Best Puzzle and Game Gifts for Every Budget

The great thing about puzzles and board games is that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a great gift. In fact, you can get some fabulous gifts for well under $20, and still get great Ravensburger quality. 

Of course, that’s not to say you can’t spend more, and get some incredible gifts. You just don’t have to. 

When you’re choosing a puzzle or a game for someone, there are two things you need to consider. First, what will they love? And second, what is your budget? 

Puzzles and games both make great gifts, but the right choice depends on who you’re buying for. So how do you know which they’ll enjoy most? 

When to give a puzzle as a gift

Think about the person you’re buying a gift for. Do they:

• Enjoy quiet activities they can do on their own? 
• Like to work through things methodically, at their own pace?
• Appreciate art, or particular styles or themes?
• Enjoy hands-on activities?
• Like something they can return to over multiple sessions?

If you can answer yes to most of these questions, then a puzzle could well be the perfect gift. Of course you’ll need to work out which puzzle is best for them. To find out more, check out our article on the best puzzle gifts for adults. 

When to give a board game as a gift

If a puzzle doesn’t sound quite right, or they simply love playing with other people, a board game might be a better choice. Do they:

• Like hanging out with friends and family?
• Host or go to game nights? 
• Enjoy competitive or cooperative play?
• Like something they can play over and over?
• Have a partner, family group or group of friends they regularly play with?

If you can answer yes to most of these questions then a board game might be the perfect choice. Whether you’re looking for one of the best family board games, or one of the best board games for adults, there are plenty of options to choose from. 

Board game or puzzle?

So, now you have a better idea whether you should be shopping for a puzzle gift or a board game gift. Now, let’s narrow down your choice by how much you want to spend. 

Sometimes, smaller gifts are the hardest to buy. It can be really tricky to find something that feels special for just a few bucks. We’re talking things like stocking stuffers, Secret Santa, add-on gifts, that kind of thing. 

But if you spend a little time searching for just the right thing, even a smaller budget can still buy something thoughtful and fun. 

So, what puzzles and games can you get for under $20 from Ravensburger? 

Puzzle gifts under $20

For under $20, you can get a whole range of adult puzzles, with up to 500 pieces. Now, that might not seem as impressive as some of the higher piece count puzzles, but for most adults it’ll still be enough of a challenge to keep them busy for an evening or two, at the very least. 

There are hundreds of designs to choose from, so you’re sure to find something for the person you’re buying for. And if you’re buying for a seasoned puzzler, and you’re concerned they might find it too easy, look for something with big areas of flat color or pattern. That will make it much trickier for them. 

Or, you could pick something from our championship puzzles range, so they can challenge themselves against the pros. 

If you want something a bit simpler, you can find some super puzzles with around 300 pieces for under $20. That includes puzzles for older kids with 300 XL pieces, which are designed to be easier to slot together. 

Then, there are lots of puzzles for kids, from chunky puzzles with just a few pieces that are perfect for two-year-olds right up to 500-piece jigsaws for older kids. You can even choose from all their favorite licenses, like Bluey, Disney and Minecraft. 

For something a little different, you could even choose one of our 3D puzzles. There are puzzle balls, puzzle characters and even puzzles that build into a desk organizer - and all for under $20. 

Game gifts under $20

Of course it’s not all about puzzles - there are plenty of game options under $20, too, including gifts for seasoned gamers, and ones for newbies too. 

If you’re buying a gift for someone who’s already a fan of a particular game - like Villainous or Lorcana - then there are lots of accessories and add-ons you can choose for them, all well under $20. From Lorcana playmats and starter decks to Villainous expansions there’s bound to be something for fans of the games. 

But that only works if they’re already a fan of one of those games, and not everyone is. But don’t worry - there are plenty more games to choose from. 

If you’re buying for an adult, who’ll be playing in an adult group, you could try our strategy series, Echoes. It’s an audio-based mystery game that you solve with your friends. That does mean it’s a one-and-done game though - once you know how to solve the mystery, there’s not much challenge left. 

For someone who’ll be playing with a mixed-ability family group, you’ve a bit more choice. There are family-friendly versions of the classic Labyrinth, and awesome original games like Oh My Pigeons and  That’s Not a Hat. 

Then there are kids’ games. If you want card matching or memory games there are plenty to choose from. There are kid-specific versions of Labyrinth (including favorite licenses like Gabby’s Dollhouse), 3-in-1 game collections and even original games like Minecraft Explorers and Stitch Fruit Mission. 

That takes care of the stocking stuffers. But what if you have a little more to spend? Well you’re in luck, because there is a huge amount of choice in both puzzles and games for under $40 (with a lot coming in at under $30, too). 

So much choice means you need to be smart with your selection. You don’t want to spend 40 bucks on something that’s not quite right for someone, after all. 

So let’s have a look at what’s available under $40. 

Game gifts from $20 to $40

Upping your budget to $40 really opens up your game gift options. You can get the base packs for games like Villainous, and Horrified, not to mention a whole range of starter decks and accessories for Lorcana. Horrified is a great cooperative game, perfect for when you have seasoned gamers playing with beginners, while Villainous is a great asymmetrical competitive game. That means each character has their own rules and goals, so no two games are the same. And Lorcana is a fabulous introduction to the world of trading card games. There are different licensed versions of Labyrinth (plus the original), too. 

There are plenty of original games, in different styles priced at under $40, too. ThinkFun maze games like Gravity Maze, Laser Maze and Domino Maze are fabulous gifts for kids aged 8 and up, developing their STEM skills as well as being fantastic fun. 

Some of our classic standalone strategy games come in at less than $40, too. Mycelia is a great deck-building strategy game that’s suitable for kids aged 9 and above - but has enough depth to be fun for adults too. So it makes a great game gift if you’ll be playing as a family. 

If the person you’re gifting for is more adventurous, how about the Lord of the Rings Adventure Book? It’s a cooperative strategy game where you play through Frodo’s story from the Shire to Mordor, chapter by chapter. That makes it great for quick sessions - or for an epic all-in-one playthrough. 

If you need a bigger gift for someone, with a more substantial budget, there are still plenty of options. Maybe it’s a main present for a puzzle fan, or for a keen gamer. 

Because you’re looking at larger gifts here, there’s a bit less choice. But that doesn’t make it easier to choose - you’re spending a lot of money, so you want to make sure you get a gift that will get lots of use. 

Let’s see what puzzle and game gifts you can get between $40 and $100. 

Best puzzle gifts between $40 and $100

Once you’re spending more than $40, you’re mostly looking at big, complicated puzzles with 2,000, 3,000 or even 4,000 pieces. These are likely to be a challenge even for seasoned puzzlers, and whoever you’re buying for will need plenty of space too. 4,000 piece puzzles run pretty big. 

If you want something that’s manageable by most adults - and even older children - but you still want that premium feel, you could gift a wooden jigsaw puzzle. For less than $50, you can get a 500-piece wooden puzzle that will still be a challenge, but much less than a puzzle with many thousands of pieces. 

There’s also a great range of 3D puzzles to choose from, and they’re all under $60 - most of them are under $50. If you’re buying for a science-lover there are 3D puzzle ball versions of the solar system and Earth. Or if you need something for a travel fan, how about 3D puzzles of famous buildings with their own lights - making them the perfect display pieces. 

Best game gifts between $40 and $100

For under $50, you can get some of our most classic games, like Puerto Rico 1897 and the legendary Castles of Burgundy. They’re fantastic gifts for adults who will be playing in groups with friends or family, with lots of replay value. Or, for less than $60, there’s The Druids of Edora. 

If you need a gift for a younger gamer, then ThinkFun games like Laser Maze Junior or Laser Chess are good options. They’re designed to encourage spatial awareness and strategic thinking; they’re great fun - and they have lasers! 

Or for creative kids, you can get some pretty incredible GraviTrax sets for less than a hundred bucks. There are starter sets with more than enough pieces to get them started, or extension sets with lots of cool pieces to expand an existing collection. 

Now we’re into the big leagues. Spending more than 100 bucks on a gift is a serious proposition, so you need to be sure you get it right.

Because this is specialist territory, there’s less choice. Not everyone has the time or space for a humongous puzzle or special edition game. But for those who do, and who love to puzzle or game, a more specialist gift could be exactly what you’re looking for

Best puzzle gifts over $100

Puzzles that cost over $100 are gifts for the keenest, most enthusiastic puzzlers. We’re talking a minimum of 5,000 pieces here, which is a serious investment of time as well as money. They’ll need plenty of space too - a completed 9,000 piece puzzle will measure a massive 192 x 138 cm! 

And you can go even bigger than that. 18,000 piece puzzles will tax even the most experienced puzzler, and for the ultimate challenge, how about an enormous 40,320 piece puzzle? Yes, you read that right - you can buy a puzzle with over forty thousand pieces. Two, in fact. At over seven hundred dollars though, they’ll need to be a gift for someone really special.