Best board games: Your ultimate guide to what to play this Christmas, from family fun to strategy games and puzzles - selected by our expert

There is a reason that Catan is still one of the most popular board games in the world, more than 30 years on from its release. This is an absolutely classic strategy game that should have a home in the collection of a discerning board game enthusiast.

The aim of the game is to spread your dominion over the island of Catan by building towns, amassing knights, and building impossibly long roads. The gameplay revolves around gathering resources (wood, brick, wheat, sheep, ore) by rolling a dice and using those to expand your empire. But with only so much space to go around, conflict and tense negotiations are inevitable.

The board itself is made of hexagonal tiles decorated with Catan's exceedingly nostalgic art. These can be arranged in a nearly inexhaustible variety of combinations so that no round is quite the same as the last.

The basic mechanics are simple, but what really makes Catan so fun is the way players are forced to interact. Will you make deals and trade resources with your fellow player? Or, will you pen your neighbours in a starve them or resources? With so many different ways to play, each round of Catan is still a blast, whether you've played it for years or are just picking it up for the first time.

If you've never played Catan or a similar game before, the level strategy might seem a little confusing, but persistence is well worth your while.

This clever, gorgeously designed tile-matching puzzle game is one of my all-time favourite games for good reason.

The game centres around choosing tiles from a central stockpile to build your own mosaic. Each round, you need to choose carefully to snatch up the tiles you need, without leaving pieces that your opponents are collecting. Points are scored for tiling complete sections of the wall and for placing tiles in strategic positions.

What makes this so great is that Azul really makes you feel like you're in control of your own strategy. There are no dice rolls or randomly drawn cards to sway things in your favour, so it's up to you to figure out the best way to win. Every time I tested this game, players couldn't wait to set up the board again and try out a new strategy or plan that they were sure would work next time. This makes it one of those rare games that keeps you asking for 'just one more round' until it's suddenly the middle of the night.

As if that wasn't good enough, the game is also exceedingly pretty. Players loved arranging the bright coloured tiles into a gorgeous mosaic of their own creation. And, if the full-sized game is a bit too expensive, there is also a travel version, which is smaller and cheaper.

If, like me, you've spent too many Christmas afternoons arguing over a game of Monopoly, it's time to get a cooperative game. And, if you want a game that is going to bring the family together this Christmas, you would be hard-pressed to find something more fun than Mysterium.

While it isn't exactly festive, this game has you playing as mediums attempting to solve a murder by interpreting visions from beyond the grave. Like a combination of Cluedo and a game of charades, one player takes on the role of the ghost and must guide the mediums to guess the right suspect, location, and weapon.

The catch is that the ghost can only communicate using a series of 'dream' cards, which are packed with surrealist artwork and bizarre scenes. This often leads to some hilarious moments as players try to figure out what on Earth their strange vision could possibly mean.

This is a game I have personally owned and played for several years, and one that comes out at almost every game night. Working together to solve the mystery is so satisfying, and people love the way that the game rewards creative thinking.

As a bonus, Mysterium seriously has some of the best art I've ever seen in a board game. The dream cards are stunning and packed with intricate details. The game also comes with some nice high-quality pieces, such as a cardboard clock to track the rounds.

My only gripe is that the rule book isn't very well written and can be a bit confusing at first. I would highly recommend having one player read the rules thoroughly and explain them to everyone else, rather than reading the rules aloud at the table.

If Christmas in your household involves re-watching one, or maybe all three, of the Lord of the Rings films, then this is the game for you.

The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth is a two-player game which casts you and your competitor in the roles of either the Fellowship or the evil forces of Sauron in a battle for supremacy.

Part of what makes this game so entertaining is that there isn't just one way to claim victory. Players can either race to bring the Hobbits to Mount Doom or stop them in their tracks, fight for military domination, or win a game of diplomacy by uniting the six factions.

The basic mechanics are the same for each route, but this bit of variety means you need to watch your opponent carefully and makes every round exciting.

Our testers loved how the game captures so many beloved elements of The Lord of the Rings without being off-putting for non-fans.

That means this game is still a lot of fun - even if you don't know your Baggins from your Brandybucks.

More experienced gamers may notice a lot of similarities with 7 Wonders: Duel, from which the basic mechanics are drawn. However, there is enough new content and rules that this will still feel like a fresh, new experience.

Tinderblox is essentially a cross between Jenga and Operation, in which you use a pair of tweezers to carefully stack wooden blocks into an ever-growing 'campfire'.

That's all there is to it, but the result is an exceptionally fun little game that would make a perfect stocking filler.

The game comes in a compact metal tin that's small enough to slip into a bag or coat pocket. That makes it a great choice of game for when you are travelling or out and about.

My copy of Tinderblox has accompanied me to countless pub gardens and airport cafes and hasn't disappointed yet.

The construction feels good quality, and the design is nice and bright. It might not be revolutionary, but for just over a tenner, you can't get a lot more fun for your money anywhere else.