With more time inside this year than perhaps ever before, this is the Christmas and Hanukkah for both high-tech and low-tech games — from puzzles and board games for kids and families to video games that will get your heart pumping. Here are our picks for the top gifts for gamers for the 2020 holiday season, with a special eye toward makers with a tie to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
While the cases aren’t SCOTUS-level, families can still channel their inner Ruth Bader Ginsburg, debating topics like “a hotdog is a sandwich” and “Halloween is the most fun holiday.” Ages 14 and up. $20 at Target
Pilot classic Star Wars ships, including TIE Fighters and X-Wings, in this first-person space combat game set after the Battle of Endor. Rated T. For PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. $40 at major retailers
Celebrate Super Mario’s 35th anniversary with three of the hero’s classic adventures in one package. Rated E. For Nintendo Switch. $60 at major retailers
Supertheticals: 50 New Questions for Insane Conversations
Pop culture guru Chuck Klosterman wrote this collection of twisted conversation starters that are perfect for a backyard hang or Zoom meetup with old friends. The set is a follow-up to Hypertheticals, the first set of questions he wrote 10 years ago. $16 at amazon.com
What Do You Meme? All of Us Trivia Game
Every age group has the chance to excel at this trivia game that lets players choose which generation — boomer, X, millennial or Z — they want questions about. Ages 12 and up. $18 at Target
This indie game runs on a loop with a cinematic top-down viewing perspective. Over 12-minute cycles, you must take actions to resolve a dangerous situation involving your wife and a police officer. Rated M. For Xbox One and Series X/S and PC. Check for release date at annapurnainteractive.com
PlayStation 5
This hotly awaited console update runs smoother and loads games faster, with a lauded controller with adaptive triggers and subtle vibrations to immerse you in the experience. If you didn’t get on a waitlist, look for Black Friday launches and other special releases. $499 at major retailers
A technical achievement, Microsoft’s latest flight simulator covers the entire Earth with realistic 3D representations of the world’s features, and also includes improved physics, weather conditions and more real-life effects. Rated E. For PC. $60 at microsoft.com
Give the gift of relaxation, and maybe a bit of education, with this beautiful 500-piece puzzle illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky that features 15 female artists. $17 at amazon.com
Xbox Series X
Microsoft is also launching a new console this year, with more power, better loading times and a slick 4K viewing experience. If you didn’t get on a waitlist, look for Black Friday launches and other special releases. $499 at major retailers
Hush Hush Projects Fog of Love
Is love really just a game? Find out in this two-player board game in which you try to build a relationship and make it last. Ages 17 and up. $50 at barnesandnoble.com
They can design their own video games or alter others’ worlds with this game creation system. Or they can play in the weird and wonderful games made up by other users. Rated T. For PlayStation 4. $31.50 at Target
It can be soothing to try to control a pandemic amid one. This latest entry in the Pandemic board-game series is set in the Cold War, where you work cooperatively to stop a Soviet bio-threat. Ages 14 and up. $80 at Target
Cyberpunk 2077
You’re a cyborg mercenary in this first-person shooter set in an immersive dystopian California city. Oh, and Keanu Reeves, as Johnny Silverhand, plays an important role in the story. Rated M. For PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Out Dec. 10 for $60 at major retailers
Adventerra Games Global Warming
Kids and parents can have fun while learning about solutions to climate change with this cooperative game in which you conserve resources and save the planet. Ages 10 and up. $25 at amazon.com
The Space Needle, Gas Works Park, Smith Tower and more Seattle landmarks can be put together in this 1,000-piece puzzle designed locally and made in Germany. $30–$40 at Whole Foods and lanternpress.com
Four Point Puzzles Several Found Things
Old teaching tools become a rich, textural work of art in this 1,000-piece puzzle designed by Toronto-based artist Micah Lexier. $25 at fourpointpuzzles.com