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A board game is a great gift idea for those who want to spend time with their friends and family, without having to look at the TV. These games are interactive and fun. You can tell everyone to put down their smartphones and tablets for a bit. We recommend trying out new titles, rather than sticking with the old favorites like Monopoly or Scrabble. We've compiled a list that includes games you may not have heard about, which will make great gifts this holiday season. Some games are great for gamers who are passionate about fantasy and video games, while others will be enjoyed by the entire family.
A Parks Game: Trails
Keymaster Games
Trails is a fun board game that anyone who enjoys hiking, or just the idea of hiking, will love. Trails lets players explore beautiful nature trails while collecting resources, taking photos, and earning points. The player with the most points wins. This game features 11 illustrations of national parks from the Fifty Nine Park Print series. The art is stunning. Trails is a great game for those who love nature. A portion of each game sale goes to the National Park Service.
The Sleeping Gods
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget/Red Raven Games
Sleeping Gods is the ideal board game for someone who loves open-world video games like Skyrim and No Man's Sky. This cooperative game lets you, up to three of your friends, and Captain Sofi Odessa, play the role of Captain Sofi Odessa, and her crew, as they get lost in the Wandering Sea. With a game atlas of connecting maps and a thick choose-your-own-adventure style storybook, players will have to explore the land to uncover its secrets, fight beasts, complete quests and make game-changing decisions. This makes for an engaging and memorable experience that will please all who love a good story.
Marvel United
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget/ CMON
Marvel United is a great game for MCU fans. It requires that the player and his friends work together to defeat evil forces. You can choose to play the role of Captain America, Iron Man, or Black Widow. Each has their own abilities and powers. Players must carefully choose their cards and work together to maximize their chances of winning. They will have to defeat henchmen, rescue civilians, and take down one of the three super villains: Ultron, Red Skull, or Taskmaster. You could give them the Marvel United: X-Men option instead, which allows them to play as Professor X, Cyclops, and Storm.
Canvas
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget/ Road to Infamy
Canvas is one of our favorite board games. It's so beautiful that we almost want it to be hung on a wall. Because Canvas is a game where players compete to paint. Players collect art cards and layer them on top to create their unique painting. The score will depend on the objectives of the round. Although it may sound complicated, Canvas is an easy game to learn and a great gift idea for all art lovers.
Space Invaders
Buffalo Games
Space Invaders is a fun dexterity game that everyone can enjoy, even those who don't remember the arcade version. Players must work together to defeat the UFO mothership and descending aliens before their health runs out. Instead of smashing buttons they will take turns firing battle tokens using a mini catapult. Each player also has a unique ability that they can use. This adds up to lots of silly fun for anyone eighteen years old and older.
Summer Camp
Buffalo Games
Summer Camp is another great family game. It will make your loved ones reminisce about childhood memories like canoeing and making friendship bracelets. This game pits players against each other to earn merit badges for different categories, such as friendship, arts and craft, cooking, outdoor games, and water sports. To get the most points, they will need to purchase the right cards and create the best combinations. Although it might not be as much fun as summer camp, they will still have fun and won't get bitten by mosquitos.
Summoner Wars 2nd edition
Plaid Hat Games
Summoner Wars 2nd Edition is a tactical card game that pits your loved one against another to determine who will win. Each player assumes the role of powerful summoners who control large numbers of units. These cards are then placed on a board that is head-to-head. Each faction has its own unique moves and attacks. Some use dark magic to drain their enemies while others use brute force to get through. Summoner Wars is a great gift for combat gamers who are interested in strategy and tactics. This gift will only be available until January 12, 2022, so you might have to wait to give it.
Wrath of the Lich King - A Pandemic System Board Game
Z-Man Games
Wrath of the Lich King is a board game that introduces World of Warcraft to those with little experience in the genre. The game is based on a WoW expansion. Players will play the legendary roles of Sylvanas Windrunner and Varian Wrynn. They'll be traveling around Northrend to complete quests and set up strongholds in an effort to defeat undead armies and eventually the Lich King.
Why is the name so long? The game uses similar mechanics to Pandemic, an old board game that focuses on eradicating diseases from the world. People who know Pandemic will be able to quickly learn Wrath of the Lich King. However, it has enough differences so that it won't feel the same.
Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget/ Cuphead
Cuphead, a game in run-and-gun mode that uses 1930s art and features hand-drawn illustrations, was one of 2017's most loved video games. This card and dice version might appeal to someone you know who loved the original game. You can play the role of Cuphead, Elder Kettle, Mugman or Ms. Chalice and try to defeat bosses using dice. The only problem is that players cannot roll the dice as many times per round as they wish, but the time limit does not apply. All of this creates a chaotic experience that evokes the adrenaline rush of the original videogame.
