We've done it, another lap around the sun, and hats off to you. You're here, you made it, and you look great. Absolutely radient! Oh, that's the sun and you're over there? Well you look great too, I'm sure.

 Its that time of year, with the snow and the cookies and the giving of gifts, and lets face it, after the cookies and the snow, picking thoughtful gifts can be hard, especially if you haven't collected wishlists beforehand. That's why we surveyed a bunch of demons! Turns out, they can be really clever when they put their minds to it, (something about ironic torture using the same part of the brain as remembering that your Aunt really likes hazelnut candies.)

All that said, if you've yet to get the gifts to gift your loved ones, read on! We have some keen picks that may just come in handy while crossing off the names on your list. We've separated our recommendations into three handy size tiers, because nothing says "thinking of you" like spatial awareness.

In the Sock

Pins from Frost Dragon Designs

"The pins! The animal pins!! Pick one that reminds you of this person... imagine someone showing up with one of those cute lil guys and being like "yeah this is you but if you were a small metal animal on a sharp stick"

The Transitive Properties of Cheese.

"I love clones. I also love cheese. I also also love rebelling against a world that won't make a place for you. If you love any of those, maybe give this to yourself. Its light, fulfilling, and easily unpocketable at droll family functions."

Dice

"Dice Goblins are never not in need of new dice. Shiny, jangly, or in copious amounts, polyhedrals are a surefire way to make your Dice Goblin's day."

Arboretum

"Fast play and you make a pretty tree garden!"

Varmints!

"A fun two-player competitive card game about two rival gangs of critters trying to gain control of a big stash of trash! Full of adorable art, and designed by an MA local!"

Onirim

"A fantastic two player cooperative card game with fun abstract art. Match colors and numbers on your cards to navigate to the doors to exit your nightmare dreamscape. If you run out of deck or can't find all the doors you'll be trapped. You can avoid nightmares that can wreck your strategy by pitching cards but if you pitch a card you need to complete your escape you will lose. It's a fun and moderately complex two player card game with solid replay value."

Under the Chair

Defenders of the Wild

"Cooperative area control "animals vs machines" from the designer of Parks. Full of cute animals, and good for strategy lovers and people who don't enjoy area control as a strictly competitive mechanic."

Dragon Rampant

"Sometimes you just want to put toys on the table and have them fight. One of Osprey's best blue-book wargames, Dragon Rampant offers a highly customizable experience, so you can always play with what you want."

Sky Team

"Co-op two player game of the year, and a flight simulator I don't need a $4000 computer to run!"

Nexus by Ramez Naam

"The best social science fiction novel that I've read in the last 25 years. Science, politics, espionage, nanotech and bio hacking in the very near future."

Salvage Union Core Rules

"Heckin' good game about mechas"

And

"Do you know someone who makes a lot of robot noises? You know the type; strikes fancy poses, builds Gunpla model kits, and responds to "get in the robot Shinji." Give them this. Its what they don't know they want yet."

Beneath a Tree

Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

"A unique and cozy TTRPG experience that is easy to just pick-up and play!"

Twilight Struggle 

"My favorite two player board games. Play out the entire Cold War in three hands of cards, covers politics, proxy wars and the Space Race from the Close of WW II through the fall of the Soviet Union. But in this game the outcome is undecided and the Soviet player is just as likely to succeed as the Western Allies. Gives a sense of history but focused on strategic game play. You have to play each card you draw, even if it benefits your opponent so timing is key to minimize harm to your strategy. Plays in 40-90 minutes depending on your play style. Minimal set up time is required so you can start playing almost as soon as you open the box. The rules are short and we'll written but the gameplay is still quite deep."

Flamecraft

 

"Its cute and you help dragons have jobs!"

 

Azul

"A solid strategic game with a point scoring victory condition. The game ends at the close of the round in which the first player has completed a full row on their player scoring board.

 

Simple and elegant rules with high quality components. Collect and play tiles from a randomly supplied central marketplace and place them on your player board, at the end of each round you may move tiles from your waiting area if you have enough to meet the requirements to fill in that colored square on your player board. Score points based on the number and position of your completed squares at the end of each round. Plays in 25 minutes to an hour depending on number of players. The game is better with 3-4 players, but I'd playable with just 2."

War of the Rohirrim Starter Set 

"According to a bunch of nerds I've talked to over the years, the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game is the best kept secret in wargaming, as its a robust little system that feels heroic, but not unfair and overpowered. This new starter set offers the latest edition of that polished gem, and is a great jumping in point for folks who want to share a new experience together over the holiday break."

So there you have it

A bunch of ideas for last minute gift giving. That was so thoughtful of you, reading all of that for somebody else. They're really going to appreciate you taking the time to look through some thoughtful recommendations that can maybe be applied to the people in your life.

"So now what," you might ask.

Well now I point to this blog's title. Thank you so much for spending this year with us here at Pandemonium. We tried to send out holiday cards, but they kept bursting into flames, so instead please enjoy pictures of Wallabies we thought were cute.