Thanksgiving is here, and you know what that means — no video games for at least 24 hours. At least, that’s how things have always been. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Gathering with family and friends provides more opportunities for gaming than you may think, and as video games reach a wider and wider audience with each passing year, you’re likely to have more and more in common with those distant relatives who usually just talk about football, politics, or golf (all perfectly acceptable topics, mind you). Odds are, someone in the room has the latest iPhone game everybody’s been talking about, and that’s your chance to strike! Segue into the first gaming topic that comes to mind, and you should be golden.
Or, you can come prepared to play, and I’ve arranged a series of tips on how best to do just that. Read them, learn them, know them, and use them: because nothing’s more fun than Animal Crossing with your 96-year-old grandmother.
Happy Thanksgiving!
T-Giving Gaming
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Handhelds are your friend
Though certainly not the only option available, smuggling a pocketable console along for the ride when trekking to see family and friends on Thanksgiving is the safest and most dependable way of ensuring gaming goodness on your favorite holiday. Of course, family members will want to spectate as you have fun during the inevitable downtime prior to Thanksgiving dinner, so be sure to bring games that are suitable for passing the console around, or at the very least, are enjoyable to watch.
If your kin look down on the idea of playing games at a family gathering, bring something that will grab their attention. One year I broke out WarioWare Touched! on my Nintendo DS, and before anybody could complain, they were too busy laughing and asking to play after a mere few seconds of spectating its utter zaniness. Once viewers are hooked you can pull the old bait-and-switch and load up other games -- you just need to ease people into the idea.
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Guide the conversation
Having trouble making conversation with that random uncle you see once a year? Video games are a huge part of pop culture these days. Surely he’s heard of “this year’s new Call of Duty game,” and if so, try leading into the topic of games with something similar. Topics with a gimmick or hook also reach the mainstream quickly (the Wii Sports phenomenon from a few years ago is a great example), as does talk of apps like Flappy Bird or Swing Copters. Hey, I never said you’d be able to analyze plot-driven visual novels or the legacy of The Master Chief Collection on Thanksgiving day -- you’ll need to take what you can get. Of course, you could always get into a debate over the violence contained in “that game that lets you kill prostitutes.”
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Pack a small console
If you have younger cousins or even nieces and nephews, you may be able to get away with some covert console gaming, and if you’re lucky it could turn into a family event. Most young folks are suckers for titles like Super Smash Bros. -- toss a small or light console like GameCube or Wii in a mini backpack or duffel, and act like everything’s normal. Surely there will be more than one TV at the location you’re celebrating, and if that’s the case, flash your gaming goods to the most hyper of youngsters in attendance and get him or her onboard. Once other family members (likely both young and old) see how much fun you’re having, they won’t be able to resist coming over to join the next match. Let’s face it, nobody was actually watching that football game anyway.
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Start with something flashy
If your Thanksgiving crowd is a particularly tough bunch, you may need to really dazzle them to get their attention. Visual stunners like Tearaway or Super Mario 3D Land are great for catching people's eye (“games can look that good on a handheld??”), as are titles that contain characters even non-gamers will recognize. Spectators may not know about A Link Between Worlds, but surely they’ll be fascinated by the fact that “they still make Zelda games.”
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Use the mundane to your advantage
If you’re having a hard time catching anyone’s eye, it may be time to switch up your strategy. Title like Farmville and Cityville are hugely popular with non-gamers and older adults, and the fact that these budding gamers have never been exposed to the likes of Animal Crossing is a borderline travesty. Break out New Leaf and let your aunt try her hand at some fishing, or better yet, let whoever’s interested create an avatar of themselves in Tomodachi Life and chat it up with Kanye West or other in-game Mii-made celebs. It’s a surefire hit that will likely result in them calling over other family members to take a look, advancing your plans of Thanksgiving gaming domination another step further.
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Break out your phone
If all else fails, iPhone and Android gaming are a pretty foolproof means of getting folks to pay attention to or talk about video games. There’s always an app or distraction-of-the-month that’s been all over the local news, or at least made the rounds via viral articles on social media. If it takes a few rounds of Angry Birds Star Wars passed around the living room to get anybody interested in gamer-talk, then so be it. Have a second app at the ready to switch to when the time is right, and maybe even lead into “you know, if you guys like this, you’ll love this awesome PlayStation Vita game. And would you look at that…. it’s right here in my pocket!” Smooth transitions are your friend.
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Happy Thanksgiving!
At the end of the day, Thanksgiving is about appreciating loved ones and the things in your life that you care about. If you’re reading this, then video games are most likely one of them -- why not combine both? If you get really desperate, there are always holiday-themed titles like this Thanksgiving turkey escape simulator. Yup, turkey-centric apps are a thing. You can thank me later.
