The definition of luxury has shifted. Today’s collectors seek more than mere opulence: they demand innovation wrapped in artistry, technology built to become heirlooms, experiences that linger long after the price tag is forgotten. These five board games embody that philosophy. They’re designed to be played with, not just looked at, and to improve with age rather than gather dust.
Miko Chess Grand: The Chessboard That Plays Itself
There are chess sets you admire. And then there’s a chess set that makes you stop mid-conversation and ask: “Wait, did that piece just move by itself?”
Miko Chess Grand occupies that rare category of objects that feel, upon first encounter, like something from a more elegant future. The pieces glide across the board with an almost supernatural grace, responding to voice commands with the precision one expects from Swiss watchmaking. Yet beneath this technological sophistication lies something refreshingly grounded: safe, closed-system AI that respects privacy while delivering an experience that borders on magical.
The board itself is a study in considered design. Walnut components that speak to serious play, weighted pieces that satisfy in the hand, and a playing surface engineered for both autonomous movement and traditional gameplay. Whether you’re teaching a grandchild the fundamentals of the Sicilian Defense or sharpening your endgame against AI opponents calibrated to your exact skill level, Miko Chess Grand adapts seamlessly.
But here’s what elevates this beyond mere technological novelty: it bridges generations. The voice-activation means a five-year-old can play without touching a piece. The self-moving functionality means watching a match becomes performance art. The closed AI system means privacy-conscious parents can relax while their children engage with genuinely intelligent technology.
For the discerning player who has everything except a chessboard that moves its own pieces, Miko Chess Grand represents the intersection of tradition and future. A conversation piece that earns its place in both the study and the trophy case. More importantly, it’s one you’ll actually use.
Price: $449 | Available at miko.ai
Jonathan Adler Lacquered Backgammon Set
Jonathan Adler understands that luxury can (and should) have a sense of humor. His lacquered backgammon set proves the point with high-gloss finishes in bold colorways that announce their presence with unapologetic confidence.
The set opens to reveal a playing field that’s pure Palm Springs glamour: geometric patterns, contrasting points in lacquered wood, brass hardware that catches the light just so. Choose from combinations like navy and orange, fuchsia and turquoise, or emerald and gold — each one a masterclass in how to make a statement without saying a word.
The pieces themselves have the satisfying heft of objects made to last, not just to look pretty on a credenza. The doubling cube gleams with the same lacquered finish as the board, while the precision dice add a touch of weight to every roll.
This is backgammon for people who throw dinner parties, not dinner meetings. For those who believe game night should involve cocktails and conversation, not just strategy. At under $400, it delivers the kind of dopamine hit typically reserved for purchases with an additional zero.
Display it open as a sculptural centerpiece, use it to elevate your weekly game night, or gift it to the friend who has everything except something this unapologetically stylish. Either way, it’s a reminder that accessible luxury is still luxury; it just doesn’t take itself quite so seriously.
Price: $398 | Available at jonathanadler.com
FAO Schwarz Scrabble Luxury Edition
FAO Schwarz, the legendary toy emporium that has made childhood dreams tangible since 1862, brings its considerable expertise to the world’s favorite word game with an edition that transforms Scrabble from pastime to centerpiece.
This is Scrabble reconsidered for adults who never stopped playing but grew tired of flimsy cardboard and lightweight tiles. The set arrives in a handsome wooden box with brass hardware and a magnetic closure that announces quality before you’ve even opened it. Inside, the playing board unfolds to reveal a grid printed on premium material, bordered with elegant typography that manages to feel both vintage and contemporary.
But it’s the tiles themselves that justify the $299 price point. Each one is crafted with substantial weight and a satisfying tactile quality: the kind of pieces you want to hold, to arrange, to contemplate before placing on that triple-word score. They’re housed in four individual wooden trays that slide neatly into the box, transforming the often-chaotic tile distribution into an organized ritual.
The doubling cube and score pad complete the package with the same attention to detail, housed in dedicated compartments that speak to FAO Schwarz’s century-and-a-half of understanding how presentation matters.
This is Scrabble for the wordsmith who believes language deserves to be celebrated with objects of substance. For the host whose game nights are as carefully curated as their wine cellar. For anyone who’s ever felt that placing “quixotic” on a triple-word score should feel like the achievement it is.
Price: $299 | Available at faoschwarz.com
Rabitti 1969 Leather Dominoes Set
Italian leather goods house Rabitti 1969 has spent over half a century perfecting the art of wrapping everyday objects in Florentine leather. Their dominoes set extends this philosophy to game night with results that are, predictably, exquisite.
The 28 tiles are housed in a saddle-stitched leather case that opens like a jewelry box to reveal dominoes crafted from solid wood with brass pips. No painted dots here, but actual metal inlays that will outlast their owners. The case itself, available in rich chocolate or classic black vegetable-tanned leather, develops a patina over time that makes each set unique to its household.
But here’s what makes this set worth $890: the ritual. Opening the leather case. The soft click as the tiles meet the included leather playing mat. The cool smoothness of wood and brass in your hand. The gentle thunk as each domino finds its place in the growing chain.
These are dominoes that transform a simple matching game into something approaching meditation. They’re the kind of objects you bring out after dinner, when conversation has mellowed and the evening has stretched into that golden hour where time seems to slow. They’re made for the terrace of a Tuscan villa, yes, but they’re equally at home in a Brooklyn brownstone or a California craftsman.
Rabitti 1969 understands that luxury isn’t always about what you see. Sometimes it’s about what you feel. And these dominoes feel extraordinary.
Price: $890 | Available at abask.com
Arhaus Sierra Four in a Row
Four in a Row (that childhood staple of vertical strategy) receives a luxury interpretation from Arhaus that proves some games improve dramatically when treated as furniture.
The Sierra edition is crafted from solid acacia wood with a rich, warm finish that announces quality from across the room. The frame is substantial, the kind of piece that commands attention whether actively in play or resting on a console table between matches. Contrasting walnut and maple discs—28 in total—are precisely turned and weighted to drop through the grid with satisfying authority.
But here’s what justifies the $398 price point: this is Four in a Row as an object you’re proud to display. The craftsmanship evident in the joinery, the thoughtful proportions that make it equally at home in a mountain retreat or a city loft, the way the natural wood grain ensures no two sets are identical.
This is the game you bring out when multi-generational gatherings need an activity that doesn’t require sitting, doesn’t involve screens, and appeals equally to seven-year-olds and seventy-year-olds. It’s strategy that happens standing up, surrounded by family, with the kind of tactile satisfaction that comes from dropping a wooden disc and hearing it click into place.
Arhaus understands that games played vertically, with everyone gathered around, deserve the same design consideration as games played seated at an heirloom table. The Sierra proves the point beautifully—this is Four in a Row elevated to the level it always deserved.
Price: $398 | Available at arhaus.com
