Image Composition: Ross Miller and Will Joel/PolygonAmazon’s October Prime Day has officially come and gone — that’s the bad news. The good news is, a majority of our favorite board games are still on sale, albeit at a lower discount. If you had your eye on a certain worker placement strategy game or a spooky card game, there’s still a chance for some big savings.The discounts fall squarely in the realm of what we like to call “modern classics” like 7 Wonders and Azul — excellent board games from major publishers that came out in the last 10-15 years. We’ve also found more than few great horror-themed games on sale like Mysterium (an Overboard favorite), Unfathomable, and Arkham Horror The Card Game, all perfect for the spooky season.Polygon’s Prime Day PicksThe best modern classic board game deals of Prime DayThe best strategy board game deals of Prime DayThe best Star Wars games of Prime DayThe best card game deals of Prime DayThe best party game deals of Prime DayThe best two-player game deals of Prime DayThe best modern classic board game deals of Prime Day7 Wonders$38$6037% off$38Back in 2019, Polygon asked four leading board game designers for their picks for the most influential board games of the decade. What did Rob Daviau, Elizabeth Hargrave, and Jamey Stegmaier’s lists all have in common? 7 Wonders, a game they all credited for opening up their eyes as tabletop game designers. The base game accommodates up to seven players, and with its signature brand of simultaneous play everyone can feel engaged the whole way through.Read More$38 at AmazonSpirit Island$40$7043% off$40Everything you’ve heard about Spirit Island is true. We consider it at once one of the best cooperative games and one of the best solo games, so there’s no bad time to play. Take on the role of spirits fighting against colonizers. If you’re looking to upgrade your Spirit Island experience, the Jagged Earth expansion is on sale, too.Read More$48 at Amazon (Base Game)$40 at Amazon (Jagged Earth)Arkham Horror, once among the most daunting cooperative adventure board games around, is much improved and streamlined in this 3rd edition version for $69.99 (was $79.99).Azul, the charming tile-laying game and one of our 22 best modern board games, is just $23.99 (was $39.99).Catan, the favored game of the 2015 Green Bay Packers and the 2024 Buffalo Bills, is just $32.99 (was $59.99).King of Tokyo asks 2-6 players the ultimate question — who is the best monster, and why is it Space Penguin? It’s just $28.30 for Prime Day (was $44.99).Love Letter, a diminutive card game that you can fit in a single pants pocket, is just $13.46 (normally $14.99).Mansions of Madness 2nd edition, a miniatures-heavy game that uses a nifty little mobile app to drive the narrative action at the table, is 20% off — down to $87.99 from $109.99.Mysterium$30$5545% off$30Mysterium, a favorite of the Overboard crew, will have you set up for a seance in no time. Up to 7 players can become psychics and interpret cryptic clues to solve crimes. Perfect for the spooky holiday!Read More$30 at AmazonMatt Leacock’s Pandemic, on sale for $26.99 (normally $39.99), should already be on your shelf by now as it’s an exceptional gateway game to introduce new players to the hobby. If it isn’t, now’s a great time to fix that problem.While Pandemic Legacy Season 1 is no longer on sale, you can still jump into Pandemic Legacy Season 2 without concern, which you’ll find on Amazon for just $53.99 (normally $79.99).Already finished Pandemic Legacy Seasons 1 and 2? Then you should check out the prequel, Pandemic Legacy Season 0, on sale for $69.60 (was $79.99).Unfathomable$64$8020% off$64Unfathomable is a reskin of Corey Konieczka’s Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game, a legendary best-selling hidden role game. But while the cultural relevance of the Cylons has seemingly vanished into the vacuum of space, this Cthulhu-inspired version of the game remains just as playable as the original.Read More$64 at AmazonWhitehall Mystery$30$313% off$30Whitehall Mystery is an overlooked gem of a hidden movement game, where one player secretly plots their course on a hidden map and everyone else tries to hunt them down. The theming here is key, however, as it puts players on the hunt for a mysterious murderer in Victorian London. It’s a fast-moving experience that rewards repeating the game after switching up roles at the table.Read More$30 at AmazonThe best strategy board game deals of Prime DayAssassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice$70$8013% off$70Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice is a 26-chapter (!) campaign for up to four Assassins to do what they do best — or you can play solo and have all the glory for yourself. It’s also a great entry point for painting miniatures.Read More$70 at AmazonBloodborne: The Board Game is exactly what it says on the box — an adaptation of FromSoftware’s highly-beloved (and yet to be remastered) adventure — and is on sale for $82.31 (was $109.99). Looking for more? The Hunter’s Dream expansion is $39.99 (was $45.86) while the Chalice Dungeon expansion is $62.90 (was $79.99).Blood Rage, from the prolific Eric Lang, is another one of Polygon’s 22 best modern board games. The rarely discounted title is just $64.93 (was $89.99). Descent: Legends of the Dark is an ambitious update to the classic dungeon crawler. You can find the app-driven Gloomhaven-like for $132.46 (was $174.95).The original Disney Villainous is an award-winning, family-friendly strategy board game that has “the teach” built right in. Snag it for $29.99 (normally $39.99).Dive utilizes some novel transparent ocean cards and an adorable pitch: “catch a ride on a sea turtle or dolphin.” Who can say no to that? It’s on sale for $24.98 (was $34.99).Agricola$53$6518% off$53Uwe Rosenberg’s masterpiece Agricola is one of those board games that you need to play at least once to really understand how much it has influenced a generation of players and designers. First released in 2007, this newly revised edition is a mountain of meeples that brings order and a surprising amount of complexity to subsistence farming.Read More$53 at AmazonThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Adventure Game is a mechanically robust game from Modiphius Entertainment, an experience well worth the $92.35 (normally $139.99).Far Cry: Escape from Rook Islands is a cooperative game for up to four players (there’s also a solo mode) that takes you back to Far Cry 3 and … is that Vaas? Oh heck yes! There’s also an optional friendly fire mode if you want to make it more chaotic. Far Cry is on sale for $37.99 (was $63.95).Deluxe Fire Tower, a “competitive firefighting game” that has some clever fire tokens and gorgeous watercolor illustrations by Kevin Ruelle, is on sale for $39.99 (was $39.99).The Initiative, from Corey Konieczka’s new Unexpected Games, has game elements hidden inside the box for you to find as its story unfolds. Grab it for $47.96 (was $59.95).More than 25,000 people contributed nearly $6 million to CMON for Marvel United: X-Men. Now you can have it all to yourself for just $30.99 (was $34.99).Fallout: The Board Game$60$7014% off$60First released way back in 2017, Fallout The Board Game is a surprisingly solid offering from Fantasy Flight Games that tells a number of compelling little stories from the Fallout universe using an elaborate deck of numbered cards.Read More$60 at AmazonPotion Explosion uses marbles in lieu of actual dangerous concoctions — thankfully, given how often the eponymous chaos happens — and is currently discounted to $37.99 (was $49.99).Rallyman: DIRT gives you dice and lets you drift with up to five friends. Courses are made with hex tiles, and if I’m being very honest, we’re suckers for games that use hexagons. Truly the bestagons. Anyway! It’s on sale for $36.09 (was $45.31).Twilight Imperium is the gold standard for 4x space operas, and has served as inspiration for countless computer games and board games alike. Lock down an entire weekend with four of your closest friends for $131.99 (was $164.99).Not interested in a three-to-five-hour struggle? Try Twilight Inscription instead, a faster roll-and-write version of the original strategy game. This is the first time we’ve seen it discounted for Prime Day, coming in at a measly $51.99 (normally $64.99)Zombicide’s 2nd edition refreshes the raucous action game, first released in 2012. Grab the latest version for just $83.95 (originally $109.99).The best Star Wars games of Prime DayStar Wars Villainous: Scum and Villainy$25$3017% off$25Star Wars Villainous: Scum and Villainy isn’t just the only Star Wars board game up for grabs this October Prime Day — it’s also among the newest games on this list. Released last summer, the standalone expansion stars Boba Fett, Cad Bane, and the Seventh Sister. It’s also compatible with all other version of Star Wars Villainous.Read More$25 at AmazonStar Wars Legion is a great entry point into miniature strategy games. This core set has everything you need to wage epic familial battles between Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and their respective armies — and right now it’s on sale for $95.99 (was $119.99).Star Wars Outer Rim is about becoming the most (in)famous leader in the underworld of a galaxy far, far, away. We love the novel “outer rim” board and a clever solo mode (though it is best played with up to four players). It is discounted down to $59.99 (was $74.99) for Prime Day.The best card game deals of Prime DayArkham Horror The Card Game Revised Core Set$48$6020% off$48A two-player take on a classic, Arkham Horror: The Card Game’s Lovecraftian themes are sure to delight any horror fan with cultists, ancient monsters, madness, and more. Choose a character and work together to build decks to rival the forces plaguing the city of Arkham. The unpredictability of the encounter deck helps keep playthroughs fresh and outcomes uncertain.Read More$48 at AmazonLet’s Go! to Japan tasks you and up to four friends to plan the most fulfilling dream vacation in Tokyo and Kyoto, with over 100 illustrated cards that might inspire some actual travel. (It’s worth it, trust us!) Let’s Go! to Japan is on sale for $43.08 (was $49.99).Embark on epic quests in Middle-Earth, The Lord of the Rings: Card Game’s revised core set has everything you need to immediately embark on a four-player adventure — no boosters required. This new version boasts increased contents and quality-of-life improvements and beautiful artwork on every card. You can pick it up for $44.94 (was $59.99).The Mind is an easy-to-pick up, family-friendly game about working together without communicating — no speaking, no pantomiming, nothing — and is available for $8.97 (was $14.95).The best party game deals of Prime DayJust One$12$2552% off$12Just One, the hit word-guessing game, is a snappy little gem that can easily kick off a night of longer games with a bang. Or kick back with a few beverages and play it all night, your call.Read More$12 at AmazonConcept$36$4520% off$36A favorite of Polygon’s Overboard team, Concept is a hilarious party game based on the classic Charades, but with the charming physicality of a physical game board to track your guesses.Read More$36 at AmazonThe best two-player game deals of Prime DayCatan: Starfarers Duel$28$3520% off$28Catan: Starfarers Duel is the unlikely reboot of an obscure 2001 game called Starship Catan. This two-player variant has solid reviews, but the 75-minute playtime seems like it might be a bit of a tough sell for all but the most dedicated players.Read More$28 at AmazonPatchwork$30$3514% off$30Another Uwe Rosenberg classic, Patchwork is a tile-laying game inspired by quilting that plays quickly and teaches well.Read More$30 at AmazonSplendor Duel$28$307% off$28Finally, Splendor Duel turns the beloved gem-buying game Splendor into a taught little two-player experience knife fight of a strategy game.Read More$28 at AmazonLooking for more deals? Check out all of Polygon’s favorite October Prime Day 2024 deals right here, and subscribe to our newsletter below to get great deals delivered to your inbox every week.
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Bonjour, Baldur’s Gate 3’s getting a nice new hotfix for all platforms today, October 16, and as you’d expect for the first one to drop since Patch 7 brought mods to everyone, it’s got a lot of fixes that should help those who’re keen to – or have already – unleashed a big load (order) of stuff on their game.Judging by the numbers Larian’s put out, it seems that’s plenty of people too, so it’s a good thing that the studio’s been quick to fix stuff that might impede us all giving Lae’zel a mohawk, finding dodgy ways to mess with Gale, and actually downloading a useful mod once in a while.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings “Hotfix 28 addresses a few crashes and blockers, integrates a handful of gameplay bug fixes, and resolves some issues with the Mod …
Read moreGeforce Now is great. It’s a game streaming service that actually works. Amazing. Game Pass is great. It’s a game subscription service that offers an awful lot of choice, including many day one-release games, and a lot of those games are playable on Nvidia’s streaming platform. What could make this union better, you ask? It’s all about how you log in.While the two services combine brilliantly to let you play Game Pass games almost anywhere you have a good internet connection, there has been a problem: you have to log into your Microsoft account to play the games. “Big deal,” I am sure many of you are huffing to yourselves. “This guy doesn’t even know he’s born,” etc. Well, I do (sadly it was over 40 years ago now), and also, playing Game Pass games on a device that doesn’t have a keyboard …
Read moreWish you could play Goat Simulator 3 on the go? I’ve got great news, as it was announced during today’s Nintendo Direct that the comedy sim is coming to Switch.As always, no, you didn’t miss Goat Simulator 2, as 3 is actually 2, because there is no 2. Simple, right? Not really, but what is simple is that the game is finally coming to Nintendo Switch digitally later today, as confirmed during today’s Nintendo Direct. An exact time hasn’t been confirmed as of yet, so if you’re desperate to cause havoc as a goat and other animals in a not quite sim game, you’ll just need to keep your eyes peeled. For those that prefer physical releases, you’ll be able to pick this one up sometime in November, though again, an exact release date wasn’t confirmed.Goat Simulator 3 – Launch Trailer – …
Read moreMassive Entertainment has decided to offer up its stance on the ‘who shot first, Han or Greedo’ debate in Star Wars Outlaws and has quickly proven itself wrong.Pretty much every Star Wars fan under the sun has a take on whether Han or Greedo shot first in A New Hope. It’s an argument as old as time, and there is a correct answer if you like good storytelling, though creator George Lucas, ever the fan of retcons and alterations, did make it so that later versions of the film saw Greedo shoot first. In the very original, before Lucas made his wholly unnecessary changes, Han Solo shoots first, which is important because he’s not meant to be a hero yet, and allows him to go on a character arc (storytelling, a novel concept). But Massive Entertainment has decided to go with what is technically …
Read moreOh dear, players have been continuing to give the devs behind Once Human their feedback for season 2, and apparently it’s been “quite demoralising.”Once Human hasn’t exactly had the smoothest of starts for a live-service game, with players not being the happiest about those seasonal resets, as well as some frustrating server queue times, but that just comes with the territory sometimes in the field. However, it seems like the game’s second season hasn’t gone down all that well with players, with Starry Studio responding to complaints on Once Human’s Discord server (thanks, Eurogamer). In a statement, the developer explained, “Since the start of Season 2, we’ve received a lot of feedback.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings “Some of it has been quite de…
Read moreGreat news for all you Concord players out there, official merch is now avialable for sale or pre-order. Listed on the US version of the PlayStation Gear store, you can pick up a Concord mug, t-shirt, hoodie or beanie to show your love for Sony’s hottest live service release. If they’re anything like the game, they’ll be flying off the shelves, so buy ’em while you can.As we all know, Concord is one of the more interesting games to be released in recent memory. The hero-shooter was released and promptly shut down about two weeks later. It was pulling in only a few hundred players on Steam on launch day, with those figures dropping down below the three digit mark around its death. Still, nothing screams high fashion like irony-rich clothing.To see this content please enable targeting cookie…
Read moreStop me if you’ve heard this before. There’s a game that’s so not old even dickheads in their early to mid twenties like me clearly remember it coming out and being able to buy it without necessarily having to beg our parents, and it’s seemingly getting a remaster.This time, the game is Horizon Zero Dawn, with an ESRB listing looking to have leaked that PlayStation and Guerilla Games are set to release a thing that only came out in 2017 and to PC in 2020 again. Why? No idea, but this does come not long after the reveal of that not at all expensive PS5 Pro.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings As of writing, the listing is still up, and it suggests that Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered – something that’s previously been rumoured to be coming – will be arrivi…
Read moreNot long after Larian released its official modding toolkit for Baldur’s Gate 3, it took next to no time for modders to find out how to unlock extra functions that’ve helped get the ball rolling on the likes of custom maps and possibly full custom campaigns further down the line. Using a modified version of those official tools, one modder’s now put together what looks to be one of the game’s first fully-custom quests.To my knowledge this isn’t the first attempt at adding a quest to BG3, with Family Legacy being a pre-modding example that accomplishes its goal using notes and some unique items, but it does appear to be one of – if not the first – to make use of both the custom location creation and in-depth tweaking of NPCs/quest mechanics that these new tools can make possible. To see thi…
Read moreHelldivers 2’s most recent patch helped trigger a nice turnaround in player feeling towards the game, as well as an uptick in player numbers. As you might expect, this been a boon for Arrowhead’s devs, with one saying morale at the studio has been “much, much better” lately.Previously, Arrowhead CCO Johan Pilestedt had described the difficulties of keeping the spirit at the studio positive while it was facing criticism from players over the direction it had gone with its changes to the game, writing: “It’s a tricky situation. The criticism is valid, but it causes low morale, and low morale causes slow development speed. Talk about negative spiral.”To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings Thankfully things sound much rosier in a recent response Arrowhead co…
Read moreVoltron is formed again. Amazon MGM Studios has locked down the starring role for its upcoming live-action Voltron movie with a young newcomer named Daniel Quinn-Toye.The Hollywood Reporter shared the news, also stating the big-budget project will begin shooting this fall in Australia.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings Though Quinn-Toye has no film credits so far, he’s appeared on television, getting credits on BBC Three’s Badults and one episode of Starz’s Outlander. Apparently, it was his stage work that landed the 21-year-old the role. He’s attended London’s Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts as well as the Dance School of Scotland, and was the main understudy to Tom Holland “in the West End production of Romeo & Juliet.” With that production,…
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