Board Game Gift Guide: Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Significant Other

Whether you and your significant other are seasoned board game veterans or just looking for fun ways to bond over date night, a well-chosen board game can be the perfect holiday gift. Here’s a guide to help you pick the best one based on your partner’s tastes and your gaming dynamic.

For the Fun-Loving Competitor

Coffee Rush
Age: 8+ / Players: 2-4 / Duration: 15-30 minutes

In Coffee Rush, you’ll take on the role of a barista who must get coffee orders out as quickly as possible to make sure your customers are satisfied. With its ULTRA-beautiful components (the little coffee cups, perfectly miniaturized ingredients ❤️), Coffee Rush makes a great gift that you’ll want to play again and again!

Jaipur
Age: 12+ / Players: 2 / Duration: 30-45 minutes

Looking for a little friendly competition in your relationship? Try this fast-paced, two-player card game, where you and your opponent duel to demonstrate to the Maharajah that you can earn a greater profit than your competition. The sooner you sell your goods and the more you sell at once, the higher your profit. Will you earn the seal of excellence?

Klask
Age: 8+ / Players: 2 / Duration: <15 minutes

Forget table football and table hockey and make way for Klask: the popular game combining skill, tactics, and speed! The board is shaped like a ball field with two holes functioning as goals at each end of the field. Your gaming piece is a black magnet. Shoot the ball past the obstacles and your opponent and into the goal!

For the Sleuth

Focus
Age: 10+ / Players: 2 / Duration: 15-30 minutes

Imagine yourself in a situation where words are forbidden, but communication is essential. In this thrilling game designed for two players, each of you will have to make the other player guess a card. But be careful, subtlety is key! Taking turns, you will have to carefully choose a card to give a clue to your partner. Be careful not to choose their card as your clue; this would result in the end of the game! Tension builds as you wonder if the clue you wanted to take was your partner’s card. Non-verbal communication then becomes the heart of the game. A perfect gift for your significant other.

For the Zen Partner

Harmonies
Age: 10+ / Players: 1-4 / Duration: 30-45 minutes

In Harmonies, design your dreamscape by placing colorful tokens, and encourage animals to settle in your little world! Strategically combine your landscapes and animals to earn the most victory points and win the game. Great for lazy afternoons with your loved one, Harmonies is an easy-to-learn game, with high tactical choices and magnificent illustrations that will immerse you in a dreamy environment.

Patchwork
Age: 8+ / Players: 2 / Duration: 30-45 minutes

Want something relaxing with a hint of strategy? Patchwork is a light, two-player board game where you each attempt to piece together a quilt using oddly shaped, Tetris-like tiles. Use buttons to purchase new tiles to add to your quilt but be picky in which tiles to select as buttons also count as victory points at the end of the game.

And, Patchwork also comes in a Christmas edition, if you’re looking for something to get you a little more in the holiday spirit!

Stocking Stuffers

Looking for something special for their stocking? These games may be small but they pack tons of fun in each box!

Happy Salmon
Age: 6+ / Players: 3-8 / Duration: <15 minutes

Happy Salmon is a fast-paced card game that gets everyone moving and laughing in under two minutes! In this quick party game, each player gets a stack of cards. Every card has a simple action that requires a partner. Players frantically shout their actions looking for matching players. When they find a match, they both complete the action and discard their used cards. The first player to finish all of their cards wins!

Piles
Age: 8+ / Players: 2-8 / Duration: <15 minutes

Piles is a quick set collecting game designed for kids and families. If you enjoy classic games like Speed and Spoons then you’ll love this easy to learn free-for-all. In Piles you can play up to 8 players or even face off 1-on-1 for a fun two-player experience. You’ll be matching sets of clothing by swapping cards through a universal discard pile. Average playtime is under 10 minutes making the game highly replayable and addicting. This portable card game is ideal for any occasion.

Tornaloco
Age: 6+ / Players: 2-6 / Duration: <15 minutes

Tornaloco is a WILD game of speed and memory!

Place all your cards down as fast as you can – but make sure the order and direction are correct! The object of the game is to win the most tornado cards. Each Tornado card features a sequence of 1-4 images from the center of the spiral to the outside of the card. To win the card, you must be the first player to arrange your personal cards in the order indicated by the central card.

Klink
Age: 7+ / Players: 3-5 / Duration: 15-30 minutes

Great as a stocking stuffer or even a hostess gift, Klink is a fast-paced and easy card-driven game of numbers and strategy. Each round the first player takes two cards, peeks at one and decides to uncover both to add to their points or pass them to another player, who then faces the same decision. The goal of the game: to finish with the lowest score. Twists in scoring and special actions spice things up adding an interesting level of interaction.

Love Letter
Age: 10+ / Players: 2-6 / Duration: 15-30 minutes

Will your love letter be enough to woo the princess and capture her heart? Carefully use a cast of characters in the castle to carry your message of love to the Princess, while keeping other players’ letters away. Successfully carry your letter to her before your opponents catch you and obtain her affection and win her heart in this game of risk, deduction, and luck! This lightweight card game with quick gameplay is perfect for players of all skill levels. ​

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Board Game:

• Know their gaming style:
  Do they prefer strategy, cooperation, or something fast-paced?
• Consider the time commitment:
  Some games are campaigns that take multiple sessions and many hours, while others can be played in under 30 minutes.
• Think about player count:
  Make sure the game works well for two players, especially if it’s just the two of you playing most of the time.

Whatever their preferences, a well-chosen board game can make for an exciting, thoughtful gift that brings you closer as a couple. Happy gaming, and happy holidays!

Looking for more great game gifts for your partner? Check out our full holiday gift guide here.