Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/12/11/tabletop-gamers-gift-guide-f-2.html
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This is all pretty Grim & Gritty™. Where’s the gifts for the gamer who isn’t obsessed with the oncoming end of the world, or at least needs to take a break from it?
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great list, wish I was your gaming neighbor!
for more pleasant gaming, give PARKS a try. All the version of AZUL would be good, too.
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How about Wingspan, a boardgame about bird-watching? It won the Spiel des Jahres this year. It’s easy to pick up, solid gameplay, and comes with a birdhouse dice tower and a ton of little pastel eggs.
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We’ve been playing the new Machi Koro Legacy game, which is quick, easy to learn, and a fascinating twist on the legacy game concept. Also bright and upbeat.
Yep, it’s not really my type of game but it’s by far the most popular non-popular board game release this - or possibly the last ten - years. Also, game creator Elizabether Hargrave is badass and curious on board games being all zombies & mad max: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1J_TXmL6js3qGCtVopLnn4ybgDrXBqMKZi5sBAZ6oI9c/edit#slide=id.p
Gasslands is fun. It is definitely worth a play.
And hey, obsessing over modifying hotwheels cars to battle in a future death arena is fun too! 
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I can’t say enough great things about Dune. We’ve played 5 games and have another coming up this weekend. It looks difficult, but the rules are surprisingly simple and intuitive. It’s from the same team that made Cosmic Encounter and you can feel it.
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The Dune board game is extremely good. It really captures the flavour of the novel with its rules, and is very neat how it balances the asymmetric abilities of the 6 different factions. Bought it on release a month ago, and have played several sessions and friends love it. It’s also pretty affordable since it forgoes plastic figurines.
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For people interested in that Dune boardgame Ars did an in-depth article about it a couple of years ago.
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I AM THE LAW! Would like to hear more about the Dredd game!~ Sounds cool and Martin Wallace is a solid designer.
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BoingBoing already ruined me for $50-100 dice with the Dispel Dice Collection you recommended on Kickstarter.
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We have just been gifted this game and the 6year old, 9 year old and parents love it.
https://gamewright.com/product/Dragonwood. There are environment cards - ogres, goblins, slime, dragons, enchanted power ups and environmental happenings (quicksand, storm). You build bands of adventures and by using combinations of colour, ascending numbers or all the same number you get a chance to capture those cards in the environemnt. Using six sided die that are numbered 1-4. lovely pictures.
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Holy bankruptcy, Batman! And I though Lindstrom cutters were overpriced.
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I watched this video of folks playing Dune:
Was really impressed with the game overall. It really captures the unique factions and politics and technologies in play very well with its gameplay mechanics. There’s no way I’d get enough people together to play it however.
We just replayed Dead of Winter the other night. I love a game where everyone can lose (we all lost). Bought my son the expansion as a Christmas present.
I think the problem with Dune is, if a person has not specifically expressed interest in it, you should probably not get it for them. It is NOT a game for everyone.
I love Dragonwood. We played it one summer at a family outing of “kids of all ages.” We all enjoyed it.
It’s great! Like Wildlands, it’s a good gateway game and easy enough for “non-gamers” to feel comfortable playing, but with enough depth to interest more serious gamers. The components are lovely, esp the ink-washed minis. And yes, Martin Wallace really knows how to design games that have smooth and enjoyable mechanics. Also like Wildlands, they have expansions planed. I LOVED the map packs and expansions Osprey released in 2019 for Wildlands.
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