45+ Best Board Games + Puzzles [2020 Holiday Gift Guide]

Finding board games can be a bit tricky, especially since 2020 has been the year of the playing board game and puzzles! My family and I have exhausted every game from our arsenal of board games and puzzles. Thankfully, I have rounded the best picks for board games, and they are all new and totally fun! Surprise your meeple this holiday season with a game that they will enjoy and treasure for game nights to come! Perfect for family game nights, holiday get-togethers, and even for staying on New Year's Eve - tabletop board games are timeless!

Get Together Friendly & Family-Friendly Board Games

Hocus Pocus The Game, Ravensburger I put a spell on you, and now you are going to buy this amazing game! Perfect for any Hocus Pocus fan to add to their board game line up, this cooperative game will make a great gift and perfect for a family game night! I would highly recommend this game as a Hocus Pocus collectible as well as the game pieces and cards are very high quality and have shelf quality as well! Each game comes with one cauldron board, 50 Ingredient cards, a Witch board, 13 Spell cards, a Sun token, 4 trick tokens, a rulebook, and one black cat Binx meeple. Amazon 19.99 2-6 player 8+

WWE Royal Rumble Card Game, Ravensburger Must have for any wrestling fan, this game will take fans down memory lane with over 30 WWE Legends like Andre the Giant, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, The Million Dollar Man, Batista, Sting, and more gracing each game card! Perfect for any wrestling fan, and highly collectible! Amazon $19.99  2-10 players 8+

Mystic Market, ThinkFun Earn the most coins by the end of the game. You have to craft potions, buy ingredients, and more! This is a fun and fast-paced card game! The kicker is that potion prices are ever-changing, so you have to move fast in order to earn the most coins in Mystic Market! Amazon $19.99 2-4 players 10+ 

Marvel Villainous The dramatic and fun continuation of Villainous includes Marvel Villains: Thanos, Hela, Ultron, Taskmaster, or Killmonger! Each Villain has their own powers and goals. Face off against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes from a shared Fate deck: Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow, Black Panther, Captain America, and more! Amazon $34.97 2-5 players 12+

Collin's Key Fake Food Mystery Challenge Wheel, Moose Toys - This is not really a game, but more of a catalyst to challenge one another. The player who makes the most realistic fake food using the compounds and tools essentially wins. What I love about this game is that it includes a challenge wheel just like the famous YouTube channel Collin's Key, which really makes the experience authentic and fun! You get resealable bags to keep the compound fresh too. Amazon $19.99 | Walmart $19.97 | Target $19.99 2-4 players 6+

Brainteaser, ThinkFun I love these brainteasers! Take your brain on a challenging adventure with any one of the Brainteaser by ThinkFun like the 4-piece Jigsaw, 4-T Puzzle, The Fifth Chair or Rec-Tangle! Not only are they challenging, but when you finally solve the puzzle, you will want to do more puzzles! Brainteasers would be the perfect gift for a stocking stuffer or as standalone presents! I would suggest getting them a s a whole gift as each Brainteaser puzzle is a different level! Amazon $9.99 each 8+

Pokemon Trading Card Game Battle Academy, Pokemon International Get ready to make your family game night a bit more interesting with the new global release of the Pokemon Trading Card Battle Academy. Pokemon TCG is a family-style board game is a beautifully styled board game with colorful artwork, and familiar core characters, Pikachu and Charizard. This new way to experience Pokemon will now put Pokemon in the hands of players who never played the card game or even the video games.  Pokemon Center  GameStop Amazon Walmart $19.99 2 players 6+

Drone Home, PlayMonster This game is a family favorite in our house! Drone Home is a fun game that features a real flying drone! The object of the game is to get your alien home first. You can knock other players out of the drone to add to the thrill of the experience. The first alien to successfully get to the launch pad first and fly home wins! This game is action-packed and a thrill to watch and even more exciting to play! Amazon $24.99 2-4 players 8+

Back to the Future Dice Through Time, Ravensburger  With nostalgic nods to this 80s classic trilogy, Back to the Future Dice Through Time will have the whole family working together! Play out key events from the movie and return stolen items before you’re “OUTATIME.” This is the perfect gift for fans of Back to the Future and ‘80s film buffs! 10+ $14.99 

Elf Journey from the North Pole, Funko Games I would be sitting on a throne of lies if I didn't include this game in my round-up. You all know how much we love anything Funko, and their games line is no exception. Pour yourself a cup of the World's Best Coffee, and gather around the table for this fun cooperative game. Help Buddy find his dad in NYC!  Amazon $21.46 | Target $19.99 7+

Coffins and Bone Dice Set, Apparition Studios Give a unique gift this holiday season that is fun to play and cool to display. Packaged in a custom coffin case with laser cut skull image gives this set loads of character. Each die has miniature skull heads encased inside depicting each number. Perfect for a game of Liar's Dice! Amazon $15.97

Exploding Kittens Card Game Fan of cats and their quirks? You’ve got to try this card game! It’s like Old Maid meets War! Pull cards from the stack, but avoid an Exploding Kitten card or you’re out of the game! Diffuse the explosion with strategy cards to continue gameplay. Fast pasted, fun, and totally outrageous!  Target $19.99 2-5 players 7+ 

Break the Board, YULU Toys Hi-ya! Become the ultimate karate master with this fun and fast paced puzzle game. Match the lights patter with your best karate chop to win! Target $19.99 | Amazon $22.03  1-10 players 6+ 

The Floor is Lava Game, Endless Games Use this game as a catalyst for some super fun pretend play! Providing endless play, kids to adults will have a blast escaping the flows of the hot lava! Using the power of imagination, the Floor is Lava game will spark ideas to bust boredom and keep families entertained! Target $16.99 2-6 players 5+

Snot Nose, Far Out Toys Snot Nose pairs slimy tactile play along with a board game. Snot Nose has a fun element of surprise that will give anyone with a sense of humor a good laugh-pulling the magical snot may reveal more than the player bargained for!  Amazon $17.99 3+

5 Second Rule, Playmonster Test your quick wit and ability to answer simple questions in five seconds! This is a great game to play virtually with fellow players! Amazon $15.97 | Target $16.99 2 or more players 10+

Upside Down Challenge, Vango Toys This is a fun, fast-paced, and silly challenge game! Wear the goggles to turn your view upside down and draw according to each card. Even the simplest of drawings will turn totally wacky. Perfect for families during the holidays and to even bust boredom! Make sure you share you creations on your social media accounts with #UpsideDownChallenge Amazon $24.99 | Target $19.99 2-6 players 8+

Pizza Party Throwdown, Hogwild Toys An epic night of laughs of fun is pizza, pizza, pizza, and more pizza! Fling your favorite toppings on the rotating pizza! If this isn't true NY style, I don't know what is. Be the first player to complete their pizza first to win, but everyone is a winner with this game! Amazon $19.99 | Target $19.99 2-4 players 8+ 

SPY CODE Diamond Heist, YULU Toys As part of YULU's SPY CODE series, Diamond Heist is truly next-level fun! A fun cooperative game, Diamond Heist, uses the power of a really cool pully system where you all control where the thief lands. You start with a specific task and follow each one in order to deactivate different locations to get to the diamond. Perfect for a family game night! Amazon $19.99 | Target $19.99 2-4 players 6+

Toddler and Little Kid-Friendly Games

Pete the Cat The Missing Cupcake Game, University Games/Briarpatch In this adorable game, players work together to find the missing cupcake! Based off of the widely popular books, Pete the Cat by James Dean, kids will be overjoyed to see their favorite four legged feline on a mission with them! Kids have to sing songs, act out physical activities, and identify animals, food, and words. Amazon $19.99 2-4 players 3+

ISpy Dig In-Game, University Games/Briarpatch Who doesn't love a game of ISpy? Add in miniature objects and a big bowl, and you have the game of the year. Seriously, we play ISpy every single day - my son's love it, and I found it to be a great teaching tool, too. Check out my ultimate ISpy Dig-In blog post! Amazon $14.97 2-4 players 5+

Dogman Attack of the Fleas, University Games Fans of Dogman books will love this game! The Fleas plan to take over the world, and it's up to the players beat the fleas and their robo-brontosaurus. Work cooperatively to restore the planet! Amazon $16.98 | Walmart $19.79 2-6 players 6+

Rubik's Race, University Games Shake up gameplay with a new way to play the classic game! Rubik's Race is fast-paced and totally fun. Shake up the colored dice and each player must simultaneously match the pattern by sliding the Rubik's tiles to the correct spots! Amazon $16.97 | Walmart $16.97 2 players 7+

Ready, Set, SLOTH!, Ravensburger This fun vertical climbing game is the perfect game to keep little ones entertained. With easy to learn instructions, be the first player to get the sloth to the hammock!  Amazon $24.95 | Walmart $5.97 2-4 players 4+

My First Rush Hour, ThinkFun - What a fun way to learn! My First Rush Hour is a fun maze challenge game that will make you think! This single-player game is great for independent play or for parents to work with their child. Little ones must figure out ways to get the vehicles out of the maze and off the road. Using processes of critical thinking and logic skills, kids will be learning without even knowing it!  Amazon $23.99 3+

Chicken War, ThinkFun Chicken War is a fun game that will enhance logic skills and outsmarting your opponent! The object of the game is to have a strong chicken leader and an even stronger army backing you, but there must be two chickens with similar characteristics as you, or you’re scrambled! Amazon $19.99 2 to 4 players 8+

Penguin Pile-Up, Ravensburger Pile up your penguins but don't let them topple! Perfect for group play or for a single play, the object of the game is the be the only player left on the iceberg! Kids love this game! Walmart $5.97 1-4 players Ages 4-6

Burping Bobby with free puzzle shown

Burping Bobby, Goliath Games Burping Bobby will make you and your little ones laugh! Feed that hungry hippo, but watch out -- he burps in color and the kids love when the gas really leaves his mouth! Amazon $19.99 (Free 24-piece Puzzle) | Walmart $14.99 | Target $14.99 2-4 players 4+

Dino Crunch, Goliath Games Dino Crunch is a fun and exciting game that will test your agility, because if you’re slow, the dinosaur is going to get ya! Each player rollers the die to to find out if which egg they will rescue. The twist is that you’re rescuing tiny eggs with a tweezer, and there is a hungry T-Rex ready to pounce. Be the first to collect all of the eggs before the dinosaur gets you, and win the game! For 2-4 players, Goliath Games, Amazon $19.99 2-4 players 4+

Johnny the Skull, Goliath Games AAARGH! Johnny the Skull is a really fun and interactive game that will get you moving … and fast! Johnny the Skull has a special skillset where he projects ghosts on to the wall and one or more players have to be the ones to blast the ghosts fast! There are four different skill levels so the whole family can play! For 1+ players, Goliath Games, Amazon $24.99 | Walmart $20.68  4+

Game with free 24-pc puzzle shown

Rattlesnake Jake, Goliath Games Rattle! Rattle! Rattlesnake Jake loves his gold coins, and he has them safely collected in his coiled tail. The object of the game is to steal them from him without getting caught! Collect the gold coins before he strikes you! For 2+ players, Goliath Games, Amazon $29.75 | Walmart $15.97 2-4 players 4+

Game with free puzzle shown

Banana Blast, Goliath Games Toddler Favorite! Place the bananas in the base, and roll the dice! Pull out one or two bananas, and when the monkey, Banana Joe, pops up you have to be the first to catch him! This game is nothing but laughs and smiles all around, and not only do you hone counting skills and taking turns skills, but your kiddos will also want to play it again and again. The rules are so simple that parents can leave the older ones to oversee the game. Go ahead, have a cup of coffee! Amazon $17.50 | Walmart $19.54 | Target $9.99 2-5 players 4+

Pop The Pig, Goliath Games - Toddler Favorite! #1 Game for toddlers! With super simple instructions, Pop the Pig is the perfect game for your little ones. Feed this hungry piggy chef some burgers, and watch his belly grow! Be the first player to pop the pig to win! Goliath Games, Amazon $19.99 | Walmart $12.14 | Target $16.49

Gator Golf, Goliath Games Gator Golf gives kids plenty of laughs and will get them moving too! Work on gross skills, and putt your colored ball into the gator's mouth! The best part is when he pops it back to you! Goliath Games, Amazon $25.59 (comes with a free puzzle) | Walmart $13.57 | Target $15.99 2-4 players 3+

Build or Boom, Goliath Games  Build or Boom is a wonderful game for kiddos that is explosively fun! Build a tower according to the card as quick as you can, or go boom! This game is always at the top of our game pile. Toddlers and pre-schoolers can hone their fine motor skills and agility with this game! For 2 players, 3+  Walmart $16.39 | Amazon $15.34

Dragon Snacks, Goliath Games Dragon Snacks is a magical game that the whole family loves. Help this poor dragon who ate too many snacks! Not only do we love playing it and helping the dragon relieve his tummy troubles, but we are also trying to figure out how this dragon's tummy becomes visible! This game focuses on color learning and teaches patience to toddlers, and is just a fun game that brings us a lot of smiles! For two to four plays, 4+ Walmart $14.88 | Amazon $14.88 

Ask Einstein a Dr. STEM Toys toy by Thin Air Brands is the smartest mouse! He can guide you through 100 flashcards of fun trivia. With a simple yes or no light that gently alerts you if you're right or wrong, kids (and parents) can learn new information about Animals & Dinosaurs. Booster packs are available that are compatible with Ask Einstein featuring Science and Nature, and Math! Amazon $19.99 Ages 3-6

Lucky Ducks, Pressman Lucky Ducks are just a snuggly and quacktacular game for toddlers! Play this fun game and help your kiddo hone their color matching and shape recognition! Amazon $19.99 | Walmart $14.99 | Target $14.99  3+ 

Popcorn Poppin', YULU Toys Once you pop you can't stop! This fun game is perfect for little ones. Kids will learn the rules quickly and can even play independently! Players pass the popcorn around according to the interesting pop-up dice prompts, and in pure hot potato style, don't get caught holding the popcorn when it pops! I also use this game for color learning, pattern making, and counting with my three-year-old! Amazon $11.99 | Target $14.99 Two or more players 4+

Classic Board Games for Tweens, Teens, and Adults - These games have kept us busy throughout our shelter in place. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit that notification bell to get alerted to my video review. You can also find me on Amazon Live! where I will be demoing the games below, and the kid-friendly games that I mentioned above!

Sequence, Pressman - This is a new game for us, and we love the challenge! 

It's fun, it's challenging, it's exciting, it's Sequence! Play a card from your hand, and place a chip on a corresponding space on the game board. When you have five in a row, it's a Sequence. Learn to block your opponents or remove their chips, and watch out for the Jacks - they're wild! With a little strategy and luck, you'll be a winner. For 2-12 players, ages 7 and up. Amazon $17.97

Rummikub, Pressman - remember that clacking of the tiles when you shuffled the cards? That sound reminds me of New Year's Eve or a family game night. This classic game is effortless and will always be a mainstay in my game closet. Walmart $14.97 | Amazon $13.77 | Target $14.99

Mastermind, Pressman - This is a fast and fun strategy game. Players each take turns solving codes. This game focuses on STEM and strategic thinking, which makes it a great game to introduce to grade school kids. Walmart $9.99 | Amazon $9.49 | Target $14.99

Electronic Games + Handheld Games 

Rubik’s Revolution Super Impulse is a light chasing game that also tests your agility, memory, hearing, and motor skills. It’s a lot of fun for one or even during multiplayer mode. This is a reboot of the original Rubik’s Revolution for this newly interested generation of cubers! Amazon $24.60

Rubik’s TILT Super Impulse is the first release coming out apart of the TILT line by Super Impulse. The TILT line will include titles from Hot Wheels, Tetris, and LOL Surprise. The Rubik’s TILT is a digital version of the classic Rubik’s cube, and in order to play you tilt and turn to move the cube parts to match the colors. Like the Rubik’s Cube there is great skill involved, but the TILT makes it easy with the different modes to assist players. Find it on Amazon for $19.45.

TETRIS Tilt, Super Impulse TETRIS Tilt is the perfect stocking stuffer! TETRIS Tilt plays like regular TETRIS but is controlled with motion. Tilt and twist up and down to control where the pieces fall to create the ultimate TETRIS. The handheld controller is a bright blue, fits in your pocket, perfect for on the go, and will be the ultimate piece of gaming nostalgia to add to anyone's collection! Walmart $24.95 8+

MicroArcade, Super Impulse is for the true game on the go. Keep nostalgia in your back pocket with these tiny versions of everyone’s favorite arcade games featuring actual sounds and music from each game! Choose from retro titles likes Tetris, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man, Pole Position, Galaga, Frogger, Oregon Trail, and more! Perfect stocking stuffer! Amazon $17.99 to $24.99 6+

Tiny Arcade, Super Impulse Tiny Arcade will give collectors and gamers a true arcade-style experience at their fingertips. Tiny Arcade is a collection of miniature versions of real arcade cabinets with details like the artwork, position of the joysticks and buttons, right down to the sounds and music. Plus it’s attached to a handy keychain for nostalgia on the go! Go back in time with titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tetris, Pole Position, Rally X, and QBert. You can also find more arcade game titles like Galaxian, Dig-Dug at varying prices - perfectly fine as a stand-alone gift or small enough for use as a stocking stuffer.  Amazon $19.99 | Target $19.99 6+

Puzzles really shined in 2020! Nothing beats the calmness of puzzle building! Here are my favorites that will make the perfect gift! 

At the Dog Park, Ravensburger 

At the Dog Park Puzzle 350 pieces,  Amazon $17.99

Ravensburger makes a bunch of wonderful puzzles that you can find at Walmart, Target, and Amazon.

Tiger King Jigsaw Puzzle Collection, Mighty Mojo Toys - Choose from four different puzzles. Cuddly Joe, Hot Joe, Spicy Joe, Gentle Joe 1000 pieces, Amazon $19.99

Stow & Go, Ravensburger - Game changer for puzzles! This puzzle saver will keep your puzzles secure when you run out of time. Roll up your puzzle, an then unroll when it's time to puzzle again! Amazon | Walmart | Target $9.99

Games for Teens + Adults

Escape the Room: The Cursed Dollhouse, ThinkFun With immersive gameplay where you build a 3D model of a creepy dollhouse, players may want to leave the lights on while playing! Amazon $42.99 13+

Check out other Escape the Room games by ThinkFun on Amazon

Sh*t Happens the saying many of us are probably chanting right now is actually a fun new card game! When the kids go to bed, parents can play a round of Sh*t Happens for some good laughs! The cards have scenarios on each card, and the player must rank each card as the sh*ttiest! Goliath Games, Walmart $12.99 | Amazon $9.99 

Full of Sh*t - includes 100 extra cards! Walmart