Ahh a 2020 Christmas, one where staying at home more than usual is the norm. And so what better time than now to learn a new game? As it is just me and the man at home this Christmas, quite a few of these are two player games. Although I have also included a few 4+ player games for those who manage to see some family and friends for the festive period! They are all tried and tested by moi, so you can be sure that they are well, relatively fun!

Our favourite new game this year, Everdell is a 2-4 player game that we have absolutely adored. It’s also won pretty much every award under the sun so other people must think it’s pretty great too! It’s a multi-player game but best played with two players, so perfect for a couple stuck at home over the holidays! I personally love it because of the gorgeous artwork and the world that it immerses you into with its woodland critters and different locations. The aim of the game is to complete a year of seasons and build your own village, tallying a higher score than the other player by the end of your Autumn season for winter! It’s just all very beautiful and calming and would highly recommend the investment!

A favourite of ours through the years, this is a game that is such a great deal for the amount of fun it gives! It’s perfect for larger groups of 4+ and above and something we always take with us for Christmas with the family or even when we go away on a trip with friends. It is – dare I say it… Even better than the board game Monopoly. It require more strategy and the game is more fast paced, I mean, there is nothing worse than a game of board game Monopoly that just goes on and on… This is probably the most popular and best priced game on my list!

History, glory of war, city building and more. What is there not to like about Imperial Struggle? This is for the more serious board gamer and an extra plus if you are a history buff! We really enjoy this game because it is beautiful and complex and the perfect way to spend our days just the two of us at home! The game spans one hundred years of war between France and England and encompasses all key figures and four major wars. If anything, it is as educational as it is entertaining!

A smaller version of the popular 7 Wonders, 7 Wonders Duel is purely for two players and one of the first two player board games we got. It is similar to Everdell but on a much smaller scale. As it was our first proper board game, it took a little bit of time to understand but once we did we were on track and it came naturally to us. The perfect introduction game to bigger board games like Everdell as it teaches you city building and scoring that allows you to understand other games in the future! The aim of the game is to build 7 your own ancient civilization and a few world wonders while you’re at it. The person with the most victory points (which you earn from building world wonders or other great aspects of your city) wins! Simple right?

Take yourself to the wild west for this fun game of bandits and loot stealing on a 3D train! A good intro to a form of role playing game, you start Colt Express by randomly being dealt a character bandit, each of which allows for a special skill that will aid you in your game. You move your bandit in through the carriages to collect loot (the more loot the better!) whilst avoiding the sheriff! The bandit who comes out with the most points at the end wins! Relatively easy to understand and lots of wild west fun! Best between 4 players.

Wooo one of the most BEAUTIFUL games on this list (a close second to Everdell!), Villainous is an amazing twist on following the journey of Disney Villains. If you’re a Disney fan, there is absolutely no doubt that you will adore this game. It is rather complex to begin with, the first time we played we had absolutely NO IDEA what was going on. But as you play, you realise it is a (much more) complicated version of Colt Express but relies on a similar role playing character game. The idea is that you pick a villain, and in the original box’s case, that is between Maleficent, Jafar, Ursula, Captain Hook, Queen of Hearts, and Prince John, you follow that villain’s journey and try to achieve your objective before the other players achieve theirs! It’s just a really gorgeous game that allows you to revisit your favourite Disney movies and characters and it is just such a treat – Once you get how to play. Perfect ‘complex’ board game with familiar stories and characters for the Disney fans out there!

Double oh seven vibes with this fun little number. It is the collaborative version of Codenames, so instead of fighting each other, you are fighting together to beat the game. It is perfect for two players but can be played with more. Game play I would say is around 15-30 minutes per game so it is nice and quick but still strong enough to work the brain. The game is basically a word play game where you use a number and a word to describe the word card where your agents are situated. If your partner guesses right, great, if not you lose out on that guess and you might even contact the assasin in which case, your game ends! Harder than it looks to come up with clues but it gets easier the more you play!

Topical little game but one that is extremely fun and loved by many, so much so that there are about five different spin offs and it was sold out for weeks on Amazon when I tried to buy it! Similar to Code Names Duet, you basically work together in a collaborative way to beat the game as opposed to beating each other! Super fun and a great two player game to have!

One of my absolute favourite card games, Cover Your Assets is the ultimate four player card game where it actually gets so stressful as the aim of the game is to come out with the most assets, but in order to do so you must steal from one another. Requires a bit of strategy but so much fun and you get to interact with the players quite alot! Such a good one for parties and so funny to watch couples play!

A spin off and updated version of Cover Your Assets, Cover Your Kingdom is by the same brand and is basically the same game but you are trading fantasy creatures to build your kingdom. It also comes with individual boards and a few more mystical rules. Basically if you adored Cover Your Assets, Cover Your Kingdom is a must buy with updated artwork and slightly different rules!

The ultimate group game, this is my FAVOURITE game that puts charades and articulate to shame. Possibly because it is a combination of the two! Monikers is played in teams and played over three rounds. First round, you can describe the ‘moniker’ of said person on the cards to your teammate as long as you don’t say the exact words. Second round, you are only allowed one word. Third rounds you are allowed no words – basically charades. Team who gets the most cards with the most points wins! Super fun and allows you to see how in sync you are with your partner or team mates. Ideally played between 4 players but can be for more, it is the perfect game for the charade loving family or friends!