Christmas is going to be big this year. "Thinking big" is our motto this year: the bigger the gift, the more fun the holidays will be. In order to do justice to this motto, there is hardly a better idea than giving away board games for Christmas. With the large selection, it is difficult to find a suitable board game title that will bring joy to the recipient. You are therefore on the safe side with board game classics, which are commercially available in practical big boxes at reasonable prices.
Board games have to go under the fir tree
Simply satisfying the greed for great Christmas gifts is not a good resolution for a prudent giver. Anyone who gives away board games at Christmas sends a clear signal: I want to spend time with you!
Board games bring people together - even on the Christmas holidays. When the relatives gather at the table, the house smells of cookies and punch and colorful fairy lights cover the room in festive light, it's time for an extended board game evening with the whole family. It is practical when at least one of the guests has received a new board game for Christmas that everyone can have fun with. Of course, special requirements are placed on such board games. First of all, they need to be clear and easy to understand. Then they should enable a quick start, because nobody wants to read hundreds of pages of a set of rules on Christmas days. And they should be complex enough to entertain experienced board players, but at the same time straightforward so that the children can play along without any problems. Big boxes of popular board game classics are the ideal Christmas gifts to make everyone happy. You can find the three best board games for Christmas in the following article.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a lot of fun while playing!
Big Box: Carcassonne by Hans im Glück
The strategic placement game Carcassonne Pretty much everyone knows about the publisher Hans im Glück. Nevertheless, many households seem to have got by without the board game so far: Time to change this fact. The Carcassonne Big Box is available in different versions. The size Big box* contains the basic game and nine expansions: a comprehensive introduction to the world of landscaping. For beginners, the package can seem almost too extensive, after all, with each expansion, new rules are added that expand the strategic possibilities. It is recommended as a Christmas present, also because it is cheaper to buy Carcassonne Big Box 2014*, which includes the base game plus four expansions. Included are the expansions Taverns & Cathedrals, Merchants & Builders, Sheep & Hills and the Wheel of Fortune, which can also be played independently. In addition, players can access the mini-expansion “The River”. The new figure colors pink and purple are particularly beautiful, which complement the already colorful Carcassonne make it a little more colorful. Up to 8 players, ages 7 and up, can use the Big Box to take part in a game of the classic strategic placement game, which won the game of the year award in 2001. Despite the innumerable tactical possibilities, Carcassonne always remains clear, comprehensible and even largely calculable. The rules are easy to learn, so that even children can play along with little help from adults. Round by round the players place cities, paths and meadows from the tiles that they draw blindly. These areas are occupied by followers who award points when an area is completed. The small extensions bring additional possibilities to the game flow. Carcassonne is also ideal for two players.
Big Box: El Grande by Hans im Glück
You can already see from the (upgraded) cover illustration that the board game The big one already has a few years under his belt. But that doesn't detract from the fun factor, because the game idea still works just as well today as it did in 1996 when The big one was voted game of the year. In contrast to Carcassonne get players with the El Grande Big Box* the full gaming experience and not just a selection of available content. A total of six expansions are available that 2 to 5 players, ages 12 and up, can integrate into the basic game. The general plot is determined by the socio-political events in Spain in the 16th century.
The game material was noticeably thickened up in the revised version. Instead of chunky wooden cubes, board game strategists command meeples in their characteristic shape across the board. The playing field itself exudes the charm of the late 90s, in which buffalos and button pants dominated the streetscape. This may irritate the modern board player, but this retro look is perfect for Christmas. The big one is demanding and not suitable for families with small children if the children want to play along. The strategic component is impressive: hardly any modern title can match the quality of the sector control mechanism from The big one keep up. This board game promotes social interactions and is therefore ideal for an entertaining game evening. Nevertheless, the rules are easy to learn and always understandable. A step-by-step expansion of the basic game is strongly recommended, as the card capability only develops its full efficiency after a period of getting used to it. Anyone who wants to make experts happy with a board game for Christmas is giving away with the El Grande Big Box* a strategic title that should not be missing in any collection anyway.
Big Box: Terra Mystica from Tierra del Fuego Games
The board game hit fits thematically The Mystical Land from Tierra del Fuego games perfect for the approaching Christmas party. Christmas stories stimulate the imagination and also Terra Mystica shines with a successful fantasy setting full of strange characters. So-called terraforming is the focus of the action, i.e. adapting the environment in order to transform it from a barren spot into a living landscape. Players slip into the roles of different races who have to take control of as many areas as possible. The course of the game is determined by the fact that each race wants to increase its influence by enlarging its living space, paying homage to the gods and promoting its own civilization. In five game rounds, board players take turns taking their actions and planning as far as possible ahead of the future rounds of new opportunities.
The more skillful the breed, the more resources they have at their disposal. The decision about new construction projects always rules the course of the game, which directly influence what happens. The Mystical Land* is tactically demanding and extremely exciting. The term big box is at The Mystical Land possibly a little misleading, because apart from the basic game only the expansion is included Fire & ice. The box is really “big” due to the playful class of the board game itself. 2 to 5 players, ages 12 and up, compete in short game rounds of approx. 30 minutes to terraform. The special attraction is the balancing act between proximity to the other players and the free thought of expansion: the former grants bonuses, but restricts the expansion strategy. This balancing act makes The Mystical Land an excellent Christmas present from the field of board games.
