30+ Best Gifts for Gamers

A sequel to the highly rated Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom is an open-world game that is set between three levels – the sky, the surface, and the underground. The story is wonderful, and the characters are all fleshed out and fun to talk to and meet. It is ‘fuller’ than the original Breath of the Wild was, as this one takes place years after the original. 

It is a great game for Zelda fans and new ones alike, as the exploration and building mechanic is fun for everyone. There are a ton of hidden easter eggs and nods to the older Zelda games, including armor/outfits, weapons, and more. It’s a fun ride for new and old Zelda fans and worth playing. The best part about it is that it can be played in an array of ways, the sky (and above) is the limit! This one is more geared towards creating and building items to help you play the game and explore around in a fun way. 

If your gamer friend or family member loves Dungeons & Dragons, RPG games, romance games, or anything in between – Baldur’s Gate 3 is a good pick. Winning Game of the Year for good reason, BG3 is a wonderful game for nearly everyone, whether they play games often or not. It’s that good. 

If you or your gift receiver loves D&D especially, this is right up their alley. Improving on BG1 and 2 that came out in the early 2000’s, Baldur’s Gate 3 brings it back into current times with new graphics, gorgeous music, memorable characters and questlines – and play styles that work for nearly everyone, it’s a must have for all. If you prefer battles and turn based combat that’s tough – it has that.

Easy going story and focusing on building relationships while the combat is easier? That’s here too. 

For everyone that loves Super Mario Bros. and fun games that are great for not just the whole family, but for anyone that needs some colour and light-hearted fun, look no further. Taking the side-scrolling New Super Mario Bros. formula and adding in new playable characters and new storyline, this is the best one for families and single players that want to experience it for themselves. 

New transformation outfits, fun levels, and fast paced action are at the forefront of this game.

You can choose between the largest cast of characters ever in a side-scrolling Mario game including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, and different Toads. Yoshi and Nabbit don’t take damage, so if you or your kids want to ply without stressing about losing lives and getting frustrated, you can! It works for up to 4-players locally or up to 12 in a Co-Op Room.  

This is game that isn’t quite for everyone, but if you or your gift receiver loves cyberpunk and futuristic shooters and RPGs, this is the one to try. When it first came out it had a lot of bugs and problems that have since been fixed and besides a few regular troubleshooting issues that arise from any game, it’s not a problem playing anymore and players can enjoy the game as it was intended. 

Playing as a mercenary outlaw, you can become a cyberpunk, an urban mercenary equipped with all manner of cybernetic enhancements and built up your legend around the streets of Night City. A massive open world, Night City is your hub that sets new standards in terms of visuals, complexity, and depth – nowhere is really off limits. You can do missions, side quests, and take the riskiest job of your life by going after a prototype implant that is the key to immortality in this futuristic world. 

The physical version of the game comes with not only the game discs, but a World Compendium that details the games setting and lore, postcards from Night City, a map of Nighty City, and a group of stickers that can be placed wherever stickers can go. 

Stardew Valley is a game that many have heard of, whether they’re into gaming or not. Created and developed by one creator, Eric Barone (or ConcernedApe as he’s known online), this cozy farming sim style game has more than it appears on the surface and is well worth playing for those that want a more lowkey gaming experience whether it’s farming, fishing, mining, taking care of your farm animals, talking to NPCs and building relationships, and more. What makes Stardew unique from other farming games is that there are some strange lore scenes and characters that are fun, and some hidden questlines that make the game deeper than it appears on the surface. 

The modding community around Stardew Valley is supported and is supportive itself, such as a game like Skyrim that has thousands of mods (if you have it on PC/Steam), that offer quality of life changes, appearance changes, and audio changes if you wish to delve into that type of gameplay and enjoy tweaking your game experience. It is easy enough that beginners can do it with a few quick button clicks and carry on playing. 

Even if farming isn’t your forte, there is something for everyone with Stardew Valley and it is always satisfying to watch the numbers go up as the Gold counts up when you sell crops, and the satisfaction that comes from completing the Community Center, which is a main point in Stardew that rewards you for collecting and bringing items there. It’s worth playing for anyone interested in cozy and rewarding games. 

Elden Ring is an open-world RPG created by FromSoftware, who is known for their notoriously difficult Dark Souls/Bloodborne series of games. Elden Ring however is different from its Dark Souls (and Bloodborne) counterpart in that it’s far more accessible to play for casual gamers that may not be into the typical difficulty that can come with open world RPG styled games. 

The beauty of Elden Ring is the same as Skyrim, in that you can play the game however you’d like, whatever way interests you, and you can still progress forward. If you enjoy exploring landscapes, using magic, going all in with swords, fighting large bosses, and enjoying lore without the game holding your hand like many modern titles tend to do. There’s something for everyone in Elden Ring and it won many game of the year awards for good reason! It is definitely worth playing and gifting. 

Lethal Company is a multiplayer (or single player) game with the incredibly simple premise of finding and returning loot to ‘The Company’, by the way of travelling to different moons/planets and meeting your quota. The single player experience compared to the multiplayer is that it can be harder to meet quota and the failure rate is much higher. Multiplayer with friends is some of the funniest gameplay you can have, as the monsters and ways you can accidentally meet your demise while collecting loot can vary so highly. 

It has grown popular and is still being updated, adding new maps, weapons, enemies, and loot. It’s well worth checking out and playing, especially with friends. It’s a great game to just shut your brain off, collect some scrap/loot, and try to get the most quota’s you can while also exploring around different maps. There are mods available as well that add another layer of customization and even difficulty. More emotes with friends, and suit colours are the most popular ones. It’s a game well worth picking up. 

Civilization 6 or VI (or as it’s most well known – Civ VI) is a turn-based strategy game that has been very popular for a lot of years. If you have a friend or family member that loves strategy-based games that seem to make time vanish in a blink, this is one of them. “Just one more turn” is a Civ VI staple phrase. There are many strategy games out there, but the Civilization series is one that is well known and highly rated for a reason. There are DLC content packs that include other countries that weren’t included in the original game release, such as Canada. 

Final Fantasy XIV Online is an MMO RPG adventure that allows you to play alone or with friends as you explore around the vast world as a Warrior of Light. Fight enemies, join guilds, adventure around doing quests, and unravel the ever evolving and expanding story. With multiple DLC’s available there is no shortage of content and if you don’t already have a Square Enix account for FFXIV, the game is available to play and try out entirely for free until you have hit Level 70 with no restrictions on playtime. It’s a wonderful option to try out, and it is one of the most popular MMO games to date, for good reason.
 

If your gift receiver enjoys the Final Fantasy series of games, they might love this one as well. It is recommended to be played with friends, but it can be done solo as well and it’s most like a giant open world Final Fantasy game that you can explore around in and level up, collect items, learn different classes and skills, and everything in-between. The combat is turn based but also open action, much like the newest Final Fantasy VII Remake is and the way most games have been going. 

It Takes Two is a great game to play for friends and families. It’s a co-op puzzle and platformer style game that requires players to work together and solve the puzzles and problems that are put before them, such as fighting monsters, solving puzzles, and figuring out platforming puzzles to get from level to level and wrap up the story. It does touch on marital issues, the imaginations of children, and has an overall whimsical theme that adults and kids alike will enjoy playing. It won a few awards and they were well earned. 

Powerwash Simulator is one in the long line of simulation type games that is rewarding and relaxing to play. Powerwash Simulator is one of the top tier simulation games, with high ratings all around and an overall positive score everywhere, it’s the best game for anyone that wants to have a satisfying and relaxing gaming experience. 

There are multiple levels with varying items to clean, from bikes and vehicles in garages to whole buildings and playgrounds. Collaboration levels and maps exist as well, such as from Spongebob Squarepants, Back to the Future, Warhammer 40K, and more. The DLCs are worth playing and are just as satisfying and fun as the base game. It can be played in multiplayer as well. 

Deadspace is a game series that started in 2008, with its highly anticipated remake being released in 2023 to high reviews. EA Games did a great job of reimagining/remaking the original game for modern consoles and on PC through Steam. Deadspace is a third-person shooter horror game set on a spaceship where monsters are roaming around and you need to figure out how to escape and get back to safety. 

The gameplay is fast paced at times, with other times being slower and exploratory as you make your way around the environments. It is mainly a shooter with horror elements and a behind the back camera angle, such as modern games do like the Resident Evil 4 Remake and the majority of newer shooter/horror games as it makes combat and camera control easier. 

Another classic horror game remake, Resident Evil 4 Remake is a game that is easy to play and worth trying even if the player has never played any of the previous Resident Evil games. The storyline, gameplay, and replayability is fantastic, as there are collectibles, minigames, and rankings that can unlock better weapons, game styles, and other rewards that make replaying the game again after the first time even more fun. 

The Resident Evil 4 Remake is available on both PC and on multiple consoles, and is well worth grabbing. It’s an over the shoulder third-person shooter and the original Resident Evil 4 was the game that actually created this way of playing a shooter and paved the way for many games that came afterwards. The remake updates its gameplay, and makes some changes in the original storyline to better suit a newer narrative and gameplay style, while staying true to its original. The characters and iconic voice lines from the original make an appearance and the game is well worth playing. There is a DLC released as well starring Ada Wong, and is also well worth the cost and gameplay time, basically adding on an entire other game. 

Walkabout Minigolf is a VR game that is also available to play on iOS in a more simple manner. It is one of the best VR games available on the market to date, with new courses and updates happening on a regular basis every couple of months. It’s available on Steam VR, PSVR, and directly through the Meta Quest store as well, meaning it can be played standalone without needing a direct line for VR to a desktop PC or otherwise. It’s also available on Playstation VR and the iOS version for mobile/tablets is a simplified version of the full VR game, and progress can be linked.  

It’s multiplayer up to 8 friends, and is also great solo. There are hidden golf balls on every hole in each course, and a Hard mode course that gets unlocked called Fox Hunts that allows you to solve puzzles to get a special putter based on the current level you’re playing. DLC courses are very affordable and always well worth the costs, as they’re barely $4 CAD per level, which always includes 18 hidden golf balls, and a special putter with Hard mode. Laser Lair is a special course that allows you to get two special putters, and the MYST related course has three special putters. Walkabout Minigolf is one of, if not the best feeling VR game and is the perfect wind down during a busy week. 

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a comfortable controller for your Nintendo Switch console (that also works on PC as well for Steam games, etc.) It isn’t too heavy, too big, or uncomfortable to hold for longer gaming sessions and there are a lot of gamers that love it for how good it is to use. 

The battery lasts for days before it needs to be recharged, even over a week if you don’t play games every single day with it.  

Playstation’s controllers have been a similar style since the beginning with the PS1. It has come a long way though since then and the Dual Sense PS5 controllers are in a tier of their own compared to other controllers out there. The haptic feedback alone makes playing games even more immersive, especially if you play action or FPS style games. 

The lightbar at the top is a well loved feature of the PS4 and PS5 controllers, especially as they change colours as you play, adding another level of fun immersion – such as in Grand Theft Auto V when you’re being chased by police, the lightbar will flash red and blue. It’s a very comfortable controller that can be used without a PS5 console even – if you have someone that plays PC games but prefers controllers – this is a good pick to try, especially if they’re used to Playstations. 

Xbox controllers need no real introduction, as they’re well known by most for gaming. Whether it’s on PC or the consoles themselves, these are great for nearly everyone that plays games. 

They come in a ton of colours and patterns, and are even slightly cheaper than the other two major ones (the Dual Sense and the Pro controller) They’re dependable, durable, and have enhanced comfort. They have textured bumpers, triggers, and a 3.5mm headphone/headset jack. The wireless Bluetooth connection works flawlessly with Windows PC, supported consoles, phones, and tablets.  

Support for AA batteries is on the back, while the USB-C port works best for plugged in gaming. Bluetooth connection works as well when you don’t want to be tethered to the console. 

Play any controller supported games with responsive analog triggers, tactile buttons, and clickable thumbsticks make this a fantastic pick for anyone that does a lot of mobile gaming. 

It connects to your USB-C port for ultra-responsive gameplay and you can charge your headset while you play as well. Low latency and compatibly with most Android devices (10.0 and up), and with the iPhone 15 series, it allows playability to most. The Backbone app itself Is a feature rich home for gaming and has 20+ unique features. You can record and share gameplay, party with friends, and launch your favourite games from one place. 

Backbone is also built with Playstation, as it will be uniquely recognized as a Dualsense controller by the PS Remote Play App, which allows gamers to play their favourite PS4 and PS5 games on mobile from anywhere. One caveat to that being your phone battery and overall graphics power may not be enough to play some higher end top-tier games on mobile. 

Officially licensed by Nintendo, the MOGA Bluetooth controller for mobile and cloud gaming devices, is an affordable choice for those who use controllers outside of consoles/do a lot of travelling but don’t want to pay double the price. 

An ergonomic design with Nintendo Switch layout, it features a 3.5mm audio jack and it does have mappable advanced buttons as well if players want to change up their set buttons. A detachable 10ft USB cable has a velcro strap to ensure easy storage and putting it away when it’s not needed out of the way. No batteries are required. A few reviews said that the joysticks could use some work and if they are rough handled, can start drifting. 

Govee is a brand name that most gamers and especially streamers will know. They are decently affordable LED style strips, lights, lamps, and hex shapes that can be placed anywhere on the walls or underneath desks, etc. that any cozy or cool setup would need or want. 

It comes with a remote to change colours with, they are ready to go from plugging in, and the software is easy to use and setup. Some Govee lights even work online with Twitch setups that allow viewers to spend channel points or bits to change the lights in the streamers background at a whim easily. They also just add ambiance to any room, whether it’s for gaming or watching films. 

If your gaming giftee is a steamer as well, getting a keylight to better light their setup and selves with is imperative. Even a bad webcam can make streams looks amazing with proper lighting. Artists and gamers can all appreciate proper lighting. The Elgato keylights have different sizes and price points. The minis are great for anyone just starting out or for those that have a smaller setup. Larger streamers and rooms can benefit from the larger standalone keylights.  

They are customizable and have their own range of light moods and warms, including anything from cold blue tones to warm, rich yellow/oranges. Whatever lighting you prefer, it will and can deliver without being harsh or frustrating to use. Just plug in and play, and setting up the Elgato software should happen automatically. From there you can change lighting, dimness, colour, and more. 

Another for the streamer, the Streamdeck is a very helpful tool for not just gamers, but anyone who uses their PC. The buttons can be set to various different things, such as changing lighting in the background of your stream, starting/ending stream, changing scenes, clipping gameplay, and even helping artists with shortcuts and keys they use most often while doing lineart or creating thumbnails for videos.  

The Streamdeck comes in multiple sizes and styles, from a mini that has 6 buttons, the regular that has 15 buttons, the XL that has many more, and the StreamDeck + audio mixer that has knobs and a small screen to allow you to see what you’re changing, such as volume. All of them allow you to create folders and folders within those, so even with the Mini – you can have countless buttons and actions at the ready. Soundboards are another great and hilarious option to have at a moments notice. 

The newest in the Playstation family, the PS5 was hard to buy when it came out due to demand, the pandemic, and scalpers creating an environment where no one could get it. Thankfully that time is over and being able to buy a console is as easy as going to your local retailer or online market to pick one up, along with deluxe bundles that come with games. 

This Spider-Man bundle is a great bundle to get for you, your family, or whoever’s the gifting recipient. The PS5 not only plays game with amazing graphical detail and the controller is a comfortable and fun way to play games for long sessions at a time. The lightbar changes with games and whatever’s happening in it such as in Grand Theft Auto if you’re being chased by cops, the lightbar will flash blue and red. 

It’s a powerful machine that can play Blu-Ray and games if you have the physical disc version, and the digital edition doesn’t include the option, but it is more affordable in the end and works better if they only have digital copies or games or only wish to have digital versions of games in the end without the need for physical discs. 

For any Playstation fan, this large shelf décor light adds ambient lighting to the room or gaming setup and add some console dedication vibes to any place. It illuminates the area around it without being a distraction and works as a great ambient light that any gamer would love to own and show off. It isn’t bright enough to be used as a lamp on its own, but it is a nice sign to have on a shelf, by the TV, or illuminating a collection. 

Good for any gaming room, bedroom, PC set up, streaming, and more – this customizable LED scrolling light allows you to put any 8-Bit images and more onto it, including text and custom colours to match your gaming spaces and to spice up your stream setups. It’s USB powered, so it can easily be plugged straight into the PC, a power bank, or a plug in that has USB slots on it, such as with power bars. 

The sign itself is flexible, and runs via Bluetooth on an app so you can change it up whenever needed and it even supports animations as well. 

The Nintendo Switch OLED is a step up from the original Switch with a 7-inch OLED display that shows the darkest darks and brightest brights while popping the colours even more. OLED makes images crisp and bright, while properly contrasted. The bezel is much smaller as well, with more screen space to see what you’re playing. 

The OLED also has a built-in Ethernet port that makes connecting to the internet and downloading games easier than ever, so that you don’t have to rely on the wi-fi connection while downloading new or old games, playing online with friends, or sending screenshots to yourself or online social media apps such as Twitter, Facebook, or just downloaded directly to your mobile device or tablet. 

The Xbox Series X is one of the newest consoles on the market, along with the PS5 when it came out. It’s the fastest and most powerful Xbox to date with 12 teraflops of raw graphics processing power DirectX ray tracing, a custom 1TB SSD, an 4K gaming power. 

This includes the console, an Xbox wireless controller, an ultra high-speed HDMI cable, power cable, and 2 AA batteries for the controller itself. Make the most of every gaming minute with Quick resume, lightning fast load times like never before, and gameplay up to 120fps, all powered by Xbox Velocity Architecture. 

Thousands of games from four generations of Xbox, with hundreds of optimized titles that look and play better than ever before, especially with no loading times compared to older consoles. The Game Pass Ultimate also allows users to play games when they first come out at no additional cost if you already have a gamepass. 

These comfortable and stylish headphones/headset comes in multiple colour choices and allow for total freedom up to a 20 meter range and lightspeed wireless audio transmission. Keep playing for up to 29 hours of battery life on one charge. Play in stereo on PS4 console. 

Lighting across the full spectrum of colour, 16.8 million colours with the front-facing dual-zone Lightsync RGB lighting and choose from preset animations, and you can create your own colourways with the G Hub. The reversable suspension headbands are designed for comfort for long play sessions and music sessions. The advanced microphone allows for crisp and clean audio, and with the G Hub you can customize how deep and rich toned your voice sounds, to find the sound that works best with whatever game you’re playing or streaming. 

Dual-layer memory foam conforms to your head and reduces stress points for long-lasting comfort. They only weigh 278 grams, for lightweight usage for hours without any discomfort or lumps and bumps that can come from other headsets. They are console compatible with the PS4, PS5, and the Nintendo Switch. 

Razer is well known in the gaming and streaming industry for having good quality peripherals that are durable and long lasting. They come in multiple colours and have a 340 grams lightweight build. The noise cancelling is pretty decent on this pair. Razer is more expensive than other headsets, but these are in the more affordable range. 

The hybrid memory foam cushion is long lasting and won’t deform even after hours of use and wear. Triforce 50mm drivers are a new, cutting edge design that divides the driver into 3 parts for the individual tuning of highs, mids, and lows that produce brighter, clearer audio with richer highs and more powerful lows to ensure that it isn’t all tinny and high mids. Advanced noise cancellation with the sturdy closed earcups fully covers ears to prevent noise from leaking out and cushions for better noise cancellation while playing games or listening to music. 

7.1 surround sound helps pinpoint where sounds are coming from in a 360-degree angle, and the 240 gram ultra lightweight build makes these easy to wear all day long or overnight when the long gaming sessions hit. 

HyperX is well known for their gaming peripherals as well, including keyboards, mice, and headsets. Up to 80 hours of battery life on a single full charge should you kiss those annoying low battery notifications goodbye. A fast 2.4 wireless connection is clean and clear without losing the ability to be in sync and great while playing with friends and listening to music. Immersive spatial audio and sound localization with FTS headphone X-spatial helps improve sound and increase the immersion of your games and audio entertainment across the board. 

The plush memory foam earpads are covered in leatherette to ensure easy cleaning and deliver a comfortable listening experience so that users can better focus on games, work, and music. They come in only one colourway, the signature HyperX black and red combination, but it is a sleek look that should match most setups and users preferences without being too flashy or overbearing.