For lovers of word games with old-school flavors and ample storage space, consider Luxury Monogram Scrabble kit ($170) combined with Leather-bound Scrabble dictionary ($105) to help resolve disputes. Both items will look beautiful on hexagonal gaming table ($3,400 and up) which can be customized to include drink holders ($66) so your recipient can drink Armagnac without missing a beat.
Jenga!
Jenga, a game for all seasons, deserves its own section. At the backyard barbecue Giant Jenga ($130) adds an element of architectural drama. In the playroom it's Spin-off inspired by De Stijl ($58) brings a fun pop of color. When hosting a boozy night out, try a variation known as Party Jenga. Starting from classic set ($23), have guests write clues on rectangular wooden cubes, such as “Bartender” (i.e., make someone a drink); Truth or Dare (pick your poison); “Pony” (perform a dance to Ginuwin’s “Pony”). When a player removes a block, they must complete a command before placing it on top of the tower. Part of the charm of the game is that over the years old clues can be crossed out and new ones written; the set my friends and I bought in our twenties is now a treasured souvenir, a palimpsest of our Jenga-foggy youth.
Curl up with a good puzzle book
“Across the Universe”
A book of puzzles is best opened after cake, when the mood calls for idleness. Elegant version “Puzzle mania!($34), Time'Annual insert of verbal and visual puzzles, good for group work. Just like the cunning Joon Park.”Triple decker bus($4), which is like a bar quiz mixed with the game Connections. Cinephiles and TV buffs will love it Thematic crosswords A24 ($58) with several authors New Yorker puzzle makers. Speaking of our contributors, in Nonfiction Nathan Last “Across the Universe($23) will appeal to puzzle fans interested in history and the art of crossword puzzles.
Challenge accepted
“Main Theorem: Elite”
The seasoned solvers on your list—the escape room regulars who can decipher Caesar's ciphers in their sleep—will appreciate the mind-bending puzzle hunt: a series of intertwined problems that culminate in a final test of wits. Start them with “Main theorem: elite($30), a book of extremely difficult puzzles. If they can handle it, point them to hunt for twenty-odd pieces which accompanies A. J. Jacobs' bookPuzzle($13). (Even though the ten thousand dollar prize has already been announced, the competition can still be entered for fun.) If that's not enough, keep them busy all year round by subscribing to P&A magazine ($60), an online magazine with tricky puzzles. And, if they've been really kind, book them a room at Mohonk Mountain House, a legendary resort in the Catskills, for the annual event. wonderful world of words weekends (packages start at $731 per night).
Games as art objects
Limited edition New Yorker chess set.
A few birthdays ago I received a gift similar to small 3D puzzle ($125); the object seemed vaguely diabolical, as if I would be carried away by a demon if I couldn't solve it. I have since learned that there is a whole universe of these puzzles at all price points. Art of Play, a contemporary antiques store in Brooklyn Heights, sells materials including wood ($225) and metal ($15). My favorite is Soma stone cube ($84), which somehow feels less menacing than the others and would be at home on any carefully curated coffee table.
MoMA The Design Store is another good shopping destination for game-loving aesthetes. The games on his shelves are as fun to look at as they are to play: from Colored domino ($30) up Eames playing cards ($18) per fun set for playing backgammon ($115). Stylish gifts for chess lovers (like this one) Noguchi setfor 250 dollars or this Bauhaus setfor $379) is available everywhere. But in my objective opinion, nothing compares to this limited edition. New Yorker kit ($120) with pieces designed by Christoph Niemann, the longtime cover artist who has created mascots for all of our set of games.
Puzzle Mania
Le Puzz 500 piece puzzle
The puzzle, named after the tool that was once used to cut out wooden pieces before the transition to cardboard, has provided humanity with countless hours of pleasant, mindless distraction. I guarantee there is a puzzle that will suit everyone on your list, whether they are mystery lovers ($21), mushroom pickers ($21), cat lovers ($25) gearboxes ($35) or Victorian novel lovers ($25). Unless your recipient has any niche hobbies, you can't go wrong with a cartoon monsters take over Manhattan ($35), by New Yorker by Edward Steed, or any of the stunning options from Le Puz.
Thousands of cardboard pieces can easily crowd out a holiday table, so if you're bringing a puzzle to a holiday gathering, accessorize it. rotating puzzle board ($60) to control overgrowth. Once the puzzle is solved, the board can be used as a serving dish. Better yet, collect this deceiver cookie cutter puzzle ($29) and your host won't even have to worry about serving dessert. ♦
