Every year, some fun, creative or otherwise interesting small games and game-related products are published -- and they're just the right size and price to slip into someone's stocking at the holidays. Here are my picks for the best stocking stuffers for game players in 2005.
For 2 to 6 players (up to 12 players with a larger track), published by WizKids. Race Day is the latest in Wizkids' line of "constructible" games, which also includes the Pirates series and Rocketmen. A total of 30 NASCAR cars can be collected and built. The game itself is a fairly simple race game, but it does take into account engine damage, body damage, tire damage, drafting, walls and more. Each $3.99 game pack includes everything needed for a two-player race.
For 2 or more players, designed by Jesper Myrfors with Paul Peterson, published by Hidden City Games. This clever game uses custom Poker chips in a new way, challenging players to toss them onto the play area. Each chip represents troops, a base or an action, and where it lands determines how effective it will be. Each $14.95 starter set (two are available; armies include elves, the undead, goblins and centaurs) includes 30 chips, enough for a 2-player game.
Written by John Hartley, subtitled "The Inside Straight to 90 Games." This 160-page book is packed with features of interest to Poker players, including the basic rules, basic strategy tips and rules for more than seven dozen versions of the game. Also consider "Dealer's Choice: The Complete Handbook of Saturday Night Poker" by James Ernest and Mike Selinker, which boasts more than 200 Poker variations.
For 2 players, published by Wizards of the Coast. The Revenge of the Sith series is the latest entry into the Star Wars Miniatures universe. The miniatures are used in a Star Wars-themed game of battles; starter sets are also available, but the expansion packs include 7 random miniatures, sell for less than $15 and fit into a stocking quite easily. The giant $50 AT-AT "miniature" won't fit into a stocking, but it will bring a smile to the face of any fan of Star Wars Miniatures.
For 2 to 8 players, designed by Matt Forbeck, published by WizKids. High Stakes Drifter is a betting and bluffing card game in which players challenge each other to Wild West shootouts. They play Dude cards, place bets, enhance Dude cards with Gear and/or Fortune cards, or "kicker chips" (custom-designed Poker chips), and then bet again. The starter set (54 cards, 2 chips) sells for $9.99; booster packs (9 cards, 1 chip) are available for $2.99.
For 2 to 6 players, designed by P. Joseph Shumaker, published by Briarpatch. Produced in conjunction with CowParade, the organization responsible for life-size painted cow sculptures appearing in cities around the world, this game includes some of the most creative cow art available. The game itself ($9.95) is fairly simple -- each cow has a series of holes and players stack two cow cards on top of each other, quickly guessing whether their cows have the most or fewest open holes.
For 3 to 6 players, designed by James Ernest, published by Cheapass Games. As with most Cheapass releases, players have to supply their own bits. But for $3.50 (and with the option to buy the needed bits for an additional $4.50), who can complain? In the game, players compete to be the first to reach a predetermined number of points; to do this, they must collect treasure, attack each other and unload treasure in port cities.
For 2 players, published by Nannon Technology Corp. This is a tiny (nano) version of Backgammon that comes packaged in an Altoids-sized tin. Inside the tin is everything you need to play: two dice, six checkers, a doubling cube, a game board and rules. A single game plays extremely quickly and the rules are very simple. But the doubling cube adds an element of strategic thinking and it won't take many plays to make Nannon worth the $9.99 price tag.
For 2 to 4 players, published by Patch Products. Few of us will ever see a royal flush in Poker, but while playing Royal Fluster you'll see one every game. The deck only includes cards from 10 to Ace (those needed for a royal flush) and each suit has two sets of such cards. Players take turns drawing a card and discarding a card until someone achieves the royal flush. The separate deck of Fluster cards adds some intrigue. This is a family card game that sells for about $4.
For 2 to 4 players, designed by Jim Doherty, published by Eight Foot Llama. Canada needs Mexican food and your goal is to smuggle it into their country. (Complicating matters is the fact that the Mounties don't want Mexican food sold north of the border.) Each province wants a different set of ingredients and players earn money for giving them what they want. Being first to make a delivery brings both a bonus and a penalty. This $19.95 game has 110 cards and a bag full of colored cubes.
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