Amanda here! Reporting for duty to talk about gifts for your favorite puzzlers and tabletop gamers.
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I wanted to compile things for all sorts of entry levels and price points. These have also been tried and tests by my household (i.e. my partner and I, and maybe the cats if they get onto the gaming table).
Let’s start with the heavy hitters first.
This is one of our favorite tabletop games. It’s a worker placement game with cute animals. There are several expansions (Spirecrest is our preferred expansion) for the base game and also a more kid-friendly version, if you’re worried about the complexity of the rules.
Pick this one if you want a challenge and enjoy some cosmic horror. This is definitely not a feel good game and some of the story routes will inevitably end in disaster, but I love the cooperative nature of the game play. It also leads to finding some quirky mechanics. We had one game where a friend received a vehicle card and just spend a good portion of gameplay running over things.
If you have a hard time rallying a big group together for games, Splendor Duel is made for just two people! It’s also a pretty quick game. I can’t remember matches taking more than an hour for us. Your goal is to become the more prestigious gemstone merchant by collecting gems to create jewelry and accessories.
In terms of longevity, I think this is one of my oldest staples in my game collection. The card game is super portable for family trips and the changing nature of winning conditions makes this a ton of fun to play. Game time can vary depending on how lucky you get! I’ve had ones last five minutes or up to an hour.
Do you play Murdle? It’s a daily logic puzzle that operates similarly to Clue. You have to deduce a killer, location, murder weapon, and sometimes motive based on the clues you’re given. This volume contains 100 logic puzzles ranging in difficulty and once you finish this volume, there are several more, including “junior editions” for younger puzzlers.
Bletchley Park Brainteasers ($16.99)
I handsold this one a lot when I still worked at the bookstore, especially around the holidays. This is great for people who like a variety of puzzles, rather than just a giant book of crosswords or sudoku. The book also adds some historical context throughout for the Venn Diagram
Animal Crossing: New Horizons 250-Piece Puzzle ($17.99)
My partner stopped into a Nintendo store while on a work trip and picked this up for me. It comes with a very cute tin and was a decent way to spend a couple hours. If you have someone in your life who is super excited about the upcoming free ACNH update in January, this could be a great way to up the anticipation.
The Mystic Maze 1000-Piece Puzzle from Magic Puzzle Company ($24.99)
The Magic Puzzle Company makes some great puzzles! And wow, they can be tough. Firstly, they have pieces that look like edge pieces, but actually go within the puzzle. The puzzle is designed to create sections of images that fit together. Once you’re done, you open a secret envelope with extra pieces that asks you to rearrange the puzzle and reveals a new part of the image story.
What are you favorite go-to puzzles and games for the holidays? Drop them in the comments!
