The best board games to gift (and play) this 2024 holiday season

If you’ve played with those fridge magnet words in the past, Ransom notes It will give you an instant shot of nostalgia. It also has what I think is the most important quality of a party game: no complicated rules, setup, or explanation required. Each round begins with an open-ended question card, such as “Describe a frightening medical condition.” Players are given a set of magnetic word tiles that they then arrange into a (usually somewhat nonsensical) answer to that round’s prompt. Each “ransom note” can be as detailed (or not) as you want. You may have the perfect set of words to formulate a reasonable answer, but more often than not, you’ll have to get a little creative with your answer. Sometimes, a word or two is all you need.

Either way, the mix of word squares, which leans a bit on the PG-13 side but isn’t as raunchy as more “adult” party games like Cards Against Humanity, is sure to result in hilarity. Officially, each round is supposed to have a “winner”, and the game ends after a predetermined number of rounds have been completed. But it’s also fun to forget about trying to keep a score and let everyone try to come up with the funniest, most random notes they can dream of. — Carissa Bell, Senior Reporter