Buying a board game for a board game lover is a trap. They already own it. Or they own the version with the expansion. Or it has been on their wishlist for a reason you will never fully understand, and the copy you found is the wrong edition.
So skip the box. This guide is all gifts for board gamers that aren't games: funny candles, mugs, Christmas ornaments, dice stickers, pin buttons and small things for the person who hosts game night. Every item here features original art we designed, is made to order and ships to US addresses only. Nothing here takes up shelf space they don't have.
Why not just buy a game?
You can. But here is what usually happens.
- They own it. Board game lovers buy games the way other people buy books. The odds you pick one they don't have are not great.
- The shelf is full. Ask any board game collector about shelf space and watch their eyes go distant.
- The wishlist is curated. If a game is on their list, there is a reason. If it isn't, there is probably also a reason.
A gift that celebrates the hobby, instead of adding to the pile, is a safer bet and usually a funnier one. These are our picks, by the kind of board game lover you are shopping for.
For the collector: the New Board Game Smell candle
Every collector knows the moment: you peel off the shrinkwrap, lift the lid, and there it is. Fresh cardboard, crisp punchboards and the promise of a rules argument. The New Board Game Smell Candle ($22.99) bottles that feeling, at least on the label.
To be clear, the label is the joke. The candle does not smell like cardboard, and we promise that is a good thing. You pick a real scent from nine options, including Clean Cotton, Sea Salt + Orchid, Apple Harvest, Cinnamon Vanilla, Christmas Warmth and Unscented. Each one is a 9 oz natural soy wax blend in a glass jar with a cotton wick.
It is the gift for the friend whose game shelf is already full, which is every board game collector we have ever met.
For the dice person
Some board game lovers are really dice lovers. They have a favorite set, a backup set and a backup for the backup. Lean into it.
- Retro Dice Sticker. A vintage tattoo style dice cluster under a banner that says it all. Glossy kiss-cut vinyl, from $2.49.
- Retro Dice Pin Button. The same crest as a printed metal pinback button for the dice bag or jacket, from $3.99. Give it with the sticker and you have a matching set.
- D20 Dice Sticker. The 20-sided die in retro teal. Simple, classic, recognizable from across the room.
- Dice Jail Trinket Dish. A gold-trimmed ceramic dish where the die that rolled a 1 at the worst possible moment sits and thinks about what it did. Between game nights it holds rings, $14.99.
- Cute Dragon Mug. A chubby baby dragon hugging its favorite d20 on a hoard of coins and gems, printed on both sides of an 11 oz or 15 oz mug. The same dragon comes as a sticker.
More in dice stickers and d20 decals.
For the host
The host clears the table, sorts the snacks, teaches the rules and somehow ends up doing the dishes. They deserve a gift, and their guests deserve something to take home.
- A candle for the host. The New Board Game Smell Candle is the obvious hostess gift. For the host who just lost a close one, the Crying Is a Free Action Candle ($22.99) is the sympathy card with a wick. Same jar, same eight scents plus unscented, a loot chest full of tissues on the label.
- Party favors for every seat. Our pin buttons cost less than a coffee each and fit on a lanyard, tote or jacket. Hand one out per guest, or save them as prizes for the winner, the loser and whoever made the best snack. Try the Cute Loot Goblin Pin Button or the Cute Murder Hobo Pin Button, a chibi raccoon who loots first and asks questions never.
- A thank you on the label. The Thank You for Hosting Game Night Candle ($22.99) says it for you, with a small apology for the rules argument underneath. The Smells Like Game Night Candle ($22.99) is the cozy pick, with a vintage label of cards, dice and a game pawn. Both are natural soy wax in a 9 oz amber glass jar, in Vanilla Bean, Comfort Spice, Sea Breeze, Spiced Pumpkin Ginger, Fresh Balsam or unscented.
For the one who always wins
Every group has a champion, and every champion needs reminding that it was only one game.
- Game Night Trophy Mug. A traveling trophy for your group, with a retro trophy crest on one side and the terms of possession on the other. Whoever wins takes it home and hands it over at the next game night, from $14.99.
- Sore Winner Board Game Candle. For the friend who wins and then brings it up all week. The apothecary label promises notes of gloating, and the wax smells like the real scent you pick, $22.99.
- Sorry For What I Said During Game Night Candle. An apology you can light, for the trash talk and the trade you swore was fair, $22.99.
For the game that ran long
- The Box Said 30 Minutes Mug. A grinning skull on a game box, an hourglass with all of its sand at the bottom and a pawn tangled in cobwebs, printed on both sides. For the friend who promises every new game is a quick one. Also a sticker.
- Scheduling Is the Final Boss Sticker. A calendar page monster with every date crossed out, for whoever herds the group chat toward a free Saturday.
For the mahjong player
The Mahjong Dice Dish ($14.99) is a gold-trimmed ceramic dish with dot tiles and a pair of dice on it. It sits in the middle of the table to catch the dice during play, then holds rings and earrings between games: a sweet hostess gift for whoever hosts your weekly game.
For the board gamer who also plays tabletop RPGs
Plenty of board game lovers have a second hobby on another night of the week: a tabletop RPG campaign that has been running for two years and has its own group chat. If that is your person, the jokes get more specific.
- TPK Survivor Sticker. TPK is table slang for a party wipe, when every character goes down at once. This one is for the player who somehow lived.
- Cute Min Maxer Sticker. A min maxer builds the most powerful character possible and ignores everything else. Our kawaii version proudly shows off a stat sheet maxed out across the board.
- Kawaii Sticker Sheet. The Loot Goblin, the Murder Hobo, the Min Maxer, the TPK Survivor and a little heart d20 on one A5 sheet, $9.99. The Cute Animal Sticker Sheet swaps in a bard red panda, a snack hamster, a mini painter mouse, a dice dragon and two otters. Peel off one for every player.
- Loot Goblin Trinket Dish. Our chibi goblin on a heart-shaped ceramic dish with gold trim, guarding rings and tiny treasures between sessions, $14.99.
If the person you are shopping for runs the game, our guide to game master gift ideas has a whole list for them.
For the tree
Our Christmas ornaments are clear acrylic, cut to the outline of the art, about 3 inches and ready to hang with the red ribbon included, $10.99 each.
- D20 Christmas Ornament. Our retro dice crest with a 20-sided die and two six-sided dice, for the friend who packs three dice bags for a one-shot.
- Mimic Christmas Ornament. A cute wrapped present with a lid full of tiny teeth, for anyone who pokes every gift before opening it.
- Gamer Couple Christmas Ornament. Two otters in matching sweaters, each holding up a die, for the couple who still meet at the game table.
See them all in Christmas ornaments.
Stocking size, under $5
Not every gift needs to be the big one. Our individual stickers and pin buttons cost less than $5 in every size, and they fit in a stocking, a card or the gift bag next to a bigger present. Our guide to stocking stuffers for board gamers and RPG players explains what each design means, or you can browse the stocking stuffers for game night collection.
Building a bundle? Add any six single stickers or pin buttons to your cart and the cheapest one comes off free, automatically.
Gift ideas we don't sell
We don't make everything a board game lover could want, and we'd rather you give a great gift than a gift from us. A few we like:
- Card sleeves. Clear sleeves that protect cards from snack fingers. Sizes vary by game, so check their favorites first.
- A box insert or organizer for a game they love. Sorting a messy box is a gift that saves them ten minutes every game night.
- A gift card to a local game store or board game cafe. They get to choose, and you support a local game store.
- Your time. Offer to host the next game night, do the cleanup or learn the game they keep trying to teach you. Board game lovers want more people at the table.
Shipping and timing
Everything is made to order. Most orders are produced within 2 to 7 business days, then take 2 to 5 business days to reach US addresses, with tracking. We ship to US addresses only. Our products come from several production partners, so a mixed order may arrive in separate packages. Shipping is free on US orders of $50 or more; under that, it is calculated at checkout.
We will post our Christmas order-by dates on the FAQ once our production partners publish their holiday cutoffs. Until then, order early. The details are in our shipping policy.
Ready to shop? Everything in this guide, and more, lives in our gifts for board game lovers collection, and all of our funny candles and mugs are one click away.