Updated on December 7th – added more games.
Looking for a great board game to stuff a Christmas stocking? Look no further than our list of the best small-form-factor board games.
The holiday season is just around the corner, with many people shopping and getting their Christmas gifts arranged now. When it comes to Christmas, you might be looking for something a bit smaller, something for stocking stuffers or as small gifts to give to your visiting friends and family. Board games come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from massive boxes to tiny decks of cards that can be used to play. Many, many board games can actually make a good small gift and fit well as something to bulk out your stocking, but there is always a matter of finding the best board game stocking stuffers for Christmas. We have compiled this list to help you do exactly that, so you can find the perfect small gift to give to any budding board game collector or to any person who is in need of a screen-free gift.
Swatch: The Abstract Game Of Art
“In Swatch, this row by row gameplay continues, with players trading in colors to get their palette cards until someone has completed one in each row. It’s a game that has a lot more thinking in it than the bright colors and funny names would have you assuming. I, at one point, actually laughed at the green I got, which was called “pspspspsps green” like the sound you make to cats. A lot of thought has been put into these cards, clearly, which shows through the game. At the end of the game, you also want to make sure you do not have extra paint tokens on your artist, or you might end up so messy that you lose points.”
Read our full review or purchase the game.
Popmaster Card Game
“We found that Popmaster Card Game has a good variety of questions and a lot of information that can be learned from it. For us, going left on the table was kind of slow and felt a bit lackluster. We ended up playing “speed rounds” where one person would read out the bottom, most challenging question, and then everyone could shout out the answer. If someone got it right, they got the card to keep as a point. If everyone got it wrong, the announcer would ask the next question and see if anyone knew that. This speed way of playing felt much more fun and full of energy! However, none of us were actually that good at this trivia so maybe if we were better at our knowledge it would have been more fun in the slower mode.”
Read our full review on Popmaster Card Game or purchase the game.
Happy City
“Happy City has gone directly into my children’s long term keep pile and we’ve already played it about forty times. This, alone, makes me feel that Happy City is well worth a look if you are buying for family gamers below ten years old. For players over that age, Happy City will increasingly fall into the “filler” or “travel game” categories, but it’s still good fun because it looks great, offers a clear challenge and never overstays its welcome.”
Read our full review or purchase the game.
Honk! The Board Game
“Simply put, if you’re a family of gamers that has one or more children anywhere between around five and eight years old, Honk! will definitely find a home in your collection. It’s well made, quick to teach and play, and it is very satisfying for children and pretty good for older players. Most of all, it’s a lot of fun, has great pacing and there are some moments of genuine excitement among the younger players when good things happen. Unless you come into this game expecting a much heavier game (which you shouldn’t) then there is very little to criticise here.”
Check out our full review or purchase the game.
Mind The Gap
“The game suggests itself as suitable for ages six and up, however with a little support my four-year-old nephew really enjoyed this, though of course, he didn’t make the best use of the special cards. The theming is strong with the cards mirroring Harry Beck’s iconic graphic design for the London Underground, it’s great that the cards do also have text for the line names to avoid colour confusion. The cards are nice and glossy, however, they may be a little small for some. The game comes in a smart little tin complete with cards detailing Tube history and trivia. Mind the Gap requires a little more thought and therefore generates more interest than Uno, not all cards are created equal, some lines are simply harder to travel along with less connections. Judicious use of those special cards is vital. “
Read our full review on Mind the Gap or purchase the game on Amazon.
Joking Hazard
“Joking Hazard was quick and fun to play and there was a lot of laughing, although I recommend playing it with people who are like-minded and not easily offended. Looking through the cards that we didn’t see during the playthroughs there is the potential to create combinations that will shock many people; it’s a game for adults only.” This is the perfect board game if you are shopping for an adult stocking!
You can purchase Joking Hazard on Amazon.
Mixups![]()
“Mixups is a very simple game, with the goal of simply not running out of cards, as if you find a match and are the first to point it out, you get all of the cards on the table added into your pile, and can continue playing. The names of these creatures and the pictures that go along with it, are a real highlight to any gathering. So often I found myself and the kids laughing at the creatures they were looking at. Exclaiming that they want to meet a Sqowl or a Catear. Mixups is one of those games where everyone is having a good time, they are all laughing, and they all understand exactly how to play even if they have never played before.”
Mixups is a great game for younger children, something more ideal for sticking in their stocking. They could even play the game before Christmas dinner!
Read our full review on Mixups or purchase the game on Amazon.
The Crew![]()
“All said, this makes The Crew a superb, relatively lightweight and very novel card game. Anyone who has played a standard trick taking game will feel at home right away, with the only element they need to learn being the communication system, and perhaps to a lesser extent to unlearn the competitive nature of normal trick taking games. For the cost, The Crew is basically a must have in my opinion, such is the unique nature of its gameplay and the fun it provides.”
The Crew has a small sized box, filled with cards and figures you can put together out of cardboard, which is quite clever.
Read our full review on The Crew or purchase the game on Amazon.
The Mind![The Mind]()
“The Mind is a quiet game to play but it is intense. You will find yourself waiting, staring at your team, hoping you are not making a big mistake. Getting through rounds feels so amazing, especially if you aren’t talking much at all, which makes for a really engaging game. And you do need to keep your eyes peeled, especially if someone ends up placing a card that you have a card really close too in number, and you need to quickly jump in and place it!”
The Mind is another deck of cards type board game, which makes it really small and great for popping into your bag and bringing everywhere with you.
Read our full review of The Mind or purchase the game from Amazon.
Dino Dump![]()
“Dino Dump is a very cute, fun yet quick little game that anyone can enjoy. You may want to opt to not use the poop stickers (seriously, they really stink) but even without them (they stink so much) the game is still super fun! (God, the smell.) Everything is well designed, from the cute art on the cards to the little plastic poop built into the box, reminding you that you’re playing this silly game.”
Dino Dump is a perfect game for children and families that want to get kids involved in board games!
Read our full review of Dino Dump or purchase it on Amazon.
Goodcritters![]()
“The simple components and straightforward rules make Goodcritters very easy to learn and teach, but if your group enjoys bartering and negotiation, then the game can rapidly become very intricate. Robbing (or at least threatening to) and bluffing are key elements, as is knowing when to skim. Human psychology makes some leaders more generous than others and everyone has their own way of getting what they want. These factors make Goodcritters a superb party game that I think will appeal to anyone who is comfortable in an environment where they will need to lie and cheat. As such, Goodcritters is my current favourite party game, period.”
Goodcritters packs a lot into their small packaging, providing a really good game for tweens and older.
Read our full review of Goodcritters or purchase it straight from the developer.
Smoothies![smoothies]()
“Having the two different blenders gives a bit of strategy, as you might need to pick blenders that have fewer dice toward the final turn, instead of blenders with dice you may really need. The number of bonuses and power-ups in Smoothies is really interesting too, as it can really change what is going on. Both of us ended up ending the game at about the same time, which makes sense as the blenders were pretty evenly full during the game. Adding everything up looked intimidating at first, but the scorecard is really sleek, so anyone could follow how to get to their score.”
Smoothies doesn’t have any cards at all, and is entirely played inside of it’s little box, using dice.
Read our full review of Smoothies or purchase the game.
Master Dater
“A funny twist on speed dating and anonymous adverts where one player randomly draws three requirements and then other players combine a head and body from their hand before spontaneously improving their character so that they fit the bill. In the case of above, we think you’d agree that a fast rodent holding a gun might just win out over the award winning actor x mad scientist combination.”
This is another great board game idea for those who have a good sense of humor!
You can purchase Master Dater on Amazon.
Cat Chaos or Dog Chaos![]()
“As this is a real time game, with everyone looking at and trying to use the middle to change out their cards, Canine Chaos is indeed high chaos. Quickly, everyone scans their cards, throwing them in the middle and grabbing up things they need, or sometimes things they don’t. People are sighing as they can’t see the card they have or as the cards they need are taken. Our group started standing up around the table, getting fully immersed into the game.”
If you are looking to get a board game for someone who isn’t that into games yet or an animal person, these easy to play card games are people pleasers!
Read our full review on Cat Chaos and Dog Chaos or purchase the games on Amazon.
Big Bang 13.7![]()
“Whether you are an established gamer looking for a decent pre- or post-session distraction or a family player who wants to benefit from the versatility and educational potential that Big Bang brings, there’s a lot to be excited about in this small box. Harking back to the core experience (which is the Cosmic Mode) and not judging anything else that Big Bang brings, what you have here is a quick-to-learn, fast-to-play, tile-matching game that really delivers on its theme and feels surprisingly deep.”
Big Bang 13.7 has a small box, but packs a really big, fun game!
You can read our full review on Big Bang 13.7 or purchase the game.
Frenemy Pastry Party![Frenemy Pastry Party]()
“Frenemy Pastry Party has you trying to collect ingredients to make one of the cakes shown in the middle of the table. On your turn, you can pick an ingredient from the inventory in the middle of the table or try baking one of the cakes. A lot of what you do will be dependent on your special card; each adorned with a cute animal who wants a specific thing — mangos, a variety of ingredients or some other fruit. It is a light and fast game that’s super easy to understand. The art work on the cards is the best I have ever seen in baked games, showcasing some beautiful bakes that I would really love to eat in the real world.”
Both cute and fun to play, Frenemy Pastry Party is a game played often in our home. You can also purchase an additional matt for gameplay.
Read our full review on Frenemy Pastry Party or purchase the game.
Oriflamme![]()
“OK, so it’s not really a party game, but Oriflamme is played with between three and five players, and it is similar in weight and style to games like Coup and High Society but with a little more weight. The basic premise is simple — the players will play six rounds of placing (and sometimes revealing) cards, and then count up their influence at the end. Highest influence wins.”
Oriflamme is somewhere between a party game and a strategy game, that does require your group to possibly betray each other.
Read out full review on Oriflamme or purchase the game on Amazon.
Ramen Fury![]()
“Ramen Fury is a really lovely, fast card game that can be picked up and played with almost anyone. Everything about the game is pretty spot on, and apart from that one house rule, we found the gameplay to make sense and be perfect for every group I’ve played it with — from adults to eleven year olds. Even my teenage cousins really enjoyed playing it.”
Ramen Fury is a really fun game with some adorable packaging!
Read our full review of Ramen Fury or purchase the game on Amazon.
Bellum Sacrum![]()
“For dedicated players (like me) who have traditionally sought deep, intelligent two player games that can travel easily, Bellum Sacrum is a near perfect answer. This is a game you can take literally anywhere, and as I keep saying, between two players who face off often, there are few better card games at this level of decision weight that I could name. As such, Bellum Sacrum is a game that I think would suit any couple or group who frequently need a “Chess alternative” and in particular, those who travel.”
Bellum Sacrum is a really good option for two players!
Read our full review on Bellum Sacrum or purchase the game.
The Blessed Dark![]()
“The Blessed Dark is a two to four player game based on the concept of Yahtzee. Rather than Yahtzee’s normal playstyle you’ll be gathering blood, casting spells and summoning demons. Each mint tin comes with twenty blood tokens (red blocks), three dice and a tiny deck of thirty-two cards. Your goal as a cultist is to have the most favor of The Ancient Ones when the last spell card is drawn from the deck.”
The Blessed Dark is the smallest game on this list, with tiny, little cards and pieces, it can actually fit into your pocket!
Read our full review on The Blessed Dark or purchase the game.
Mystery Dice Bag
If you are looking for something a little different, that isn’t quite a board game but fits well in a stocking, Mystery Dice Bags are a great option! These bags contain a full set of dice used in DnD and Tabletop RPGs. There are a bunch of different sets (over 100!) that you can end up opening, providing a likely new, unique set of dice to add to your collection!
You can purchase a Mystery Dice Bag from Mystery Dice Goblin.
Looking for more good Christmas Gifts? Check out our list of the best board games ever made.
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