I review board games for a living, and these are the ones I'd buy this Black Friday

Someone places dice into a volcano on a board — (Image credit: Iello)

Disclaimer

Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are done, a lot of these board game savings have come to an end. Don't worry if you missed them, though; some can still be bought at a fraction of the normal price. Original story follows.

I review board games, card games, and tabletop RPGs for a living, so I know that Black Friday is always a dangerous time for the old bank balance. And I'm sorry to say that I'm not going to make things any better.

There are a load of excellent Black Friday board game deals floating around right now, and there are more than a few board game discounts that made my ears perk right up. King of Monster Island? Wingspan? The brilliant new Magic: The Gathering Lord of the Rings Starter Set? I mean, I could go on. I won't. But I could.

Anyway. Because so many of the best board games are on offer at the moment, and probably won't stay there for long, so let's get right into it.

Wingspan | ~~$65~~ $35.30 at Amazon (with voucher)
Save $30 - This is an utter delight no matter how experienced you are with games, and it's the sort of thing where you don't mind even if you lose. I'd argue that it's a must-have, especially when it's at a record low price.

🔶 UK: ~~£59.99~~ £42.99 at Amazon

Buy it if:
✅ You want a zen, but fun, game
✅ You want something with depth

Don't buy it if:
❌ You want something really simple

Price check:
💲 Walmart | $51.99
💲 Target | $44.99

Should you buy these board games?

As my advice alongside each deal would suggest, absolutely. These are generally well-thought of, and for me, they're the games I'd go to if I was looking to buy this Black Friday. Here's a breakdown of exactly what I think of each game.

King of Monster Island: I'm a huge fan of King of Tokyo, a game that sees you take control of a kaiju trying to destroy a city, so this team-based follow-up definitely has my attention. It being cooperative rather than competitive is intriguing.
Wingspan: There's a reason why this one won awards; simply put, it's a delight. It's beautiful to look at, relaxing to play, and isn't annoying if you lose. It's a must-have.
Sherriff of Nottingham: It says a lot that this game is now on its second edition. A blend of bluffing and strategy, it combines some of my favorite elements in board gaming.
Spirit Island: Whenever 'good co-op games' are mentioned, Spirit Island seems to come up. This gem is a modern classic, and its tightly-crafted gameplay can't be beaten.
MTG Lord of the Rings: I've actually been hands-on with this already, and it's by far and away my favorite starter set MTG has done. To begin with, it's really well explained. Next, it has very thoughtfully-crafted decks that are far more cohesive than normal. Chef's kiss.

For more discounts, be sure to check out our guide to today's best Black Friday gaming deals.

TOPICS

I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, but these days you'll find me managing GamesRadar+'s tabletop gaming and toy coverage (I spend my time here handling everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news). I've also been obsessed with Warhammer since the 1990s, and love nothing more than running tabletop RPGs like D&D as a Dungeon Master.