Getting a thoughtful gift for the game-lover in your life isn’t easy. It’s unlikely they need a new console, and there’s a good chance they’ve already purchased all the games they’d want. Thankfully, after years of being stumped for what to buy for our own gamer friends (and years of being asked what we’d want), we’ve put together this gift guide to help you find something special. And hey, if you’re just looking to treat yourself, we won’t tell.
Books upon books
Video games are great, but there’s something to be said for exploring their vast worlds through the magic of the written word, artwork, and even cooking. Whether you’re looking for a visual history of gaming hardware like Evan Amos’ The Game Console or non-fiction deep dives into how video games are made like Jason Schreier’s Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, there’s something for everyone.
Art books are also a great way to get a deeper look at some of your favorite titles from a fresh perspective, and we’d wholeheartedly recommend the following for fans of the relevant titles:
Cookbooks are also a fun way to experience the world of a particular series. The recipe collections from Stardew Valley, Fallout, Persona, and Destiny are among the most consistently popular.
A Poké Plush
There’s a good chance that you’ve dreamed of having your own Pokémon at some point. But the closest you’ll get to that dream is one of the Pokémon Center’s absolutely colossal plush ‘mon. With steep prices, it’d be fair to say it’s an investment in comfort, but whether it’s your favorite Eeveelution, the goofy but lovable Snorlax, or the colossal, 57-inch Wailord, there’s a giant Pokémon plush for you. Just, uh, make sure you have some space.
