Which board games should you buy on Black Friday?

A stack of Horrified and Quacks of Quedlinburg board games beside Codenames and Scythe, all on a wooden table
(Image credit: Benjamin Abbott)

Although Black Friday board game deals might have been overshadowed by tech savings once upon a time, things have changed. Indeed, it's now the best time of year to build a collection.

Unfortunately, that means there are almost too many discounts to keep track of - the digital shelves are creaking under the weight of all those Black Friday price cuts. That's why I've rounded up some personal favorites here that I'd recommend prioritizing in 2025. Why these games, you ask? Besides being some of the best board games overall, they traditionally get the biggest price cuts during the sale.

Curated by
Benjamin Abbott, Tabletop & Merch Editor at GamesRadar
Curated by
Benjamin Abbott

Benjamin joined GamesRadar+ in late 2018, and he's been covering both board games and sales ever since. He's currently working on getting the site's Black Friday tabletop coverage ready.

Board games to look out for this Black Friday

Fate of the Fellowship | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Fate of the Fellowship | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $79.99
📉 Expected price: $69.99
❗ Record low: $69.99

This has been one of the most anticipated games of 2025, and if our Fate of the Fellowship review is anything to go by, one of the best-rated too. While I'd love to say it'll drop to the previous record low, I'll settle for it simply being in stock at this point. It's been notoriously hard to find up until now, so grab it quick if you see it.

Battle of Hoth | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Battle of Hoth | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $59.99
📉 Expected price: $40-$49.99
❗ Record low: $59.99

This new wargame hasn't ever been discounted on Amazon, at least not that I've seen, so it's a prime candidate for some savings this Black Friday. I'd hope for a cut of anything from $10 to $20, making the game (which we scored with a three-and-a-half-star rating in our Battle of Hoth review) that much more tempting.

Twilight Imperium | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Twilight Imperium | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $164.99
📉 Expected price: $76.40
❗ Record low: $76.40

As the king of tactical games that's known for lasting hours on end (something that earned it full marks in our Twilight Imperium review), it's no surprise that this sci-fi epic normally costs anywhere up to $160. That's why the Black Friday period is your best chance to pick it up; I've often seen it fall in price dramatically during November, a feat that doesn't tend to happen across the rest of the year. It's worth keeping an eye out until mid-December, too. Twilight Imperium's lowest recorded price was just over $76 in the run-up to Christmas a few years ago.

Spirit Island | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Spirit Island | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $89.99
📉 Expected price: $40-$45
❗ Record low: $43.99

This is a tremendously well-liked co-op game, as noted in our Spirit Island review, but the price often puts newcomers off. Well, unless it's Black Friday. I've seen Spirit Island halved in cost during November and December, so expect the same trick again this year.

Gloomhaven | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Gloomhaven | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $139.99
📉 Expected price: $90-$105
❗ Record low: $84.99

Because this critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure has a sticker price of around $140, it's one to watch during the Black Friday frenzy. It dipped to a record low of $85 at Amazon a few years ago (while UK gamers could grab it for £74.90), and this kind of discount only happens in November or December. In other words, sales season is the time to strike. Just make sure you move fast, as stock won't last long. There's a reason we gave this five stars in our Gloomhaven review!

Frosthaven | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Frosthaven | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $250
📉 Expected price: $190-$200
❗ Record low: $189.97

As a follow-up to one of the most well-received board games in recent years, it's not a shock to see Frosthaven getting so much attention. Because it's only been out a couple of years, I suspect this will be in prime position for a bargain. I'm anticipating a drop to around $190, but there's every chance it'll go even lower. Keep a very close eye on this one.

Mansions of Madness |Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Mansions of Madness | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $109.99
📉 Expected price: $50-$55
❗ Record low: $50.49

As one of the most well-regarded horror games, it's always a big deal when Mansions of Madness gets reduced. And traditionally, November is a good time for that. It hit $50.49 a couple years ago, and it's literally never been cheaper. Watch this one like a hawk over the final two months of the year.

HeroQuest | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

HeroQuest | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $134.99
📉 Expected price: $85-$90
❗ Record low: $47.48

This remake of the OG dungeon-crawler is another pricey board game, so it's a good thing you can typically find it for at least $40 less during Black Friday. We probably won't see a repeat of the all-time saving of $47ish because that was a one-off occurrence during a random February, but hey. Anywhere past $85 is good value, particularly on a game we rated highly in our HeroQuest review.

Scythe | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Scythe | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $79.99
📉 Expected price: $55-$60
❗ Record low: $39.99

This $80 strategy game doesn't always get cut in cost for Black Friday, but it has happened before now. Indeed, it commonly comes down to around $55-$60 in November. While that doesn't match the game's best price of $39.99 back in 2019, this is one of those products that rarely drops in cost.

Root | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Root | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $59.99
📉 Expected price: $45-$50
❗ Record low: $36.55

This cute but clever strategy game is another expensive one thanks to a sticker price of around $60, but it has been to known to drop by quite a significant amount during the Black Friday sale. This is one of our favorite strategy games, as noted in our Root review, so it's well worth considering.

Arkham Horror | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Arkham Horror | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $79.99
📉 Expected price: $40-$45
❗ Record low: $31.99

As with Mansions of Madness listed above, Arkham Horror is a venerable but expensive tabletop staple (it costs $80 at full price). But like its counterpart, it also tumbles in cost for Black Friday. For instance, last year it went down to around $43.

Wingspan | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Wingspan | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $65
📉 Expected price: $40-$45
❗ Record low: $38.81

You'll be lucky if you can find this calming, family-friendly game for below its usual price of $70-ish unless you're shopping on Black Friday. As a case in point, it hit $43 in 2021 and $44.99 a couple years ago. It's worth grabbing, as exemplified by our Wingspan review.

Pandemic Legacy | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Pandemic Legacy | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $79.99
📉 Expected price: $65-$70
❗ Record low: $29.99

This spin on the classic Pandemic takes that beloved gameplay (which we were massive fans of in our Pandemic review) and turns it into a full campaign with consequences from session to session. What follows is brilliantly memorable experience that'll set you back anywhere up to $80 on an average day. If you shop during Black Friday, though, there's a chance you can get it for much less. Namely, the Blue version careened down to £29.99 in November 2019.

Descent: Legends of the Dark | Check price at Amazon💲 Full price: 📉 Expected price: ❗ Record low:

Descent: Legends of the Dark | Check price at Amazon

💲 Full price: $174.99
📉 Expected price: $85-$90
❗ Record low: $87.47

Much like Gloomhaven, this massive RPG adventure weighs a ton thanks to its numerous miniatures, components, and quests. That's reflected by a normal price nearing $200. While the UK didn't enjoy much of a dip in 2021, the US was a different story - the game tumbled by 45% to $95.99 in 2021, a couple of days after Black Friday.

For more Black Friday advice, be sure to check out our guides to the Black Friday gaming deals and Black Friday Magic: The Gathering deals.

Benjamin Abbott
Tabletop & Merch Editor

I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and now manage GamesRadar+'s tabletop gaming and toy coverage. You'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news.

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