Everyone has different preferences but its THAT time of the year again and getting some inspiration could be useful :). I really like practical solutions like gaming mats or storage solutions but not sure where to get the best ones.
I think this is a really hard question to answer! Whenever someone who is not into the hobby tried to give me anything boardgame related... Well... It's the thought that counts, I suppose!
I definitely think accessories are the way to go. I love inserts/organizers but sometimes it feels hard to justify their cost. I'd love to get them as a present!
Cool dice are also nice gifts, if you're into that.
I really like these card deck boxes for games that have a lot of cards. I hate when a large stack falls over, and this solves that completely.
Pretty common knowledge, but X-Trayz are wonderful at keeping your bits and pieces organized while you play.
Lastly, this is largely subjective, but I'm a fan of these kind of card holders for games that allow a large hand limit (looking at you, Ares Expedition).
Sorry if that's too obvious. Hopefully it helps though!
Thanks for the card holder recommendation!! I was just sitting here trying to figure out what to get my boardgame peeps for their birthdays and needed something by this weekend. This should be perfect.
Nice metal coins and tokens, organizers, dice towers and trays of they like tabletop RPGs especially…
If you’re REAL spendy though, a 3D printer can be amazing. Although it’s kind of a gift that costs them more money, it is worth it if they take to it. Lots of downloadable organizers, tokens, helpers, etc.
Might be pricey and difficult but will almost certainly make them happy: find out what game they've been wanting to get but it's hard to find or too pricey. But it will be hard to find and pricey for you too. Maybe they have "Wishlist" or "Want to trade" items on boardgamegeek.
If they also play online: annual Boardgamearena subscription. They have a way to gift a subscription but you have to make a (free) account for yourself and you have to know their username.
More practical, lower budget: If they play on a regular table (not a special boardgame table) then they might like a neoprene mat. Ideally it should be close to the dimensions of the table. Deckboxes and the accessories others are mentioning are always nice too. Upgrade bits for their favorite game (etsy has a ton of stuff too) or trays/card holders etc.
It's something most boardgamers really want, it's something that they can't buy, and it's lower impact on the planet than buying a bunch of plastic and cardboard.
So I was looking for a way to get a foam/neoprene mat that filled my entire table, but all the ones I could find were horribly expensive. What I did find out, is that poker mats go pretty cheap. If you're not too particular about how you want the mat to look, it's a great solution.
Maybe too late, but Gametrays X-trayz are AMAZING and versatile. Get them 3 of each type and they are set for all games. They are great for certain games that just have loads of bits, you can just store them in the box as they are small and light and the lids are rock solid.