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The Blogmeisters at Zatu (I’m sure that is their official title) have asked us bloggers to make our holiday season/end of year board game wishlist to share with readers. I’ll be honest, I find a wishlist a pretty tricky thing to populate, no worries coming up with ideas at 2am or stuck in traffic when things randomly pop into my mind (why can you never recall them though?), but, damn near impossible when put on the spot. Not to be perturbed, however, I have given it some thought, and here are some game related items I’d love to receive.
1) Calendar of Many Adventures 2025:
If you’re a DnD player, as I am, chances are your DM has used one of Loke’s amazing Big/Giant books of Battlemats to add a visual element to your adventure; adding that bit of spice to a big combat or encounter. This product is a 12-month calendar, each month has an accompanying piece of art that can be used as a Battlemat. Add to this that each month has a QR link to a document, that can be used to lead an adventure on the month’s mat! You also get a high-quality mat to use again and again as needed. It sounds quirky, unique, cool and a lot of fun. It is just such a great idea and I love the idea of receiving one as a gift.
2) The Betrayer’s War – Descent: Legends of the Dark (Act 2)
I really enjoy Descent Legends of the Dark (Act 1). It is a really simplified story-based RPG dungeon crawler (though not constrained to dungeons, which is cool). The game is app led so you discover the board and events that unfold as you play through. The results of your missions add in to the storyline guiding you through a fun narrative. It is so rules light and flexible that it is not a chore to play through. However, it is also engaging enough with weapon building, potion crafting, personal quests etc to keep your interest. My friends and I currently play through three different dungeon crawlers Gloomhaven, League of Dungeoneers and Descent: Legends in the Dark. Of them, I think Descent has not just the coolest minis and scenery but also most relaxed playstyle. More of this can only be a good thin! Now, I just need to find someone that will fork out over £100 on a gift for this geeky man-child
3) Mysterium Park
Mysterium is one of the few games we have at home that actually engages my wife, usually she bows out of games as “you know I hate them”. The fact that you can easily join in under the guidance of an experienced “Ghost”, who can support players to follow what goes on, and it is cooperative in nature, which means that it is a very unstressed game to enjoy, seems to support her involvement more than any other of the many games in my collection. After several, and I mean several, games of Mysterium, there can be a bit of predictability to which vision cards best indicate certain people/locations/objects. For this reason, Mysterium Park offers some new variety. You may wonder why I wouldn’t just prefer one of the expansions for Mysterium? Well, the idea that Mysterium Park offers the chance to enjoy the classic experience in a shorter format is really appealing to me, since one possible barrier to arranging a game of Mysterium is the play length; you need to set aside a lot of an evening to set up and play from start to finish.
4) Army Painter Speedpaint Set
I have discovered that my advancing years have created a much bigger chore of painting minis than it ever was as a teenager. From age 11 to 18, I was a regular at Games Workshop on a weekly basis. In the short 7-day period between games nights, I could turn out a unit of 20-30 minis ready to bring to the table the following week. As I enter my 40s, I have discovered that my painting stamina is substantially reduced. I even got my eyes tested after painting for just a few minutes left my eyes stinging. Sure enough, I found out that I now need glasses for reading/mini painting that are sat upon my nose as I type this. So, the opportunity to speed up the painting process is a welcome one. My friend, who DMs the monthly DnD games I play, has spoken at length about the wonder that is Army Painter Speedpaint, and his minis have started to look even better since he started using these paints. Whilst I have a fair few Army Painter and Citadel Paints at my disposal, a set of these would be a really luxurious treat.
5) Zatu Mystery Box
What do I love? Games! What else do I love? Pleasant surprises. For this reason, the idea of a Zatu Mystery box fills me with excitement. You get some great games and bonus stuff in a big box to open. Just imagine you get handed a huge parcel, you aren’t sure what is inside. You open it up to discover games to enjoy with your friends and family… Not just games, but new games! Does any scent say holiday joy to a gaming fan more than the smell of a newly opened game? Nope, I didn’t think so! For me, this would be the perfect package of geeky gamer holiday happiness.
In another couple of weeks, I imagine there could be a mostly different list as different games enter my sphere of interest, however, this is what I have thought about in the moment whilst compiling this selection. Happy holidays everyone!
