Starting out in this hobby can be daunting, where do you start? Well, from experience it can be easy to buy the big games that look awesome and be stuck with a collection of games that require high player counts and are very heavy mechanically. It's also a rather expensive hobby and once again from experience I know how easy it is to spend a lot of money and end up with very few playable games.
When I started out in this hobby, I went big and went hard, I spent £200 on Elden Ring: The Board game and couldn’t grasp the mechanics and justify the time to set up until nearly a year later. So, I’d like to assist you in getting the most bang for your buck on our website when either starting your boardgame or even if you are looking for some great games to add to your collection.
For a good game collection, you need a variety of mechanics, genres, and player counts. You also need longevity, so campaign games are a staple for consistency and investment. If you’re going to spend a good chunk of your hard-earned cash on a game, then you want to get your money's worth and to keep coming back to that game for more.
The criteria – I have focused my list on games that are currently on offer on our Zatu Games Winter Sale. The five games are based on player count and one final game that would make a good centerpiece for a collection. I wanted to set the budget at £100 but in 2026, that’s not going to get you all five categories, so we’re going for a budget of £150.
So, let’s get started.
· Solo - Final Girl Core Box + Final Girl: Panic at Station 2891
First off, we are starting with Final Girl which comes as the core box, containing all the standard rules and components for the game but no content. This game requires addition “Feature Film” boxes which contain a kill, two heroes and a map with all the required components for that feature.
All the features are based/inspired by horror and sci-fi media (Movies and TV). You can get anything from a Freddy Krueger inspired feature to a Xenomorph one. For the “Feature Film” for this list to accompany the core box I have chosen Panic at Station 2891 which is inspired by my favorite movie The Thing.
Final Girl is a solo only game that has you building your deck, rescuing victims and facing off against a killer. You may not win them all, but you will love it regardless of outcome. What is truly impressive about the Final Girl platform is that all killers, heroes, and locations are interchangeable. If you fancy are a fan of The Black Phone 2 for instance you could use the snowy location of Station 2891 and combine it with Dr. Fright from Frightmare On Maple Lane and create your own campaign inspired by that film.
Final Girl is easy to learn and will teach you multiple mechanics you will use in other games as you build your collection.
· Two Player - Sky Team
Sky Team is a two-player only cooperative game where you and your fellow gamer play a pilot and co-pilot trying to land your plane safely. You take it in turns to place dice on your board which influences direction, brake force, thrust and flaps all without discussing what dice you’ve rolled or strategy. If one player places a high dice that the other can’t match in the direction space, then you will crash. If your speed is higher than your brake force as you land, you will crash. It’s extremely tense and can be very challenging, but it’s always fun.
You get quite a lot of game for your money with Sky Team as it comes with numerous flight paths and modifiers (Fuel leaks, wind etc.) straight out of the box. Work through the included flight log and see how much fun you can have trying not to crash your plane.
It’s not particularly difficult to learn or teach, so it is a great game to use as a gateway into the hobby.
· Three Player - Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a campaign dungeon crawler based on the Gloomhaven game. This version is more beginner focused, and as you progress with 1 to 4 players through each scenario, the difficulty will increase. Take your wannabe hero from an under-equipped novice to a badass warrior as you pillage and bludgeon your way through the campaign.
The game is cooperative but has a competitive streak as during each scenario players have secret goals to achieve and will gain experience by collecting gold.
Jaws of the Lion is a component heavy game at a pretty low price. It’s also a great steppingstone into the world of complex campaign RPG games like the aforementioned Gloomhaven. A genre that is very mechanic heavy and inaccessible to newcomers.
· Party - Codenames
Codenames is a word association game that is a bundle of hilarious fun in an affordable and mechanic light package. Made for two to eight players you split into two teams and nominate each team a spymaster, each spymaster then tries to guide their team on which words to choose from the grid by saying a one-word clue and the number of words associated with the word. The spy master can see the entire code and if their team chooses one of the other teams' words or a bystander tiles, their turn is over. If they choose the dreaded Assassin tile, then they lose the game.
The challenge comes in the skill of linking your words but not guiding your team to an incorrect guess. The more you play the better you will get, but your competency rests on the shoulders of your teammates and your ability to influence and communicate only using one word.
Codenames takes a minute or two to set up, and matches can last up to 30 minutes, so it's quick and easy, perfect for a night of drinking with friends.
You can also get numerous versions of the game like harry potter, Simpsons and even a picture one for younger players. There’s even Codenames Duet which is a two-player variant.
· Centerpiece - Star Wars: Battle of Hoth
Battle of Hoth is a campaign battle game made for two to four players. It has everything a “Centerpiece” game needs, quality miniatures, epic themes and a great tutorial of mechanics you can carry on to more complex games in the future.
The rule book is comprehensive but not overwhelming, and each scenario setup is well pictured, and as you progress through each scenario, more complex mechanics and difficulty will increase. There is also an “Epic Battle” mode if you have a friend who also has a copy of the game to combine with yours.
Battle of Hoth’s gameplay consists of rolling dice, drawing and playing cards, and building strategy. There are two campaigns to choose from depending on player count, and you and your friends will get to experience your very own Star Wars adventure. This game is perfect for novices and experienced gamers alike and is a perfect game for any Star Wars fan. The production values are also high with some great art design and stunning miniatures.
You can’t beat a large-scale battle; it looks epic and will no doubt impress your friends on a game night and at the end of the day that’s what you want on your table for a game night.
Conclusion.
Well, that’s the list. Falling under budget, you can get a variety of top-quality games that cover all player counts, multiple genres, progressing mechanics and the gateway to more complex and more expensive games going forward. So, make sure you visit the Zatu Games website and check out the Winter Sale before it ends and if you have any suggestions for games, list of your own or any recommendations for games. Please let us know in the comments.
