What other fun ways are there to bring your family together during a night in, if not board games? As much as board games can be fun and exciting, they can be monotonous as well, especially when you do not have enough variations to spice it up. This is where the role of board game subscription boxes comes into play. These subscription boxes deliver a new set of games to your house every month, starting from escape rooms to murder mysteries, they have it all for you!
So, in our review article, we have tried to shortlist some of the best board game subscription boxes that the market has to offer for you to enjoy your game nights to the fullest with your friends and family. Be it the classic tabletop games or other modern role-playing games these boxes will never fail to surprise you. So, let us dive right in to find out all about them.
Quick Comparison Between The 16 Best Board Game Subscriptions
| Brand Name | Shipment | Price (month to month payment) | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finders Seekers by Escape Room Game | Within the U.S. & Canada | $30.00 | A |
| Escape the Crate | Worldwide | $29.99 | A+ |
| Dungeon Crate | Worldwide | $35.95 | A+ |
| Pre-Owned Board Game Club by Board Games and Things | Worldwide | $39.99 | B |
| Awesome Pack Subscription Box | Within the U.S. & Canada | $39.99 | A |
| Madmen & Heroes Subscription Box | Within the U.S. & Canada | $29.50 | A |
| Roll for Treasure | Worldwide | $29.99 | A |
| Sleuth Kings | Within the U.S. | $14.95-29.95 | A+ |
| UnboxBoardom | Within the U.S. | $29.99-31.99 | A |
| RPG Crate Subscription | Worldwide | $117.89-33.89 | B |
| The Deadbolt Mystery Society Monthly Box | Within the U.S. & Canada | $24.99 | A+ |
| The Conundrum Box | Worldwide | $25.00-26.83 | A+ |
| Wizkids Games Crates | Within the U.S. & some selected countries | $19.99 | B |
| The Better Box by Game Night Gear | Worldwide | $30.00 | B |
| Red Star Vintage | Within the U.S. only | $12.00-25.00 | B |
| Manofmany Board Game Subscription | Worldwide | $25.00 | B |
1. Finders Seekers by Escape Room Game
Price/month: Monthly subscription is $30.00
Shipment: Available only in the United States and Canada
Shipping Fee: Free US shipping and shipping fee for Canada is $5.95
About the box: With this subscription, you will get the opportunity to explore a new city or a new culture every month through solving puzzles and cracking cryptic codes with an exciting escape room challenge. You will land at a special location for each ‘Find’ where you will get to explore a new local tradition. This game is especially targeted at those who love mystery and is a travel fanatic. Children above 10 years and adults will have a good time solving these puzzles.
The box comes with a new adventure that you need to solve, and what could be more thrilling for the puzzle-solvers out there. You can also seek help from their Facebook group community in case you get stuck with a particular clue. The estimated time to solve per puzzle is around 2-4 hours, depending on your efficiency.
Finder Seekers offer you 4 different payment plans to choose from – month to month, 3 months prepay, 6 months prepay, and 12 month prepay. The advantage of going for prepaid options over month-to-month is that you get to save some extra bucks with those plans.
You can subscribe to these for getting on an adventure yourself, or you can send one of these to a friend or a family as a gift. In case you want to send this as a gift, you will be given the chance to attach a customized PDF note along with it which you can email or print, whichever way you want. The boxes are shipped on the 23rd of every month so, be sure to subscribe to it before that.
You will be under no obligation with the subscription as you still will have the freedom to cancel or skip months as per your convenience.
2. Escape the Crate
Price: Bi-monthly subscription is $29.99
Shipment: Worldwide shipment from the United States
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies for both domestic and international shipping according to the location and weight of the box.
About the box: The subscription box offered by the Escape the Crate is a bi-monthly one, meaning that you will receive one of these adventurous games every two months. The games are designed in a way that you will be left in an escape room where all the members playing shall work together to crack the codes and solve the riddles to accomplish a common goal. This may seem tricky at first, but you will get a hold of it after you have played it a few times. Moreover, they have two free online games that you can play as a trial before you order your box.
The boxes do not come with an age bar as anyone who enjoys solving riddles and conquering puzzles can play this game. However, they are designed for players with ages 10 and up but children younger than that have enjoyed the game with assistance from the adults. Their games do not come with any graphic violence, but they have scary themes like murder mysteries or mythological monsters that you need to fight to level up.
The standard number of participants to play this game is between 2 to 4 but can also be played with 6 members, the more the merrier. The average time to complete the game is about 1-2 hours. Over this game hour, you and your family will get to bond and are guaranteed a good time. The box comes with a cipher, letter and sleuthing tools, puzzles, and every other item you need to unlock the codes.
The game requires the Internet as you need to enter the codes to check whether you are on the right track or not. You can reset the game as per their instructions in case you have misinterpreted the hints and can start over. However, you can play this game only once as it will be exactly the same next time but do not worry because you will be surprised with a new adventure every alternating month. Once you have solved a certain adventure, it will be retired, and a new adventure will be on your way, but if you wish, you can reorder your retired ones again too.
The domestic shipping is done via the USPS, and the shipping cost for international shipping is a bit higher compared to the domestic ones. Moreover, they do not take the responsibility of the customs taxes or duties, and it is you who have to bear it.
They, too offer, you 4 different payment plans, but as it is a bi-monthly subscription, the plans are- 2 months, 4 months prepay, 6 months prepay, and 12 months prepay. With the 4 months prepay, you will be paying for the first 2 games sent every 2 months, and 6 months prepay and 12 months prepay, you will be sent 3 games and 6 games every two months, respectively.
3. Dungeon Crate
Price: Monthly subscription is $35.95
Shipment: Worldwide shipment from the United States
Shipping Fee: Free US Shipping, but an international shipping fee is charged at the time of checkout depending on the location
About the box: Dungeon Crate offers you a new adventurous roleplaying experience curated by the team members and delivered to your doorstep every month. This subscription is ideal for players who are fans of role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, and Pathfinder.
If you wish to become a member, the last date for subscription is the 4th of each month as the boxes are shipped out on the third week of every month. The box includes a monthly code, which you can wish to get access to exclusive digital downloads. Not only that, the box comes with premium struck metal fantasy coins, tabletop terrain, an insert card to use in game-play, buttons, pins, patches, dice, the adventures themselves, and many more that you require to complete your adventure.
There is so much more for the members as they can receive up to 10% off for every online order. They ship both domestically and internationally, but they only cover the charges for domestic shipments. For international shipments, the customer has to bear all the customs duties and taxes.
They have four payment plans for you for ensuring your convenience- month to month, which automatically renews on the 25th of each month, three-month prepay, which renews on the 25th of the 3rd month, and the six-months prepay, which renews on the 25th of the 3rd month, and 12 months-prepay.
4. Pre-Owned Board Game Club by Board Games and Things
Price: Monthly subscription is $39.99
Shipment: Worldwide shipment from the United States
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies as per the location of the shipment and will be shown at the time of checkout.
About the box: This subscription box guarantees that you will love what they send you as the box includes a ready to play complete gaming kit. You will receive at least two games in this subscription box and do not have to worry about any repetition as they will send you a new set of games every month.
Moreover, they send out all their shipments by the 5th of every month so all domestic residents will receive their mail by the 10th. The subscription renews on its own every month, so you do not have to go through the trouble of manually re-bill or update your order every month.
The box includes games that are family and children friendly and the games cover a wide range of options. They include the thematic movie “The BabySitters Club” “The Office” “Indiana Jones” and not only that, different types of monopoly games, craftsmanship games, and many more.
5. Awesome Pack Subscription Box
Price: Monthly subscription is $39.99
Shipment: Shipment to the United States and Canada
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies for both domestic and international shipping according to the location and weight of the box.
About the box: The subscription box by Awesome Pack is curated, picking only the best items so that you get to enjoy truly an “awesome” time. The experts working for Awesome Pack go through research and reports to ensure that you get the best of the games delivered to your doorstep every month. The subscription is available in two options-
- Family Awesome Pack- This base package includes 6 to 8 handpicked items for your whole family to enjoy together. The items include family games and activities that will keep your family occupied for hours, and you are guaranteed a good time. This pack also comes with some extras that are specially designed for children. This pack is targeted at adults and children, aged 15 or younger.
- Big Kid Awesome Pack- This one is particularly designed for adults who enjoy board games. This box includes 4 to 6 items designed keeping the adults in mind and have games that are of higher quality. The box comes with whole games, some mini-games, and other goodies as a bonus.
Your first order will be billed on the signup date, and the subsequent boxes will be billed on the 1st of every month. The boxes however are shipped out during the last two weeks of the month, and an email will notify you with your dedicated tracking number as soon as the shipments are sent out.
One of the unique features of this subscription box is that it has something for everyone, and when we say everyone, we also mean your pets. The box includes a special treat for your pets so that they do not feel left out. Not only that, but they allow you to subscribe to more than one box at one time, you just need a different email address to place multiple orders.
The issue with this one may be that it is a surprise both so, you do not get to customize the box your way. However, Awesome Pack takes full responsibility for sending you games that are fit for any family dynamic and does not cross any lines.
6. Madmen & Heroes Subscription Box
Price: Monthly subscription is $29.50
Shipment: Shipment to the United States and Canada
Shipping Fee: Flat rate of $5 inside the United States and $15 for Canada
About the box: Madmen & Heroes gives you the luxury to choose one of the two storylines that best fits your preference so that you can enjoy a wonderful time at home with your family. The two options that are offered to you are-
- The CRAAAFT- This subscription is based on folklore from all around the world, like Native American water spirits and Tibetan hungry ghosts. This box can be enjoyed by a group or you can go solo as well. This box is shipped on the second week of the month, so the cut off for this one is on the first day of each month.
- The Resystance- This one is more realistic and is based on real-life stories of resistance movements drawn from history like the American Civil War and Suffragettes. This too can be played both alone or in groups and is shipped out on the last week of every month. The cut off for ordering this is on the 21st of each month.
Both the subscriptions come with a new adventure every month and automatically renews. Once you crack the puzzle and solve the mystery, you will be able to unfold a new story. Also, the puzzles are not related to one month and are not, in any way, related to that of another month, so you can subscribe or cancel any time without any commitment.
In addition to the tools included in the box, you are required to have access to the Internet as you need to perform some online activities. For the payment procedure, they offer you three different plans- month to month, 3 months prepaid, and 6 months prepaid, whichever works out the best for you. However, you will get to save some more bucks if you go for the prepaid plans.
7. Roll for Treasure
Price: Monthly subscription is $29.99
Shipment: Worldwide shipment from Portugal
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies for both domestic and international shipping according to the location and weight of the box.
About the box: Roll for Treasure is a monthly subscription that is targeted at the pen and paper role-playing game fanatics. The box includes all the supporting tools starting from dice to miniatures that are required to complete the amazing adventures every month.
While other subscription boxes do not have enough dice, you do not have to face this problem with this one as this box includes a different set of dice for you and all your friends/family. Not only that, but the box also comes with a huge variety of miniatures every month as well and when we talk about miniatures, we do not mean just the monster miniatures. The box also includes chests, crates, tables, altars, doors, and all kinds of furniture you can think of to give a more realistic touch to the game. In addition to these, the box is also accompanied by a premium quality map that will assist you through the adventure.
The boxes are shipped out between the 1st and 4th of each month so if you wish to get the current box delivered to your house soon, then pace your order before that. You will be notified with an e-mail with your dedicated tracking number as soon as your boxes will be shipped out.
Roll for Treasure also offers you 4 different payment plans- month to month, 3 months prepay, 6 months prepay and 12 months prepay. You can choose the plan that you find convenient.
8. Sleuth Kings
Price: Master Detective is $29.95/month, and the Rookie Detective is $14.95/month.
Shipment: Shipment only inside the United States
Shipping Fee: Free US Shipping for the Master Detective Cases, but a shipping fee of $4.95 is required for Rookie Detective Cases.
About the Box: Sleuth Kings offers a monthly mystery box that is delivered to your door with new case files accompanied by other evidence, clues, and puzzles every month. While solving the physical cases, you will get the chance to work with their Lead Detective, Sullivan King via emails to crack them more easily.
You can choose from two of their mystery boxes, depending on what type of detective you are. The options are-
- Master Detective- This box comes with stand-alone mysteries regarding a criminal group, which you can solve with the help of the lead detective, Sullivan King. The criminal group is composed of monsters like self-proclaimed monsters and vampires who conduct illegal activities like selling drugs and abducting people. This one is a complete Monster Madness. The standard time taken to solve the cases is around 2-3 hours, and you will be rewarded once you have solved the case.
- Rookie Detective- This subscription box comes with cases that are based on an independent time traveler, Brian Knight, who together with the Sullivan King will save the future. The game starts with finding a lost dog, and as you move forward, you get to unlock some secret missions.
The two subscription boxes come with 4 cases each and are shipped out within the 4th of each month. The cut-off for subscription is the last day of the month, and the subscriptions will auto-renew on the 10th of each month. However, your subscription will come to an end after 4 months.
The subscription boxes are ideal for any party or even date nights, and Sleuth Kings guarantee a good time. The cases can be cracked in a group of a maximum of 4 people, or you could play it solo as well.
9. UnboxBoardom
Price: Gaming Guru subscription is $29.99/month, Casual Gamer subscription is $30.99/bi-monthly, and Board Game Beginner is $31.99/quarterly
Shipment: Shipment only inside the United States (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico)
Shipping Fee: Flat rate of $5 for shipping to any location inside the United States
About the box: The UnboxBoardom board game subscription will keep you busy in a fun-filled setup with your friends and family by bringing the best of the best games to your home every month. With this subscription, you do not have to worry about receiving games that are boring or too difficult to understand. The games range from family games to strategy games to even party games! Even though this subscription does not come with an age label, but it
can ideally be enjoyed by people above 8.
UnboxBoardom offers you three different subscription offers to choose from-
- Gaming Guru- This is a monthly subscription box, and you will receive a new box full of games every month.
- Casual Gamer- With this subscription, you will receive a new game box every alternate month, meaning that you will receive 6 such boxes in a year.
- Board Game Beginner- With this subscription, you will receive a new box every 3 months, meaning that you will receive 4 such boxes in a year.
We love this subscription box because you have the freedom to choose your games and customize the box as per your wish. This way, you will not receive a game that you do not want. However, if you are confused about which one to pick, they have you covered. You can trust their expert to customize it on your behalf so that you receive a mystery box every month.
The feature that makes this board game subscription unique is that UnboxBoardom donates a game for every 10 new subscribers to the kids who cannot afford their own games. The benefit of subscribing to this box is that you get to save a lot of bucks as the retail value of the game box is around $30-$40. The boxes are shipped out on the 15th of each month so if you desire to receive the current box, be careful to place your order by the end of each month.
10. RPG Crate Subscription
Price: RPGCrate Light is at $17.89/month and Game Master Crate is at $33.89
Shipment: Worldwide shipment
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies for both domestic and international shipping according to the location and weight of the box.
About the box: RPG Crate is a monthly subscription to exciting tabletop roleplaying games. With this subscription, a box full of everything you need to start an amazing campaign will be delivered to you. RPG Crate too gives you the freedom to choose from two different subscriptions-
- RPG Crate Light: This box comes with things that are compatible with the 5th edition and include 3 adventure cards, a MonsterLore card, a DungeonLore card, a Recipe for Adventure card and an Initiative Tracker.
- Game Master Crate: The box is, however, a complete package for the RPG fanatics as this includes everything from the RPG Crate Light edition and many more. As a bonus the box will include a T-shirt, a full-sized module and at least (there can be more) extra goody such as a miniature or a set of dice.
They send out their shipments at the end of each month, and re-billing is done on the first of each month. So, if you wish to receive your box within the current month, you need to place your order before the 20th of the running month but, if you place it after the 20th, then you will receive your box next month.
11. The Deadbolt Mystery Society Monthly Box
Price: Monthly subscription is $24.99
Shipment: Shipment only inside the United States and Canada
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies as per the location of the shipment and will be shown at the time of checkout.
About the box: Deadbolt Mystery Society offers you a new stand-alone case file every month delivered to your doorstep with all the necessary tools that you might require to solve the mystery. The box comes with interesting scenarios, intriguing characters, and other compelling storylines for you to enjoy with your friends and family. The games each month are independent and are not interconnected with games of that of other months. You have the freedom to start and pause any time you desire as you do not require to solve other boxes.
To play these games and solve the mysteries, you would require the Internet to scan a QR code through your smart device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop) for the online components to give life to the stories. Even though the games do not come with an age bar but they are suggested for children above 13+ and are family-friendly. The boxes can be completed in both groups of up to 4 people, or you could enjoy it all alone by yourself, and the average time to solve the case is around 2-3 hours. Moreover, online hints are available on their site to help you at times when you get stuck.
You have the luxury to choose from 4 different payment plans - month-to-month, 3 monthly, 6 monthly, and yearly. Your box will be shipped out within the first week after you have signed in. The subscription auto-renews on the 11th of every month, and you can cancel or pause your subscription whenever you desire, no questions asked. In addition to these, if your box contains any damaged piece then you are more than welcomed to contact them and place your complaint. They will complementarity replace your item, however, they will not remain responsible for any missing pieces once delivered.
12. The Conundrum Box
Price: Monthly subscription to The Conundrum Box is $25.00, and the bi-monthly subscription to The Conundrum Box LIGHT is $26.83
Shipment: Worldwide shipment from the United States
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies as per the location of the shipment and will be shown at the time of checkout.
About the box: The conundrum box includes an adventurous box game filled with puzzles, clues, ciphers, and other narratives that help to bring the game to life. Most of their adventures are interlinked and take place in a series. You would have to solve some boxes to reach a climax and end the series of adventures. This option, however, has both certain advantages as well as disadvantages. The advantages being that you will stay hooked to completing your advantage and will not skip the subscription until you have got to the end. On the other hand, the downside of this may be that you would not be able to pause or end your subscription anytime you want, as it would leave you stranded in the middle.
Even though they claim that the games are related by a larger overall narrative and you can start with any box whenever you like, we thought this would be an issue for some of the players out there. Each month, a new box will be delivered to your doorstep filled with puzzles and other tools for you to crack these cases even smoothly.
Moreover, they have two subscription options to choose from- The Conundrum Box, which is delivered every month, and The Conundrum Box Light, which is on a bi-monthly basis, which means you will receive one such box every two months. They also offer 4 different payment plans for your convenience- month-to-month, 3 months prepay, 6 months prepay, and 12 months prepay. The advantage of choosing the prepaid plans over the month-to-month is that you get to save some extra cash.
They ship all their domestic products through the USPS first class which takes about 3-5 business days to deliver your products to your homes in the following month after you have subscribed to the subscription. They also ship internationally, but the subscription does not cover the customs duties or fee, and they need to be borne by the recipient.
The game can be enjoyed both alone as well as with your friends and family, and the game is not replayable. However, you can dismantle it as per instructions provided inside the box for playing it over again but the elements of the game will remain unchanged. Even though the box comes complete in its own way, you would still need an internet-connected device to solve the puzzle. The average time to complete each game is around 1.5 – 3 hours, and the difficulty level of the games is fit for children above 12 years.
13. Wizkids Games Crates
Price: Bi-monthly subscription is $19.99
Shipment: Shipment inside the United States and some selected countries
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies as per the location of the shipment and will be shown at the time of checkout.
About the box: This subscription box gives a break to your screen time and allows you to engage in an exciting game night with your family with amazing tabletop games. The box is a bi-monthly subscription box that delivers 3 WizKids tabletop games to your doorstep every two months. The advantage of the subscription box is that you get to save money in this way as the retail value of the box itself is over $50.
The box includes items ranging from card games, mini-games, strategy games, and so many more. The ship both domestically as well as internationally to some selected countries, which include- Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and many other countries around the world. You will receive your mail every alternate month between the 10th and 20th.14. The Better Box by Game Night Gear
Price: Monthly subscription is $30.00
Shipment: Worldwide shipment
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies as per the location of the shipment and will be calculated at the time of checkout.
About the box: Game Night Gear offers you a monthly subscription to board games/card games for you to enjoy a fun game night with your family or friends indoors. The box includes at least 1 board game and could surprise you with more each month. The first billing is done after you have signed in and placed your order and will renew on its own on the 1st of every month. However, if you place your order on the 15th or after the 15th of every month, you will receive your box in the following month. For domestic orders, the standard shipping time is about 2 business days after your first cleared payment. Night Game Gear does not take responsibility for any shipping charges applied to the box, and it is the recipients who have to bear these charges. The subscription box is a good bang for your buck as you will get a box worth $40 at a much lesser price.15. Red Star Vintage
Price: Monthly subscription of Handmade Dice Mystery Box is $12.00, Vintage Jigsaw Puzzle Box is $25.00, and Vintage Board Games Box is $25.00
Shipment: Shipment only inside the United States
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies as per the location of the shipment and will be shown at the time of checkout.
About the box: Regardless of you being an actual gamer or a puzzler, this subscription box has got it all covered for you as it offers you a different mystery box, including both games and puzzles. All the games included inside the box are vintage themed, and you will not miss any item as they are all personally checked and then shipped out to ensure your satisfaction. The box will also be accompanied by amazing handmade items that you will need to solve the mysteries.
Your boxes will be shipped out between the 1st and 4th of each month through the USPS Priority Mail, and the standard shipping time is between 1 to 3 days, depending on your ordering location. In addition to these, you get to pick your subscription box from three options –
- Handmade Dice Mystery Box- This box is specially crafted with 2-5 handmade dice of various styles both in terms of size and shapes that will be sent to your doorstep every month. This is usually included inside their Vintage Games Box but can be ordered as a separate subscription box as well. This mystery box is also followed by a free pouch for storing the dice.
- Vintage Jigsaw Puzzle Box- This is mainly targeted at the players who enjoy puzzles over other games. This box will be a good addition to your puzzle collection as the puzzle features an extremely good quality. The paper used in the puzzle is thicker and stronger compared to other ordinary ones available in the market. This box will include 1 set of puzzles, each having more than 500 pieces. All the puzzles are vintage themed, and some may be gently used but do not worry about missing any piece as their teams carefully pack them to prevent any loss.
- Vintage Board Games Box- This one, however, is for those who seek board games over solving puzzles. This box comes with two randomly selected games by them, and they will make sure not to send the games twice. As this is also vintage themed, some games you receive may be slightly used.
The games do not come with any age bar and can be enjoyed by anyone. The subscriptions are automatically renewed and will be re-billed on the 11th of each month, so you do not have to manually go through the trouble of updating your subscription every month.
16. Manofmany Board Game Subscription
Price: Monthly subscription is $25.00
Shipment: Worldwide shipment
Shipping Fee: The shipping fee varies as per the location of the shipment and will be calculated at the time of checkout.
About the box: To bring an end to your monotonous life, Manofmany board game subscription offers you a new box of games every month delivered to your doorstep. This box includes all the classic board games that you have grown up playing, starting from monopoly to chess to many more. These games are family-friendly and can be enjoyed by both adults as well as children at home.
With this subscription, you get to choose from their multiple payment plans- month-to-month, 3 months prepay, 6 months prepay, or yearly prepay. The advantage of choosing the latter options is that you get a further discount on those plans. The boxes are offered to you by Subscription Boxes Global who is not only providing board game subscriptions but has a lot to offer to start from brick building boxes, puzzle boxes, Japanese candy boxes, lingerie boxes, to sock boxes.
The End Game
And that is all from our end. We have tried our best to bring out the core features of the best board game subscriptions of these monthly/bi-monthly subscription offers, along with their prices and availability in our review article. We sincerely hope we could introduce you to the one that you can use to host a fun-filled family game night and enjoy to your heart’s content.