Every year for the past four years or so I’ve put together a list of 40, then 60, then 80 and then 90+ games and things for the geek in your life that cost (mostly) $20 or less. This year is no exception! Except I’m not going to assign a number to it – I’m just putting together everything I’ve found that rates as both entertaining, a good value for the money and affordable. So here it is: The Mega-List for 2016.
As an added bonus, I’ve added a bunch of games, toys, books and movies that I very much enjoy, but which don’t fall into the under $20 or game categories. You’ll find those at the end.
These less expensive games tend to be smaller, making them easier to store and lug around. By way of disclosure, many of these are through amazon, and yes I get a small percentage of any sales. This goes directly in to keeping this site alive. Another trick, Amazon has free shipping for orders of $35 or more, but with Amazon prime, it’s free 2nd day shipping on many of these. Remember, if you’re a student, prime is free!
Items that have red prices cost over $20. Items that are green are 20 bucks or less. Click the images to go directly to Amazon or the site selling the item. All prices are subject to change at the unreadable whim of Amazon.com. PLEASE NOTE: I don’t control the pricing at Amazon, as much as I wish I did. These prices change constantly! They may be off by a dollar or two, or you may get really lucky and they may be $5-10 less.
If you have any suggestions you’d like to see on the list, feel free to let me know!
Now, in no particular order, a whole bunch of games and table top gifts costing mostly under $20.
Help Me! – $10.00
This is a wonderful, quick little filler that plays in 5-10 minutes and costs $5-10. Totally worth it! The spirits of nature are in danger! Can you help? By making use of your bluffing and tactical skills, carefully move the game tile while trying to determine the identity of your opponents creatures. My review!
Patchwork – $22.00
I love this 2 player game! In fact, you can ready my review right here! Patchwork is a form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design. In the past, it was a way to make use of leftover pieces of cloth to create clothing and quilts. Today, patchwork is a form of art, in which the designers use precious fabrics to create beautiful textiles. The use of uneven pieces of fabric in particular can result in real masterpieces and is therefore being practiced by a large number of textile artists. To create a beautiful quilt, however, requires effort and time, but the available patches just do not want to fit together. So choose your patches carefully and keep a healthy supply of buttons to not only finish your quilt, but to make it better and more beautiful than your opponent‘s.
Rhino Hero – $14.00
This one shot to the top of my list of amazingly fun games to play. The only game in my collection where card-bending is not only encouraged, but required. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Super Rhino! No building too high, no street too dangerous for this caped crusader, as he scales buildings and patrols the city protecting the citizens. On his quest for safety, he must use caution as even the most solid buildings may start to sway and wobble. Can you help Super Rhino accomplish the challenge to build a skyscraper as tall and solid as can be? A heroic 3D-stacking game for 2-5 players ages 5+ and amazingly fun for adults.
Dingo’s Dreams – $19.00
Another wonderfully illustrated game from Red Raven and designed by master designer Alf Seegert. Dingo and his friends have gotten lost on Walkabout! Visit their dreams to lead them home. Includes simplified rules for younger children, and tougher challenges for experienced players. Plays in 15 minutes for 2 to 4 players. Be the first to guide your animal from the Dreamworld by sliding tiles in your own grid to match the goal.
Flip City – $15.00
Another good game from TMG, Flip City is a tiny little deck builder with everything you’ll need to play in the box – no extras, expansions or must-have add ons. The citizens of Flip City want you to expand and renovate their neighborhoods — but if you ask for too much in taxes all at once, they won’t be happy! To keep them at ease, you will play cards from the top of your deck (no hand!), push your luck, build your deck, and upgrade cards by flipping them.
Wok on Fire – $14.00
Here’s a great little game that uses set collection and a splash of spicy dexterity. Another one I’ve reviewed and highly recommend. Are you ready to cook a pot of delicious food? we all get to take a turn being chef in wok on fire! you can eat meat, fruits and vegetables in bulk, or make small delicious dishes of rice and noodles. Whatever you do, pick the best combinations of food to get a high score! Here’s my review of this one.
Mystery Rummy – Jack the Ripper – $20.00
Will you succeed where Scotland Yard failed? The case of Jack the Ripper is re-opened in this innovative card game that combines the elements of an exciting mystery with the strategies of traditional rummy. Each suspect, victim and murder scene is depicted with historical accuracy in this challenging game of intrigue and suspense.
Codenames – $17.00
This game was all the buzz during convention season this year. It was available in limited quantities until, well, now. Codenames is a social word game with a simple premise and challenging game play. Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their codenames. The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first.
The Grizzled – $18.00
Through what tragedies can friendship endure? The Grizzled is a fast paced, fully cooperative card game that takes place in the trenches of World War I. Already a best seller in Europe, The Grizzled is an elegant game of avoiding threats and leading a team, and is regarded as one of the finest cooperative games ever made. Featuring beautiful art by French artist Tignous. The Grizzled’ s outstanding art is the perfect complement to its message of peaches and enduring friendship.
Castles of Burgundy – The Card Game – $12.00
Despite my appalling inability to spell Burgundy, I love the original game. Here’s the card version! The hundred years’ War is over and the Renaissance is looming. Conditions are perfect for the princes of the Loire Valley to propel their estates to prosperity and prominence. Through strategic trading and building, clever planning, and careful thought, players add settlements and castles, practice trade along the river, exploit silver mines, farm Livestock and more in this top-selling game by Stefan Feld.
Star Wars Lego – $20.00
Believe it or not there are a ton of Star Wars Lego sets that are $20 or less. I’ve sorted out a group of them that are $25 or less – just filter this by price and you’ll have all the Star Wars Legos you could want for under $20.
Lost Cities – $20.00
Take two players, give them risky choices and watch them go! Who will discover the ancient civilizations? Two explorers embark on research journeys to remote corners of the world: the Himalayan mountains, the Central American rainforest, the Egyptian desert, a mysterious volcano, and the bottom of the sea. As the cards are played, the expedition routes take shape and the explorers earn points. The most daring adventurers make bets on the success of their expeditions.
Swamped – $14.00
You’re lost in a deadly swamp with unreliable companions. Can you navigate the mission to success and claim personal victory or will the crocodile catch you first? Swamped is a huge adventure in a small box for 2-4 players. Disclaimer – this is my game! I’m terribly proud of it too. It’s a semi-co-op number where players share control of a boat while searching for treasure and trying to avoid death by crocodile!
7 Wonders Duel – $24.00
If you know someone or are someone who really loves 7 Wonders but would love a non-kludged together way to play it with only 2 people, well boy are you going to like this. 7 Wonders Duel takes the game play and excitement of the original and adapts it for one-on-one battles. Take control of your civilization and decide to invest in science, military or prestige. Two new ways to win will keep you on your toes and watching every move your opponent makes. If you fail to build defenses your capital city may be destroyed, but ignore technology and your people may be left in the dark ages.
Pairs – $9.00
Pairs is a super quick, extremely easy to teach press your luck card game. There’s only one loser each round and it can be played once in 5 minutes or for a good, solid hour while you and your opponents hurl insults at each other and twirl any mustaches you may have between you. Not that I’ve ever done that.
Welcome to the Dungeon – $12.00
Here’s a title that’s on my wishlist this year. Welcome to the Dungeon is a micro dungeon crawler by Masato Uesugi and Paul Mafayon for 2 to 4 players with push-your-luck elements and disappearing equipment. Dare your opponents to tackle the dungeon with less-and-less equipment to fend off the increasing horde of monsters. This push-your-luck dungeon delve tests your courage and shrewd choices. Beat the dungeon twice or be the last warrior standing to win the game.
Bat Man Love Letter – $9.00
If you look further down this list, you’ll see the original AEG version of Love Letter. Why include two versions? Because Bat Man! This game plays very similar to other Love Letters with the exception of the Bat Man offering extra points if he pinpoints a villain in an opponent’s hand. It’s a cheap price for a game this full, even with only 16 cards and a bunch of bat signal tokens.
6 Nimmit – $12.00
You start with 10 cards, ranked between 1 and 104. Each round, you must add a card to one of 4 active rows. If you play the 6th card in a row, you must take the first 5 cards in that row. This is not a good thing! You get penalty points for each bull head on these cards. The player with the least bull heads wins.
Artifacts Inc. – $19.00
A game from Red Raven Games, where Ryan Laukat designs and illustrates everything. I’ve another of his games further down below and it’s my game of the year. Players roll dice, which represent their troop of adventurers and place them on cards in order to find artifacts, sell them to museums and purchase new cards representing their company assets. Players can choose to focus on making lots of money by selling artifacts, having museum majorities, creating the best combination of expeditions and buildings, or searching below the waves for lost cities and hidden treasures. The first player to reach 20 reputation triggers the end of the game and the player with the most total reputation wins.
Guilds of Cadwallon – $17.00
A tiny little miniatures game! In the Free City of Cadwallon, a constant shadowy struggle for power simmers just below the surface of the seemingly peaceful city. Mighty guilds constantly vie for power, influence, and control. Using your influence and instincts, can you turn the never ending struggle for power between the guilds to your advantage?
Happy Salmon – $13.50
Happy salmon is the simple, fast-paced card game packed to the gills with high-flying’, fin-flappin’ fun. Actions including the classic “high 5”, the unifying “pound it”, the frantic “Switcheroo”, and the delightful “happy salmon” will leave players doubled over in laughter. With so many mini-celebrations built into the play, it’s the happiest game ever! how to play 1. Everyone calls out the action shown on their top card. 2. When two players have a match, they celebrate performing that action together, then discard their top card. 3. The first player to match all of the cards in their deck wins!.
Shinobi Clans – $17.00
As a ruthless and cunning shinobi clan master, you lead your team of ninjas on secret missions that decide between life and death for dangerous ronin, noble daimyos and powerful shoguns. Recruit the most skilled assassins, arm them with the deadliest weapons, and devise plans that will outwit your rivals on your way to becoming the most feared and prosperous ninja clan of them all!
Machi Koro – $18.50
Here’s one I’ve not yet played but have heard great things about. Welcome to the city of Machi Koro, the Japanese card game that is sweeping the world. You’ve just been elected Mayor. Congrats! Unfortunately the citizens have some pretty big demands: jobs, a theme park, a couple of cheese factories and maybe even a radio tower. A tough proposition since the city currently consists of a wheat field, a bakery and a single die. Armed only with your trusty die and a dream, you must grow Machi Koro into the largest city in the region. I’ve also heard that the Harbor expansion changes it from a decent game to an excellent game.
Fairy Tale – $16.99
If you like drafting games here’s another title you’ll be interested in. With game play lasting 15-20 minutes and a variant designed by Richard Garfield thrown in it makes for a good, light game.
Cthulhu Realms – $16.00
Cthulhu themed deck building! In Cthulhu Realms, each player tries to reduce their opponents to insanity or have more sanity than their opponents when the deck runs out. Each player starts the game with a small deck comprised of initiates, goons and followers. Five cards from the deck form a row of available cards on the table; with more than two players, place three available cards between each pair of players.
Empire Engine – $6.00
This little game has been on my shelf for a while now and I’m itching to get it to the table. During the game, players simultaneously choose actions to attack, defend, salvage, export, or collect resources (goods for export, soldiers to attack your opponents and inventions to score points). Players use their gears to rotate their engines, and in each round perform the actions on the top edges of their engines. The player who scores the most points for the goods, soldiers and inventions in their score pile at the end of the game is the winner!
Valley of the Kings – $16.00
I’ve not played this one yet but it’s another game on my personal wish list. A lot of people have been commenting on how well it works both mechanically and thematically! Also, while the price ranges from $18-$22, keep an eye on it. You should be able to get it for $20 or less. In Valley of the Kings, 2-4 players are Egyptian nobles at the time of the pharaohs, preparing for their death and burial in the Valley of the Kings. In the Egyptian religion, when you die you can take it with you! Egyptians therefore stocked their tombs with food, shabti (statuettes of servants who will work for them in the afterlife), canopic jars (to preserve their organs), statues of the gods, household items, and amulets.
Good Cop Bad Cop – $14.00
A deduction and bluffing game for 4-8 players which plays quick and is suitable for your larger groups. Corruption has infiltrated your agency. The Kingpin must be taken down before the crooked cops take out the Agent. You wont be able to do it alone but theres no knowing whos honest and whos crooked. Do some investigating to discover whos who but act fast; there arent enough guns for everyone This version is a second printing that puts the game in a traditional telescoping box
The Builders – Medieval Age – $17.00
Recruit workers and create buildings to prove that you are the greatest builder. You’ll have to start small, with cottages and stables, but you’ll be building your name as you build your masterpieces and before long, you’ll complete the cathedral! Hire worker cards, pay them to build your buildings and balance your income with your expenses. You can’t do everything on your turn – but you’ll want to! From wells and shacks to castles and churches, use your resources to create structures that will stand the test of time.
Qwixx – $9.00
Qwixx is simple to play but each decision is crucial – the more numbers you cross off, the more points you score. With no downtime between turns you’ll have a chance to gain from each and every roll.
Cube Quest – $22.00
If you’re looking for a fun, dice flicking, army building dexterity game, here you go! Mobilize your fingers for the ultimate six-sided skirmish. Field an army of cubes and then place them strategically on the board. Each cube has special powers: Heroes and Skulks are strong on the attack, while Guards are better for defense. Once your cubes are in position, sound the trumpets and let the flicking begin. Try to knock your opponent’s king off the board, aiming carefully not to get caught behind enemy lines. Triumph in your quest and crown yourself the Cube King.
Just Desserts – $14.00
A new game from Looney Labs, this happens to by my 10 year old’s pick for game of the year. It’s also interesting enough that I’m not sick of playing it. It’s a relatively simple card game of set collection where you as a dessert provider, must match your ingredients to your customers to create desserts that they’ll love. Once you have a match, you collect your customers – looking to collect three of a single suit or five of the available suits of customers. You can read my full review here.
Times Up – Title Recall – $17.00
Times Up was a decent party game staple and now it’s been revamped! Guess titles of famous books, songs, movies, TV shows and lots more. New for this edition are expanded rules to allow an odd number of players (3, 5, or 7). Even more exciting is the addition of an all new 4th round, the Freeze Challenge.
Qwirkle Cubes – $18.00
The follow-up to one of the most awarded games of all time has finally arrived! Qwirkle Cubes plays very much like Qwirkle. However, you have more control over your hand because you can roll and re-roll your dice to get the shapes you want! Also, because everyone plays open-handed, you can better judge your opponent’s future moves. Simply create rows and columns of matching colors or shapes to score the most points. And, as always, no reading is required, making this truly a game the entire family can play! Includes 90 wood tiles and a drawstring bag to hold the tiles. 2 to 4 players. Ages 6 and up.
Ninja Dice – $14.00
If you know me at all, you know my abiding love for Ninjas. That’s where Ninja Dice comes in! I saw the folks who publish this demoing it at Total Confusion and it looked like a great time. Ninja Dice is a fast-paced, push-your-luck dice game with a unique mechanic: it’s not just what you roll, where the dice land is important!
Dead Man’s Draw – $18.00
Based off of a popular app, Dead Man’s Draw is a push your luck card game. It comes with a number of colorful characters as well, which I personally suggest you set aside and never, ever use. The rest of the game however makes for a spectacular filler game, lasting 10-20 minutes and playing up to 4 players.
Start Player – $7.75
By our detailed calculations, more than 2.5 million additional games could be played each year if you took less time picking a start player. Start Player solves this problem: Just turn over a card and you’ll know who the start player is. Maybe it’s as simple as the tallest player, or the player with the most unbuttoned buttons. It’s the most comprehensive system ever devised for choosing who starts a game.
Harbour – $19.99
Harbour did quite well on Kickstarter and now it’s in stock everywhere! Harbour is a worker placement game where players move their worker from building to building, collecting and trading Fish, Livestock, Wood, and Stone; and cashing those resources in to purchase buildings (which are the worker placement spots) from the central pool. Once a building is purchased, it is replaced from the deck, and the central pool is a small subset of the deck, and is therefore different every game.
Cockroach Poker – $13.00
A super easy, quite fun bluffing game! It makes for a great family game but also works very well as a filler or pub-style game too. Easy to learn, fun to play, inexpensive and attractive looking. What more could you ask for?
Star Wars Risk – $24.00
Yes, here I am recommending a Risk game. Star Wars Risk is a modern, slightly less hectic redo of the much sought after game The Queen’s Gambit. From everything I’ve heard, it’s a fantastic little game with a ton of plastic minis for under $25. It’s actually quite a good game – here’s my review!
Epic – $14.00
From the folks who brought you Star Realms comes EPIC – another fast and furious deck smashing game. They’ve got a bunch of different ways to play, from each player grabs 30 cards and you go! To full on deck construction, sealed/open draft and what have you. A very fun game.
Coloretto – $12.00
If Zooloretto looks interesting to you but you’d like it in a smaller package, Coloretto may be your jam. The players draw cards from a card supply in the middle of the table. During the game, the players try to specialize in a few colors, as at the end of the game, a player can score plus points for only 3 colors; the rest score minus points. The more cards a player has of a color, the more points he scores. The player with the most points wins.
Biblios – $20.00
Never before has working in medieval conditions copying books been so fun! As an abbot of a medieval monastery, you compete with other abbots to amass the greatest library of sacred books. To do so, you need to have both the workers and resources to run a well-functioning scriptorium. To acquire workers and resources, you use a limited supply of donated gold. In addition, you must be on good terms with the powerful bishop, who can help you in your quest.
Kahuna – $20.00
Who will rule the South Seas? Two Kahuna – ancient sorcerers of the Pacific – compete for dominance on an archipelago consisting of twelve small islands. Using their magic and wisdom, they struggle for control of the islands. They anxiously await the cards handed to them by fate. But when the time is right, they move to capture one, two, or even more islands, trying to gain the upper hand. At the mercy of the magical powers of the South Seas, they quickly realize that even the best magic is no good without strategy.
Fidelitas – $18.00
Here’s a neat set collection game of medieval interest. It’s surprisingly deep for a little card game and really captured my wife’s interest – we’ve played a bunch of 2-3 player games and thoroughly enjoy it. In Fidelitas, players take on the role of faithful citizens in a medieval city who are exerting influence in order to gain the credibility needed to lead the charge against the corrupt crown. Players play character cards to various locations that make up the city in order to meet conditions of hidden objectives. Each type of character card is associated with a unique action that manipulates cards in the game
Carcassonne – $24.00
A classic of the new hobby games, Carcassonne is now out in a new edition. What can I say? It’s a great game and probably just about the most ‘game’ you’ll get in a $23 package. Time tested and it continues to sell. The southern French city of Carcassonne is famous for its unique roman and medieval fortifications. The players develop the area around Carcassonne and deploy their followers on the roads, in the cities, in the cloisters, and in the fields. The skill of the players to develop the area will determine who is victorious.
Eminent Domain Microcosm – $10.00
A wonderful take on the larger Eminent Domain – this two player game of tiny galactic domination plays very fast. Do yourself a favor though, grab the updated copy of the rules (as a PDF) from Board Game Geek, which will make your first game a heck of a lot easier.
Star Wars Loopin’ Chewie – $15.99
Sneaking in at just under $20 is this re-theme of the classic kids (and in some places, adult drinking) game Loopin’ Louie. Loopin’ Chewie is a fast, dexterity game. Every time he flies by in his Millennium Falcon vehicle, he’ll be out to knock another Stormtrooper off. But if you can flip him out of the way with your paddle, he’ll go after someone else’s Stormtrooper! Be ready, though, because he’s got some super-dodgy moves!
Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Plainswalkers – $20.00-$25.99
Or… Heroscape reborn. Lots of folks go trawling eBay and thrift stores looking for the now out of print Heroquest game system. Arena of the Plainswalker’s is Hasboro/WotC answer to this by revamping and re-releasing the system based on their Magic: The Gathering IP. It comes with a bunch of decent plastic minis, a bit of minimal 3D terrain and a large game board. There’s quite a lot of game packed into this box for the price. The price has also be fluxuating wildly but I’ll bet you can get it for under $25 if you keep your eyes open.
Exploding Kittens – $20.00
Just about the highest grossing Kickstarter game in the history of ever. It’s a simple card game featuring lots of cats, explosions and artwork from the Oatmeal. In this highly-strategic, kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette, players draw cards until someone draws an Exploding Kitten, at which point they explode, they are dead, and they are out of the game — unless that player has a Defuse card, which can defuse the Kitten using things like laser pointers, belly rubs, and catnip sandwiches. All of the other cards in the deck are used to move, mitigate, or avoid the Exploding Kittens. Also comes in a NSFW/Adult version.
Tiny Epic Galaxies – $23.00
It’s not a big box but there’s a ton of game there! Interesting (sometimes really tough) decisions and plays 1-4 – that’s right, solo games! Tiny Epic Galaxies is driven by an exciting dice-rolling mechanic that rewards thoughtful programming of the results. Players control a home planet and a series of space ships within their own personal galaxy. As players upgrade their galaxies they gain access to more ships and more dice.
Doodle Quest – $17.00
Arts and crafts meet games! Dive below the deep blue sea where there’s fish to gobble, treasure to discover and divers to save! You will complete each quest with the power of your pen, drawing your way through underwater scenes on the quest cards. But it’s not that easy! Players draw on separate transparent sheets and must trust their eyes in order to meet targets and avoid obstacles. This unique drawing game includes 36 illustrations and two levels to master. The bait of the challenge hooks kids for hours of fun!
Antidote – $19.00
Antidote takes all of the fun things about a game like the original Clue and boils it down to a fast, changing, fun deduction game without all the random stuff! In Antidote, you are a laboratory scientist working for a giant chemical research conglomerate. When you and your lab are suddenly exposed to a deadly toxin, you must work quickly to share your research and discover the Antidote before it’s too late!
Camel Up – $34.00
It’s a betting and racing game featuring stackable camels and a unique, dice rolling pyramid. In Camel Up, up to eight players bet on five racing camels, trying to suss out which will place first and second in a quick race around a pyramid. The earlier you place your bet, the more you can win – should you guess correctly, of course. This is one that my family really enjoys.
Tides of Time – $12.00
I’ll admit, I