It’s the Monday before Xmas, and you’re still looking for a gift for the gamer in your life. Or you’ve got some Xmas money coming that you want to spend. Either way, here are some games (and a book) that we recommend you buy.
Dominion: Intrigue & Dominion: Seaside
Whether you have the original Dominion or not, Dominion: Intrigue can stand alone, and Dominion: Seaside can add more action cards to either one, increasing the possible number of combinations of cards even higher. Great for 2-4 players (and the magic 5 if you have both Intrigue and the original), easy enough to play with non-gamers, and with enough strategic complexity to engage gamers (particularly former Magic players.)
Fits
Another great board game that can engage non-gamers and gamers alike, Fits has been described as “Tetris: The Board Game.” Surely you can think right away of someone that would appeal to.
PHB/PHB2 Holiday Bundle
Let’s face it, if you’re a regular reader of ours, you probably own a 4e PHB already. However, it’s usually handy to have another one around for that one guy in your group who hasn’t bought one, or to give to someone who you’re introducing to the game. For the price of that PHB, you also get a PHB2, which a host of new classes and races. If that weren’t enough, you also get a discount to a year of DDI, which might be worth it right there.
Dungeon Master’s Guide 2
A great gift for your Dungeon Master, assuming he doesn’t have this invaluable tome already. DMs, if you receive this as a gift, remember that it’s not a reflection on your abilities. Even experienced DMs can learn from this book.
Drop7
After getting my iPhone this year, I toiled to find a game to replace the addictive and short game I loved on my Palm (AckWire) and while I found many recommendations, none quite hit the spot. Then I found Drop7, and it has easily become my most played game. Don’t just take my word for it either- Jeff Tidball at Gameplaywright breaks down why it’s so addictive.
Civilization: Revolution
While I can play many games of Drop7 in a row, there are times when I have a longer amount of time to kill using my iPhone. My more involved game of choice is the iPhone’s version of the classic series Civilization. With a number of different modes based on how much time you want to play, the game brings back many memories of playing on DOS in the palm of my hand.
Dragon Age: Origins
The huge new RPG from the fine folks at Bioware, and a wonderful way to get rid of many hours as you’re drawn into the immersive fantasy story and rich array of characters. While by no means perfect, it’s still a great gift for the computer RPG fan, especially if you know they’re a fan of any of the previous Bioware RPGs.
Left 4 Dead 2
Last year, we encouraged you to buy Left 4 Dead. This year, there’s a brand new sequel. As a primarily multiplayer game, you want to be where your friends are playing… unless you want to be fighting against the zombies alone.
Memories of the Future vol. 1
Not only has Wil Wheaton found his way into our hearts thanks to the Eladrin Avenger Aeofel on the D&D Podcasts, he is a hell of a blogger on all things geeky. Now he’s gone back to his roots as a certain much-maligned acting Ensign to give hilarious summations of all the Next Generation episodes… with no end to self-deprecating humor about his character. Memories of the Future vol. 1 collects his thoughts on the first 13 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and you can preview them all for free by listening to the Memories of the Futurecast.
That’s our big list this year. Anything you guys would recommend?
Awesome. Thanks for the link!
Also: That Wil Wheaton book is designed by Will Hindmarch, He Of Gameplaywright (with the aforementioned Tidball).
— Chuck
.-= Chuck´s last blog ..Eight Stories (And One More) =-.
Glad to hear you’re liking Drop7. I sometimes feel a little bad for recommending it to people so wholeheartedly, because I know that its installation inevitably leads to a productivity decline. 🙂
I was recommending Drop7 to several people who were looking for new iPhone games, and telling them they could start with the free version… which apparently doesn’t exist anymore.