Gifts for board game and puzzle fans in Canada

Pick for the group

The most common mistake is buying a game for the wrong number of people. Sky Team is strictly two. Decrypto is weak with fewer than six. Cascadia and Ticket to Ride cover a wide range. Think about who they actually play with most weeks, then buy for that table.

For a couple, Sky Team and Cascadia are both excellent at two. For a family with young kids, Catan Junior and Splendor Kids are real strategy games a six-year-old can follow. For a mixed crowd at the holidays, Exploding Kittens and Clear 4 take a minute to learn. For a hobby gamer, Heat is the step up, a racing game that takes a round to click.

The Canadian classics

Two of the strongest games here are made in this country. Sky Team and Decrypto come from Montreal's Le Scorpion Masque. The crokinole board comes from the Toy Maker of Lunenburg in Nova Scotia, and crokinole is the rare game that grandparents and eight-year-olds play on equal terms. It is about a metre square and heavy, so order early and plan where it will live.

Puzzlers and the person who owns everything

For jigsaw fans, Villager and Cobble Hill both make good 1000-piece puzzles with Canadian artists and scenes. A regular puzzler is often short of table space rather than puzzles, so the folding felt board with sorting trays is the gift they would not buy themselves.

For a gamer whose shelves are full, a Board Game Bliss gift card lets them pick. It arrives by email, which also makes it the last-minute answer.

What we would buy

For most couples, Sky Team. For most families, Cascadia, with Catan Junior if the kids are under eight. For the grandparents who host Christmas, the crokinole board, and we would bring it ourselves rather than ship it. For a keen gamer, ask what they own first, or send the gift card and let them choose. Big boxes ship slowly in December, so order early.

Questions people ask

What is a good board game for two people?

Sky Team is built only for two: a co-op game where partners land a plane without discussing their dice. Cascadia also plays well at two and is calm and easy to teach. Ticket to Ride works at two but feels less tense than with a full table. Avoid party games like Decrypto, which need six or more.

What board game should I buy for a family with kids and grandparents?

Pick something with short rules that does not reward experience too much. Set lets quick-eyed kids beat adults. Ticket to Ride and Sushi Go Party are easy to teach. Herd Mentality works with a big group. A crokinole board is a Canadian classic that every age can play at once.

How hard is a 1000-piece puzzle?

It depends on the image more than the count. A picture with clear areas, like a reading nook or a harbour, is a comfortable project over a few evenings. Repeating patterns, like a page of clocks or a textile print with no picture, are much harder and suit experienced puzzlers. Large sky or sea areas also slow things down.

What do you get someone who already owns lots of board games?

Ask what they have first, since hobby gamers often own the popular titles. Newer games like Heat or Sky Team are less likely to be on the shelf. Or skip games: a folding felt puzzle board, a metal take-apart puzzle or a camp cribbage table adds something different to the collection.