Games lovers! Please tell me your favourite board games

[Laugs]

I want to buy someone (male, 30, American, clever) a board game for Christmas, but he's very into games so I'm hoping to find one that
a) is amazing
b) he's never heard of

Any ideas please?!

perudo is fun (but needs a fairly merry group to be at it's best)

tantrix can be quite challanging, or just a fun game.

Thanks ChasingSquirrels, will look at them both.

Forgot to say it is for a Secret Santa, so I am hoping to spend around £20. (It can obviously be less and I'll get something else, but not really more)

massive list of board games on wiki here

Risk
Settlers of Catan

(he's probably heard of them, or got them!)

another list

Articulate is amazing fun

We like Khet - but I bought it in the States as it was cheaper over there than here - so he may already have heard of it.

PS a few years agao it was $40

My current favourites are - Pillars of the Earth and Pandemic

www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/24480

www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/30549

Dominion www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/36218 won the spiel des jahres this year and is dh's favourite

Thanks so much for all these suggestions! I know he likes Settlers of Catan, so I guess that suggests more strategy-type games.

Do you know whether he has the add ons to Settlers - Cities and Knights or alternatively Seafarers - they are more likely to be in your price bracket

I don't know, but I'll find out, thanks.

Also, I just looked on that www.boardgamegeek.com site and there's a list of people's most wanted Christmas presents too.

If he likes Settlers, does he have the Seafarers expansion pack?

Or he might like some of the Cheapass games (easier to get in your budget). I love the Big Idea as a fun Christmas game that plays well with game lovers and general family too.

San Juan is a card based game spun off from Puerto Rico that plays really well with two, which is nice for those of us who don't always have extra game players on tap (though DD is coming on fast!).

Another really fab game that I reckon anyone would like is Galaxy Trucker, but I must admit that I'm a sucker for the nice bits & pieces and not-too-serious Hitchhikers Guide feel instructions.

Ah, and if you're struggling to come in under £20, this chap here has a good choice 2nd hand (friend of mine, but his games selection is excellent).

Just thought, Carcassonne is another good game that would fit your price range.

Also Articulate

Thanks all!

I have been very lazy and made a list of all your recommendations in the right price range and emailed them to his wife to see if they have them. Not really in the spirit of Secret Santa, but I am 39 weeks pregnant, so I'm going to let myself off.

Dominion it is!