Latest news with #geekculture
Forbes
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
A Tabletop Games Gift Guide For Geeky Dads On Father's Day
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. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder 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.
Geek Girl Authority
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
How to Immortalize Your Favorite Geeky Memory as a Work of Art
We all have that one unforgettable fandom moment. Maybe it was your first cosplay, a season finale watch party with friends, or that slightly blurry but iconic selfie from Comic-Con. These moments aren't just pictures—they're emotional time capsules packed with meaning. Instead of letting them live quietly in your camera roll, imagine reliving them by painting them yourself. That's exactly what you can do when you visit Rather than ordering a finished portrait, you upload a favorite photo—whether it's a cosplay snapshot, your pet dressed as a sci-fi icon, or a candid geeky memory—and receive a personalized paint-by-numbers kit based on your image. You become the artist, turning that special moment into a meaningful piece of DIY art. It's geeky, creative, and seriously therapeutic. Painting Your Fandom, Your Way Paint-by-numbers kits have come a long way from childhood art projects. With high-quality materials, detailed canvases, and custom photo conversions, today's kits feel more like real art and less like filler crafts. It becomes even more personal when that art is based on a photo you love—you dressed as a witcher or your cat in a Baby Yoda hoodie. There's something uniquely satisfying about watching a beloved geeky moment come to life, color by color, under your own brush. It's part nostalgia, part creative expression, and all heart. Why Paint-By-Numbers Works for Geeks Let's face it: geek culture is all about immersion. We don't just consume stories—we live in them. We build costumes, draw fan art, write fan fiction, and argue passionately about character arcs. A custom paint-by-numbers kit fits right into that creative ecosystem. You're not just displaying your love for a show, game, or franchise—you're building it, one color at a time. And because the image comes from your own life, you're not just engaging with a fandom—you're inserting yourself into the narrative. Your face, your friends, your favorite scene. This is fan art that starts with you. The Creative Escape We All Need If you get lost in pixel-perfect builds or elaborate DnD story arcs, you'll probably love the meditative experience of painting your image. Unlike sketching or digital art, paint-by-numbers is approachable—no art degree or special skills required. It's a perfect unplugged activity for winding down after a long day of work, screen time, or doom-scrolling fandom Twitter. Plus, it scratches the same itch as building a LEGO set or solving a puzzle: it's a relaxing and deeply satisfying process. The more you paint, the more your image takes shape—and the more it becomes a part of you. From Fan Moments to Meaningful Gifts One of the most popular reasons people order these custom kits? Gifting. A finished paint-by-numbers portrait makes an incredible present for a fellow fan, partner, or friend. It's personal, handmade, and thoughtful—especially when the image comes from a shared experience. Imagine gifting a painted scene from your first convention together, your partner's beloved dog dressed as Chewbacca, or a snapshot from your group's last cosplay meet-up. Whether you paint it yourself or gift the kit for them to paint, it's a gift that goes far beyond merchandise or posters. It's meaningful, memorable, and custom-built for someone you care about. How It Works The process is surprisingly simple: ● Upload your photo to the site (think: a geeky moment you want to relive). ● Choose your kit size and canvas type. ● The team transforms your image into a detailed, beginner-friendly paint-by-numbers design. ● Your kit arrives with a printed canvas, numbered paints, and brushes—everything you need to start. Best of all, works with real artists to ensure your image translates well to canvas. That means intelligent color mapping, clean details, and results that look like you know what you're doing, even if you've never held a paintbrush. Why This Feels Different from Regular Fan Art There's plenty of amazing fan art out there, but there's something special about working on a piece that's yours in every way. You're not just admiring someone else's creation—you're engaging in the creative process with your own hands. It's a slower, more intentional kind of connection. And when it's finished, the artwork means more because you made it. It's your moment. Your fandom. Your story, painted by you. Final Thoughts: Celebrate Your Geekiness Creatively Fandom is full of fun, but it's also full of meaning. The shows and stories we love shape how we see the world—and each other. Capturing those memories in a custom paint-by-numbers kit is a way to honor them with care. So the next time you're scrolling through your photos and stumble upon that perfect geeky moment, don't just share it—paint it. Immortalize the joy. Frame the fandom. And have a whole lot of fun in the process. MURDERBOT Recap: (S01E04) Escape Velocity Protocol RELATED: David Dastmalchian Joins Apple TV+ Murderbot Adaptation
