James T. Hirt, local board game expert at The Adventurer’s Guild, showcases top picks for the holidays.
Are you looking for a gift for the geek in your life?
During this holiday season, finding the perfect gift for friends and loved ones can be difficult, particularly if they don’t share the same interests as you.
This gift guide is for all of you shopping for that special someone who can name their favorite “Star Trek” episode or tell you the challenge rating of a goblin in Dungeons & Dragons. Allow this guide to help you find the perfect gift to celebrate a very geeky Christmas.
Experiences
Escape Rooms
Imagine you have 60 minutes to escape a locked room. You are pitting your mind against a set of structured tasks, racing against the clock to find the hidden clues that will earn your freedom.
Does this sound like it would appeal to someone you know? Then look no further than the numerous escape rooms offered across central Pennsylvania.
Escape Games Live in Lemoyne offers two different rooms to experience, with prices starting at $125 for a five-person experience.
Do You Even Escape? in Camp Hill offers three different rooms, ranging from two- to 10-player experiences, with prices averaging around $25 per person.
Escape Room | Hershey will take you from an enchanted forest to the roaring ‘20s and finally through a museum of magic. On Saturdays and Sundays, your adventure will cost $108 for four people.
Epic Nerd Camp
Nearby in Maryland at Camp Ramblewood, Epic Nerd Camp delivers “an adult summer camp program for geeks ages 21-plus who enjoy gaming, fantasy and sci-fi.”
Murder Mystery Dinner
Does that special someone fancy themselves a detective on par with Sherlock Homes? Are they obsessed with true crime podcasts? Then they may be a perfect candidate for a murder mystery dinner.
Locations like Bube’s Brewery in Mount Joy and the Pride of the Susquehanna in Harrisburg offer scripted experiences for a group to participate in. No need to play a role when you can watch performers act out the mystery for your entertainment.
Blacksmithing
Embrace your inner dwarf and forge weapons in nearby Palmyra. The Drunken Smithy offers the opportunity to work on an open forge to create a unique weapon. Prices vary between $100 and $300, but, by participating in one of their “pick a project” sessions, attendees can build whatever suits their fancy.
It is disappointing that they do not offer a Klingon bat’leth, but perhaps, if enough of us make the request, that can be changed.
Products
Board Games
Nothing excites a nerd more than the smell of a freshly opened board game. Consider the following games to drop under the tree this holiday season:
7 Wonders: Architects
Repos Games
2-7 players
60 minutes playtime
Construct a wonder so magnificent it will leave your mark on history! In 7 Wonders Architects, build one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and gain as many victory points as possible to win the game.
Ark Nova
Capstone Games
1-4 players
150 minutes of playtime
Design a modern zoo and run a successful park to support conservation projects.
Wingspan
Stonemaier Games
1-5 players
90 minutes of playtime
You are bird enthusiasts—researchers, bird watchers, ornithologists and collectors—seeking to discover and attract the best birds to your network of wildlife preserves.
Connect with your friendly local game store to find the best game for the audience. Visiting The Adventures Guild, Blue Moon Games or Lazarus Games in the capital region will help ensure you pay the best price and avoid over-inflated costs that can be seen online, particularly during the holidays.
Geek Jerseys
Is your special someone sick of never having anything to wear to “jersey” day at the office? Pick up a Geek Jersey and offer an alternative that will let their geek flag fly. With options ranging from ‘80s pop culture classics to video games to science fiction classics, Geek Jerseys will delight for around $100.
Classic Toys
A gift of a classic toy from the ‘80s or ‘90s is a gateway to the joy of the past. From vintage toys to classic video games, visit Retro & Rad in New Cumberland or The Tatted Toy Guys in Elizabethtown to take a time machine to the past.
Comic Books
Comic books have long outgrown the realm of children and are currently producing in-depth, well-constructed stories for adults. For example, the following encapsulate complete stories that offer unique perspectives.
Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites
Dark Horse
Black magic, demonic frogs and zombie road kill are just a few of the problems plaguing this seemingly sleepy little town. Beneath the quiet streets, a rat cabal plots vengeance, while the dead leave their graves in the local cemetery. With the human residents unaware of the supernatural danger, it’s up to a determined crew of dogs (and one cat) to keep their community safe.
A Man’s Skin
Ablaze
Tackling universal themes through a captivating and subtle fairy tale, Hubert and Zanzim brilliantly question our relationship to gender and sexuality—but not only that. By mixing morality and humor, A Man’s Skin invites us to the mad and noble quest for love.
Mech Cadet Yu
Boom Studios!
Once a year, giant robots from outer space come to Earth and bond with young cadets from the elite Sky Corps Academy to defend the world from the terrifying aliens known as the Sharg. It’s a great honor to be chosen, but this year, well, the wrong kid was picked.
Not sure these suggestions are the right fit for the reader in your home? Visit a local comic store like Comix Connection in Mechanicsburg to ask their in-house experts to discover the best-fit story.
Do you have a perfect gift for that special nerdy someone in your life? Please share it with the community by sending a message to the Harrisburg Board Game Day through email, Facebook, or Instagram.
Harrisburg Board Game Day can be reached via email at harrisburgboardgameday@gmail.com.
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