Everybody loves a bargain, especially in the lead up to Christmas. That makes Black Friday board games a tantalizing find. Major retailers celebrate the incoming festive season by slashing the prices on many excellent board games, but you'll have to be quick - and know where to look - to make the most of the sales. To save you some time, I've combed Amazon (US and UK) to find the best tabletop deals.
I spend every day thinking, playing, and writing about the best board games out there, so most of my recommendations are games that I've actually tested - and if they aren't, they're still considered some of the best that the hobby has to offer.
- Carcassonne - 50% off
- Ticket to Ride Legacy - 38% off
- Mansions of Madness - 38% off
- 7 Wonders - 35% off
- Ark Nova - 33% off
- Camel Up - 29% off
- Pandemic Legacy Season 1 - 25% off
- Harmonies - 24% off
- Unfathomable - 24% off
Carcassonne
For me, this is the golden boy of gateway board games. Yes, it's practically ancient as far as modern board games go, and it'll feel incredibly simple to a more experienced gamer. But, if you're trying to induct someone into our hobby, there are few better places to start than Carcassonne.
Its tight, competitive tile-laying gameplay is easy to pick up, and it's just complex enough for you to make gleefully cruel strategic moves that screw over all of your friends. I've had many heated arguments over the placid landscapes of Carcassonne, and it's that addictive, hidden mean streak that has kept a copy in my collection for over a decade.
Carcassonne is top of this list because it has the mightiest of discounts - 50% off at Amazon (or 54% in the UK). If you'd like to learn more before you buy, check out my Carcassonne review.
Ticket to Ride Legacy
Ticket to Ride Legacy has many fans in the Wargamer office. It's a sprawling, campaign-based game that enhances the rules of one of the most beginner-friendly games in the hobby. You'll play as rival train companies vying to construct the most effective railway network across the new frontier of the US.
Because this is a legacy game, new mechanics and locales are unlocked as you complete sessions, and the game will permanently alter along the way. This is a game you can technically only play once, but the quality of the 12 games you find inside makes it well worth the money (especially at 38% off - though UK buyers only get 30% off).
When I first played this for my Ticket to Ride Legacy review, I genuinely felt like a kid at Christmas opening new boxes of toys and gameplay components. This one is perfect for making gamers of all ages smile.
Mansions of Madness
Mansions of Madness is an enormous box with an equally enormous price tag. That's enough to put people off investing most of the year, but with a 38% on Amazon (or 29% in the UK), now might be the time to give it a try.
This is a thematic Lovecraftian board game where you explore a range of spooky scenarios, trying to gather clues and solve their mysteries. It builds on the madness and combat rules in other Fantasy Flight Arkham games, and it's a robust and familiar system for many. Even if you're new to the series, it's easy to pick up how to play - especially given that one player (or, if you're feeling snazzy, an app) controls the story beats for each scenario.
If, like me, you're a lover of puzzles, mysteries, and monsters, this is an excellent game that'll keep you occupied for hours.
7 Wonders
I firmly believe that 7 Wonders should be a staple board game in every hobbyist's collection. The card-drafting gameplay is easy enough for beginners to pick up, but it's so strategically rich that experienced players will be coming back for more. Combine this with a very digestible play time of 30 minutes, and you've got a game that my regular group returns to time and again when we aren't in the mood for something longer.
The basic gist is that you are early humans racing to create the most advanced civilization possible. The cards you draft or pass around the table represent your city's military, scientific, and economic capabilities. Plus, you can rack up extra points by completing a mighty wonder of the world that offers you unique rewards.
7 Wonders is currently 35% off, which makes the game ultra-affordable as well as ultra-approachable. It's only 17% off in the UK, however, so bear this in mind if you're a British board gamer.
Ark Nova
I've not personally had a chance to test Ark Nova, but my colleagues have (and you can check out our Ark Nova review for their first-hand opinion). Nevertheless, this one had to be in our deals list this year. Firstly, because it's 33% off (or 22% in the UK). Secondly, because it's hailed as one of the best strategy board games released in recent years.
Ark Nova is a surprisingly realistic recreation of what it's like to manage a zoo. As you can imagine, it's a pretty complex endeavor, represented by airtight, often brutal eurogame mechanics. You'll build new habitats, fund conservation projects, and acquire animals in attempts to create the most successful zoo of all - but perform badly enough, and you could end up with negative points.
This is one of those games that deserves hours of gameplay to fully appreciate. And, if you can master it, you'll have a lot to brag about to your board game buddies.
Camel Up
Camel Up is an adorable camel racing game that's currently 29% off at Amazon US (13% off in the UK). This is one of my go-to games for younger players, but it sparks just as much joy in adult gamers.
At its core, this is a betting game, where you'll wager money on specific camels as a race around the pyramids takes its course. Said pyramid is a cute dice roller that spits out results, edging certain camels forward to take the lead. There's an element of strategy to making bets, but the chaos of the dice can change everything in an instant.
It's light, fast-paced, and extremely entertaining. Plus, it's a theme you don't see very often in board games.
Pandemic Legacy Season 1
This is a title from my personal 'Need to Buy' list, which means I can't tell you exactly how it feels in play. However, you can take the word of everyone on the internet instead, as this is quite literally one of the highest-rated board games out there. If you don't trust me, you can trust BoardGameGeek's online forums.
This is a legacy enhancement of the classic co-op game, Pandemic. It plays out like seasons of a television show, where you'll work together to battle deadly diseases over the course of the year. This showcases the best elements of the legacy board game genre, with stickers to add, cards to destroy, and storytelling twists and turns that entirely alter the game.
25% off isn't the highest discount in this list (and the UK's 7% discount is even less impressive), but it still takes a sizeable chunk out of Pandemic Legacy's retail price. I'd say it's worth the plunge.
Harmonies
Harmonies is, hands down, my favorite game that released in 2024. I've played it for hours and hours, and I still haven't grown tired.
It's a soothing drafting game where you collect beautiful cards and tokens to create the most pleasing habitats possible. Stack these tokens to create the right combination of trees, mountains, rivers, and fields, and you'll attract all manner of fauna to your landscape.
It's a tactile, relaxing puzzle that stretches your strategy muscles without too much strain. Harmonies was already pretty reasonably priced, but with an extra 24% off (or 15% in the UK), now's the time to pick it up.
Unfathomable
Unfathomable is another game from the expansive Arkham Horror series, but this one has something that the others don't - tense social deduction mechanics. Its rules have actually been adapted from the Battlestar Galactica board game (which is, in my opinion, one of the best social deduction board games of all time), although the hidden roles have less to do with Cylons and more to do with abominable fish monsters.
When the game begins, everyone appears to have the same goal. You're passengers aboard a ship in 1913 that's plagued by cosmic nightmares, and all you really want is to see the ship reach port in a few days' time. You'll need to fend off attacks from the Deep Ones and manage the ship's resources, but beware - Deep Ones can disguise themselves as your friends and fellow players.
This is a tense, thematic game of survival and trust. I'm a fan already, but I'm an even bigger fan knowing it's currently 24% off at Amazon (or 21% in the UK).
Looking for more deals? Keep an eye on our Wargamer Discord, where we often shout about the best discounts we've spotted on great board games.