A real board game deal is a price below what the game usually sells for, not below the number printed in a strikethrough. Most “40% off” tags compare against the list price, which few stores charge. To spot a real deal, check the street price, look up the price history, and ask whether you will play the game enough to make any price worth it.
Every November the internet fills with red tags and countdown clocks. Some of those deals are the best prices of the year. Many are ordinary prices dressed up. A few minutes of checking tells you which is which.
The quick answer: compare the sale price to the street price, not the list price. Check a tracker such as Board Game Oracle or BoardGamePrices for hobby games, or camelcamelcamel for Amazon listings. Then run the cost per play math before you click buy.
What is the difference between list price and street price?
List price is the price a publisher suggests. You will also see it called MSRP, or “manufacturer’s suggested retail price.” It is the number on the publisher’s website and often the number in the strikethrough.
Street price is what the game actually sells for at most stores most of the time. For popular board games in the US, street price often sits well under list price, because big online retailers discount year round.
That gap is where fake discounts live. A store can show a list price, cross it out, and show the normal street price as a sale. The math on the tag is true. The deal is not.
Here is an illustration with made-up numbers:
| Price type | Example | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| List price | $60 | What the publisher suggests |
| Typical street price | $42 | What most stores charge most weeks |
| “Sale” price | $42, “30% off” | No deal at all |
| Real sale price | $33 | About 20% under street, a real deal |
The “30% off” tag and the real deal can look almost the same on a product page. Only the street price tells them apart.
Is “compared to” pricing a red flag?
Often. Be careful with labels like “compare at,” “was,” “regular price,” or “value.”
US rules on this are old but clear. The Federal Trade Commission’s Guides Against Deceptive Pricing say a former price used in a comparison should be one the item was actually sold at in the ordinary course of business for a reasonable length of time. A price that existed for a day so a “sale” could follow does not count. Retailers do not always meet that bar, so trust your own check over the tag.
A few signs a discount is padded:
- The “was” price is higher than the list price. That is a number nobody ever paid.
- The sale never ends. A game that has been “on sale” every time you looked is just priced there.
- The discount is huge on a small game. A $15 card game at 50% off from an invented $30 is still a $15 card game.
- The seller is unfamiliar. Third-party marketplace sellers can set any reference price they like.
Which tools show board game price history?
You do not have to guess at the street price. A few free tools do the work.
Board Game Oracle compares prices across US retailers and flags games at their 30-day or 52-week low. That badge is the fastest way to see if today’s price is unusual. It also covers several other countries.
BoardGamePrices compares prices across many stores, lets you choose your country of delivery, and shows the best price including shipping. It updates daily and lists recent price drops.
camelcamelcamel tracks Amazon prices over time and draws a chart of each listing’s history. Paste in a game’s Amazon link and you can see whether the “deal” price shows up every few weeks anyway. You can also set an alert for the price you want to pay.
Use one or two of these together. A price comparison site tells you what the game costs elsewhere today. A history chart tells you whether today is special.
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Are bundles a good deal?
Sometimes. A bundle is a real deal only if you would have bought every item in it.
Bundles show up as a base game with an expansion, a game plus sleeves or a playmat, or a “complete” crowdfunding pledge with every add-on. The bundle price is usually lower than buying each piece alone. But if you would only have bought the base game, the bundle costs you more.
Ask three questions:
- Would I buy each piece on its own? If not, price the bundle against only the parts you want.
- Do I need the expansion yet? Many expansions are best after a group has played the base game a dozen times. Buy it then.
- Is the “bonus” just storage or sleeves? Accessories can be nice, but they are rarely why a game gets played.
If you are weighing a crowdfunded pledge, our guide to the Kickstarter question walks through what you are really paying for.
How do reprints and new editions change prices?
Popular games go out of stock, and when they do, prices jump. Resellers list the last copies at two or three times the list price. Then a reprint arrives, and the price drops back to normal.
Before paying a premium for a hard-to-find game, search the publisher’s site and news for a reprint. If one is announced, waiting a few weeks can save a lot.
New editions work the opposite way. When a publisher releases an updated edition of a game, stores often clear the old one at a discount. The older edition may have different art, a different box, or small rule changes, but in many cases the game plays almost the same. Check what changed. If it is mostly cosmetic, the old edition can be the best deal of the season.
Watch for the reverse trap too. A listing may use the new edition’s photos and title while shipping an older printing. Read the product details, and check the edition or year if it matters to you.
What about used games?
Used games can be the deepest discount of all, often well below any new price. They also carry risks: missing pieces, worn cards, or a seller who overprices a common game because it says “rare” in the listing.
Our full guide on how to buy used board games covers what to check, how to count components, and where to look.
How does cost per play decide a deal?
The cheapest box is not always the best buy. Cost per play is the price divided by plays, players, and hours, and it changes how a sale looks.
A $60 game your group plays every month for two years is a far better buy than a $20 game that gets played once. If a sale tempts you toward a game you were not planning to buy, it is not a saving. It is a new cost, and it may end up on the shelf of shame.
Before any purchase, ask:
- Who will I play this with? Name the people.
- How often? Be honest about real game nights, not ideal ones.
- Do we already own something like it? A second deck-builder rarely beats playing the first one more.
If the answer is a clear group and a clear plan, a good price on that game is a real deal. If not, even 60% off is money spent.
When should you not buy at all?
Some of the best deal advice is to walk away.
- When you are buying because of the timer. Countdown clocks exist to stop you from checking. Check anyway.
- When the game is already cheap. Our list of board games under $20 shows how much fun costs very little at full price. A small discount on a small game is not worth a rushed choice.
- When it is a gift you are unsure of. A gift receipt and a well-chosen game at full price beat a bargain the person will never open.
- When you could borrow it first. A friend’s copy, a library, or a game cafe lets you try before you own.
And remember the local game store. Its price may be a few dollars higher than the lowest online listing, but the staff can tell you whether the game fits your group, and many stores run events where you can play it first.
For which games actually drop each year and which never do, see our guide to Black Friday board game deals.
A good deal is a good game, at a fair price, that gets played with people you like. The game is the reason. The people are the point.
FAQ
How do I know if a board game sale is real?
Compare the sale price to the street price, not the list price. A tracker like Board Game Oracle or camelcamelcamel shows whether today’s price is lower than usual.
Is MSRP the real price of a board game?
Not usually. MSRP is the publisher’s suggested price, and many stores sell popular games below it most of the year.
Are board game bundles worth it?
Only if you would have bought every item in the bundle anyway. Otherwise, compare against the price of just the parts you want.
When should I wait for a reprint?
When a popular game is out of stock and resellers are asking well above list price. Check the publisher’s news first, since a reprint usually brings the price back to normal.
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