With Christmas time just around the corner, I thought this would be a good time to figure out what kind of games would be good for gifts. With so many games out there, how would you know what games to buy as gifts. That is a really good question and I hope this article will help you potentially decide what direction to go for that gaming gift.
I think the first question you have to ask is who your game is for. Age is important as well as experience in gaming. I’ll start with age as this is pretty easy. If you are planning to buy a game for someone who is under the age of 18, then buying an age appropriate game is the first thing you would want to consider. There are games for the five years old and under, then five to eight years, eight to ten years, ten to fourteen years and everything in between. When someone is fourteen years and older, then they may potentially be playing games that are above good for ages eighteen and above.
This article is mainly going to focus on those games for the eighteen years old and above gifts. People who are interested in games at this age basically fall into two basic categories. These people are people who have played a lot of games and people who have not played many games or are not as familiar with games. In this age range, most people have the mental capacity to grasp all the concepts in the games but some games might be a little more complicated or have more happening to keep track of.
Most people who have played a lot of games are going to be familiar with games already and know what kind of games they might like or dislike. They might already be active in the board gaming industry by reading articles, blogs and watching videos about games. These gamers will probably already have a list of games they might want or would like to try out. Usually buying a game of this type of person is easier as you can just ask them what games they want or they might have a list of games they might like.
A good internet resource is board game geek. They have a website that people can go to ask questions about board games and keep up to date on the latest information. You can also create an account and make lists on these sites as a lot of people have done. People have want lists on here and all you would have to do is get a game from their want list on this site. Easy. You’re done.
If you want to buy a gaming gift for a person who has not played as many games, I would recommend a type of game called family game. Family games are called this because they usually have less pieces in the game, are less complicated then other games and are really fun and interesting. Some examples of family games are Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, Splendor, Catan, Dominion, Azul or Codenames to name a few. In these modern board games, the rules are fairly simple and not much to read, but there can be multiple paths that people can take like chess. I also think that most of these games have some sort of theme to the game to keep it interesting.
Most family games are going to be about $20-$50 depending on the size, components and complexity of the game.
Another major thing to consider is the player count. Is this person you are buying the game for going to have a regular group of people that might want to play games or not. I feel that most people might have one regular other person to play games with and maybe a few others at times. Do they have kids and might the kids want to play is another good question.
Some games are specific for two player like Star Realms and can only play two player with some exceptions. Other games like Splendor can play at two player but the max number of players is four. If that person is going to regularly have five people to play games with, then another game might be better for them. Codenames is not good for two people but at higher player counts from four all the way up to twenty. I’m not sure I would play with more.
Many games play two to four players. Also three to five players. Games that play six or more players are usually not playable at lower player counts or are just not as fun.
I hope this gave you a good starting point on what game to gift someone. With so many different types of games out there, it can be confusing and hard to choose but there is probably going to be at least something out there for that person. Happy gaming.
