One of my favorite gifts to give (and receive) are board games, because it’s a great way to interact with friends and family all while celebrating the things that we love. With that in mind, I’ve put together this extensive list of tons of awesome games and puzzles that would make excellent gifts during this holiday season. Here’s a look at some of the great puzzles and games I’ve come across this year (and few tried and true favorites as well).
Puzzles:
Silent Night, Deadly Night Puzzle
Punish! Messed Up Puzzles presents the first ever jigsaw puzzle that knows when you’ve been naughty. 1000 "sleazy, miserable, insulting, disgusting, worthless, exploitive" (Roxanne T. Mueller, Cleveland Plain Dealer) pieces antler-gored from the original iconic design by Burt Kleeger, complete with vintage folds from before poster tubes existed.
MANIAC isn’t just a much-demanded puzzle garroted from the original controversial theatrical poster…It’s also a Willy Wonka-style hunt for a one-of-a-kind collectible. Out of this limited run of 500 puzzles, 1 in 25 will reveal William Lustig’s signature somewhere between the blood and the bulge, only to be revealed once the puzzle has been assembled. Everyone else still gets a jigsaw puzzle with serious mommy issues, cut from 1000 pieces that need to be locked in the closet.
A jigsaw puzzle that will gouge your eyes out. The dreaded gateways to Hell are concealed in these 1000 cursed pieces. A couple of nights struggling with this one will make you feel paralyzed, watching flesh-eating tarantulas come to rip out your tongue.
Tales From The Crypt: Werewolf Premium Puzzle (1000-pc) - Piece together this challenging 1000-piece collector's puzzle featuring one of the most iconic horror comic covers ever, Tales From The Crypt #46 by Jack Davis with all new colors by Jay Fotos. Made in the USA from 100% recycled materials, IDW Games puzzles are built to last and suitable for framing.
Man truly is the warmest place to hide, as depicted in Justin Erickson's incredibly visceral rendering of an alien imitator revealing its true form. The host left screaming in terror, down to his bones.
IT Chapter Two Pennywise Puzzle
If puzzle pieces could float, they'd be a little difficult to put together. Inspired by IT Chapter Two, there is a Pennywise with "Time to float" text design. If you look closely at the Dancing Clown, you might see his name written in his hair and hands on his collar.
IT Chapter Two Pennywise Come Back and Play Puzzle
He's been waiting 27 years for you to come back and play. The least you could do is put together a puzzle with him, don't ya think? Inspired by IT Chapter Two, this puzzle features the face of Pennywise made up of a collage of different elements from the film like balloons, hands and tentacles.
In this 550-piece artist series puzzle, the boys defend New York City against Stay Puft. Original artwork was produced for the 30th Anniversary Ghostbusters Art Show.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Spiral Hill Puzzle
What's better than a chilly night in where you can get cozy, watch spooky movies and put together a puzzle? Putting together a puzzle from The Nightmare Before Christmas! Features a poster-inspired design of Jack & Sally on top of Spiral Hill. Packaged in a coffin-shaped box.
Are you #9,998,383,750,000 in line in the Netherworld waiting room? To help kill some time, how about a puzzle?! This puzzle features a silhouette of Beetlejuice, a sandworm and "Beetlejuice" text design 3 times.
1000-piece premium puzzle celebrating the 1986 Famicom / Nintendo Entertainment System classic!
Captain Marvel 1000-Piece Puzzle
Find the strength within to piece together this fierce and fun 1000-piece puzzle of Marvel's most powerful hero, Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel with artwork by Glen Brogan.
Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock 1000-Piece Puzzle
You’ll need to keep your Spidey-Sense sharp as you web together this 1000-piece premium puzzle featuring your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and the sinister Doc Ock. Spectacular art by Mike Sutfin was originally featured on a 23.5"x 36" Screenprinted Poster at MondoCon 1.
General Games:
Horrified: Universal Monsters Strategy Board Game
Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, and other iconic horror film monsters descend upon your village to wreak havoc, hunt heroes, and terrorize villagers in this cooperative board game. Work together to defeat the monsters before the town is destroyed for good!
Mixtape Massacre is a tabletop board game where up to 6 players play as slasher archetypes and compete in a fictional 1986 killing spree to be remembered. With tons of jokes and references to 1980’s pop-culture and horror tropes – Mixtape Massacre will have you laughing while you’re slashing!
Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One
Unmatched is a miniatures dueling game featuring fighters of all kinds – from the page to the screen to the stuff of legends. Each hero has a unique deck of cards that fits their fighting style. You can mix and match fighters from any Unmatched set. But remember, in the end, there can only be one winner.
Battle of Legends, Volume One features four heroes. King Arthur sacrifices cards to power up his attacks and gets some timely assistance from Merlin's magic. Alice is back from Wonderland with a giant vorpal blade and the Jabberwock by her side as she grows and shrinks to gain advantages on attack and defense. Medusa is happy to attack from range and let her harpies hound you, but just one devastating glance could end the battle quickly. Sinbad grows in power as he gains experience on each of his voyages.
Unmatched: Robin Hood vs. Bigfoot
Unmatched is a miniatures dueling game featuring fighters of all kinds – from the page to the screen to the stuff of legends. Each hero has a unique deck of cards that fits their fighting style. You can mix and match fighters from any Unmatched set. But remember, in the end, there can only be one winner.
Robin Hood vs. Bigfoot features the titular heroes. Robin Hood and his outlaws excel at ranged attacks and robbing from their opponents. Bigfoot and his pal, the Jackalope, crash through the forest for quick attacks before disappearing like a figment of the mind.
Experience jaws as a suspenseful tabletop strategy game! One player menaces the Island of Amity as the three-button great white while the other players go on the hunt as Brody, Hooper, and quint. Two thrilling phrases of gameplay capture the edge-of-your-seat excitement of the classic movie.
The classic game of Jenga with an inter-dimensional twist! With JENGA: Rick And Morty stack three different sections of Rick’s ship battery according to block directives to get it off the ground without toppling the tower.
Werewolf: A Party Game for Devious People
Werewolf is a party game of lies, deceit & accusations. Are you devious enough?
Destroy the humans! Take their cities! Conquer Earth! In Mars Attacks -- The Dice Game, lead your team of Martian invaders to conquer Earth. Destroy cities, get your picture taken in front of famous monuments, and be the Martian with the most Earthling kills! But watch out, because the Earthlings might nuke you . . . Mars Attacks -- The Dice Game is a fast-playing, tactical dice game based on the Mars Attacks trading cards by Topps.
This is the game of dark fun, where players who are dead right win! Many people die in utterly ridiculous ways, and Stupid Deaths challenges players to identify myth versus fact. In this hilarious party game, players work to beat the Grim Reaper before the Grim Reaper beats them.
In this horror trivia game, gather weapons as you correctly answer horror trivia cards. You'll want three weapons to win! You'll get your fill of scary, creepy, and spooky questions with this game.
Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or your family ever seen a spook, specter, or ghost? If the answer is "yes," then don't wait another minute. Pick up the phone and call the professionals. Ghostbusters: The Board Game is an episodic adventure game for one to four players, who are charged with busting ghosts and sealing gates to the Spirit World. The game is customizable, cooperative, and highly replay able. It features unique illustrations and figures based on original artwork and designs by Dan Schoening, the artist of IDW's Ghostbusters comic book series. Each Ghostbuster has a distinct role and unlocks unique abilities by gaining experience. The game offers modes for different levels of players, making it accessible to beginners and challenging to experts. Now is your chance to save the world!
Ghostbusters II: The Board Game
Building on its highly-regarded predecessor, this massive stand-alone expansion has 1-4 players taking on the roles of the Ghostbusters as they investigate the Mood Slime that has flooded the city, causing earthquakes and riots in an attempt to bring Vigo and his minions back. Inspired by the Ghostbusters movies, comics, and toylines, the Campaigns have you taking on the Scoleri brothers, riding the Statue of Liberty, and battling through Vigo’s Ghost army. The numerous new Ghosts, enemy types, and Bosses will make busting an exhilarating challenge! There are many exciting new gameplay elements that add loads of complexity and fun. Equipment Cards offer an array powerful of Weapons, devious Traps, magical Tomes, and helpful Utilities that you’ll need to use to win. As you level up your Ghostbusters, the updated Character Cards will show you what you’ve unlocked, including abilities, Class-S Equipment, and use of the Ecto-1a’s Ecto-Tank. The Ecto-Tank is a fresh piece of technology installed in the Ghostbusters’ favorite ride that recycles negative Mood Slime into rule-bending bonuses!
The game features highly-detailed figures based on original designs by Dan Schoening and an original story by Erik Burnham, both veterans of IDW’s Ghostbusters comic book series. Each Ghostbuster has two figures that you can switch between during gameplay—a Proton Pack version and Slime Blower Pack version—depending on the supernatural adversaries you’re trying to trap. All these new features add up to an exciting adventure across three Campaigns, totaling 12 scenarios! Each play through of GHOSTBUSTERS: THE BOARD GAME II is absolutely unique: The Equipment you recover, Events you tackle, and tactics you learn are never the same twice! This is a standalone product. The original Ghostbusters: The Board Game is not required to play.
Ghostbusters II Louis Tully Plazm Phenomenon Expansion Pack
Play as Louis Tully (ear muffs and all) in this campaign containing 4 scenarios, 4 new map tiles, 9 new minis, and more tokens! this campaign culminates in a battle against the dreaded giga-plazma, which has taken the Manhattan museum of art from its foundation. Louis' mastery in accounting allows him to use equipment earlier than other Ghostbusters, and his eye for savings makes ecto-tank abilities even easier! if you're tired of running, you can hop onto one of the new spectral carriage vehicle tokens included in this pack for a wild ride, but watch out for the Titanic passenger ghosts looking for a new trip!
Ghostbusters II Slimer Sea Fright Expansion Pack
For the first time ever, play as Slimmer as he fights against Captain Jack Higgins and his skeleton crew in this campaign containing 4 scenarios, 4 new map tiles, 9 new minis, and more tokens! Slimmer is the first playable Ghost character in Ghostbusters: The Board Game II and has new interesting skill sets that come from his vaporous state of being. Slimmer gets abilities that allow him to move in ways no other Ghostbuster can. He's handy with a Slime Blower or Proton Pack, and utilizes collected Plazm in a unique way that powers some otherworldly abilities! Pilot The Stag, Captain Jack Higgin's resurfaced ghost ship to cross the map. Trick shots and sneak attacks are a pirate's specialty, and with the Gold Doubloon token, you can make shots with your weapon that weren't possible before.
Ghostbusters: Blackout is a fully cooperative board game for 1-4 players. In it, players roll dice and allocate them to move around the city, capture ghosts, and buy upgrades for their ghost-busting Tech, all while trying to keep the city From collapsing from the ensuing chaos! Upgrade thematic gear and cooperatively capture chaotic ghosts.
The Game of Life: Haunted Mansion
The game board centers on extending the stories of the four stretch paintings found within the Haunted Mansion. Elements from inside and outside the Mansions tucked with in the game board. Can you find the musical instruments? "Tomb Sweet Tomb?" Transformation paintings? Tombstones? Busts from the library, the pet cemetery, the ghosts and ghouls, the five roses? The buildings include the Haunted Mansion from Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Paris (aka Phantom Manor), a crypt, a carriage house, the Grounds Keepers shack, and a BOO-niversity. The buildings and spinner are glow-in-the-dark. The spinner is inspired by Madam Leota's table, complete with tarot cards on the table, a melted candle on the spinner and a raven who watches your every move. The bridges hold a few surprises of their own...
King of Tokyo is a game for 2 to 6 players where you play as mutant monsters, rampaging robots, or even abominable aliens battling in a fun, chaotic atmosphere. Roll the dice and choose your strategy: Will you attack your enemies? Heal your wounds? Improve your Monster? Stomp your path to victory!
King of Tokyo: Halloween Expansion
Meet Pumpkin Jack and Boogey Woogey! These scary new monsters come with their own sets of Evolution cards.
Disney Villainous: Evil Comes Prepared
In this asymmetric style of game play, each Disney Villain has their own objectives and goals. Once you've figured out the best way to play as one Disney Villain, try to solve another! You have 3 different Disney Villains to choose from — Scar, Ratigan, and Yzma. The Fate Decks also feature your favorite protagonists like Mufasa, Simba, Pumbaa, Basil, Dr. Dawson, Olivia, Kuzco, Pacha, Kronk and more!
Rick and Morty Anatomy Park: The Game
Welcome to Anatomy Park! Based on the popular episode of Rick and Morty, this hilarious, competitive tile-placing strategy game takes place within the body of Ruben, the homeless department store Santa! In Rick and Morty: Anatomy Park —the game, you and your fellow players will be designing the park, vying for the best spots, and shifting internal organs around to suit your needs. Unfortunately, Ruben is not the most stable host out there, so time (and Ruben) may expire before you know it!
It is November in the Year of Our Lord 1846. Six months ago we packed up our wagons with the beatific hope of reaching California. But all hope is waning, for winter has closed its icy fist around us. If you’re a Pioneer, hunt for food to survive and eliminate the Cannibals from the party. If you’re a Cannibal, eat the Pioneers one by one until they no longer outnumber you. Then rise up and eat the rest.
Hunt down the witches before you become one of them! Will you be the hero who purges your town of witches, or will you be wrongly accused and hanged for witchcraft? Or perhaps you will become a witch yourself, escape conviction, and bring Salem to the ground in hysteria.
Slash Cards is a horror movie trivia game for 1-6 players. It consists of two card decks: The Trivia Deck, and The Categories Deck. The Trivia Deck contains 1,375 questions that span the entire history of horror cinema. The Categories Deck is used to play Slash Cards' two game modes: The Slasher and The Survivor. In The Slasher, players take turns drawing Category Cards and answering questions. The first player to collect a card from each of the game's five categories wins, but watch out! If you draw a Slash Card you forfeit all your cards and start over. In The Survivor, each player begins with a full suite of Category Cards. Each time a player answers a question incorrectly they lose one of their cards. The last player with at least one card in their hand is the winner. The trivia cards cover everything from the silent era all the way up to 2015, including questions about classics like The Exorcist and Halloween, lesser-known movies like Motel Hell and Session 9, and foreign horror films like Eyes Without A Face and REC. Horror fans of all levels will love Slash Cards.
Golf? Dead? Say no more, you'll love this wild game.
Pop Culture Editions of Trivial Pursuit:
Trivial Pursuit: Horror Movie Edition
Perfect for thrill-seekers and know-it-alls alike, TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Horror Movie Edition is a must-have for any game collection. Just when you thought it was safe, both specific details and multiple choices await to attack based on films such as Jaws, The Exorcist, The Hills Have Eyes, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Whether your best bet is on a variety of slashers, bloodbaths, or mutants, test your wits on the titles that keep you up at night with TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Horror Movie Edition!
Trivial Pursuit Stranger Things Edition: Back to the ’80s
How well do you know the 80s? Head back to a great decade in history and challenge friends with questions about the wild, wacky 1980s and all things Stranger Things! This edition of Trivial Pursuit features 1, 500 trivia questions from six categories: Films; TV; Music; Famous People and Events; Trends, Tech and Fun; and Stranger Things.
Trivial Pursuit: Star Wars: The Black Edition
This Star Wars the Black Series edition of the Trivial Pursuit game gives players a chance to imagine that they are Jedi Masters of trivia! In this edition, players can recall favorite movie moments from the entire Star Wars saga including Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The game includes 1,800 questions in 6 Star Wars themed categories: The Cantina, The Force, Heroes, Villains and Scoundrels, The Saga, A Galaxy Far, Far Away, and Hyperspace. Players choose their allegiance and move around the board with a Jedi, Rebel Alliance, First Order, or Galactic Empire sculpted mover. The first player to collect all 6 wedges and answer the final question correctly wins.
Trivial Pursuit: Rick and Morty Edition
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Rick And Morty allows fans of the hit television series to test their knowledge from 600 questions relating to Frienemies, Technology & Science, Locations, Rick and the Family, History & Events and a Wubalubadubdub Wild Card category. Categories include: Frienemies, Technology & Science, Locations, Rick and the Family, History & Events, Wubalubadubdub.
Trivial Pursuit: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas TRIVIAL PURSUIT & is the first and only game where fans can test their knowledge of this cult classic with 420 trivia questions about the music, iconic movie characters, the Pumpkin King himself & and much more!
Pop Culture Editions of CLUE:
Dive into the idyllic town of Riverdale in CLUE: Riverdale where you must discover WHO killed Jason Blossom, WHAT weapon they used, and WHERE they killed him among the town’s most iconic locations.
In CLUE: IT, players take on the role of the kids from it to determine who Pennywise will abduct, what object he will use to lure them, and where he will take them from. Players will move around the game board representing locations in and around the town of Derry, Maine.
CLUE: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Mickey and friends star in Clue® The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror® Disney Theme Park Edition Game a new take on the board game classic. The setting 1939 Hollywood in the historic Hollywood Tower Hotel. When a violent storm knocks out the power its up to you to follow the clues and discover which movie star is missing what prop they have and where they were.
Hey Morty! The plans to Rick’s portal gun have been stolen! It’s up to Rick, Morty, Summer, Jerry, Beth and Mr. Poopybutthole to get them back in CLUE: Rick And Morty. Find out WHO stole the plans, WHERE they are hiding, and WHAT item they used to succeed in the heist. It’s an inter-dimensional mystery!
Watchful eyes at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria must have been distracted from patrolling at the subtly sadistic family restaurant, as occurrences already known to be quite unusual have taken an even more perplexing turn and an unsuspecting security guard has been murdered.
As if the animatronic performances inside this pizza joint weren’t bewildering enough, it’s now up to you to collect the details on who killed the guard, what they used to commit the crime, and where they stashed the body. Promptly get to the bottom of it all in Clue: Five Nights at Freddy’s.
One of your favorite Supernatural characters has been possessed & is committing terrible deeds! Now is the time for you to become the hunter and attempt to discover - WHO is possessed WHAT mystical object was used to open the demon portal, and WHERE the portal was opened! Was it Sam with the Revolver in the Rocky Mountains? Or was it Dean on the West Coast with the Winchester Journal?
The mystery game players love to solve again and again now has a Star Wars twist! In this Star Wars edition of the popular "who done it" Clue game, players move about the gameboard as one of their favorite Star Wars characters on an important a mission to foil Darth Vader's plans, and to save the Galaxy from destruction.
Gather the gang and solve the mystery in Clue: Scooby-Doo 50th Anniversary Edition! Monstrous abductions are happening at Mrs. White’s Haunted Mansion! It’s up to Scooby-Doo and the gang to discover who was abducted, where the abduction took place and WHAT Item the Monster left behind!
WHO has the power and skills to capture the Alien Queen? Work with your predator comrades to determine WHERE her hidden lair is and WHAT weapon must be used to win the fight. Is she hidden in the volcano? or the oasis? WHO can capture her? Will it be Spartan with a whip on the beach? Or Wolf with the Combi-stick in the jungle? CLUE: ALIEN VS PREDATOR will startle and surprise you as you solve the mystery of the Alien Queen.
Mina Murray was killed by someone close to her. You must find out who did it, what they used to kill her and where she was murdered!
Pop Culture Editions of Monopoly:
MONOPOLY: IT makes buying, selling, and trading places in and around Derry, Maine the key to winning this uncanny twist of the classic game. Using tokens of iconic items such as an Inhaler, Paper Boat, and Bicycle, players can draw Encounters and Phenomena cards as they build Suburban Houses and Apartment Buildings on locations like Pennywise’s Cistern and the Derry Sewers.
With MONOPOLY: Riverdale, your chance to live out dreams of buying, selling, and trading properties named after the seedy town’s most popular spots. It’s hard to believe anything you hear when you’re a student at Riverdale High. At first glance, it’s easy to mistake the epicenter of teenage drama for an everyday place of learning, where the Bulldogs are practicing, the Pussycats are rehearsing, and everyone seems to be minding their own business but things aren’t always what they seem. Meeting for milkshakes, taking silly selfies, and enjoying “the best years of your life” have become a thing of the past in Riverdale, and the game just changed again with MONOPOLY: Riverdale.
Monopoly: Stranger Things Collector’s Edition
In the Monopoly game: Stranger Things Collector's Edition, the upside down looms larger than ever before! Fans of the Netflix original series can enjoy an awesome unboxing experience with artwork inspired by the show. Players race between the tunnels under Hawkins to buy as many properties as they can. Instead of houses and hotels, this edition of the Monopoly board game features forts and hideouts – and the hideouts glow in the dark. Look out for the Upside down cards -- they can provide special powers and change a fortune! The last player with money when all other players have gone bankrupt wins.
Monopoly: Scooby-Doo! 50th Anniversary
Join Scooby-Doo and the gang as you buy, sell and trade monstrous locations from Scooby's world in MONOPOLY: Scooby-Doo! Bring your favorite memory of Scooby-Doo! to life with this custom Monopoly game. Includes collectable tokens and custom Monopoly money along with Community Chest & Chance cards renamed Ruh-Roh and Zoinks!
Monopoly: Rick and Morty Edition
Join Rick and Morty, and the rest of the Smith family, as you gallivant your way to victory by buying, selling and trading locations in MONOPOLY: Rick And Morty. Locations from the Multiverse include the Cromulon Dimension, Gazorpazorp and Planet Squanch (not to mention a few places from your own Earth realm). Featuring collectible tokens, Flooble Cranks, Gooble Boxes, custom Flurbo currency, and more!
Monopoly: Game of Thrones Edition
Game of Thrones meets the Fast-Dealing Property Trading Game in this Monopoly game for GOT fans. The game board, packaging, tokens, money, Chance cards, and game pieces are all inspired by the popular TV series from HBO. Move around the board buying as many Game of Thrones properties as you can. The more you own, the more rent you can collect from opponents. The last one with money when all other players have gone bankrupt, wins. The Game of Thrones Monopoly game makes a great gift for enthusiasts of the show.
Monopoly: Five Nights at Freddy’s Edition
Terrifying creations from the cult favorite horror game series are coming to life on the tabletop in Monopoly: Five Nights at Freddy’s, challenging courageous night guards to stay on their feet for the entire shift! Investigating noises may have you looking for exits as you buy, sell, and trade properties in this scary twist on the classic board game. Players will also encounter Vents instead of traditional railroads, as well as rely on randomized surprises behind the stacks of Mini-Games and Hallucinations. Invest in Diners and Pizzerias to collect custom 'Pizzeria Dollars', but avoid the taxes of Doors and Monitors, whose costs could cause even the most tightly hinged jaws to drop.
It's the Fast-Dealing Property Trading Game taken to a galaxy far, far away! Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Star Wars movie with this special edition of the Monopoly game. Players can relive the story of Star Wars: A New Hope as they travel around the board as they compete to own it all.
Pop Culture Editions of Yahtzee:
Battle Yahtzee: Alien vs. Predator
It's time to pick a side in Battle YAHTZEE ALIEN VS PREDATOR! Players assume the character of Predator, Alien, Marine or Scientist and attack their enemies with classic dice roll combinations like Full House and Large Straight. Featuring glow in the dark dice, Battle chance die, custom scoreboards, and special powers for each character. Battle YAHTZEE ALIEN VS PREDATOR is an epic battle for survival! Last player alive wins the game!
Yahtzee: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Play America’s all-time #1 dice game and celebrate 25 years of a cult classic with the Nightmare Before Christmas Yahtzee. Ready for you to shake it up are custom dice featuring frightful movie characters including the Mayor, Oogie Boogie, Sally and the Pumpkin King himself.
Yahtzee: Rick and Morty Meeseeks Edition
Let this eager-to-please Rick and Morty version of America's #1 Dice Game help you win or it'll get weird! YAHTZEE: Rick And Morty Meeseeks Edition includes a Mr. Meeseeks dice cup for you to shake, roll, and shout "Caaaan do!" Custom dice feature Rick, Morty, Jerry, Beth, Summer, and Rick's Portal.
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Be sure to check back here for more horror gift guide ideas in the coming days, and happy holidays to our readers from all of us at Daily Dead!