Hey there, Gamers!
So, you may remember that last year I made a little Gift Guide to help you find just the right game or accessory for your favorite gamer! It had a few intro games, a few accessories, and everything was under $25! (It’s cool, check it out if you haven’t, cause it’s still awesome – Shameless Plug!)

This year I wanted to go a slightly different direction and do a list with no games on it… WHAT?! Yeah, you heard right. As someone who has a lot (not kidding, a lot) of games, it’s hard to tell people what game I want, because that’s mostly a list of hard to find or expensive things, and it’s hard getting games I didn’t ask for because non-gamers don’t always know my taste (but I do appreciate the thought!). So, if you have someone like me in your life, here are a few simple gift ideas that might help you get them something they can always use!

Game Bag

A game bag/backpack is a great accessory for them to use at board game nights, conventions, or other trips, especially if they like to travel heavy! It’s a way sturdier option than your typical reusable bags.

Mine is from Board Game Tables and it is awesome! You can read my review of it before diving right in. Mine is the older model, but I hear they are very similar. And, hey, if the old one is great, just imagine how great the newer one is!

Even if the person you’re buy for has one, you can’t go wrong. It’s nice to have more than one, or a back-up if the first one wears out!

Quiver Case

If you know a gamer who’s really into card games, or maybe has quite the Button Shy collection, then they will adore this handy storage and travel solution for all their faves! I don’t have one myself, but I’ve heard some great things, and I think they look awesome. Plus, they come in some fun colors too, so hooray for options!

You can buy directly from their website, or from Amazon!

Drawstring Bags

Whether it’s for carrying dice or mixing up tokens for a game, drawstring bags are a must have and a great gift for gamers! And if you’re going to be reaching your hand into something a bunch, you’ll want it to feel nice, right? I recommend bags that are soft or silky inside, as well as decently sized ones so there’s room for all their needs!

If you want some crafty options, try Etsy!
If not, Amazon also has some nice options like this and this! 🙂

Plastic Baggies

Okay, this is the last bag-related item, I promise!

While to a non-gamer, this might seem like a very strange, or maybe even sketchy-ish gift, trust me when I say that these little plastic baggies are a gamer’s best friend. They’re perfect for storing bits in game boxes so they don’t slide around, and help make set-up a breeze! We’re particularly fond of separating starting pieces by player color so everyone can just grab their bag instead of sorting through a ton of different things at the start of a game. Honestly, you can NEVER have enough of these as a gamer. So, if you grab a few different sizes of these, they’ll make a fantastic stocking stuffer!

You can usually find them at craft stores, like Michaels, some stores like Wal-Mart often have them (but I couldn’t find a good example online), and of course, our good pal Amazon has them.

Card Sleeves

While they are similar-ish, these are technically not a bag, so my previous statement statement stands.

There are few things worse than people getting their dirty fingers on cards and permanently marking or staining them – eewww! So sleeve are nice because they can help protect your cards! (Not to mention making them easier to shuffle).

This could be a bit of a tricky gift, because you’ll need to know a game someone needs sleeves for, and then do your research to determine what size the cards in that game are. Or, you can buy some standard-sized sleeves, because gamers can usually use those no matter what. If it helps, deck building games are great ones to sleeve in general, as well as any game that requires multiple deck shuffles throughout the game, like your standard card games, like Uno.

Besides different sizes, sleeves can come in different colors or patterned backgrounds which is very cool, so again, we have a neat little stocking stuffer than many gamers will love!

Once again, Amazon is a pretty good option with some variety.

GeekUp Card & Bit Holders

Look, sometimes games just ask a little too much of us. We can’t be expected to hold all these cards, and manage all these fiddly resources, it’s just crazy! If you have a gamer pal who maybe needs an extra hand during some games, the GeekUp Card & Bit Holders are the way to go. Not only are they super handy (get it?) but they come in so many colors!! And if you buy a whole set, you get a discount!

Check them out only on BGG

Board Game Art

If you’re feeling particularly crafty, it would be a great gift to make some board game art for a friend from something you might have thrifted. (Insert shameless plug HERE with my previous post about board game art). If you’d rather not get hot glue everywhere, there are options.

I’m quite the fan of just creative renditions of games. Particularly the ones sold on BGG. I’m linking them, but I did notice they’re not currently in stock (but hey, maybe they’ll be back in time for that special someone’s birthday, right?) It’s simple but will look incredible framed in their game room.

In case those don’t come back any time soon, Etsy has a ton of other options for fun board game art to hang on your game room walls. Everything from “In this House” signs to scratch off lists, and then some. If you look around, you’ll find something great for the gamer in your life in no time at all!

A Board Game Book

Everybody loves a good book! And what better way to show off a love of board games than with a nice big coffee table book all about them? Whether it’s for someone who wants to learn a little more about board games, or someone who already loves them and just wants a nice table piece, it’s a great choice. Good for starting a conversation with guests, or just to take a casual look through some game photos any ol’ time! It’s simple, but hey, I’d love having one out on my coffee table, sure beats those tired old magazines!

You can opt for The Board Game Book Vol. 1 or maybe The Everything Tabletop Games Book! Or something else entirely! Whatever you go with, the gamer in your life is sure to love flipping through this again and again!

Board Game Drinkware

Remember that coffee table we’re keeping our new board game book on? Well, it’s not just for books! It’s for coffee (and various other beverages) too! And if we’re planning on having a cup, might as well make it a board game themed one! You can get mugs with your player color, silly phrases, dice, game references, and more! I’m partial to this mug shaped like a d20, but Amazon has a bunch of options, of course, and Etsy does too! A lot of what I came across was also RPG themed, so there’s plenty of variety no matter what the gamer in your life likes to play!

And don’t forget the coasters! Mine (pictured) happen to be from conventions and Kickstarters, but there are a ton of unique designs you can get online. If I didn’t already own approximately 50 coasters, you’d better believe I’d buy myself 5 sets.

Apparel

Our final entry on this year’s list is board game apparel! Tons of people love to show their board game love through fun and creative t-shirts at game night, events, and conventions, so you can help them out! Meeple Shirts has so many cool designs that there is literally something for everyone! From food themed shirts to pop culture references, and, of course, player color shirts, it’ll be hard to choose only one for your favorite gamer!

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed the list and find something perfect for the gamer, or gamers, close to you! Whatever you get them, it’s always the thought that counts, so they’ll still be bound to adore it! (But if they don’t, please don’t blame me. It’s not my fault…  probably). And hey, while you’re shopping around, you might as well get yourself a few of these cool gifts too!

Happy Gaming, Happy Gifting, and Happy Holidays everyone!

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