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About four years ago, I rediscovered my love for board games, and by rediscovered, I mean I went all in. What started as something I’d casually do at a friend’s house quickly turned into a full-fledged hobby (and obsession). Now, after years of building a collection and exploring this amazing world, I’ve come to realise that deluxe editions of board games are a thing.
But here’s the kicker, you don’t always need a deluxe version to have a great time. That said, some deluxe editions are so well-crafted, packed with extras, and downright shiny that they are absolutely worth the splurge.
We’ve pulled together some of our favourite deluxe games out there. From upgraded components to exclusive content and beautifully organised inserts, these are the editions that truly stand out.
Honeybuzz Deluxe Edition by Sophie Jones
Honeybuzz might not be the best deluxe edition out there, but it’s my favourite because it was the first one, I ever owned. Opening that box and seeing the swanky insert and upgraded components made me realise why deluxe editions can take a good game and make it great. Since then, I’ve started upgrading other games with custom inserts, improved components, and even metal coins.
Honeybuzz Deluxe holds a special place for me because it showed just how much a deluxe edition can enhance a game’s experience. If a game already has strong aesthetic appeal, like Honeybuzz, a deluxe edition takes it to the next level. Everything looks better, feels more tactile, and makes gameplay more enjoyable.
The Honeybuzz Deluxe box is slightly larger, with phenomenal storage, everything has its place. It even includes the base components, so if you’re hosting friends who are eating crisps, you can save your premium nectar from sticky fingers!
The upgraded components are adorable. The fuzzy beeples (bee meeples) add charm to the theme, while the resin pollen rucksacks and acrylic tiles elevate the game to something truly special. Playing Honeybuzz Deluxe is cosy, satisfying, and a treat for the senses.
Since then, I’ve upgraded Parks with a custom wooden insert, added metal coins to Kutna Hora, and swapped out pieces in Gnome Hollow. Next on my list is upgrading Wyrmspan, I need those wooden pieces!
Deluxe editions can be pricey, but if you love a game and spend a lot of time with it, upgrading the components can make the experience even better and help your game last longer. For me, Honeybuzz Deluxe started that journey, and I haven’t looked back!
51st State Ultimate Edition (Deluxe Edition Version) by Neil Parker
51st State was already one of my favourite games. An easy to learn and play game that’s always so varied in play, with a decent element of interaction between players. When the Ultimate Edition came out, I missed the Kickstarter but I subsequently managed to get most of the Kickstarter components anyway direct from Portal Games.
Whenever 51st State is suggested as an option for a games group I am highly likely to want to play and quite frankly the basic game is very good on its own if that’s all you have, but for me the added elements to the Ultimate Edition make it an even better game. Why? Well, the game comes with a bigger box, neat storage trays which hold all the cards in the various sets. This is useful as not all cards are used in any one game and adding to the variability of play, some optional rules can conveniently be added or excluded as desired. The Kickstarter extras I purchased included a ninth faction which fits nicely into the faction section and there is one tray for the resources which I didn’t upgrade as I’m quite satisfied with the little wooden tokens as they are, but I do have the upgraded faction markers as now I have wooden discs rather than card versions.
What makes a good deluxe or enhanced version? Well, it’s the experience of playing and using the components that answers that. I now have the neoprene playmat as whilst not actually needed, it enhances gameplay and makes it easier to use territory cards. In simple terms, I now have more options for play, nicer components and convenient storage. I’ve spent money I didn’t need to spend for a game that, although will likely get played if suggested, doesn’t often come up for a group option. But it’s one of those games I not only must have my own copy of, but I want an enhanced version, to enjoy it beyond the base game.
Everdell Complete Collection by Dan Street-Phillips
There have been few games in the last 10 years that have had the impact that Everdell has had. As well as really launching the art of Andrew Bosley, Starling Games, in only 7 years, have come out with a series of expansions, as well as three standalone spinoffs not to mention their mammoth, super deluxified ‘Everdell Complete Collection’ that came out in 2022.
As a lover of Everdell, and of all things shiny, I absolutely bought the Deluxe Edition. So not only does this set come with every expansion, it also comes with perhaps the most overly produced set of inserts and trays so that every little piece has a place to live. The iconic cardboard tree from thhe original is now a wooden structure and the coins are all replaced with beautiful metal money. The resources have stayed the same as they were gorgeous pieces of wood and rubber even when the game first originated but now there are a series of containers for them in shapes like row boats and tree stumps that can place beautifully on the game board when you play.
On top of this, for those who remember the base game, you had a series of wooden characters to choose from, whether a hedgehog or a turtle. Well now there are dozens of different meeples all with custom stickers and each with their own starting power module. Is this box too big and heavy to take anywhere other than your own shelf? Absolutely! But is it worth putting your back out to heave it down to play? Ever-y time!
Firefly 10th Anniversary Edition by Sam Smith
Ah, the delicious anticipation of a giant box slowly creaking open! A big box game is a wonderful thing, and there’s nothing more Shiny than Firefly: 10th Anniversary Edition. This whopping great box, styled as Janye Cobb’s trunk complete with printed stickers (and a set for you too) has absolutely everything from Gale Force Nine’s epic space game, and more besides.
On top of every expansion, it comes complete with extra organiser trays, so you can keep multiple sets of (clear and varied) tokens around the table (all vac-formed into the plastic), a set of beautifully painted starships, holo-foil versions of the main cast’s cards and the other Leaders. It also has the full, stitched, deluxe Whole Damn ‘Verse playmat, and large-scale, high gsm banknotes so the overall presence is staggering.
Each card set is individually packed and clearly sorted by set so you can stagger your experience or simply shuffle and dive right in. There’s a full set of scalable scenarios for versus, co-op or solo play, and not only scalable by DIFFICULTY but by TIME – yes, you might want to play an epic 5 hour, 8 player game, but you might just want to blast through skies with your crew for an hour or so before real life intrudes.
The game is actually incredibly simple: Build a Crew. Find a job. Keep flyin’. But within what seems to be a straightforward pick up and deliver you have the chance to gamble, negotiate, smuggle, trade, and save lives – all the while, totally immersed in the world of the show. That doesn’t mean its inaccessible to non-fans: its combination of Western and Sci-fi tropes mean you don’t need an exhaustive knowledge of Whedon’s world to enjoy it - merely that it adds to the texture.
You can get gussied up in your fancy duds and attend a shindig, or dodge the mysterious Blue Hands and save psykers – it’s all open to you. Of course, spend too long in open space, and you run the risk of drawing the attention of the Alliance – or worse. Reavers are a real and terrifying threat in the game, and if you run into them, you’re LUCKY if you just die. Get tight with various planetary officials, decide whether you’re going to take the moral high ground, be a mean old man, or play down and dirty, get ready to break atmo and soar like a leaf on the wind... and Stay Shiny!
Ticket To Ride Europe 15th Anniversary Edition by Steve Conoboy
The trains come in tins.
Sorry, getting ahead of myself. Okay, so this is special. It makes my heart skip just thinking about it. The board is a knockout. It’s a fair bit bigger than the original edition (to the point where my table weeps when TTR Europe comes out for a game). You’ll find yourself taking a bit of time to enjoy the beautiful artwork with all its intricate little details. It reminds me of an atlas I loved as a kid (yeah, weird kid, get over it).
But the best bit? The redesigned trains come in their own coloured tin. And each colour is unique. The red trains, for example, are mail delivery carriages, and the blue are transporting cars. I simply love placing them on the board. As the spaces fill up it becomes a wonderful thing to behold, an intricate world of connections, an illusion of easy travel and discovery. I have to ensure my trains all face the right way, mind. Can’t ruin the aesthetic.
This has become my prized possession. I don’t even ask board game newbies what they want to play. I just set this up. Twice it has resulted in family members buying TTRs of their own. And it’s a game my Other Half enjoys as well, which to me is priceless. Whatever you think of Ticket To Ride, that’s a win for the hobby. The more of us the merrier, right?
By the way, the trains come in tins.
The Castles of Burgundy Special Edition by Lorna F
As far as deluxe editions go, Castles of Burgundy goes a long way. Big in box, but also big in price point.
The deluxe edition ups the saturation on a brilliant strategy game and a Stephen Feld classic. The standard and new editions of this game have in the past been a little flimsy in component quality. Specifically, the player boards being a single sheet of thin card. Awaken Realms took this note and went too far the other way, throwing in every upgrade possible that they could without changing the gameplay.
In their new special edition, you get everything in the burgundy-coloured anniversary edition alongside a table hog of double layered player boards, metal coins, miniature castles, victory point miniatures, cloth bags, and the new “Vineyards” expansion. It's both satisfying and gimmicky. Do you need 4cm tall miniature castles in a hex laying game? Absolutely not. They are very cute though.
Vineyards gives you a small sideboard on which to grow grapes for extra bonus moves and multiplier scoring. In keeping with the other expansions in the box, it doesn't change the game substantially, but, if you are exceptionally lucky, has the potential to give you a three figure points boost.
You could question if this take on Castles of Burgundy is worth almost three times the price of the mass market standard and special editions. It was an obvious choice for me as it's one of my favourite games, and this version honours the original with bells and whistles. However, as with any deluxe version, check you like the original game before splurging on the metal and miniatures. The better component quality will shine through the more it is played.
Deluxe editions aren't always essential, but when done right, they can transform a game into a truly immersive experience. Whether it's the tactile joy of upgraded components, perfectly organised storage, or just the sheer excitement of unboxing something beautiful, there's something undeniably special about these editions.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to what brings you joy at the table. If deluxe editions spark that extra bit of excitement and enhance your game nights, they're absolutely worth the investment. So which game in your collection will be the first to get the deluxe treatment? Or is there one on the horizon ready to be unboxed? I know I have my eye on Honey Buzz Fall Flavours.
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