So it’s that time of year again. You’ve have to sit down and find the perfect gift for your lovely nerd family member. You know they’re into dragons or lightsabers and board games, but you don’t have the first idea of where to start. Somehow Monopoly or Yahtzee doesn’t seem like their cup of tea. Not everyone is into Risk. Well, we have you covered. Below is a list of the best board games you can buy for under $50. Board games are a genre with a wide variety of flavors. Everyone loves strategy games, but there are so many different mechanics that people love or hate. Below are some of the nerdiest games you can buy that should scratch everyone’s itch and should be fun for the whole family. Twilight Imperium, Third Edition
This is probably the biggest deal on this list. Twilight Imperium has a long and storied history among board gamers. It was created and released in 1997 and has become the premiere game among enthusiasts. Think about it this way, Fantasy Flight Games (the publisher) is Apple and TI is the iPhone. Normally this game is much more expensive, but the latest edition was just released (and is $149.95) which means the old version has dropped in price. Fundamentally, there are not enough differences to justify spending the $150 on the new one. You get new art, better plastic gamepieces, and some streamlined rules. In tech lingo, it’s an incremental update, like the difference between the iPhone 6 and 6s. If you want more detail check out this video that covers the differences. Otherwise, you can purchase the [amazon_textlink asin=’158994206X’ text=’3rd Edition on Amazon for $44.’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’nerdunion-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’73d6dd05-cc8f-11e7-811b-bba56f6996a9′]
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A Game of Thrones, Second Edition
There are a ton of Game of Thrones themed games being developed and released right now, but none have matched the feel of the series as this game. Designed by the same person who made Twilight Imperium, Christian T Petersen, the game has the ease of play as Risk without having any dice involved whatsoever. For people who prefer pure strategy to dice rolls, there is no better game. For fans of either the Game of Thrones books or TV show, this is a perfect distillation of the War of the Five Kings.
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Settlers of Catan
Settlers of Catan is the closest thing to a household name on this list. It has been around since 1995, but has managed to become the old man of the gaming scene. That’s because even though theres dozens of variants, the fundamental gameplay is the same, and the game appeals to all ages and gamers. It’s a game with simple rules, that can take a reasonable amount of time, and accommodate up to 6 players if you purchase the expansion. Many of my friends who are comfortable playing regular games and my friends who hate regular games love Catan. It’s great for parties too.
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Tokaido
Have you ever wanted to take a vacation to Japan? If so, this is the game for you. The objective is literally to have the best vacation. This is one of the three games on this list I haven’t played, but my friends seriously can’t stop talking about it. The flavor of the game isn’t really my thing, but for people who want a simple game that’s fun and not aggressive, this is the game.
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Viticulture
This is another game I’m not too into due to the flavor, but it seems very fun. You are a player in control of your own vineyard and grow, bottle, and sell your own vino. This is another game for people who like being competitive, but not aggressive.
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Tyrants of the Underdark
This game is designed by one of my favorite publishers, Gale Force 9, takes place in the world of Dungeons and Dragons. You play as one of four Drow (Dark Elf) houses vying for control of the Underdark. What makes this one so neat is that it’s primarily a deck building game. You cycle through a main deck and build your own forces through purchasing cards drawn from the main deck. It’s very fun, easy to play, and perfect for a D&D fan.
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Alien frontiers, Fifth Edition
Alien Frontiers is a house favorite. Unlike most of the games on this list, it’s one of the most aggressive games I’ve ever played. The game rewards your for being the biggest dick you can possibly be. The objective of the game is to land as many colony cities on the planet as possible. Each area is named after real Science Fiction authors and the game has a 1950s sci-fi esthetic that is wonderful.
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Libertalia
Pirates! Nuff said. If you want to know more, check out our review here.
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Last Night on Earth
En lieu of a good The Walking Dead board game, we have Last Night on Earth, which is wonderfully inspired by George A. Romero’s (#RIP) series of zombie movies. You can pick from a variety of horror movie archetypes, like the sheriff or the jock or the cheerleader (not their actual names but what they represent) and try to survive waves of undead — that are also controlled by one or two players. Its a delightful game, that’s largely co-op. It’s perfect for a horror movie or zombie fan.
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Coup
In a change of pace, coup isn’t actually a board game, it’s a card game in the vein of “Go Fish” but with a sci-fi flavor. It’s quick, fun, competitive, and a great warm up or wrap up for a night’s festivities.
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