Prime Day is now upon us, and plenty of family-friendly board games are being hit with the discount hammer as a result. Two in particular caught my eye thanks to their legendary status amongst the community.
First up to bat is Carcassonne, a beloved tile-laying board game that helped redefine the industry when it first launched in the early 2000s. You can grab it for just $20.15 at Amazon rather than the usual cost of $42. Meanwhile, Ticket to Ride (which I'd say is one of the best board games for beginners) is a mere $26.39 at Amazon, down from $50.
There are lots of other tabletop price cuts flying around at the moment, but these caught my eye first due to how essential both are. They're the kind of family board games I think everyone should have in their collection.
As someone who's been covering the board game industry professionally for over six years (and playing board games for far longer than that), I always recommend these two as great starting points for anyone hoping to get into the hobby. While they're more complex than classics like Clue, they're not nearly so complicated as other strategy games. That makes them excellent 'gateway' games, gently easing you into a whole new world.
As noted in our Carcassonne review, the tile-laying extravaganza has "wedged itself firmly in the 'easy family fun' category." It isn't hard to get your head around (place tiles to create a map, and place wooden people on landmarks to earn points), but has more tactical depth than you might first expect. It's great for two or more players as well, so works if you're planning your next date night.
Similarly, Ticket to Ride is one of - if not the - best family board games thanks to how gently it introduces players to more advanced mechanics. It's also plain fun, which is probably the most important thing.
Your aim is to create a train line across North America or Europe (depending on the version you get) by following specific, hidden routes given to you on cards, but it's possible for rivals to lay tracks blocking yours. That means careful thinking ahead is required, not to mention being subtle so foes can't work out where you're trying to go.
Like I mentioned in my Ticket to Ride review, this is "accessible, low-key, and very replayable [...] the perfect option for newcomers and tabletop veterans alike."
Naturally, plenty more offers are on the way in this year's Prime Day board game deals. To keep up with the latest savings, check out our guide!
- Azul:
$31.99$20.99 at Amazon - Splendor:
$39.99$19.19 at Amazon - Traitors Aboard:
$24.99$19.99 at Amazon
Looking for more discounts? Check out the latest board game deals. As for recommendations, why not drop in on our guide to the best 2-player board games, or the best adult board games?
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