Luxury Gift Ideas for Board Game Lovers

What's a good luxury gift for a board game lover?

The best luxury gifts for board game lovers are the classics made in heirloom materials: a chess set, a backgammon board, a set of dominoes or a deck of fine playing cards. These games never go out of date, they're played by every generation, and in shagreen, velvet, walnut or Fortuny fabric they're handsome enough to leave out on a coffee table between games. Below are seven we carry, from $365 to $3,150.

What makes a board game a luxury gift

Most gift guides for board game lovers list the newest strategy game or a set of storage boxes. Those are great gifts for someone who plays every weekend. A luxury game is something different: it's the set that lives in the room.

Three things separate an heirloom game from a game you buy at a toy store:

• It's a classic. Chess, backgammon, dominoes and cards have been played for centuries. Nobody tires of them, and nobody needs to learn new rules every year.
• It's made to be seen. The case is the decor. A good set looks finished on a shelf, a console or a coffee table when nobody's playing.
• It's made to last. Wood, brass, velvet and fabric-wrapped boxes age well. Cardboard doesn't.

From the shop: The game sets we sell are rarely bought for serious players. They're bought for the person who has a beautiful living room and a family that still plays cards after dinner.

Match the game to the person

Start with how they play, not what they own.

Will it fit? Sizes nobody else lists

The one thing every other guide skips is size. A luxury game is meant to stay out, so it has to fit where it'll live.

The Fortuny backgammon is the smart pick for an apartment: it closes down to the size of a large book.

Seven luxury game sets, from $365

Under $1,000

L'OBJET

Fortuny Playing Cards, Set of 2 Decks

$365.00

Two decks illustrated with original Fortuny designs, each figure dressed in a pattern from the Venetian textile house's archive, with gold hot-stamped accents. They come in a fabric-wrapped wooden box sized for a shelf or a bar cart. The easiest gift here: everyone plays cards.

L'OBJET

Fortuny Dominoes Set

$750.00

Handcrafted walnut dominoes with brass detailing and diamond-shaped dots, in a suede-lined box wrapped in Fortuny fabric. Dominoes work for two players or a table of four, which makes this the best pick for a family.

$2,000 to $3,000

L'OBJET

Fortuny Backgammon, Laotze/Oxblood Spice

$2,400.00

A wood veneer board wrapped in Fortuny's Laotze pattern in deep oxblood. It folds to about 12 by 9 inches and comes in a luxury gift box.

L'OBJET

Fortuny Backgammon, Camo Isole/Military Green

$2,400.00

The same board in a more modern Fortuny camouflage print in military green. The right choice for someone whose taste runs contemporary.

L'OBJET

Luxury Chess Set

$2,600.00

Sculptural, hand-finished pieces made as much for display as for play. A chess set that reads as an object on a table.

AERIN

Velvet Chess Set, Moss

$2,950.00

Moss green Italian velvet with brass-detailed rounded corners, walnut and oak pieces, and a removable burlwood board. At 16 inches square, it sits neatly on a coffee table.

The statement piece

AERIN

Chocolate Shagreen Backgammon Set with Dice

$3,150.00

Chocolate embossed shagreen outside, an inlaid burlwood board inside, brass hardware and a suede lining. Shagreen recalls the textured stingray skin used on fine cases since the 18th century. This is the set that stays on the coffee table permanently.

From the shop: If someone asks us for one game gift and has no idea where to start, we point them to backgammon. It's quick to learn, it's played by two, and a closed backgammon board is one of the best-looking objects you can put on a table.

Caring for a luxury game set

• Fabric-wrapped boxes and boards (the L'Objet Fortuny pieces): dust with a soft, dry cloth. Keep drinks off them; fabric stains.
• Velvet: brush gently in one direction and keep it out of direct sun, which fades the color.
• Shagreen and wood: wipe with a soft dry cloth. Avoid water and household cleaners.
• Brass details: they'll warm and darken slightly with handling. That patina is part of the appeal.

From the shop: The sets that age best are the ones that get played. Use them.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good luxury gift for someone who loves board games?

A classic game in heirloom materials: chess, backgammon, dominoes or fine playing cards. They're played by everyone and handsome enough to display.

What is the best board game for a couple?

Backgammon or chess. Both are played by two people, and a backgammon game takes about 15 to 30 minutes.

What luxury game gift is under $1,000?

The L'Objet Fortuny Playing Cards ($365) and the L'Objet Fortuny Dominoes Set ($750).

Is backgammon hard to learn?

No. The rules take about an evening to learn, though the strategy keeps people playing for years.

Do these come gift-wrapped?

The L'Objet pieces arrive in a luxury gift box.

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