Holiday Shopping Guide – Six Tabletop Game Gift Ideas

Christmas is next week, so you’re basically out of time to buy gifts . . . unless you’re anything like me and you wait until the last moment. It is for you fellow shoppers that this “Holiday Shopping Guide” post exists. For even more card and boardgame gift ideas don’t miss last year’s post — “Holiday Shopping Guide – 6 Gifts for Tabletop Gamers” — since every game listed last year is still fun today.

Love Letter*

Alderac’s Love Letter* card game is roughly $10 and way, way more fun than you would expect from a game with only about twenty cards. I’ve played this about a dozen times now — with dramatically different groups — and the game’s quite simple to teach and flows very quickly. Fun, and a hell of a lot more competitive than you expect from a game with so few cards.

All of the eligible young men (and many of the not-so-young) seek to woo the princess of Tempest. Unfortunately, she has locked herself in the palace, and you must rely on others to bring your romantic letters to her. Will yours reach her first?

Bang!*

Now here’s a card game that seems to really divide groups. Bang!*, in my experience, is either a love it or hate it game and with the hidden roles it can be frustrating for people who cannot bluff (and for those who cannot read others). But the style is fantastic and I can recommend it if you’re shopping for a cutthroat player who wants to gun down the opposing players.

When a man with a pistol meets a man with a Winchester, you might say that the one with the pistol is a dead man, unless his pistol is a Volcanic, In the wild west, the Outlaws hunt the Sheriff, the Sheriff hunts the Outlaws, and the Renegade plots in secret, ready to join one side or the other. Before long, bullets start to fly, Which gunmen are Deputies, ready to sacrifice themselves for the Sheriff? And which are the merciless Outlaws, looking to gun him down?

Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Beginner Game*

Fantasy Flight Games is killing it with their Edge of the Empire roleplaying game, and I still think that the Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Beginner Game* is a great box set to introduce new people to tabletop roleplaying games. Some complaints about lack of character creation rules are floating on the web, but I feel enough is crammed into this box that it’s a great price. Besides, anyone who really feels they need character creation rules can go for the full-size Star Wars Edge of The Empire core book* . . . but please don’t start someone new to RPGs with that giant book.

The perfect entry point for novice roleplayers, the Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Beginner Game features a complete, learn-as-you-go adventure. Pre-generated character folios keep rules right at your fingertips, while custom dice and an exciting narrative gameplay system make every roll into a story. Detailed rules provide for hours of entertainment as you create your own adventures and tell your own tales of a galaxy far, far away!

Eight-Minute Empire: Legends*

I’ve now played the original Eight-Minute Empire* once (it’s currently out of print), but the more I review the game in my head the more I’m ready to try it again. And with the original unavailable I can only recommend the new Eight-Minute Empire: Legends* — which I haven’t played, but it sounds like a great stand-alone — if you’re looking for a gift in the next week. The game is all about claiming territory, and the mechanics are fairly simple (but fun) so don’t do what we did: Don’t try to overthink it. Gives more fun in a short time than I was expecting.

Build a small empire in a land of legends! Eight-Minute Empire: Legends is a standalone sequel to the area control game Eight-Minute Empire and does not require the original game to play. Just like the original game, players take turns selecting a card from six on display. The card has an action that the player takes immediately, and actions help players take over the map . . .

Race For The Galaxy*

Published by Rio Grande Games, Race For The Galaxy* came out a few years ago and is still an incredibly fun galactic conquest game where your choice of action each turn can really change the outcome of the game. There are numerous expansions to the game, but all of my experiences are with the basic game and I am always ready to suggest this when I’m asked: “What’s a fun game?”

In Race for the Galaxy from Rio Grande Games, players build galactic civilizations using game cards that represent worlds or technical and social developments. Each round consists of one or more of five possible phases. In each round, each player secretly and simultaneously chooses one of seven different action cards and then reveals it. Only the selected phases occur. For these phases, every player performs the phaseâ€s action, while the selecting player(s) also get a bonus for that phase.

Zombie Dice*

I struggled over whether or not to include Zombie Dice* in this listing because of my involvement in the game and company. But you know what? A fun game is a fun game, so I ultimately said: “Yes, this goes in!” Even though I have played the game dozens of times — and demonstrated it at conventions hundreds of times — Zombie Dice* remains a blast.

Eat brains. Don’t get shotgunned. You are a zombie. You want brains. More brains than any of your zombie buddies. Zombie Dice is a quick and easy game for gamers and non-gamers alike. The 13 custom dice represent victims. Push your luck to eat their brains, but stop rolling before the shotgun blasts end your turn!

And there they are, six games that would make fantastic gifts this holiday season. And there’s always last year’s post if you need more game ideas, or you can visit your local game store for an even wider variety of choices. Our office website has a game store finder if you don’t know where your local game store is hiding.