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Games of all sorts have the unique ability to not just inspire creativity or implement strategy, but they can also foster relationships and bring people together, both young and old. In the world of gaming, no experience is necessary and, in many cases, no rules, either! You can create hours of fun simply by relaxing, unplugging, and letting your imagination run wild with possibilities. Or, if you prefer to play by the rules, you can find hundreds of games that require concentration, teamwork, or intricate details.

If you’re stuck on just which game to get, remember—the best part about any game gift is that it can be tailored to suit anyone’s individual preference, age, or skill level. Whether they enjoy family-friendly board games, immersive video games, or thrilling outdoor activities, there's something out there that everyone will love!

So if you’re in need of a new game for a family game night or are looking for a present for a game-loving friend, these are some of our favorite gift ideas.

Gift Ideas for Game Lovers

card Games

When it comes to gift-giving, card games are a fantastic choice for both casual players and avid enthusiasts. Whether you’re playing a family-friendly game of UNO or a not-so-family-friendly round of Cards Against Humanity, a simple card game can provide hours of entertainment with friends and family, whether at a party or even during a cozy night in. Plus, card games are compact and easily portable, making them the perfect choice to take on vacation or to your next get together. After all, is there anything better than an impromptu game of cards when you need to liven up the party?

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These Cards Will Get You Drunk

ASM Holdings LLC

Players: 2-8

Best For: 21+ and up

A easy-to-play, fun adult drinking game, the rules are simple: Do what the cards say. This open-ended game is the perfect party game and the best way to get silly with close friends.

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Throw Throw Burrito

Exploding Kittens

Players: 2-6

Best For: 7 and up

Dodgeball meets card game. This fun game is a kid-friendly option that is an unconventional and unique twist on your standard card game.

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Unstable Unicorns

TeeTurtle

Players: 2-8

Best For: 14 and up

Fun and quirky, Unstable Unicorns is anything but your traditional fantasy creature. Build a stable of unicorns while trying to destroy your partner’s. With endless expansion packs, this strategic game may destroy relationships, but, you know…in a good way.

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New Phone, Who Dis?

What Do You Meme?

Players: As many as you want!

Best For: 17 and up

For fans of Cards Against Humanity, this card game takes text messaging offline as you match up your responses with a text message card that is sure to have the whole family laughing.

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Exploding Kittens

Exploding Kittens LLC

Players: 2-5

Best For: 7 and up

Exactly like it sounds, this is a Russian roulette style game where you lose if you find an exploding kitten. Similar to UNO, this game is easy and fast to learn and has both NSFW and kid-friendly options!

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Zombie Kittens

exploding Kittens LLC

Players: 2-5

Best For: 7 and up

From the makers of Exploding Kittens comes Zombie Kittens, a card game with an undead twist—if you explode, you can still play! Zombie Kittens can be played on its own, or you can combine it with any other Exploding Kittens game (like the one above!) to create a game that can be played with up to 9 players for even more fun.

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Blank Slate

USAOPOLOGY

Players: 3-8

Best For: 8 and up

A fun word game where you write the word that you think best completes the sentence and try to match it with another person, without giving any hints! Fun and easy to learn, this is a party game that is fun for the whole family.

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Cards Against Humanity

Cards Against Humanity

Players: As many as you want!

Best For: 17 and up

A very adult take on the classic Apples To Apples, this is the #1 choice when it comes to raunchy party games. Use a question card to start each round and let your friends respond with the best answer they can—honest, naughty, or downright horrible! You choose the winner. With an almost endless supply of expansion decks, we recommend that you start here first before exploring even dirtier cards.

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Skyjo

Magilano

Players: 2 to 8

Best For: 8 and up

A matching card game filled with rounds of trading and drawing, this is the perfect game to take with you to parties and get togethers when you want a game that’s competitive but still allows you to keep up the good time with friends. With easy-to-learn rules, you’ll find that this is a staple in your party kit.

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Monopoly Deal

Hasbro

Players: 2-5

Best For: 8 and up

Love Monopoly but hate how long it can take? This card game is a fast-moving version of the Monopoly board game that can be played in as little as 15 minutes! For the next family game night, pull this one out!

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Who's Most Likely to?

DSS Games

Players: 4+

Best For: 14 and up

A game of how well do you know your friends, this card game asks the simple question, "Who is Most Likely to...?" as you vote on your friend that you think would be it. Prepare for this to get fun (or wild) quickly!

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What Do You Meme?

What Do You Meme

Players: As many as you want!

Best For: 17 and up

Lovers of Cards Against Humanity rejoice! This funny card game gives the judge the choice to pick the best caption for each meme, creating a hilarious game you will pull out every time you need a laugh.

Image: Amazon

We’re Not Really Strangers

We’re Not really Strangers

Players 2-6

Best For: 12 and up

If you want a not-so-ordinary game to play at your next party, We’re Not Really Strangers is a great card deck that uses meaningful prompts to ask unique questions, reflections, and more to really get to know the other people in the room!

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Drawing Without Dignity

Two Point Oh games

Players: As many as you want!

Best For: 17 and up

This game is definitely not for kids! Best described as Cards Against Humanity meets Pictionary, your friends take turns drawing prompts as fast as they can. The result is hilarious and ridiculous fun that will leave you asking…. “What??”

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Do You Really Know Your Family?

ASM Holdings LLC

Players: 3-8

Best For: 8 and up

The perfect pick for a family game night, Do You Really Know Your Family? is a question driven game that uses silly and thoughtful prompts to see how well you really know your friends and family members. Great for any age!

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Werewolf: A Party Game For Devious People

Stellar Factory

Players: Up to 35(!)

Best For: 12 and up

This sneaky roleplaying game is a unique and story-driven way to deceive your friends by playing a variety of characters. Try taking this game camping and play it around the fire!

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Waterproof Playing Cards

Hoyle

Players: Any

Best For: Any age

Who says that you can’t play games by the pool or at the beach? These waterproof cards let you take your favorite card games anywhere so that you can have hours of fun without worrying about ruining your favorite deck.

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UNO

Mattel Games

Players: 2-10

Best For: 7 and up

Perhaps one of the most classic family card games of all time, this fast-paced game has super simple rules: match colors and numbers to get rid of all of the cards in your hand first. Just watch out for the wild cards!

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Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Dolphin Hat Games

Players: 3-8

Best For: Any age

We love any game with ultra-simple rules, but this one takes the cake. Learn it in under 1 minute, this game tests your attention and reflexes. If you love Slapjack, you’ll love this one!

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Drunk Confidence

Drunk Confidence

Players: 4+

Best For: 21 and up

A drinking game for adults, this card set includes more than 200 challenges that let you see just how smart your friends are by combining pop culture, singing, and history trivia. An easy game to learn, this will be great for your next party!

Board Games

Playing a board game is one of the most timeless forms of entertainment that transcends generations and is the hallmark of game nights everywhere. Classic games—such as Monopoly and Sorry!—are perfect for family game nights and can be adapted for all ages and skill levels, while more in-depth games, such as Scrabble or Risk, require thoughtful concentration and strategic gameplay. From moving pieces on a game board to rolling dice to planning your next move, board games foster social interactions with everyone, strengthening bonds and creating memorable moments. It’s one of the reasons why we love a pastime that brings people together over a bit of friendly competition!

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Bananagrams

Bananagrams

Players: 2-8

Best For: 7 and up

Perfect for anyone 7 years and up, Bananagrams is a fun word game that helps to build thinking ability and vocabulary skills. Collect tiles face-down and create as many words as possible in the form of a crossword. The first player to complete their word grid wins!

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Jumanji Deluxe Board Game

Spin Master Games

Players: 2-4

Best For: 8 and up

An extension of the ultra-popular movie, players must work to reach the center of the jungle by solving riddles and successfully completing challenges, all before they can yell Jumanji!

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Catch the Golden Snitch!

Spin Master Games

Players: 4

Best For: 8 and up

For lovers of Harry Potter, this fast-paced game challenges you to catch the Golden Snitch, all while avoiding Flying Bludgers. This interactive game is a great way to build skills of concentration, problem-solving, and strategy, all without any screen time.

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Trivia Crack

Mattel

Players: 4 or more

Best For: 12 and up

A fun combination of trivia knowledge and how well you know your friends, this game allows you to answer, wager, and use power ups for an insanely refreshing take on your standard trivia game!

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Who Am I? Guessing Game

Wild & Wolf

Players: 4

Best For: 8 and up

A great family game for 2-4 players, with more than 120 name cards and letters, this easy-to-understand game makes you guess characters from books or movies, all while wearing silly disguises.

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Secret Hitler

Secret hitler

Players: 5-10

Best For: 17 and up

For lovers of history games, Secret Hitler is set in 1930s Germany, secretly dividing players into two groups. Full of political intrigue, each group competes with each other to pass laws—or betray the others!

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The Chameleon

Big Potato

Playeres: 3-8

Best For: 14 and up

Everyone knows the secret word—except one! Spend your rounds trying to figure out who is the unknowing person (or, if it’s you, don’t get caught!).

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Watch Ya Mouth

Watch ya Mouth

Players: 3-10

Best For: 8 and up

For something to spice up your next game night, this hilarious game uses a mouthpiece to stretch your lips into a nearly unrecognizable shape. With your team, your job is to understand just what your teammate is saying—without the use of their mouth. Good luck!

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Bungee Table

Players: 2

Best For: 6 and up

Perfect for kids and adults alike, this wooden board game uses hand-crafted pieces to mimic a tabletop air hockey game. You’ll never want to stop playing.

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Trekking The National Parks

Underdog Games

Players: 2-5

Best For: 10 and up

If you’re looking for a new option for the next family game night that is not only fun, but educational, too, this award-winning game shares stories and trivia about each national park while you strategize the best way to beat your opponents. Even better, a full game can be played in an hour or less.

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Azul

Plan B Games

Players: 2-4

Best For: 8 and up

This tile-placement game uses strategy to create matching rows of tiles to win. Plan each move carefully because if you draw too many tiles, you’ll lose points at the end of the game. It only takes 30 minutes to complete, so play this one on nights when you’re short on time.

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Telestrations

Players: 4-6

Ages: 8 and up

When Telephone meets Pictionary, you get this hilarious drawing game. Each player receives a secret word and, without showing anyone, draws it in their book. The next person must guess the word based on the picture. Pass it again and the next person must draw the word the person before guessed. Once it gets back to the original artist, you’ll see just how good a drawing you made by how close the final answer was to your original word. Caution: If you aren’t an artist, this game can go oh-so-very-wrong (in a hilarious way!).

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Sequence

Jax

Players: 2-12

Best For: 7 and up

Strategy games that you can play individually or as a team? Sign us up! Play cards from your hand to match the board and get 5 in a row to form the Sequence! Get competitive with your opponents by blocking or removing their pieces—the first team to finish their sequences wins!

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Clue Mystery Board Game

Hasbro Games

Players: 2-6

Age: 8 and up

Another classic family game that we couldn’t leave off the list, Clue is the original mystery game. Solve the mystery—find the killer, the murder weapon, and the scene of the crime!

Outdoor Games

During a backyard party or a beachside hang, outdoor games can provide a refreshing and invigorating way to spend time soaking up some much-needed vitamin D while engaging in fun-filled physical activities. Aside from the obvious advantages of promoting physical fitness and coordination, these games foster social togetherness, teamwork, and healthy competition while also creating opportunities for individuals to bond, forge friendships, and even learn valuable life skills, such as communication and sportsmanship. But perhaps the best part? Outdoor games offer a break from the confines of indoor spaces, screen time, and social media, allowing players to slow down, breathe in fresh air, and reconnect with nature.

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Lawn Darts

HAKOL

Best For: When you want to get outside with your family.

These lawn darts are the perfect way to spend quality time outside, improve your aim, and have fun while doing it. The best part is that the tips glow in the dark, so you can play any time of the day!

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Jumbo Playing Cards

Yuanhe

Best For: Card game lovers

There’s not much more to say than….who doesn’t want to feel as though they took a Drink Me potion from Alice in Wonderland? You can use these jumbo cards whenever you want to play a (very large) game of Hearts or Go Fish.

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Glow In The Dark Soccer Ball

Glow City

Best For: Sports lovers who don’t want to go to bed

Keep the party going all night long with a light up soccer ball. Durable for indoor and outdoor play, it comes with two pre-installed LED lights that last for over 30 hours! Not a soccer fan? GlowCity also makes a wide array of other sports equipment for volleyball enthusiasts, basketball lovers, and football fans.

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Giant Wooden Tower

Megwoz

Best For: Competitive friends who like to make a lot of noise

Jenga, but super size it. Your favorite game now has a massive outdoor version that can be stacked over 4 feet tall for even more fun when you watch it tumble down.

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Spikeball Pro Kit

Spikeball

Best For: The ultra-competitive players who want to be challenged in a tournament

If you haven’t heard of Spikeball, it’s time you did! With a full set that includes everything you need to play at a pro level (this set even includes one registration to the Spikeball Roundnet Association tournament), you’ll soon find yourself addicted to this fast-paced outdoor sport.

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Giant Yard Pong

Jumbo Pong

Best For: When the college nostalgia hits

Can you see a theme in our outdoor games? The infamous college-favorite party game comes alive in a bigger-than-life version that is perfect for the beach or tailgating. Just…maybe don’t fill these cups up with your favorite drink?

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Toss Across

Mattel

Best For: Family party games

You know Tic-Tac-Toe, but what if we add in a bit of hand-eye coordination? This game takes the aim of bag toss (or bags or cornhole, depending on where you live), and adds in the strategy of Xs and Os to create a fun outdoor game for the whole family.

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Giant Wooden Yard Dice

Speed Armis

Best For: Yahtzee players with a love of the sun

Made from solid pine, this set of giant dice is a quality addition to any game stash. Perfect as a unique host gift, you can play your favorite games or make them up (and the rules!) as you go.

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Inflatable Joust Game

MD Sports

Best For: Those who dreamed of being a warrior

Raise your hand if you watched American Gladiators growing up? (Hopefully it’s not just us.) Even if you didn’t, this inflatable set allows you to channel your inner warrior with a game that is one part balance, one part pure fun.

Video Game Consoles

Whether you’re a fan of Mario or you like the fast-paced action of sports games, a new video game console is where you need to start! While we can’t make the decision for you, many of these systems allow you to play with friends both in-person and online, as well as sharing gaming experiences together on cross-platform games. No matter which one you choose, there’s a plethora of games just waiting for you to press Start.

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Nintendo Switch

Nintendo

Nintendo’s latest foray into the console space, they’ve swapped their standard system for a handheld device that is lightweight, compact, and perfect to play your favorite Mario game, online or off.

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XBox Series S

Microsoft

Who remembers the Red Ring of Death from the old Xbox 360s? This is a highly upgraded gaming experience with lightning-fast load times and ultra-fast game play. Plus, you can stack on a Xbox Game Pass membership to download hundreds of your favorite games directly to your console or play with friends online!

Tip: For those who want even more processing and gaming power, the Xbox Series X has true 4K streaming and 1TB of storage.

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Playstation 5

Sony

Ah, the age old debate: Team Playstation or Team Xbox? For those lovers of rich graphics and adaptive gaming experiences, you’ve likely found yourself eyeing the PS5. Plus, we love the 3D audio and exceptionally fast load times.

Video Games

The best part about giving video games as gifts is that they unlock a gateway into exciting new worlds, adventures, and endless possibilities. No matter which console you play on, or whether it’s a highly anticipated sequel or a nostalgic classic, video games create an opportunity to share experiences as you play with friends, get lost exploring virtual worlds, expand your creativity, and even sharpen motor skills and coordination. They’re not just a gift, but rather hours of entertainment that can create lasting memories!

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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Nintendo

It’s time to get back into your go-carts! Mario Kart 8 welcomes the return of all of the tracks from the Wii U version with a 4-player multiplayer that allows you to play with your friends together in your living room. Plus, with a new Smart Steering feature, kids, novices, and adults alike can play together—no experience needed.

Available on: Nintendo

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Pikmin 4

Nintendo

A game for the entire family to play, Pikmin is the story of small plant-like creatures, each with special attributes to help you navigate through the world. Grow and gather your Pikmin to complete story objectives or challenge friends in Dandori Battles!

Available on: Nintendo

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Nintendo

In the most in-depth Animal Crossing game yet, you can build your community from scratch, customize your character, and even terraform the land itself. Even better, this newest addition to the Animal Crossing family introduces a new crafting system for hours of stress-reducing fun.

Available on: Nintendo

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Activision

The sequel to 2019’s fan favorite, Modern Warfare, comes the return of Simon “Ghost” Riley and Captain John Price as they perform high-stakes missions, using cutting edge equipment to take on all new enemies within the Special Ops game mode.

Bonus: The game is cross-platform so you can join friends on any console or PC!

Available for: Xbox, Playstation, PC

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LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Warner Bros

For lovers of the Star Wars franchise, you can play through all nine films, within the whimsical charm of the LEGO universe. Choose to play on the good side or the dark side by playing with hundreds of different characters throughout a complex universe.

Available on: Nintendo Switch, Playstation, Xbox

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Diablo IV

Blizzard Entertainment

Harkening back to the game feel of Diablo II, Blizzard’s latest installment of Diablo is dark, shadowy, and filled with character building and combat. While this does require internet and a Battle.net account, you can also play locally with your friends as you level characters, collect dungeon spoils, and follow the immersive storyline to the very end.

Bonus: The game is cross-platform so you can join friends on any console or PC!

Available on: Playstation, Xbox, PC

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Madden 24

Electronic Arts

Back with its 24th(!) installment, the classic Madden game features the most realistic graphics yet with enhanced gameplay, including player movements that are about as real as it gets. For sports fans, this is a must-have.

Available on: Playstation, Xbox

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Final Fantasy XVI

SquARE ENIX

With a return to its core gaming experience, Final Fantasy 16 is a rich, immersive world filled with dark, mature storylines and customizable action-oriented gameplay.

Available on: Playstation

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Sonic Frontiers

SEGA

This isn’t the Sonic that you remember from your childhood! With massive islands to explore, Cyber Space levels, and an all-new battle system, this is a serious upgrade to our favorite hedgehog.

Available on: Playstation