Anyone who follows PlayWise’s posts won’t be surprised that we’re recommending print-and-play games for Christmas as well. We believe that, in today’s world, sharing our game ideas in this format is a meaningful response to many of the challenges we face.
Of course, it’s convenient to just grab a fully finished game off the shelf, but the print-and-play format has plenty of advantages too. It’s cheaper. You’re buying directly from the designers. There’s no unnecessary production, no unnecessary shipping. And instead of seeing the assembly as a hassle, you can treat it as an activity in itself.
We’re not only recommending our own designed and published games — we’ve written several reviews on the topic as well, so it’s worth taking a look at those too.
We also have free downloadable micro-games which, as tiny little gifts, we can only imagine as small add-ons — but they can provide great entertainment during the holiday break: Contrast, Mark&Play, Num Tag.
We have a coloring book as well, with 16 unique coloring pages and 11 game ideas. Some of the games are for very young kids, some for slightly older ones, and yes — even for adult couples. It’s definitely worth checking out, because you can get an entire bundle of games for about half the price of a small board game.
We’ve also released five card games so far, and we truly believe that each one can find its own audience. For those who play a lot with 5–6-year-olds, Puffy is an excellent choice — including the version where you get to color the cards yourselves.
For party-game lovers, we recommend YesNo, a wonderfully simple yet twisty, focused shouting game that invites you to chant and concentrate at the same time.
For those who enjoy more unusual games, Germz might be the right pick — you physically build chains out of the cards, and with some clever tactics you can secure the most points.
Ringdance is built on simple rules, but playing it well is anything but simple: everything is visible, everything can be planned, yet because everyone is constantly manipulating the cards, it’s hard to navigate it skillfully.
And Fleaville is our two-player game: tight, tactical, where every decision carries weight, and in the end, everything comes down to timing.
Have fun playing, and happy holidays!
