Classic Board Games: Deluxe and Bookshelf Editions to Give

The best classic board games to give are the ones the family already knows: Scrabble for word lovers, Clue for groups of up to six, Risk for long strategy nights, and Candy Land for children as young as 3. For a gift that feels special, choose a deluxe or bookshelf edition of a game they already play.

What to check before buying a classic game as a gift

Classic games come in dozens of editions, from travel tins to wooden display sets. Three details matter more than the artwork.

The age on the box. Hasbro rates the current Candy Land for ages 3 and up and Risk for ages 10 and up. Scrabble, Monopoly and Clue editions usually say 8 and up.

The player count. Hasbro’s current Clue plays 2 to 6, though older editions start at three. Scrabble tops out at four. Yahtzee stretches to ten, so it is the easy pick for big gatherings.

The edition. Themed and junior versions change the rules and the board. If the recipient loves the original, look for the word “classic,” “deluxe” or “vintage” in the listing and read the contents list.

Classic board games at a glance

Facts come from Wikipedia’s articles on each game and from Hasbro product pages where noted.

Scrabble: the word game for 2 to 4 players

Alfred Mosher Butts created the game in 1931 as Criss-Crosswords. In 1948, James Brunot acquired the rights and renamed it Scrabble. An English set has 100 tiles, including two blanks.

One buying note: Hasbro makes Scrabble in the United States and Canada, and Mattel makes it everywhere else. A Mattel box from an overseas seller is still the real game, but the listing may use UK spelling.

The Scrabble Deluxe Edition

Hasbro’s Scrabble Deluxe Edition (item A8769) is the classic upgrade gift. Its wheeled gameboard turns to face each player, and a non-slip grid keeps tiles in place. The box includes 100 wooden letter tiles, four tile racks, a plush drawstring bag and a carry case. It is rated for 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up.

Monopoly: a game with roots in 1903

Monopoly traces back to 1903, when Lizzie Magie created The Landlord’s Game; she patented it in 1904. Parker Brothers began marketing Monopoly on November 5, 1935. Hasbro acquired Parker Brothers, and with it Monopoly, in 1991.

Hasbro has released many themed editions since. For someone who wants the game they grew up with, a vintage-style or bookshelf edition keeps the classic board.

Clue, also sold as Cluedo

Anthony E. Pratt, a British designer, created the game, and Waddingtons first made it in the UK in 1949. North America knows it as Clue. The standard edition has six suspects, six weapons and nine rooms, and players work out who did it, where and with what.

Hasbro lists its current edition (F6420) at 2 to 6 players, ages 8 and up, while Wikipedia gives three to six for earlier editions. With more suspects in play, it suits a family of four or a holiday gathering best.

Risk: world conquest for teens and adults

French film director Albert Lamorisse invented Risk, first released in France in 1957 as La Conquête du Monde. Parker Brothers bought it and released it in 1959. The board has 42 territories grouped into six continents.

The current Hasbro edition is for 2 to 5 players, ages 10 and up. It includes 300 figures, 12 Secret Missions and five cardboard crates for storing the armies. Older editions list up to six players, so check which one you are buying.

Sorry!, Yahtzee and Candy Land for mixed ages

Sorry! is based on the older game Ludo. William Henry Storey of Southend-on-Sea registered it as a UK trademark in 1929, and Parker Brothers adopted it in 1934. It is marketed for two to four players, ages 6 and up.

Yahtzee uses five dice and gives each player up to three rolls per turn. Edwin S. Lowe first marketed it under that name in 1956. It takes 2 to 10 players, so it works at almost any family table.

Candy Land was designed by Eleanor Abbott in 1948 and first published by Milton Bradley in 1949. It needs no reading and very little counting. Hasbro’s 2021 edition uses a spinner and is rated for 2 to 4 players, ages 3 and up. For more ideas at this age, see our guide to board games for kids by age.

Bookshelf and deluxe editions: which ones exist?

A deluxe or display edition turns a familiar game into a keepsake. These are the lines we could confirm from the makers’ own pages.

WS Game Company Vintage Bookshelf. Each game sits in a fabric-wrapped case shaped like a book, with vintage-inspired graphics. The line lists 26 titles, including Monopoly, Scrabble, Clue, Risk, Sorry!, Yahtzee, Candy Land, Boggle and Trivial Pursuit, plus junior versions of Monopoly, Scrabble and Clue.

The WS Classics 3-Pack. This set bundles Monopoly (2 to 6 players), Scrabble (2 to 4) and Clue (3 to 6), each rated ages 8 and up. The package measures about 10.6 by 8.3 by 7.6 inches, so it is a medium-size box to wrap.

Other WS lines. The company also lists Deluxe Wood, Luxury Edition, Travel Games and Large Format collections. Contents vary by title, so read each listing for the materials.

Hasbro Scrabble Deluxe. Covered above: the turntable board and wooden tiles make it the most practical upgrade for regular players.

Classic games or modern family games?

Every classic on this page was first published decades before the Spiel des Jahres, Germany’s game of the year award, was first given in 1979.

If the family has worn out Monopoly and Sorry!, a modern award winner can feel familiar and fresh at once. Qwirkle, a tile-matching game, won the Spiel des Jahres in 2011. Our guide to Spiel des Jahres winners explains what the award means for gift buyers, and our best family board games roundup mixes classics with newer picks.

How to buy a classic game safely on eBay

Classic games are easy to find, which also means many listings are used or incomplete. The slot on this page shows new, fixed-price listings only.

1. Read the contents list. Deluxe editions differ from standard ones, and the listing should say what is in the box.
2. Check the edition year for Risk and Clue, since player counts changed between versions.
3. For imported Scrabble, expect a Mattel box and possibly UK spelling in the rules.
4. Look at the seller’s recent feedback and return policy before you buy a gift.

Not sure which game suits the person you are shopping for? Try the board game gift finder, or go back to our main board game gifts guide.