We’ve made our list and checked it twice: the 2024 edition of our gift guide is here.
No-one is harder to shop for than nerds. It’s hard to tell what that person in your life enjoys, and what they already own.
With this comprehensive guide, the Boss Rush team has selected a number of gifts that are unique, thrilling presents your friends and family will be excited to unwrap.
Prosperitea – Kara Dennison
A relaxed card game that walks the line between competition and co-op that will appeal to lovers of cozier gaming vibes. Players each set up their own tea shop where they must gather ingredients in order to create and sell tea blends (both well-known and proprietary). Trade favors with fellow players and gather prestige by displaying your finest blends in the window. Best of all, this game is well-researched: fantasy-inspired tea purveyor St. Bastian’s served as consultant for this title. Simple to learn, fun to play, and beautiful to look at, this is a must for lovers of tea and tabletop card games.
Prosperitea is available here
Price: $25
Studio Ghibli: Architecture in Animation – Kara Dennison
If you haven’t a clue to get the anime lover on your list, this gorgeous Studio Ghibli hardcover is a safe bet. It’s a translated reprint of the book accompanying the Studio Ghibli’s Architecture in Animation exhibition, packed with screenshots, commentary, art, rare materials, and interviews. All the great films from the studio’s catalog get consideration, from Howl’s eponymous moving castle to Satsuki and Mei’s nostalgic home in My Neighbor Totoro. Best of all, there’s magnificent insight into the “how” and “why” of Hayao Miyazaki’s architectural vision, as well as insights into what makes a house a home and how the Ghibli Museum echoes the ethos of the studio’s films.
Studio Ghibli: Architecture in Animation is available here
Price: $35
Mad Dog Majima Jacket – Kara Dennison
Your Yakuza fan friends have had a tough year; they deserve something nice. Insert Coin Clothing specializes in unique video game apparel beyond the usual array of shirts (although they do shirts, too). For Yakuza/Like a Dragon, they offer a variety of sukajan, or Japanese souvenir satin jackets, themed after the franchise’s most memorable characters. We’ve chosen Majima because… well, Majima. But also we can’t get enough of this fierce design, based on his epic back piece. It’s a great choice for video game lovers who have more than enough tees and want to add something a little special to their wardrobe.
The Mad Dog Majima Jacket is available here
Price: $98.24
Oh Captain, My Captain! – Kara Dennison
You know that one friend in your gaming group who would happily throw aside all the dice rolls and mechanics just for an opportunity to do storytelling? This is for them. Oh Captain, My Captain! is a quick-play, DM-less fantasy RPG card game in which you and your fellow players build a world and a set of characters based on prompts pulled from a deck. You’re all crewmembers following a charismatic captain in search of a legendary treasure. What the treasure is, who the captain is, and who you are will emerge organically over time with the help of James D’Amato’s well-worded character-building questions. This is a great party game for creative friends, or a good ice-breaker for a new tabletop group that’s never RPed together before.
Oh Captain, My Captain! is available here
Price: $19.99
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo Power Player’s Guide – Michaela El-Ters
The Nintendo Power Player’s Guide for Ocarina of Time is a remnant of a by-gone era, when physical player’s guides were printed and filled to the brim with content and stunning artwork.
The foreword describes Shigeru Miyamoto’s intention for the guide: “With this book, you will discover the secrets of every nook and cranny of the Land of Hyrule as if you were one of the Hylians.”
The guide’s writing style is distinct because it brings players into the world of Ocarina of Time by describing Link’s journey through his lens: “Using his new bow, Link waited until he was opposite the switch, then he fired a bow through the flame and into the ice. The ice melted and the switch activated a twisted corridor.” It also enhances the storytelling and character development by describing not just his actions, but his thoughts and feelings in a way that can’t be achieved in the game.
The book includes plot summaries from earlier Zelda games, information about iconic artifacts, full page spreads of beautiful artwork, a fold-out map, and blank music staffs where players can transcribe the notes for each ocarina song. Every page of this player’s guide is lovingly crafted and written to create an incredibly unique and holistic work of art. This is a great collector’s item for not just Zelda fans, but physical guide enthusiasts looking for a special piece of video game history.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo Power Player’s Guide is available here
Price: $47.99
The Legend of Dulcimer: Zelda Tunes featuring a Hammered Dulcimer – Shane Kelley
If you love The Legend of Zelda and also fancy the fantastic music that comes from the games you will absolutely enjoy this album. I stumbled upon this album one day on Kickstarter and immediately backed it. Colin Beasley also known as Dulcimer Gumbo is a skilled musician and brings his talent and combines it with the classic Zelda vibe. With 9 tracks to enjoy over a fair amount of Zelda titles there is plenty to enjoy.
The Legend of Dulcimer: Zelda Tunes featuring a Hammered Dulcimer is available here
Price: $25.00 (CD); $17.00 (Digital)
Becoming Superman: My Journey From Poverty to Hollywood by J. Michael Stracyznski – Mary Helen Norris
J. Michael Straczynski is one of my favorite authors. Over the course of his decades-long career he has worked in animation, television, movies, and comics. He has worked with franchises such as He-Man, She-Ra, The Real Ghostbusters, Murder She Wrote, Sense 8, and both DC and Marvel Comics. He wrote Clint Eastwood’s Changeling. He created the all-time great science fiction show Babylon 5, and he holds the world record for most consecutive episodes of a TV series written by a single person.
If you’re a fan of his work, you’ll love this book. If you’re a writer who wants to learn more about the craft, you’ll love this book. If you want to take a deep dive into the history of the industry, read this book. If you want to discover how Nazism affects us in America today, naming the long-hidden perpetrators of a war crime, this book is an essential read.
Moral of the story, read this book.
Becoming Superman: My Journey From Poverty to Hollywood is available here
Price: $18.99 (Paperback); $11.99 (Kindle)
Video Game Maps: NES and Famicom – Sofi Beyen
What I personally adore in any media I consume is well designed world-building. And nothing ties a video games world building better than maps of the world the player is sent out to explore. Video Game Maps: NES & Famicom is a collection of maps spanning over 200 games, with the art provided by 13 different talented artists. Created by Brian Rigsbee, this collection is a well crafted art gallery containing the many worlds some of us players have already trekked, now revamped in physical format. A perfect gift for any NES/Famicom enthusiast, and If you’re not a big fan of that era, they offer versions for the SNES and Sega Genesis as well.
Video Game Maps: NES and Famicom is available here
Price: $39.99
Heroes’ Feast: The Official D&D Cookbook – Carl Hall
Dungeons & Dragons is a game that is close to heart for many people, and Heroes’ Feast is a good way to get it close to the stomach as well. With 80 recipes sorted by fictional origin, there’s a good chance that you’ll find something in here to suit your palate. I’m personally quite fond of the Kara-Tur Noodles, Potato Leek Soup, and Bangers & Smash. The book is sorted into chapters for human, elven, dwarven, halfling, and uncommon cuisine, as well as a section at the back for drinks and cocktails. The excellent writing makes the book both entertaining and functional, with every recipe including a little bit of lore and characterization.
Heroes’ Feast: The Official D&D Cookbook is available here
Price: $35.00 (Hardcover); $10.99 (Kindle)
The Criterion Channel – James Bojaciuk
The Criterion Channel is the best streaming service available today. With a truly mind-boggling selection of movies ranging from the silent era to today, covering all genres, this is the real home for any movie buff on your list. Every month The Criterion Channel highlights a genre, a beloved star, and an element that unites a surprise collection of films. Some months noir or political thrillers may take the lead; actors like Winona Ryder and Michelle Yeoh have been given career retrospectives; and the surprising element can range from films shot in Venice to synth soundtracks. No-one does it better, and no streaming service is more worthy of your time. The Criterion Channel allows gift subscriptions.
The Criterion Channel is available here
Price: $10.99 (Monthly); $99.99 (Annually)
LINK:
Parks – James Bojaciuk
Parks is one of my favorite board games. Players compete to visit the most United States National Parks they can in the space of one in-game year, collecting natural resources and dueling over who can take the most pictures. The game features stunning art, and the rules complex enough to encourage thought. A true game for everyone, Parks is one of the best board games available today. Its expansions make a great game a classic.
Parks is available here
Price: $49.99
Featured Image: Matthias Cooper
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