Finding the perfect holiday gift can be maddening (is this the color they'd want? Is it something they already have? Is it so last year?), but really, once you have a sense of a person's taste, it's not impossible. This season, we'll be talking to members of various tribes to find out exactly what to get that college student, or serious home cook, or boss (who has everything) in your life. Think of it as a window into their brain trust--or, at least, a very helpful starting point.

Nintendo is coming out of a rough patch in its 128-year history. After spending most of the 00s riding high on the success and profits of its DS and Wii consoles, the current decade has seen the Japanese company struggle to adapt to the changes that its rivals and smartphones have wrought upon the video game world. The death of company president Satoru Iwata in 2016, who presided over a creatively and financially brilliant period in Nintendo's history, left many wondering how the company would find its way again. In March 2017, Nintendo's fortunes turned around again with the launch of the Switch, a smart portable games console that can also be docked next to a TV and played at home. It has proven extremely popular, and its flagship games Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 and Zelda: Breath of the Wild hoovered up awards last year, including three Baftas at this month's ceremony.

Thu 1 Feb 2018 07.00 EST Last modified on Thu 1 Feb 2018 07.01 EST'Luke, how do I get this power moon? Luke!" I'm playing Super Mario Odyssey while my partner, Luke, is trying to work. "You'll figure it out," he says patiently. Luke has been playing video games since he was a child, but this is my first ever game, and he's thrilled that I'm invested in Mario's quest to save Princess Peach. Considering it's a $100bn (£70bn) industry, gaming is a surprisingly "love it, or just don't get it" kind of activity. I've tried video games a few times over the years, as people seemed to be having so much fun with them. But I never got into it. I kept dying, so I gave up. Last year, though, my curiosity was piqued again as I watched Luke play the newest Mario game with his children. One slow Sunday, I picked up the Nintendo Switch. No one was more surprised than me when I kept coming back to the game, and eventually beat Bowser. My newfound enjoyment of video games prompted me to want to learn more about what people love about them. A straw poll of my gaming friends revealed diverse motivations, but everyone said they found gaming relaxing and satisfying, especially after a stressful day at work. One person even said gaming had been key to recovering from severe burnout. Another told me that playing World of Warcraft with a partner helped them to stay connected while they were living in different cities. "It's mental weightlifting," Luke says, when I ask what he likes about video games. There's puzzles to solve, foes to conquer, things to collect, and maps to navigate: "It feels good to use the brain in this way." Video games often get a bad rep – however unjustified – for being violent, and bad for attention and literacy. But Celia Hodent, a game user-experience consultant with a doctorate in psychology, is not surprised to hear that people feel gaming adds so many positive things to their lives. "A good game can put you into a flow state," says Hodent – that feeling when you're fully immersed in an activity, and time flies because you're enjoying yourself. "When you're watching a film or listening to the radio you may eventually check your phone.

Gamescom, the world's largest video game event, has just taken place in Cologne, bringing 400,000 visitors – including Angela Merkel – to the vast Koelnmesse for a week of hype and hands-on action. Here are the 11 games we most enjoyed amid the chaos. This long-awaited platformer matches its astonishing 1930s cartoon art-style with manic gameplay inspired by classic console titles from the 1980s and 90s. The run-and-gun action is deceptively tricky, thanks to some seriously challenging bosses, but its meticulous detail will keep you in awe while you die over and over again. Gets extra points for its soundtrack, composed by a 10-piece ragtime jazz band (including the occasional tap shoe sound effects).