Once in a while, beloved board games come out with an anniversary or special editions that are just jaw dropping.
From high quality tokens, to stunning and improved illustrations, these versions of board games are highly coveted.
And, although these anniversary editions are usually more expensive than the originals, some board games include bonus features or expansions giving you extra value.
So, whether you’re a novice or hard-core board game enthusiast, below are 5 anniversary and special edition board games you may want to consider getting [for yourself, or from Santa!].
Article Contents:
- Ticket to Ride · 35 – 60 mins · 2 to 5 player
- Clue · 15 – 60 mins · 3 to 5 player
- Monopoly · 60 – 180 mins · 2 to 8 player
- Scrabble · 40 – 60 mins · 2 to 4 player
- Catan · 60 – 90 mins · 2 to 5 player
Interest in high-end board games? Check out these Luxury Edition Board Games.
Gameplay: 35 to 60 minutes
Players: 2 to 5
Transportability: Low
Difficulty to Learn: Medium
Setup Time: 10 minutes
Expansions: Yes
Special Edition Price: $75 – $100
If you enjoy playing Ticket to Ride, the 10th anniversary edition is a fantastic step-up in terms of quality. The game pieces are bigger and far more detailed, and you play on a much nicer map of North America.
If you’ve never played Ticket to Ride, it’s a fun 2 to 5 player board game that even novice tabletop players can learn quickly.
The game dynamics include a fair bit of luck, which means even clueless gamers might still get lucky and win. However, with enough strategy and thought, you should be able to win more often than not.
Special Contents
So, what’s new or different about the Ticket to Ride special 10th anniversary edition?
- Oversized game box with new cover design and graphics.
- New illustrations on map of North America.
- New illustrations on train cards.
- Custom trains cars with unique paint scheme that makes them look like mini toy trains.
- There’s even a custom “circus” train with two giraffe sticking out – the detail is wonderful!
- 5 tin train storage boxes.
In my opinion, don’t waste your money on the recent 15th anniversary edition.
- The trains cars are translucent and the cards are miniaturized which makes them incompatible with the expansions.
But, as far as “newer” board games go, the special 10th anniversary edition of Ticket to Ride is truly a must-have and takes the gaming experience to a whole new level.
Looking for the complete rules to play Ticket to Ride? Check them out here.
Gameplay: 15 to 60 minutes
Players: 3 to 6
Transportability: Low
Difficulty to Learn: Medium
Setup Time: 5 minutes
Expansions: Yes
Special Edition Price: $75 – $85
The original murder mystery board game that we’ve all come to know and love, Clue, turned 50 back in 1998. And to mark that “golden” milestone, a special 50th anniversary edition was released.
In this classic whodunit board game, the first player to correctly deduce the who, what and where wins!
Not so surprisingly, playing Clue helps to develop your logic, critical thinking and deduction skills, which are super important in everyday life. It’s fun for a wide range of ages, from young adults to seniors.
Special Contents
So, what’s “golden” about the special 50th anniversary edition? [Hint: It might have something to do with gold…]
- Metal tin deluxe edition box.
- Game board with gold-colored foil accents and numbering.
- Gold-toned weapons tin.
- Metal sculpted suspects and weapons.
- New anniversary edition weapon – “poison”.
The high quality board and pieces are far more robust than in those found in previous generations. Also, instead of cardboard, the metal box should help keep the game looking (and feeling) new for years!
So, if you like true crimes or murder mysteries, the Clue 50th anniversary edition is a fantastic board game and worth the extra cost.
Looking for the complete rules to play Clue? Check them out here.
Gameplay: 60 to 180 minutes
Players: 2 to 8
Transportability: Low
Difficulty to Learn: Medium
Setup Time: 5 minutes
Expansions: No
Special Edition Price: $100 – $150
Monopoly is as classic a board game as they come. Everything from the board to the money, and especially the tokens, are iconic.
It has stood up to the test of time to be both beloved and reviled by board gamers young and old. And, in 1995, it celebrated its 60th year!
Personally, I enjoy playing Monopoly… with the right people, of course! The goal is to snatch up properties, make the most income, and force all the other players to go bankrupt.
But winning isn’t all about luck. It’s highly reliant on your negotiating skills, and knowing when to buy, sell, mortgage or trade.
Yes, sometimes it does take a virtual eternity to play Monopoly. And, yes, some relationships can get permanently affected after playing. But at the end of the day, it’s just a game, and just because you lost all of your properties after a bad few rolls doesn’t mean you should hold a grudge forever.
Special Contents
So, what’s special about the 60th anniversary edition?
- Redesigned game board, money, title deed cards, and chance and community cards.
- Illustrations and fonts designed for nostalgia and from the 1930’s.
- “Antique” bronze finished tokens.
- Dice cup designed to look like Rich Uncle Pennybags’ top hat.
- Bankers tray to hold all the money built into the box.
- Wooden houses and hotels.
- Large, high quality box to hold everything inside.
Since 1995, various other commemorative editions of monopoly have come out. But, the 60th anniversary edition still holds strong.
It has that “classic” board game feel which makes the version timeless and highly coveted.
Looking for the complete rules to play Monopoly? Check them out here.
Gameplay: 40 to 60 minutes
Players: 2 to 4
Transportability: Low
Difficulty to Learn: Low
Setup Time: 4 minutes
Expansions: No
Price: $100 – $150
My tenacity for vocabulary is absolutely a catastrophe. However, my spouse’s vast diction makes her conviction to Scrabble truly a board game addiction.
Well, that’s enough rhyming for now…
From formal spelling bees in elementary school to contentious debates with friends over the correct spelling of doughnut, Scrabble has been a part of all our lives in some way, shape and form.
The classic board game, with its square letters, little letter trays and iconic board, has amused young and old for generations.
Yes, a vast vocabulary is definitely an asset when playing Scrabble. However, structuring words on the board and capitalizing on the letter or word multipliers is how you can really gain points and win.
Since the game dynamics are so simple, the only way to enhance the gaming experience is by playing on a truly great version of the board.
Special Contents
Here’s why the 50th anniversary edition is better than the rest:
- Board is built on a turn-table base to rotate freely.
- Raised grid on board to hold each letter in place.
- Embroidered letter pouch.
- 100 wooden letters.
- Electronic timer.
For some reason, the 50th anniversary collector’s edition is truly a gem. I find that the newer versions of Scrabble look too modern so the board game looses its charm and is less likely to be played.
Looking for the complete rules to play Scrabble? Check them out here.
Gameplay: 60 to 90 minutes
Players: 2 to 5
Transportability: Low
Difficulty to Learn: Medium
Setup Time: 10 minutes
Expansions: Yes
Special Edition Price: Unknown
Catan is one of the few games that’s universally adored by board game enthusiasts. It’s got all the right elements that make it fun for families and friends, young and old.
Typically, the board for Catan is built using hexagonal pieces, each depicting a specific resource printed on the surface.
However, many gamers have created their own custom Catan hexagonal pieces. These custom, 3D pieces add so much depth to the gaming experience (literally).
So, for their 10th anniversary, the publisher decided to release a special version with three-dimensional, hand painted hexagonal pieces!
Special Contents
Here’s everything that’s unique about the Catan 10th anniversary edition:
- 19 three-dimensional, hand painted terrain tiles made from heavy-duty resin.
- Game border is also made from interlocking tiles.
- Merchant marker, barbarian ship and robbers made from resin and hand painted.
- Number markers are made from clear plastics disks.
- Wooden chest with slots to house all pieces and components of the game.
Because the 10th anniversary edition was a limited production, only 5,000 of these board games exist.
For your average gamer, it’s probably not worth the time, effort and money. The standard version of Catan is far more budget conscious.
But, if you do get a hold of a 10th anniversary special edition version of Catan… never let it go!
Looking for the complete rules to play Catan? Check them out here.
What anniversary edition board games do you covet? Let me know your favourites in the comments below!
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