Looking for cardboard and plastic to fill your house with? Looking to expand that permanent collection, or maybe just dip into some of the new hotness from the past few years? Good, because it’s deal time in board game land. There’s a lot of guff in Amazon’s yearly sale this go around, so let’s sort through and find the ones that are actually a good deal or good enough for the price.
Quantum - $33.80 (40% off)
I’ll go ahead and call this one the best deal in the sale. Quantum is a space empire game where your dice are your ships, rolled out to randomize what kind you get. The huge benefit is that it’s a space strategy game that nearly anyone can play, meaning you get to scratch that colonize and explore itch even when nobody else wants to play Twilight Imperium.
$23.99 (20% off)
It’s only 20% off, but getting one of the best two player board games you can buy on sale is a pretty good choice. This is a pretty abstract civilization-building game from two powerhouse designers, Antoine Bauza and Bruno Cathala, that’s driven by card drafting—so your opponent always knows what kinds of choices you can make.
$32.99 (27% off)
Intensely beloved by its cult following, Lords of Vegas is a game where you gamble your way to the top of a casino empire. It’s one of the rare games where the theme really fits the play—casino development isn’t actually gambling, but why would you want to play a game about Vegas that didn’t include Craps?
$68.99 (43% off)
Don’t have a miniatures-filled loot festival fantasy dungeon crawler in your collection? Here’s one for half off. It has 69 monster miniatures. Nice.
$54.64 (45% off)
Cooperative zombie bashing more your thing? Here’s a solid game of a medieval zombie apocalypse. It’s easily the best in the Zombicide series so far, mostly because of the cool new Necromancer bosses.
$43.31 (28% off)
Last year’s best train game, a phrase you can really only say in board games, Whistle Stop is an accessible racing and/or delivery game with the neat twist of being played on a randomized hex board. You get to make some really hilarious train routes with this one.
$27.61 (45% off)
Always wanted to own an actual, physical matching game? Say no more, fam. Potion explosion is just that, a game of magical catastrophes in the wizardly classroom.a Comedically physical with an entertaining gimmick, this is definitely one to consider if you like games with a unique twist.
$22.99 (45% off)
But Jon, you say to me, I do not care about these other things. I care about points. Say no more, fam, Stefan Feld’s classic point salad The Castles of Burgundy is nearly half off. Jokes about points aside, this is a classic for a reason: Every part of this design flows into another. It doesn’t have one wasted element in its strategies. It’s a strategy game of trading, building castles, and farming cows, and it’s a thrill ride from start to finish.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
$30.99 (38% off)
If you don’t actually love board games, but you do love mysteries, this is a wonderful game for you. (You can also like board games.) Cooperating with friends, or alone, you’re presented with mysteries to solve piece by piece, checking the newspapers and visiting witnesses for clues. Try to solve them and see if you can beat Sherlock to the solution - they’re quite neat!
$14.72 (41% off)
One of the quintessential indie roleplaying games, Fate Core is a generic system for high adventure and hijinks. If you’re looking for something new in tabletop RPGs, this might be a good place to branch out.
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