What makes a party game worth $25 instead of a free app or party prompts?

Reviewers across BoardGameGeek and mainstream coverage point to three things: a physical component that creates a focal point (the Wavelength dial, the Blank Slate dry-erase tiles, the Codenames grid), curated word/prompt lists that produce reliably funny moments, and rules that teach in under five minutes. Verified-purchase reviewers consistently call out replayability per dollar as the main value driver.