Black Friday board game deals probably aren't the first thing you think of when it comes to this sale. After all, tech savings like laptops and TVs take up most of the limelight. But if you know where to look, well... you can stumble upon some of the year's best bargains. The key is knowing what to watch out for.
That's where we come in. Our team's been covering board games and Black Friday for a solid few years now, so we've built up a pretty good idea of what to expect from the annual reductions. This includes which games commonly go on offer, where to find the best price cuts, and precisely when to strike (because nothing sucks more than an item getting even cheaper a day or so after you've bought it).
We've tried to include suggestions that'll suit most interests too. Black Friday can be overwhelming, so no matter whether you're hunting down a family-friendly option for Christmas or a new favorite you can enjoy with friends, we've got your back.
Let's dive in, shall we?
Prioritize hobby games
So, what's a 'hobby game' when it's at home? For lack of a better description, these are more complicated board games for adults that have enough depth to keep you going for a long, long time. They usually come with oodles of components and a chunky rulebook that's a few-dozen pages long (or more), and they often weigh in somewhere north of the $60 / £60 mark. Wingspan, Twilight Imperium, Mansions of Madness, Gloomhaven, and Root are perfect examples.
Because they rarely enjoy a significant discount, Black Friday is the time to pick them up for less. In fact, we've seen many - if not all - of the above hit record low prices during November. As an example, Gloomhaven was the cheapest it's ever been in the 2021 sale. Indeed, it enjoyed an incredibly rare 39% cut that brought it down to $84.99 on Amazon in the USA (it was $139.99 beforehand). Meanwhile, the UK version enjoyed an even bigger discount; it fell to £74.90 at Amazon instead of almost £150. We've yet to see that matched by standard board game deals the rest of the year 'round.
Speed is definitely of the essence
Just remember to move quickly. The Gloomhaven sale listed above didn't last long (it was only available for a few hours at most), and neither do other, equally good offers. Namely, the similarly good Twilight Imperium and Descent: Legends of the Dark shot back up in cost just a few hours after plummeting, so speed is definitely of the essence.
What should you look out for specifically, then? Based on previous sales, we'd recommend keeping an eye on the following:
Other highly-recommended games will of course fall in price as well; these are just the headliners. With that in mind, we'd suggest casting an eye over our board game guides (including the best cooperative board games or these essential board games for 2 players) for a better idea of what you should prioritize.
Don't forget about family-friendly games
That doesn't mean you should ignore more light-hearted fare, though. Considering the sale's proximity to Christmas and the Holiday season in general, it's a very good idea to keep an eye on certain board games for families such as Catan and Carcassonne. Although they always seem to be on sale all-year round, they can return to record prices in time for Black Friday. 2021 saw Catan hit its lowest ever price, for example, while Azul and Ticket to Ride got a hefty 60% drop.
With that in mind, we'd suggest watching out for the following games - they're perfect for family get-togethers.
- Ticket to Ride
- Carcassonne`
- Catan
- Pandemic
- Azul
- Photosynthesis
- Sushi Go
- Exploding Kittens
- Patchwork
For more Black Friday sales advice, be sure to check out our guides to the D&D Black Friday deals, Black Friday gaming deals, and Black Friday Magic: The Gathering deals. Black Friday Lego deals are worth keeping an eye on too.
