Give the gift of Game File (or these six video games)
Plus: An update on this newsletter's holiday schedule and some teases about what's to come.
Season's greetings!
If you, like me, are not quite done with your holiday shopping, I have a gifting suggestion: a subscription to Game File!
You can gift monthly ($10) or yearly ($100) subscriptions, guaranteeing three gaming newsletters a week to your friend, loved one, or enemy-who-for-some-reason-you-buy-presents.
Click here to buy a gift subscription. You can include a message and set a date for when the lucky recipient will find out.
And just what they might be getting? Readers know the basics: newsletters stuffed with gaming news, interviews, reviews, and a possibly-excessive amount of ino about which games I’m playing with my children.
To sweeten the deal, I can tease some of the stories that I’ll be running right after the holidays: an exclusive chat with people at PlayStation about a topic I don’t think a reporter has ever quizzed them about before, a look at the next game from the creator of Katamari Damacy, and the most unusual interview I’ve ever conducted with a gaming CEO. Plenty more beyond that, too.
But let’s say you already got them a Game File subscription or want to give them an actual video game…
For kids, I recommend:
Astro Bot (PS5) - heavily covered already on Game File. A very fun platformer that’s great for children who can handle 3D controls. The only drawback is that it’s single-player only.
Cat Quest III (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) - also covered on Game File. A fun cat-pirate game of exploration and combat, on foot and on a boat. Supports two-player local co-op.
Little Kitty, Big City (PC, Switch, Xbox) - another cat game! This one’s about exploring a Japanese city from a cat’s point of view. Charming. Fun. Single-player, but amusing to spectate.
For grown-ups, I recommend:
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PC, Xbox) - reviewed recently on Game File, a smartly designed mix of first-person exploration and combat that puts you in the shoes of Hollywood’s most famous archaeologist. (Available on Game Pass; so you could get them a GP subscription instead).
Balatro (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, mobile) - a strategic single-player card game that uses the basic rules of poker to deliver one of the most engaging strategy games I’ve ever played. Warning: Very hard to quit.
Animal Well (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) - covered a bunch on Game File, it’s a beautiful 2D exploration game packed with secrets.
Notes: None of the links above are affiliate links, so no kickbacks for me. Just some friendly advice. Gamers often play digitally these days, which can make it harder to gift games. Here are links for gifting games digitally on Steam, Xbox and iOS. The Nintendo eshop does not support gifting, but you can buy a gift card for store credit; and can do the same for PlayStation and Android.
If you have specific questions about the best games to give, feel free to reach out over email, in the comments or in Game File’s subscriber chat.
Holiday publishing schedule update!
After today, Game File will be off for a week (and maybe a tad more?).
I’ll definitely be back on Friday, Dec. 27 with a little something.
And I *think* I’ll back to full publishing the week after. But it’s hard to predict how much writing time I’ll have during New Year’s week, what with the kids being off for most of it.
I have a ton of stories I’m eager to share and don’t want to be backed up all the way into February. We’ll see what I can make time for.
This has been a great first year for Game File I’ve enjoyed the writing and reporting. As a happy subscriber I say take off until the New Year and enjoy your holidays.
That's right, take a load off and we'll be here when you get back to posting your stuff.
Happy holidays!