Holiday Game Gift Recommendations

We are well into the uncontrolled spiral into the holiday season. Plans for gatherings. Shopping and preparing for feasts. Hauling out the house and yard decorations (if we haven’t done so already). And the inevitable hand-wringing over finding gifts for people who matter in our lives. As the blog focuses on the adventure gaming hobby, I limit myself to recommending games that might engage people on readers’ gift lists. It’s been a while since I wrote a game-oriented holiday gift piece. “Holiday Gift Ideas for Non-Gamers & Kids” (2016) and “Themed Gaming Gift Ideas for Non-Gamers” (2017) still offer some solid advice; however, thanks to the nature of our capitalist markets and short attention spans, many titles on those lists have long since become out-of-print collectors items, though one can possibly find them on the secondary market. This year I offer a short list of quick ideas useful for those last-minute purchases and generally available at most game stores and even some larger retailers.

People share things we like with others. It’s one way we connect. Sometimes we like the same things, sometimes we don’t — “your mileage may vary,” “not my cuppa tea,” and all that — but it’s part of how we build friendships and communities. I’ve played all of my recommendations; they’re games I particularly enjoy...and hope others enjoy them, too. Most are ideal for newcomers to the adventure gaming hobby, while a few cater to experienced gamers.

a Gentle Rain: I’ve featured this meditative solitaire game before. Pull a tile, place it to match half-blooms of lotus flowers, complete a quad and mark progress with a related lotus token. It presents a relaxed, zen-like puzzle game that helps focus your mind and clear your perspective. An affordable gift at around $20 that plays in 15-20 minutes, you can find a Gentle Rain at hobby stores and even on Target’s game shelves.

Air, Land, & Sea: I’ve mentioned this seemingly basic head-to-head card game before and my son and its our go-to game when my son and I want a compact game to play. Players take turns deploying their six cards to the three eponymous theaters of conflict, with cards rated from one to six, and the backs as twos (you can deploy cards face down). Cards activate one-time or continuous effects on the battlefields. I like it particularly because it features artwork evocative of World War II...but also because it involves nuanced player choices, cards with values and special abilities, and a constantly changing landscape.

300 Earth and Water: This game depicting the Greco-Persian Wars involves similar nuances of cardplay as Air, Land, & Sea. It uses a limited card deck to enable players to deploy and move their forces around the Aegean Sea, incorporating many historical elements annotated in the rulebook. The game incorporates some asymmetrical elements, giving each side some advantages and disadvantages that influence gameplay. You can find a more involved feature on the game in this post from the past.

Lots of fun pieces to knock over in
The Shores of Tripoli

The Shores of Tripoli: Another game with card-driven play and asymmetrical forces/mechanics, The Shores of Tripoli simulates a specific historical conflict between the young United States and the Barbary Pirates. It involves a number of mechanics beyond simple card play, encouraging each player to carefully weigh their options and strategies. Each card includes artwork depicting the historical events and personages, helping to evoke the conflict that brings to life the first major test of American foreign policy and its navy (along with the famous marines). A bit involved for beginners and a bit pricier than most, the The Shores of Tripoli demonstrates how a game can simulate the subtleties of a historical conflict.

Kurt Vonnegut’s GHQ: A rediscovered artifact from an iconic 20th century author, GHQ looks, on the surface, much like a form of battle chess with World War II trappings of infantry, artillery, even paratroopers. Only a few pieces start on the board. Players take up to three actions each turn: moving a piece, turning it, and reinforcing existing units with a new one. “Capture” occurs when different kinds of pieces move next to enemy pieces in various arrangements...so no die rolls, just plain intellectual strategy. GHQ also includes a brief history of the game, its development, and Vonnegut’s fruitless efforts to find a publisher. It’s a good gift for Vonnegut fans, those who enjoy chess-like games, and World War II aficionados.

Gamewright Games: Over the years we’ve enjoyed a number of Gamewright titles, both simple game night fare to more strategy-oriented titles. Games like Rat-a-Tat Cat, Sushi Go, and Trash Pandas appeal to everyone but help younger players develop game-related and learning skills while having fun. The company also produces more strategic fare, like Matthew Leacock’s groundbreaking Forbidden Island (and related games), an early cooperative game that more mature young gamers can enjoy. You can find them at affordable prices in game stores and the shelves of larger retailers.

Ironsworn: I’d be remiss if I didn’t include at least one engaging roleplaying game. For me that’s Shawn Tomkin’s Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Delve, which branched out into other non-medieval fantasy genres like Ironsworn: Starforged for science fiction and Sundered Isles for seafaring adventures. They’re suitable for solitaire, guided group, or gamemaster hosted play. The system focuses on compelling character elements, rugged, sometimes bleak settings, and long-term objectives and bonds. Plenty of “oracles” (themed random tables) help inspire characters and conflicts. I’ve dabbled with both Ironsworn and Starforged; they present environments and mechanics well-suited for guiding and inspiring solitaire play.

Goodness knows I could recommend numerous other games, but I fear they’re far more complex and harder to find than the average person with a mild interest in adventure games could stand. Perhaps the best places to look for game gifts remain hobby game stores; larger retailers with board game sections, notably Target and Barnes & Noble, offer a solid selection and plenty of ideas. For those seeking hard-to-find, out-of-print games and don’t mind going the extra mile, the secondary market offers some relief; I recommend surfing over to Noble Knight Games’ website to look for such elusive treasures, though I’ll admit the fare probably appeals more to die-hard gamers than others dabbling in the adventure gaming hobby.

Here’s wishing everyone luck finding the perfect presents for those deserving people in their lives...and hoping that they, too, receive gifts to fuel their gaming habits this holiday season.