Black Friday board game deals 2024: How to get the best offers this year

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Arcs and Sky Team board game boxes on either side of a 'Black Friday deals' badge, all against an orange background

(Image credit: Future)

1. FAQ
2.
What to expect
3. Last year's best deals

Even though the sale is better known for discounting TVs and laptops, Black Friday board games are a bit of a dark horse. They're surprisingly good, getting you new and old favorites for their lowest price of the year.

No, really. While some offerings stay the same as they have been the rest of the year (many family-friendly games get 'discounts' that are actually identical to ones we've already seen months before), many others tumble in cost by an absurd degree. We're always taken aback by how much cheaper hobby games are in particular during the Black Friday board game deals, to the point we'd recommend waiting for the sale before pulling the trigger.

To save you having to dredge through countless retailers in search of the best offer this year, we've rounded up every tip we can think of to save you money on the best board games. Because our team of bargain hunters have been searching the sale for years now, we have a pretty good idea of what makes a worthwhile discount. Basically? If you're hoping to snag the very best Black Friday gaming deals, we've got your back.

Today's top board game deals ahead of Black Friday

UK

Betrayal Deck of Lost Souls | $19.99$14.15 at AmazonSave $6 - Buy it if:✅ Don't buy it if:❌ Price check:💲 UK price: £19.99£15.29 at Zatu

Betrayal Deck of Lost Souls | $19.99 $14.15 at Amazon
Save $6 - Although that isn't the game's lowest ever price, it's only a dollar or so off. That's better than the average price it's been sitting at recently, too, so now's the perfect time to dive in and check out this spin-off for Halloween.

Buy it if:
You want a quick, creepy game
✅ You love full Betrayal

Don't buy it if:
You're not a fan of the original

Price check:
💲
Walmart | $14.45
💲 Target | $19.99

UK price: £19.99 £15.29 at Zatu

Descent: Legends of the Dark | $174.95$139.96 at AmazonSave $6 - Buy it if:✅ Don't buy it if:❌ Price check:💲 UK price: £174.99£104.99 at Goblin Gaming

Descent: Legends of the Dark | $174.95 $139.96 at Amazon
Save $6 - This epic adventure game has been cheaper before now, but that's still a big discount and around $5 off the average cost over the past few weeks.

Buy it if:
You want an epic adventure
✅ You love RPGs

Don't buy it if:
You want something quick

Price check:
💲
Walmart | $139.96
💲 Miniature Market | $139.99

UK price: £174.99 £104.99 at Goblin Gaming

Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West | $119.99$95.99 at AmazonSave $24 - Buy it if:✅ Don't buy it if:❌ Price check:💲 U⭐ UK price: £99.99£73.99 at Zatu

Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West | $119.99 $95.99 at Amazon
Save $24 - This larger, more involved version of Ticket to Ride hasn't ever been cheaper and is still relatively new, so it's amongst the better board game deals I've seen ahead of Black Friday.

Buy it if:
You want a long-term game
✅ You love Ticket to Ride but want more

Don't buy it if:
OG Ticket to Ride bores you

Price check:
💲
Walmart | $107.99
💲 Miniature Market | $95.99

U⭐ UK price: £99.99 £73.99 at Zatu

Cartographers | $24.95$17.80 at AmazonSave $7 - Buy it if:✅ Don't buy it if:❌ Price check:💲 UK price: £24.99£18.45 at Zatu

Cartographers | $24.95 $17.80 at Amazon
Save $7 - It may not be a record low price, but it is aggressively good in terms of how much this game normally costs. Indeed, it's usually closer to $20.

Buy it if:
You love maps
✅ You enjoy roll-and-writes

Don't buy it if:
You don't like fantasy

Price check:
💲
Walmart | $17.80
💲 Miniature Market | $17.99

UK price: £24.99 £18.45 at Zatu

Black Friday board game deals FAQ

Star Wars, Jurassic World, Sky Team, and Dune: Imperium - Uprising board games divided by white lines

(Image credit: Future)

When will Black Friday board game deals start?

Black Friday board game deals always take place at the same time each year; they occur after Thanksgiving and on the final Friday of November. That means we'll be staring down the barrel of some discounts this November 29.

Still, you don't have to wait until then to get a good price cut. Board games enjoy reductions well beforehand, as demonstrated by this year's sales getting going at least a week before Black Friday itself. They'll then roll on into the Cyber Monday board game deals afterward.

Should I wait until the Black Friday board game deals?

While I appreciate that it's an annoyingly vague answer, whether you should wait or not it depends on what you're looking for. Family-friendly games normally enjoy discounts all year round, and despite getting even better reductions at the end of November, you can still find a bargain if you jump the gun. (Though if you do, it's worth checking with price-comparison sites such as CamelCamelCamel to see if it's actually a good offer.)

Hobby games are a different story. These consistently hit all-time low prices during Black Friday, so I'd highly recommend waiting if you want anything like Spirit Island, Mansions of Madness, or Scythe. If the game's price normally hits or exceeds $80 / £80, you can be confident it'll get a decent - if brief - saving during the annual Black Friday board game deals.

Where will the best Black Friday board game deals be?

Every retailer wants a slice of that Black Friday pie, so it's not surprising to see them all put on a mega-sale throughout November. And while most are pretty decent, some are better than others. I've rounded up the best ones here, including why you should check out their deals.

US
- Amazon:
The best for variety and quality across a range of games
- Target: Often enjoys exclusive products
- Walmart: Surprisingly good for discounts on hobby games
- Miniature Market: Reliable savings on hobby games
- Best Buy: Decent for reductions on popular family games

UK
- Amazon:
Best for overall quality and variety of deals
- Magic Madhouse: Provides surprisingly good offers
- Zatu: Wide-ranging sales on hobby games
- Argos: Good for reductions on classic family and kids' games
- Very: Respectable offers on family games
- John Lewis: Solid deals on hobby and family games

What to expect from Black Friday board game deals 2024

Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, Disney Villainous, and Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion pieces divided by white lines

(Image credit: Future)

There's a lot of ground to cover when it comes to Black Friday board game deals, so what should you be looking out for? The team and I have been covering the sale for almost six years now, so we've built up our fair share of advice. You'll find these hints and tips below.

👪 Family games will fall in price, but not much more than any other time of year
Considering the sale's proximity to Christmas, board games for families such as Catan and Carcassonne are always worth keeping an eye on. They're always cheaper than normal in November and will go down very well if you're visiting loved ones over the Holiday season. We saw Catan's lowest ever price in 2021, for example. Equally, there was a huge drop on Pandemic in 2022. (It was less than $20.) However, it's worth pointing out that those games always seem to be on sale. Indeed, the discount you'll get during Black Friday isn't dissimilar to other year-round reductions.

🎲 Hobby games will get the best deals
The 'best' deals tend to be on more expensive games for adults such as Wingspan, Mansions of Madness, or Twilight Imperium. Because these can cost up to $100 / £100 or more, being able to pick them up for less isn't an opportunity to miss. King of Monster Island tumbled by 50% last year, for example, as did Spirit Island. Gloomhaven (often considered to be one of the top board games for adults) also tumbled to its lowest ever price during 2021's Black Friday board game deals.

💲 Coupons are worth looking out for
In 2023, we saw a lot of offers get boosted by bonus reductions via Amazon if you ticked a box under the price. These provided some the best bargains that weren't matched again, so speed is of the essence. If you can be sure we've never seen a lower price via comparison sites like CamelCamelCamel, don't hesitate. That's the biggest takeaway I can give, actually. Even if a lowest-ever price emerges before Black Friday itself, it's worth striking right away. It's unlikely to get reduced any more, particularly if coupons such as the ones mentioned above are involved.

Last year's best Black Friday board game deals

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Sheriff of Nottingham | $39.99 $15.99 at Amazon
Save $24 - This beloved strategy and bluffing game had never been as cheap as this. A top-tier game with a record low price? Sounds like one of the better Black Friday board game deals to us.

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Spirit Island | $89.99 $43.99 at Amazon
Save $46 - What's that? Another record-low price? And on a universally praised co-op/team game, no less? Well, it'll just have to go at the top of the pile.

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King of Monster Island | $69.99 $39.99 at Amazon
Save $30 - This follow-up to the excellent King of Tokyo and King of New York games hadn't ever been so cheap, and that meant it was a highlight of last year's Black Friday board game deals.

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Wingspan | $65 $35.30 at Amazon (with voucher)
Save $30 - This is one of our all-time favorites, and the added voucher took it to its lowest price ever. That makes this an excellent Black Friday board game deal, and an example of why Amazon can come in clutch sometimes.

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Magic: The Gathering - The Lord of the Rings Starter Kit | $35.99 $19.99 at Best Buy
Save $16 - While not the absolute lowest price we'd seen, this much off was still a great deal on what we'd argue is the best Magic starter set.

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Disney Villainous Despicable Plots | $29.99 $9.98 at Amazon
Save $20 - Now that's a saving. You could get this expansion to the Villainous series (though it can be played on its own) for its lowest ever price... and it was nowhere near time for 2023's Black Friday board game deals yet.

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Dead of Winter | $59.95 $35.65 at Amazon
Save $24 - This wasn't the zombie game's lowest ever price, but that was the cheapest it'd been since 2021. As a result, it was a decent inclusion in last year's Black Friday board game deals.

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HeroQuest | £99.99 £47.99 at Amazon
Save £52 - Avalon Hill's reimagining of the classic dungeon-crawler took a real tumble in price ahead of the Black Friday board game deals, and even though that wasn't its lowest price, it was still really good value.

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Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game | $37.99 $15.19 at Amazon
Save $22 - That was an exceedingly good offer on a game that'd only come out recently. It'd never been cheaper, not by a long shot.

UK

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Lord of the Rings Adventure Book | £34.99 £24.99 at Very
Save £10 - Want this game at its lowest ever price? Your wish was Very's command, because this one had never been available for less.

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Zombie Kittens | £19.99 £9.99 at Amazon
Save £10 - Whether you're new to this popular game or just want to give it an undead twist, this was the cheapest price we'd seen for the Exploding Kittens spinoff.

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The Yawning Portal | £44.99 £24.99 at Amazon
Save £20 - That was an aggressively good offer, which had carried over from the build up to the Black Friday board game deals. That's the cheapest we'd ever seen Yawning Portal too.

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Pokemon TCG Paradox Rift Elite Trainer Box | £49.99 £33.95 at Magic Madhouse
Save £16 - That's almost the cheapest this boxset had been by quite a long way, so was well worth grabbing if you wanted to boost your TCG collection.

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Snakesss | £24.99 £6.99 at BargainMax
Save £18 - This was the deception game's lowest ever price. A great game for well under a tenner? Bargain.


The November sales extravaganza isn't limited to board gaming, of course. We can expect some decent Dungeons and Dragons Black Friday deals along with Black Friday Pokemon card deals. A few good Black Friday Lego deals should be up for grabs, too.

TOPICS
Benjamin Abbott
Tabletop & Merch Editor

As the site's Tabletop & Merch Editor, you'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news. I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and can normally be found cackling over some evil plan I've cooked up for my group's next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

With contributions from