Top 10 games to give as presents

Ahoy there!

The Sinterklaas and Christmas season is coming up again, and that means presents! Perhaps you find it hard to choose from everything on offer, because you do want to keep that game fanatic happy! So here are ten games the recipient is bound to appreciate, unless they already own the game, of course.

Whether it is for under the Christmas tree, as a shoe gift or simply to make someone happy: with these ten games you always give fun, challenge and good times together.

Number 10: Hitster

At number 10 you will find Hitster in all its shapes and sizes. Whatever the occasion: put Hitster on the table, connect your phone to the speaker and off you go! By now there are even several base games and at least as many expansions. But which one makes the best present?

That depends entirely on the recipient, of course. Does this person keep singing the Friends theme tune? Then go for the Movies & TV soundtracks expansion. Guaranteed to be a hit(ster)!

Or is this someone who starts humming the first Christmas songs as early as September? Who belts out Mariah Carey at full volume in the shower? Then the most obvious present is Hitster Christmas!

Number 9: The Hobbit There and Back Again

2025 must be the year of Lord of the Rings. Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth, Fate of the Fellowship, The Trick Taking Game and The Hobbit There and Back Again. That last title is a real gem: this game grabs you by the collar and does not let go. A surprisingly brisk adventure in which you experience Bilbo's legendary journey chapter by chapter. You roll your dice and choose which values to use on your turn. Your choices decide how you avoid trolls, defeat goblins or solve riddles.

What makes this game so unique and gripping is that everyone keeps their own adventure book. While you let each other have the dice (or not), every player ends up on their own journey along completely different paths and stories. With eight iconic challenges from The Hobbit, from Wargs and giant spiders to Smaug himself. The wipe-clean booklets make every game feel different and tempt you into one last chapter…

Number 8: Dune Imperium – Uprising

Uprising is not an expansion that merely adds something; it is a standalone game. Uprising builds a completely new battlefield and drops you right in the middle of it. The familiar DNA of deck-building + worker placement stays intact, but everything feels tighter, sharper and more exciting. Every turn you still have to balance your military strength and your political influence, but now with spies that boost your plans, contracts that keep your economy running at full speed, and Fremen tactics that let you ride into battle on, yes, sandworms. Oh yeah, sandworms!

The game feels wonderfully familiar to fans of the original, but offers enough new ideas that you are puzzling from scratch again. The new cards, the refreshed flow and above all that new 6-player team battle mode make Uprising an edition that makes the Dune universe feel even bigger and more dynamic. Whether you already have dozens of games of Imperium under your belt or are just discovering it: Uprising makes you feel as if you are once again standing at the edge of the battlefield, ready to make history.

And if you are looking for other Dune titles, do take a look at our collection. The Imperium is yours for the taking!

Number 7: Hive

Hive is played with 2 players, and the goal of the game is very simple: completely surround your opponent's queen bee. You do this with different insects (your pieces) that all move differently. The grasshopper, for example, may jump in a straight line to the next free space, the ant can walk around without limit and the beetle may climb on top of other pieces. And stay there!

A game of Hive takes about 30 minutes on average. The Hive pieces are made of durable plastic and come in a nice cloth bag. That means you can take Hive anywhere: to the beach, on a picnic or to the swimming pool. Although you will have to play at the side, because the pieces do not float!

Number 6: Sky Team

Sky Team is one of those games that gets your heart racing. One you sit down to together again and again. A real "one more game and then we stop" game. You and your fellow player are pilot and co-pilot, sitting side by side in the cockpit with one shared mission: getting this plane safely onto the ground. Sounds simple, right?

Here is the twist: you are not allowed to talk to each other! Oops, not so easy after all. You do have some dice, and they show you the way. Literally. Without discussing it, you choose a part of the plane to put your dice to work on: keeping the axis balanced, bringing the speed down, extending the flaps, lowering the landing gear, asking the control tower for permission… and yes, sometimes even grabbing a cup of coffee to adjust course.

With 11 airports and no fewer than 21 scenarios, Sky Team packs a hefty dose of challenge into a pleasingly small box. From Montreal to Tokyo you face gusts of wind, traffic, icing, fuel stress and other situations that real pilots would rather avoid too.

Sky Team is quick, intense and incredibly thematic. Ideal for couples who love games, friends or grandma & grandpa!

Number 5: Flip 7

You "just give Flip 7 a quick try", because it is only a small box. An hour later you realise you have already played 6 games and you definitely still need revenge on whoever is in the lead at that moment. It is fast, full of surprises and has exactly that tasty edge of risk that keeps everyone on the edge of their seat. Do you dare to keep going until you have seven different numbers? Do you play it safe and stop in time? Or do you stop just too late and lose everything?

The game has simple rules and is all about push-your-luck. There is 1 deck of cards with 1 card with a value of 1, 2 cards with a value of 2, 3 cards with a value of 3 and so on. Up to 12 cards with a value of 12. Every turn you choose: do you take a card from the deck or do you pass? You take a card and you do not have that number yet? Great! You stay in for another round. You take a card and you already have that number? BAM! You are out and your points do not count.

When you pass, you add up your points. That way you try to be the first to reach 200 points. Do you manage to flip 7 different cards? Then you get 15 bonus points.

Then there are also the special cards such as Flip Three, Freeze and Second Chance, which bring unexpected twists that make every game different.
At this price you certainly cannot go wrong. Flip 7 is ideal for anyone who loves short, energetic games with lots of interaction.

Number 4: The Gang

The Gang is a cooperative card game in which you and your fellow players form a gang of thieves trying to crack safes together. Well, there you have it, how cool does that sound? As if you are stepping straight into Ocean's Eleven!

Every round feels like a little test of nerves: you see your own cards, but not everyone else's. By placing poker chips and picking up on subtle hints or signals, you try as a team to work out how strong each person's poker hand will turn out to be. Do you succeed? Then the safe swings open.

Does it go wrong three times? Then sadly you have not succeeded and the whole operation is called off. Try again!

The game mixes the tension of Texas Hold'em Poker with the good old fun of playing together against the game.

Thanks to the overview cards, everyone can join in straight away, even if you have never played poker before. Or if you do not understand poker at all. And for the keen groups who want a bit more of a challenge, there are variants to make things just that little bit harder.

Number 3: Dixit Disney

Dixit Disney is a dreamy mix of imagination, storytelling and the magic of Disney. In this game you use beautifully illustrated cards to tell a story, or rather: to give a clue. The other players try to guess which card you meant, while also playing their own cards to throw the group off the scent.

As with everything Disney: the key lies in the atmosphere. Every card breathes its own fairy tale, and you will recognise characters from classics and modern favourites alike. Because you make up stories or give clues based on what you feel or think, you get to know each other better in a surprising way. Made for families, groups of friends and anyone who loves a game with a gentle touch.

Creative, warm and different every time, just as a good story should be.

Number 2: Nuns on the Run

In Nuns on the Run, a quiet convent turns into a night-time game of cat and mouse. The novices sneak through the corridors to fulfil their secret wishes, while the nuns patrol and listen for every little sound. The faster you move, the more noise you make… and before you know it you are face to face with an alert nun who sends you straight back to your room without mercy.

Will you manage to slip through the convent unseen? Or will you take on the role of the guard who keeps an eye on every possible sneaky route the novices might take?

With one seeker and several hiders, it feels like hide-and-seek at the kitchen table, but with a funny theme and a hefty dose of tension. The great thing is that it does not matter whether you play with 2 or 8 players: every single game you are holding your breath, making little tactical plans and having lots of laughs as soon as someone makes just a bit too much noise.

This game was a huge success at Spellenspektakel, which is why it ranks high among our present tips!

Number 1: Everdell Duo

Everdell Duo is the intimate two-player little sibling of the much-loved Everdell. Together with your woodland critters you build a beautiful village in a lush valley. But make no mistake: despite its cute looks, this is a strategic game. Every card you play and every resource you collect contributes to your perfect woodland community.

What really makes Everdell Duo shine is how well it suits two players without losing any depth. You are constantly planning, building and reacting to what your opponent does. And while you do that, you look out over a board full of atmospheric illustrations, woodland critters and cosy buildings.

The game is as relaxing as it is challenging, and the replayability is enormous. Ideal for couples, friends or anyone who likes to head out into nature as a pair. On the table, that is.