Unplug and Reconnect Offline This Season With More Incredible Family Games!

As we wrap up this year’s series of holiday gift guides, we want to thank everyone for continuing to check out our suggestions. We began with an assortment of family games and as is tradition, are ending with more. Part of that is because we’re passionate about encouraging families to play games together as a form of family bonding. It’s also because we know not to downplay our daughters’ abilities. We always encouraged them to play more difficult or strategic games than might have be expected of their age. These lists are our way of sharing that tip with our readers.

As with the other guides, if you see our SahmReviews logo, click over and get more details about that game. These are ideas not just for someone on your shopping list, but for you too! If you find something you would like to receive, send the link to the people shopping for you as a hint and a nudge.


Sync or Swim

Bezier Games, Inc.

Retail Box - Sync or Swim

Inspired by real life synchronized swimming, Sync or Swim focuses on teamwork, collaboration, and communication.

Each round, teammates plan the perfect routine while taking direction from the team captain. The clock starts and players start trading, placing, and diving for cards to get their performance exactly right. As your team progresses through each round, the routines become more challenging and throw all sorts of twists your way!

At the end of each round, the free app judges your performance based on your timing and accuracy—You and your friends will discover creative tactics for better strategies and scores each time you play.


Retail Box - Basket Boss

2-5 Players | 40 min time to play

Basketboss is an auction game where each season you’ll be responsible for managing all the complexities of a professional basketball team. You’ll have to make sure you can hire the right team advisors, win auctions to offer contracts to talented new players, and avoid crippling injuries! Will your lineup be stacked with Hall of Famers and your shelves full of gleaming trophies?

BUY DIRECT FROM BOARDGAMETABLES.COM


Retail Box - Zombie Kidz Evolution

Nothing says holidays like a little zombie invasion! In Zombie Kidz Evolution, players are at school when zombies start to attack, infiltrating the entryways, then barring the way to classrooms. Players move through rooms and entryways to eliminate zombies and keep the zombie reserve full. To win the game, players need to lock each of the four entryways as apparently the custodian has abandoned the post and given up the school for lost.


Ecosystem: Coral Reef

Genius Games

Retail Box - Coral Reef

Dive deep to build your own ecological network in Ecosystem: Coral Reef, a card-drafting game of marine competition. Players choose, pass, and arrange cards representing a diversity of organisms and earn points by aligning animals with the habitats and food sources where they most flourish.


Murder Mystery Party Game: Case Files

University Games

Retail Box - Murder Mystery

Solve a murder mystery with friends. Open the Mile-High Murder Case File to start the crime scene investigation. This Case File includes all the evidence you need to solve the murder. From crime scene photos, suspect interviews to newspaper clippings and other clues, you’ll narrow down the suspects and determine who committed murder. This murder mystery game in a box is the perfect gift for friends and family who love mystery board games and is perfect for family game night, an evening with friends or for date night for couples.


Fluxx Remix

Looney Labs

Retail Box - Fluxx Remixx

What do you get when you start with the familiar Keepers from the classic card game, Fluxx, and reimagine everything else? Fluxx Remixx! This version of the base game is intended to be a little more advanced and a little more chaotic than the “milk and cookies” version. With a whole new slate of Goals to work toward and new Rules, Actions, and Surprises that keep things hopping, you can be sure zaniness will ensue!


Bad Christmas

Steve Jackson Games

Retail Box - Bad Christmas

The Family Game of Awful Presents

There are some strange things in the gift exchange this year. A tuna-flavored candy cane? A wind-up fruitcake? An inflatable birdhouse?

They may be horrible . . . but some of them are just what YOU want! Pick your favorites and try to get them as fast as you can, because the game might end at any time . . .

What do you want for Christmas?


Key to the Kingdom

Restoration Games

Retail Box - Key to the Kingdom

Unlock a World of Adventure! In Key to the Kingdom, players travel through the realm, hunting for three pieces of the key to defeat the Demon King on the giant double board with teleporting whirlpools. Along the way, you’ll meet kooky companions like the Ginormous Giant, find wondrous items like the Bee Cannon, and go on challenging adventures like sneaking past the snorkeling Cyclops. WARNING: Dad Jokes.Lots and lots of dad jokes.


Retail Box - Oh My Brain

After a long day of hiking, you settle down around a campfire. A cute little bunny approaches your campsite. Big long ears, fluffy little tail, glowing red eyes… “Hey! That bunny tried to bite me!“


Retail Box - Habitats

2-5 Players | 40 min time to play

Majestic animals need dedicated habitats to thrive, and they’re depending on you, the enthusiastic new wildlife ranger, to figure out the puzzle. Drive your jeep around and choose the best animals for your wildlife preserve. Build tourist destinations, campgrounds, and watchtowers to ensure everything runs smoothly. It’s not just a walk in the park though; your goals change every year and you’ll have to get what you need before other rangers snatch them up first!

BUY DIRECT FROM BOARDGAMETABLES.COM


Noises at Night

CardLords

Retail Box - Noises at Night

A 15-minute deduction game where each player has a secret identity. Place clues to earn points without revealing too much about who you are. Earn points and solve the mystery of who’s making those Noises at Night!

BUY DIRECT FROM CARDLORDS


Speedy Words Twist

FoxMind

Retail Box - Speedy Words Twist

A classic game with a twist! Speedy Words fans will get to play their favorite word game again with a TWIST! Quickly come up with words that start with a given letter and that represent a certain category. Find words of the opposite category with the TWIST version of the game. So, who will have the FIRST word?


Retail Box - Birdwatcher

In this fast, competitive game players are rival wildlife photographers on a hunt to snap photos of the elusive and illustrious birds-of-paradise.

Players lure birds to their tree from the jungle, take photos of the birds in their tree, and publish their findings. The photographer with the most citation points at the end of the game is awarded Nature Photographer of the Year and is the winner!

Features:
– Beautiful bird cards illustrated by Lauren Helton, a biologist and scientific illustrator!
– Build your own tableau of bird photographs and publications!
– Play solo or against friends


Olympus Loonacy

Looney Labs

Retail Box - Olympus Loonacy

The maniacal matching fun of Loonacy has reached the peak of Mount Olympus! This version of the high-speed card game features all the greatest deities and heroes of Greek and Roman mythology, each beautifully depicted in stunning new illustrations by Echo Chernik! To win, be the first to empty your seven-card hand by matching up the gods and goddesses. Aphrodite says you’ll love it!


Retail Box - 9Lives

3-4 Players | 40 min time to play

Have you ever heard the myth about cats having nine lives? In this trick-taking game you’ll put that to the test. Each round you’ll bet how many tricks you can win, but be careful, every victory will add another card back into your hand to be played again! Can you outwit the other players and earn nine lives before they do?


Keepers of the Questar

Upper Deck

Retail Box - Keepers of the Questar

Take on the role of both the leader of a daring band of adventurers as well as the cunning Quest Master in this 1 vs. 1 dungeon crawler full of magic and mayhem! Design a quest full of dangerous monsters and clever traps, then set out to navigate your rival’s quest, and take your place among the elite adventurers who have been honored with the mantle: Keepers of the Questar!


Over the course of all our guides, we hope you’ve found several gift ideas for yourself and your gift recipients. They range in type, price, style and more for an assortment of personality types. Don’t forget to join our giveaway promotion also!

Which items on this list are on your wish list?

 

32 thoughts on “Unplug and Reconnect Offline This Season With More Incredible Family Games!

  1. Oh boy! Some good-sounding games here. I would be interested in Birdwatcher, Ecosystem, and Habitat look like some games I would enjoy!

  2. A bunch of them are on my list. I already own Habitats and I love it. If I could just pick 1 it’d have to be Birdwatcher since I love nature games

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