Level up your gifting game

It’s tonight, the birthday party you were invited to months ago. Drops of sweat form on your forehead as you haven’t bought a gift yet. You ponder; they do love board games. Ok, that’s easy, you’ll just pass by the store after work and get something nice. You smile confidently. But hours later, you are standing in front of shelves and shelves of possibilities. Paralyzed by the sheer number of different games. What do you choose? Which one will bring a smile to their face? What to do? 

First, relax. You’re not alone: studies show that half of adults suffer from gift-giving anxiety. It can be caused by the fear of judgment and financial or time constraints. Mostly, it’s not really knowing what to get someone that they will appreciate. To take the stress out of gifting to gamers, I will bluntly group personality types to be able to give you some tips on how to decide what will be most loved by them.

Whose birthday is it anyway?
If you’ve established that the receiver of the gift is a gamer, you can start deducing. Ask yourself these questions: What kind of person are they? Long-term strategizers, or party game enthusiasts? Are they looking for adventure or to strike opponents hard and fast? What games do they have in their collection?
By using these questions, you’ll come to a type that can clarify the choice you can best make.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”; The Tactical Planner
Let’s say your friend is a Sudoku lover. Is never late for an appointment. Takes an hour to finish their turn in DND and whenever they run into a problem, they first collect all the available information before proceeding. They’ll probably have games in their collection like Catan, Wingspan, or others that take a while to play.
Good job! You’ve found a tactical planner. With those, I would avoid games that focus on luck. Keep your focus on those that deal with resource management and longer-term planning. Your friend will revel in it.

Suggestions:
- Tiny Towns (Use the limited space effectively to build the best town.)
- Dice Forge (Create your own dice tactically to earn future advantage)
- Pyradice (go head-to-head, using the limited dice available for your pyramid)

“Let’s get this party started!”; The Social Animal
This time, your friend enjoys gossip. Show’s their posed party pics on Insta. Gets impatient when waiting in line at the store, because they have to be at a million places at once. They’re Chaotic. Congrats! You’ve got a Social Animal to find a good game for.   Chances are, they own party games like Cards Against Humanity, and you’ve played Never Have I ever at their party last year, divulging all your secrets to the people you’ll meet again this time.
I would advise you to go for the short, bubbly, and social games. The joy they get out of gaming is learning about and laughing with their friends. If you choose a spicy game, remember that you’ll probably be playing it at some point too.

Suggestions:
- Night of the Ninja (Fast-paced social deduction with ever-changing teams.)
- The Dick Sits (Funny game where your action cards affect the dick-fest.)
- Shitty Friends (Confronting question posing and voting game.)

“Not all those who wander are lost”; The Adventurer
This friend is possibly a bookworm. They are often distracted by details when you try to tell a story. Definitely an RPG player. Can talk for hours on end about their latest hobby. Collects anything obsessively because it “just looks pretty.” They love the randomness of treasure chests. Eureka! On your journey in life, you’ve found an Adventurer! Games in their closet tell a story, literally or compiled in the artwork. Their shelves display a beautiful array of games like Avatar: Aang's Destiny and Flamecraft. I would advise (cooperative) games that focus on a unique world and the randomness of adventure.

Suggestions:
- Hero Quest (classic cooperative dungeon crawler in a fantasy setting)
- Gay Sauna the Boardgame (A unique dungeon crawler with a focus on
storytelling guided by the changing rooms and played cards.)
- Keep the Heroes Out! (Play as monsters protecting treasure from pesky
adventurers, each chapter a different story. Cute meeples!)

“Hulk SMASH!”; The Agressor
The loud friend, who isn’t afraid of confrontation. Works in a fast-paced environment. Loves to play the wolf in Werewolves and eliminate everyone one by one. They’ll protect you from harm. This fiery friend is clearly an Agressor. Risk, Root or Exploding Kittens are their favorite games. I would advise games where you play as an individual against the rest. Last one standing mechanics.
The aggressors love to make plans. They enjoy bluffing to slow down gameplay, only to find the right moment to strike, and do as much damage as possible.

Suggestions: 
- Perudo (A dice game where bluffing and outwitting opponents matter.)
- Coup (Social deduction, hidden roles, murder. Need I say more?)
- Power Hungry Pets (quick card game where the final well-planned hit gives you the
win.) 

This doesn't help
If your friend doesn’t fit any of these stigmatized types, no worries. There are some failsafe actions to get you to the good result: Ask the staff in the store to help you. Buy a gift card.  Go for that emergency bottle of wine anyway, and tell all about your troubles with gift buying. Or, simply, save the receipt. They can always change it for something they’d prefer.

The truth behind the gift of giving
I hope your anxiety levels have dropped significantly by now. If there are still some drops of sweat pearling on your forehead, think about the following. Your gift is well wrapped, meant lovingly, and you did your best. Even if you destroy them later in the game, you gifted them; it’s the care that shines through the wrapping paper. 

Author - Jim van den Bos