A Tabletop Games Gift Guide For Geeky Dads On Father's Day

Forbes

20 hours ago

You might not be able to afford a real Battlemech for your dad this Father's Day but you can help ... More them learn how to fix one.
Having a geeky dad can make Father's Day easier. Beyond the traditional ties and cologne, they will likely be interested in comic books, collectibles and tabletop games. For anyone still looking for Dungeons and Dragons loving dad gift ideas, I'm here to the last minute rescue.
The following list shies away from specific games for the most part and leans into accessories and other items that enhance the games dad likely already has. I came up with a similar list for Mother's Day that also can work for this gift holiday too. Evaluation copies of the items on this list were provided by the manufacturers.
Heroscape is the only game that appears on both lists. It's a very light miniatures battle game that pulls from multiple genres. Players build forces and battlefields made of interlocking hex pieces for a different game experience every time.
But it serves another function for gift purposes with terrain that's easy to assemble, deploy and store. Renegade Game Studios sells several packs of just terrain that expands options for their game as well as other miniatures based games. Many of my nerd friends kept their Heroscape from its original release for this very purpose and are excited there's new compatible accessories on the horizon.
Monster Fight Club manufactures a lot of terrain options. The company is best known for its Cyberpunk RED Combat Zone game. One of the easy ways to expand that game is to pick up a pack or two of their Container sets. These boxes offer cover during a firefight as well as a sweet vantage point for the snipers in your crew.
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These containers look good in almost any modern or futuristic game setup. For fans who want a more detailed look to their cityscapes, Monster Fight Club has a Kickstarter running until June 28th, 2025 for Monsteropolis 2.0. The Kickstarter looks to fulfill next year around this time, but there's nothing like getting the jump on next year's present.
There's a common misperception that miniature games require a massive amount of time and money to play. Everyone must start somewhere. Black Site Studios offers a suite of games that can be played with any miniature, though they do offer ones for fans of their games that can be painted and even printed at home.
I recently played Don't Look Back which is a cooperative game where players face off against an 80s style movie slasher in a variety of scenarios. I really enjoyed the killer's ability to jump out from behind any bit of scenery which made the game feel like a face-off with Jason or Freddy. Cooperative games are also great for families to play together, although the subject matter of Don't Look Back might be a better fit for adult kids to play with their dad.
Paizo, the publisher of Pathfinder, is very good at making accessories that fabs love. Their flagship game can be intimidating but they work hard to make it accessible. The company also invests in great art for its books that really bring Golarion to life.
These two elements come together in the boxed set of Pathfinder Monster Core Battle Cards. Over 550 tarot-sized cards feature the monster art on one side and the stat block on the other. They are perfect for in game reference or flipping through for encounter inspiration.
Many dads have dedicated spaces to their gaming hobby. Much of it is likely taken up by game boxes, paint supplies and all the stuff needed to make the game experience most satisfying. Let's end this round-up with a suggestion on decor.
Battletech: Technical Blueprints contains four blueprints of some of the most popular mechs suitable for framing. The Mad Cat, Dire Wolf, Phoenix Hawk and Warammer add futuristic flair to any gaming room. Each print is on heavy poster stock with dimensions of 24' x 36'.
These products can be found online, directly from the vendors or at Friendly Local Gaming Stores around the world.