- Settlers of Catan
I was introduced to this game at Gen Con this year. It is playable by 2-4 players. The game is a well balanced mix of resource management and trading.
- Carcassonne
This tile-laying game is easy to learn. Players pull tiles at random from a bag and place the tile on the table matching the edges. They can place followers on the roads, in the villages, in the fields and in the cloisters. No two games play out the same. The game pieces are made of wood and heavy duty cardboard. At $25 this game is a value.
- Role Playing Game Manuals
Gamer geeks love RPG manuals. Dungeons & Dragon is like a gateway drug for role playing. Most geeks have the D&D manuals in their collection. For something different look for Spycraft, Vampire, Werewolf, Deadlands and new this year the Serenity RPG.
- Goofy Card Games
For a break between long games it is fun to play a pick up card game. A great game for this is Munchkin. Also fun is Chez Geek.
- Membership to Party Hard Corps
The Party Hard Corps has a selection of games to choose from including Kult and Are You a Werewolf? These folks also throw great parties. Give your gamer geek a membership as a gift. They will get a nice set of dog tags to commemorate joining.
- Advance Registration for Archon 30
Archon is sci fi/gaming convention held yearly in Collinsville. Your favorite geek will have a great time at the four days of gaming. The convention draws roughly 2000-3500 people depending on the year. They have quite a few author and artist guests, some special effects VIPs and at least one media guest of honor. During the daytime convention goers can visit the dealer hall, art show, celebrity signings and, of course, games. Nighttime activities include room parties, a very popular Masquerade (costume contest) and a dance party until early morning hours. A hospitality room provides free beer and soda to paid members who present their badge. There are 24 hour anime and video rooms. Costuming and cosplay are big at Archon. Expect to see some entertaining costumes.
- Digital Camera
A digital camera is a great way to remember the great costumes you see at science fiction conventions. Most costumers are great about posing for pictures. Be polite. Talk to them about about their "concept". Be courteous even if you don't think Bruce Campbell would make a good Green Lantern.
- Novelty T-Shirts
Black T-Shirts with catchy sayings are everywhere at gaming conventions. In fact I saw somebody wearing a pink t-shirt that read "All my black shirts are dirty". My favorite shirt this year read "I Beat Anorexia". Of course it was worn by an overweight 20-something gamer guy.
- Backpack
Gaming conventions mean swag. Swag are freebies that companies give away to promote their games. Backpacks are perfect to stash the swag and the dice bags, pencils and manuals needed to play role-playing games.
- Funny Shaped Dice
Gamers use funny shaped dice. Among them are the four-sided, ten-sided and the twenty-sided die. After Wizards opened its D20 system there are a large number of role playing games based on it. This makes the twenty-sided die especially popular.
Posted at 11:36 PM
