s small and portable, and scales well for the different player counts. It’s a light game you can chat through, and doesn’t take long to learn or play. If you prefer a “one vs many” play style, there is also Infinity Gauntlet: A Love Letter Game, which pits the Marvel heroes against Thanos in a similar card game, with added team play.
My Commentary

Spot It

Mechanics: Pattern Recognition; Speed/Real Time; Matching
Players: 2-6
Price: $12.99
Buy Here or Here
This is a great small game that comes in tons of different themes, from holidays to entertainment IPs and sports, so there’s something for everyone! It platys quickly, since you want to find matches first, and is great for all ages!

Take 5 (aka 6 Nimmt)

Mechanics: Hand Management; Pattern Building
Players: 2-10
Price: $14.99
Buy
Everyone selects a card at once, and you play them in numerical order, and if you place the 6th card in a line, you take the first 5 and all their points … which you do not want. Smooth and simple gameplay, great for medium to large groups, and easy to take anywhere!

Popcorn Dice

Mechanics: Dice Rolling; Push Your Luck
Players: 2-6
Price: $14.99
Buy
This is a perfect, light “beer and pretzels” type game, where you roll your dice, collect some points, and pass it on to the next player. Keeping score is simple, and it’s easy to play a few times in a row!
My Review

Jenga

Mechanics: Dexterity
Players: 1+
Price: ~$15.00
Buy Here or Here (or probably anywhere)
Yupp, you read that right, Jenga! Not only is it a tried and true classic, but it’s great fun for any size group, and skill level, anyone and everyone! On top of that, nowadays there are lots of versions available (i.e. Fortnite or Scooby-Doo), and there are sets that come in various colors too! Can’t find the perfect one? Jenga is a game that easy to customize, making for a really fun personalized gift. You can paint the blocks, or write fun notes on them, or write truths/dares on them and make a game within a game! I bet this gift is looking better than you thought right about now!

Deckscape / Unlock

Mechanics: Escape Room Game
Players: 2-4
Price: ~$15.00
Buy Deckscape; Buy Unlock
If you love escape rooms, but hate paying $20+ per person to do them at a specific location, then get some of these and play at home! I love these escape room games and really recommend them if you like puzzle-style games.

Fluxx

Mechanics: Hand Management; Set Collection; Changing Rules
Players: 2-6
Price: ~$16.00 (varies)
Buy Here or Here
Fluxx can take a few minutes, or go on for an hour, but every time, the whole time, it’s a lot of fun! It can get crazy and chaotic as the rules change and reset and make you play tons of cards. There are also a ton of different skins for this game, meaning there’s something out there for every fan of anything. Great with a pair or a small group.
My Marvel Fluxx Review

ROLL, For Your Life, Candyman!

Mechanics: Dice Rolling; Real Time; Player Elimination
Players: 2-4
Price: $19.95
Buy Here or Here
A great thematic gift for holiday time! This game plays super fast as players roll dice to make sets and steal cookie limbs from opponents. If you like chaotic dice rolling games, it’s an excellent choice.

Codenames / Codenames Duet

Mechanics: Deduction; Party Game; Team Play; Communication Limits
Players: 4-8 (or 2 for Codenames Duet)
Price: $19.99 (Target usually has both versions for under $15 though)
Buy Codenames; Buy Duet
If you like playing games with big groups, this is a must-have for a puzzley party game of one-word clues! If you know a couple who loves to game together, Duet is a quality choice for a cooperative word game experience.

Silver & Gold

Mechanics: Flip and Write; Grid Coverage; Set Collection
Players: 2-4
Price: $19.95
Buy Here or Here
This is a quick moving, smooth flip and write game that has been enjoyed by everyone I’ve introduced it to! You’re just trying to fill out your maps as new shapes come out, maybe collecting some palm trees or gold along the way. It’s so well done, and the rule set is small enough that anyone can play it!

Point Salad

Mechanics: Card Drafting; Set Collection; Various Ways to Score
Players: 2-6
Price: $19.99
Buy
This game is all about collecting your veggies! Well… and also making sure you take a few score cards to actually get points at the end of the game. It’s a great family game for a small group with smooth and simple turns (just take 1 score card, or 2 veggies!). There’s plenty of variability, so every game is a little different.

Kingdomino

Mechanics: Drafting; Tile Placement; Territory Building
Players: 2-4
Price: $19.99
Buy Here or Here
Adorable game of drafting tiles and placing them into your little city grid, trying to make a perfect square and score off of matching areas. It’s a great family weight game for 2-4!

The Golden Ticket Game

Mechanics: Hand Management; Set Collection; Grid Movement
Players: 2-5
Price: $19.99
Buy
If you like the original Willy Wonka film, and want a super thematic game experience that’s very streamlined, and also plays really quickly, definitely check this one out. The production quality is on point, and it’s a ton of fun for all ages.

Ticket To Ride: New York

Mechanics: Set Collection; Route Building
Players: 2-4
Price: $19.99
Buy Here or Here
If you like Ticket to Ride but want a smaller, shorter version, this is for you! TTR is already a light game, but this streamlines it even more so it’s a great choice for those who prefer simple rule sets and quick play. Easily my favorite version of the game, and I think it will appeal to a wide range of players

Deep Sea Adventure

Mechanics: Pick up and Deliver; Push Your Luck
Players: 2-6
Price: $19.99
Buy Here or Here
A super simple game of rolling a die and diving under the sea to collect treasures, but making sure not to push your luck too far, or you’ll run out of oxygen! Great game for the family.

Ice Duo

Mechanics: Dice Rolling; Push Your Luck; Set Collection; Pattern Building
Players: 2
Price: $20
Buy Here or Here
This one’s two games in one! Twin Win has players trying to stack pyramids in a certain pattern to match their hidden objective, while Ice Dice has players push their luck trying to collect sets of pyramids. Both play quickly and smoothly and are great light games, with a small footprint.
My Review