Christmas Board Game Gift Guide

If you are wondering what to buy a gamer for Christmas, or looking for something new to play after watching the Sound of Music then this list should help.
There are suggestions here for all ages

Stone Age
This is a brilliant worker placement game where players use there cave people to gather resources, expand there village and build huts. It plays equally well with 2-4 players and has some of the best looking components I have seen.
Game play is very easy to learn and although there is a dice mechanic in the game its more about strategic placement of workers than being lucky.

Endeavor
This is a light euro game where players are exploring the new world and setting up trade routes. The board and components of this game are again top notch and the worker placement rules start out slow and build up as the game progresses. Through the use of careful planning and expansion the players can become governors of these new worlds, but can easily loose them in war. This game scales very well for 3-5 players, although there are some unofficial 2 player rules available.

Mow
This is a clever card game that is very easy to play. Players take turns in playing there Cow cards following some simple placement rules. If they cannot place a card they have to pickup the herd. Each cow card has a number of flies and players are trying to have the least number of flies to win the game. It's a quick game to play and will certainly help some younger children with there numbers.

Small World Expansions
These small expansions are perfect stocking fillers for owners of the base game. Each one adds new races and powers to the game. Gypsies are my favorites.


Roll through the Ages
If you like dice games then Roll through the Ages packs a good civilization game into a small box. Players roll a number of dice depending on the size of there civilization. Collecting goods, food and workers. These are then spent to expand and improve there civilization. You have to feed your cities and protect them from disasters while trying to build great monuments. It's a light game that can be expanded with a free online expansion.

Power Grid : Brazil/Spain and Portugal
If you are looking to expand your copy of Power Grid the third map expansion does a great job. This double sided board provides maps for Brazil and Spain.This time it is supplied in a box with enough room to add the previous expansions.

Wits and Wagers
If you are looking for a party game to play with the whole family Wits and Wagers is a good choice. It's a trivia game with a difference. Players write down there answers then bid on which answer they think is right. Knowing the answers helps, but if you think someone else knows the correct answer bid on them. It's a good game that anyone can play and the end conditions can be lengthened or shortened depending on the group.

Dominion
This game won more awards this year than any other. Its a card game that has a huge amount of re playability. Players all start out equal and slowly build up there deck of cards by buying and using cards. It takes a while to start but once you have played a few rounds the game moves along. If you have played any collectible card game in the past you will have no problems other than finding time to play it.