These are the actually good board games with big Prime Day deals, chosen by T3's board games nerd

(Image credit: Amazon)

By Matthew Bolton Last updated 2021-06-22T06:50:55Z

In among all the glitzy gadgets and slightly less glitzy home essentials filling out our list of the best Prime Day deals are some excellent deals on really fun modern board games. These include some cheap board games that are ideal for beginners who want something light, as well as more complicated stuff for those who like numbers and strategy.

Back to the Future board game | RRP: £24.99 | Now: £15 | Save £9.99 (40%)
Pandemic board game | RRP: £32.59 | Now: £24.95 |Save: £7.64 (23%)
Jaws board game | RRP: £24.99 | Now: £15 | Save £9.99 (40%)
Exploding Kittens card game | RRP: £19.99 | Now: £11.99 | Save: £8 (40%)
Century: Spice Road board game | RRP: £34.99 | Now: £20.77 | Save: £14.22 (41%)
Star Wars Armada: Core Set miniatures game | RRP: £79.99 | Now: £59.78 | Save: £20.21 (25%)
Patchwork Express board game | RRP: £20.99 | Now: £13 | Save: £7.99 (38%)

As we talk about in our guide to the best board games, tabletop games have become more and more popular over the last few years. Partly because the new wave of games are much more fun and less frustrating than what's come before, and partly because people are increasingly looking for ways to have fun and hang out in real life, instead of only speaking over smartphones.

That last bit is more relevant at this time than any other, so as we start to be able to spend more time with friends and family, why not take along a game to play together? These are the offers we've picked out on Amazon as really being worthwhile, and we'll explain what they all are just below.

The best board game deals on Prime Day

Our top pick!

Back to the Future board game | RRP: £24.99 | Now: £15 | Save £9.99 (40%) at Amazon UK
This is a really clever cooperative game that is slathered in cool BTTF nostalgia. You play as versions of Doc and Marty from different time periods, all working together to return artefacts that have been scattered around the timeline by old Biff, while trying to prevent paradoxes. You can even travel back in time in order to help the future version of yourself with things you haven't done yet. Look, our full Back to the Future review explains it all – it's actually pretty easy to play. And for this price, is a stone-cold bargain of a good time.View Deal

Pandemic board game | RRP: £32.59 | Now: £24.95 |Save: £7.64 (23%) at Amazon UK
A game for our times, indeed. In this, you're all working together to stop outbreaks of four diseases. You each have a unique special power, and between you, you'll suppress outbreaks of the diseases and collect the resources you need to create cures. Well, hopefully. The problem is, more disease appears between every single player's turn, so you need to balance careful planning with urgent triage. This is a true modern classic, there are expansions available to add more variety and fun even if you play it to death.View Deal

Jaws board game | RRP: £24.99 | Now: £15 | Save £9.99 (40%) at Amazon UK
This is a game that pits one player (as the shark) against other other players (as Brody, Quint and Hooper) in a clever game that's split over two halves. In the first half, the shark moves secretly around Amity Island, munching swimmers. The other three work together to hunt it down. Once the shark is located, you flip the entire board to reveal a boat, and the crew attempts to kill the shark, while the shark player tries to sink them. How well the shark does in the first half informs how dangerous it is in the second meaning strategy is needed on both sides.View Deal

Exploding Kittens card game | RRP: £19.99 | Now: £11.99 | Save: £8 (40%) at Amazon UK
Like Russian Roulette mixed with Uno, this is a game of trying to avoid drawing the Exploding Kitten card with will make you lose. You can play special powers to make other people draw the Exploding Kitten (you hope), you can hold a card that will actually defuse the kitten in question if you do draw it. It's a fast and simple game, and is great fun for everyone, alarming name notwithstanding.View Deal

Century: Spice Road board game | RRP: £34.99 | Now: £20.77 | Save: £14.22 (41%) at Amazon UK
A classic bit of 'easy to learn, hard to master', this is a game of gaining resources so that you can buy the things you need to gain better resources so that you can gain the points you need to win, and all faster than your opponents, hopefully. It's a lovely gentle game of trading spices, where you're in an upward spiral the whole time, always building on what you're able to do. View Deal

Star Wars Armada: Core Set miniatures game | RRP: £79.99 | Now: £59.78 | Save: £20.21 (25%) at Amazon UK
Ever wanted to recreate the Battle of Endor? Of course you have. That's exactly what this game is for: big tactical spaceship fights between two players. One player will be the Empire, controlling a Star Destroyer and squadrons of TIE Fighters. The other controls Rebel ships. It's a really clever game where your commands don't happen immediately – the larger your ship, the more turns any order takes to happen. A Star Destroyer is a dangerous brute, but is slow to react; a Blockade Runner is slight but can respond more quickly; and those annoying little fighter squadrons can really ruin your huge ship's day. This set has everything you need to get started, but there are many more ships you can buy as add-on packs to expand your fleets in cool new ways.View Deal

Patchwork Express board game | RRP: £20.99 | Now: £13 | Save: £7.99 (38%) at Amazon UK
This is fast and small game for two players that's design to be accessible for kids and still rich enough for adults. You're competing head to head to create the nicest quilt, using shaped tiles. Can you fill in all the gaps on yours, with buttons in the most pleasing places? You'll get more points if you do. It's nice when a game rewards doing something as satisfying as making everything look neat on a board.View Deal