12 Board Game Christmas Stocking Stuffers for Geeks and Gamers

Finding unique stocking stuffers for geeks and gamers isn't always easy. There's a lot of things to choose from and not everyone likes the same thing. It's also nice to have something to play at Christmas. 

Pocket sized board games can be a risk. Sometimes shrinking down a board game results in it being just a little too simple, over in seconds or not that fun.

Here's 12 cute, alternative, 'pocket' sized board games that  are small enough to stuff in a stocking and fulfilling enough to be enjoyed by everyone.

1. Sushi Go

Obviously Happy Piranha has to pick a fish based game to start. If you like sushi you'll love Sushi Go and if you don't it wont matter at all. This cute card game is based around collecting sets of sushi to build points over three rounds. Guessing what cards your opponent's are trying to collect themselves will help you dupe them where possible.

The rules are simple and easy to explain, making this a good game for newcomers and the artwork is adorable. We love playing this as a warm up to further activities or games. There's 108 cards so it's pretty good value for money too.

Will you risk it and try and collect three sashimi for the big points, or will your evil friend stop you from doing so?

• Price: Around £15 in the UK and £10 in the US.
• Players: 2-5.
• Time: 15 Minutes.
• Publisher: Gamewright.

2. Jungle Speed

Jungle speed is one of our firm favourites for playing with anyone. You don't have to be a board game geek to enjoy it and it's rules are simple too. You just have to be eagle eyed and fast!

This incredibly addictive snap like game will have you lunging and laughing and it never gets old. We love to play this with a few friends and some drinks. It also makes for a great icebreaker game and is good for practicing hand-eye coordination. It's suitable for up to ten players too. We've played it with that many before and its pure fun chaos!

The game takes place around a mini totem pole in the center of the table. Players take it in turns to turn over a card. If your card matches the pattern of another person, the first one to grab the totem can dump all the cards they've turned over in front of them to the loser. Get rid of all your cards and you win.

It sounds simple, but there's some devilishly similar patterns to discriminate between and some added cards to mix the rules up too. The expansion set for this adds even more tricky combinations into the mix. 

Beware, if your hyper competitive this game can ruin friendships. You'll be laughing and screaming and flailing non stop. Furiously frustrating and furiously fun!

• Price: Around £15 - $14
• Players: 2-10
• Time: 15 Minutes.
• Publisher: Asmodee.
  

3. Hive pocket

Hive is a beautiful little chess like game where opponents move their hexagonal insect tiles to try and surround the enemies queen.

Each insect moves in it's own unique way and as the tiles themselves are the board, there's always a new scenario to play.

The rules are simple but there's a whole lot of thought that can go into the moves you make when trying to protect you queen and surround your opponent's.

We love the feel of the pieces and the artwork of this game and the pocket edition comes with a handy back making it a perfect stocking stuffer size.

• Price: Around £15 - $20
• Players: 2
• Time: 20-30 Minutes.
• Publisher: Gen42

4. Fluxx

Fluxx is a card game where the rules are always changing which gives it great replayability. It's proven hugely popular and has spawned many franchises including Firefly Fluxx, Adventure Time Fluxx and Star Fluxx to name just a few.

Because of the changing rules, it's a game that can be over in 5 minutes or battled out for half an hour. The unpredictability is fun!

There's 4 card types: rules, actions, object and goals. You win the game by completing the goals. However, the goalposts can change as can the rules and there's plenty of room to impede your opponents play.

Setup is short and the basic rules are easy to understand, you just have to make sure you keep track of the ever changing new ones. The original game makes a great Christmas stocking stuffer for geeks and gamers and the different franchise versions mean you can always find one to suit someones more specific interest.

• Price: Around £12 - $8
• Players: 2
• Time: 5-30 Minutes.
• Publisher: Looney Labs

5. Get Bit

Being a Happy Piranha, Get Bit is a game we can get behind. The premise here is to keep your swimmer in the front of the pack to avoid losing limbs to the hungry shark chasing behind you.

Players take it in turns to lay down cards without each other seeing, whoever lays down the highest card moves to the front of the line, the one at the back gets a bite taken out of them! Lose all your limbs and you're out. 

The fun lies in the fact that you don't see what other players are laying down till the results are in and you have to spend your high numbers wisely.

We love the fun in moving the shark and removing the limbs from the little characters in this game. It's fast based, has tension and is easy to teach people. Kids love it too so this makes a great stocking stuffer for the younger geek or gamer too.

• Price: Around £17 - $14
• Players: 2-6
• Time: 10-20 Minutes.
• Publisher: Mayday Games

6. The Best Treehouse Ever

The Best Treehouse Ever is a fun card building game where the aim is to make the fanciest treehouse you can. Add the coolest rooms, build sets of colours and make sure you get the balance correct because you don't want you're treehouse falling over!

Players take it in turns to add rooms to their treehouse, points are awarded at the end for having the most of certain colour rooms. The catch is that each round players choose certain colours which don't score and certain rooms which score more. 

Not only is it fun to just build a cool treehouse, it's always fun to watch as your friend has made an epic treehouse full of yellow rooms, only  for you to go an make them worth 0 points at the end of the game! 

Want a sauna in your treehouse? This is the game for you this Christmas.

• Price: Around £19 - $18.50
• Players: 2-4
• Time: 20 Minutes.
• Publisher: Green Couch Games
  

7. Hanabi

Hanabi is an easy to learn, cooperative, solitaire type card game with a fun mechanic. You have to build sets of cards (fireworks) in numbered order, but you can't see your cards.

How'd you do it then? With the help of your friends! Players are allowed to give clues to their friends to help them lay the correct cards, they're not allowed to tell them exactly though; there's a limited number of clue tokens which you'll want to use wisely and a limited number of each cards, so if you get it wrong too much it's game over!

While you'll end up 'winning' the game most of the time when you get your clue giving sorted, the real challenge is to get the highest score you can. There's also lots of room to make the game harder or easier with your own rules. You can limit the words you're allowed to use, race against the clock and add in or take away certain cards.

Hanabi is fun, colourful card game that you can get the family involved in too.

• Price: Around £10 - $19.99
• Players: 2-5
• Time: 20-30 Minutes.
• Publisher: Asmodee
  

8. Multiuniversum

Multiuniversum is a puzzle solving type card game with beautiful artwork. The premise is to use your character to close portals which are opening to various other worlds.

Players take it in turns to play cards with five possible actions on them. The problem is you can only play the colour action that matches the colour of the portal you are on, so you have to think about how best to order the use of your cards.

To close a portal you have to collect the correct combinations of items to close it, and then play the card with the correct coloured close portal action. 

You're going to have to maximise the efficiency of the order you play your cards to get the tools you need.

The winner is the person who closes the set amount of portals and stops the inter-dimensional creatures from taking over.

• Price: Around £21 - $29
• Players: 1-5
• Time: 20-40 Minutes.
• Publisher: Board & Dice
  

9. Timeline

Timeline is a simple and fun card game that anyone can play. Three cards start on the table with events,inventions or other historical dates and players must place their cards in-front or behind where they think they fit on the timeline. Whoever gets rid of their hand with the most correct dates on the timeline wins!

The game has lots of different, reasonably priced, themed expansions to mix together and make the game even more difficult and re-playable. The rules are simple so anyone can play and its a fun test of knowledge where you may learn something too!

This boardgame makes a great Christmas stocking stuffer. You could even add in an expansion or two, or spread them as different presents between individuals. 

When was the teabag invented? Did Rambo come out before or after the walkman? 

• Price: Around £13.99 - $14.99
• Players: 1-5
• Time: 20-40 Minutes.
• Publisher: Asmodee

10. Tiny Epic Galaxies

Tiny Epic Galaxies fits quite a lot of game into a little box and makes an ideal stocking stuffer for geeks and gamers with who enjoy something with a little more rules. That said, it's not too complex and great for someone who likes scifi too.

The premise of the game is to grow your own galactic empire. You can send out spaceships to race your opponents to claim planets which score you points and give you bonus abilities, grow your culture and try to complete your secret mission.

Actions are determined by dice rolls and re-rolls and as the game goes on you can get more ships to perform more actions and score more points!

Who will win the race to be the supreme galactic empire?

If space isn't your thing there's also tiny epic kingdoms for that fantasy vibe, tiny epic defenders and tiny epic western all of which are different! You can also play this game solo.

• Price: Around £26.99 - $34.99
• Players: 1-5
• Time: 30 Minutes.
• Publisher: Gamelyn

11. Sky Tango

Sky Tango is a pretty little number and set collecting based card game where you can really mess up your opponent or try and push your luck!

The game evolves around different numbered daytime and night time cards, where the sun and moon are at different positions in the sky. Players take it in turns to lay a card either on their side or their opponents side. Cards must be laid in number order. Daytime cards in the daytime line and night time cards in the night time line. 

If you lay down more than five cards in a row you can pick them up and add them to your score at the end. If you can't lay anything down, you have to start over!

At the end of the game you lose a point for every card in your hand and on the table and gain one for every card in your scoring pile.

Will you push your luck and try and get a high scoring chain, or will your opponent ruin it by blocking you from doing so?

Sky Tango is a pretty and simple little Christmas stocking stuffer for two players, but can also be played as two couples. It's easy to learn and aesthetically pleasing!

• Price: Around £12 - $17
• Players: 2-4
• Time: 30 Minutes.
• Publisher: Z-Man
  
  

12. Coup

Coup is a short, fun and simple bluffing game with futuristic artwork that makes a perfect boardgame stocking stuffer for geeks and gamers who like lies!

Each player has two characters hidden from everyone else. Players take it in turns to pick up money to afford performing a coup. When they coup someone, that person loses a character. Lose both you characters and you've been overthrown!

Each character has an ability, for example; the duke can block another player from taking two coins, the assassin lets you play three coins for a coup rather than seven, the contessa blocks the assassin.

The problem is nobody can see what the other person has, so they could be bluffing! You can call out a person you think is bluffing and if you're right they lose a character, if you're wrong you lose one. 

Bluff correctly and you can win quick but push your luck and you could be out before you know it!

• Price: Around £12.30 - $10
• Players: 2-6
• Time: 15 Minutes.
• Publisher: Indie Boards & Cards

Enjoy!

We hope you've found this useful and that  you've found yourself, or a geek or gamer friend a stocking stuffer they'll love.

There's loads more fun board games out there than the same old same old ones that everyone plays at Christmas, so why not try something new. There's loads of stocking sized ones that make us a Happy Piranha.

If you're wanting to explore more board games we recommend checking out Dice Tower, Grey Elephant Gaming or the Tabletop series on Youtube.

* all images are owned by the respective amazon sellers.