So this is Christmas, and what have you bought? Sound like a song?

For the final Game of the Month for the year I thought it might be helpful to offer my top tips for buying a game that you or the lucky recipient will enjoy.

Not all games are for all people, so here we go:

A person is far more likely to enjoy a game if it has a theme that they are excited about.

The latest specialty board games cater for hundreds of themes ranging from pirates, warfare and fantasy to sci-fi, the mafia and the Wild West.

Games tend to fall into either European or US styles.

Euro games almost never feature warfare but favour development, trading and resource management.

Euro games are more about skill and the ability to carefully plan ahead.

Not all, but many US games cater to the warefare market.

These games are typically packed with miniatures to help bring the games to life and involve many dice to increase the luck factor.

Some people simply prefer one type of game over another.

A regular card player is more likely to enjoy a card game in preference to a board game.

Chess and crossword players may prefer puzzle or abstract strategy and tabletop miniature players may favour the US miniature games

Here are my four tips to consider:

1. Do your reasearch. A quality game will cost you $20 to $100, so it is worth getting it right. Don't rely one one opinion.

2. Check out the vital statistics on the box (number of players, time, skill v luck). If you are a first time player or new to gaming, i recommend adding between 20 to 60 minutes to the playing time for the first few plays.

3. Mainstream vs Strategy. Where you nuy your game may indicate the type of game you are buying. Department stores stock mainstream games that tend to be luck based. A specialty store can provide a range of games that require thinking, strategy and player interaction.

4. Don't judge a game after only one or two plays. Like music, games can grow on you and many games will have added levels of depth that become apparent with experience.

Some suggested game for the first time buyers include The Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne or the Ticket to Ride series.

Saint Petersburg, Elfenland, Louis XIV and Thurn and Taxis are suitable for strategy minded players.

War game recommendations include Memoir '44, Risk series, War of the Ring and Axis and Allies.

For those who enjoy card games, the Mystery Rummy series, Gang of Four, Ming, Bohnanza and Guillotine will provide plenty of fun.

Top party games include Apples to Apples, Dancing Eggs, Snorta! and Bang!

Odin's Ravens, Ned Kelly, The Castle and Heavo Ho! are excellent two-player games, while Ingenious, Blokus, Sudoku Battle Lines and Quorridor are entertaining puzzle games.

Children will enjoy most Gamewright games and an engaging game called Nobody but us Chickens.

For more information, visit www.boardgamegeek.com