It's no surprise my list is populated with licensed titles.
My “Don't Gift!” list consists only of titles I've personally played this year, but more to the point, they're games that might just appeal to Christmas shoppers at first glance. In truth, most of the games I mention do have an audience who would enjoy them, but I believe the games don't have the universal appeal that would make them a great gift for most. Most of the games I chose are licensed titles, based on graphic novels, movies, famous characters, and even theme park rides for good reason: These are often the games of disputable quality where other games are unquestionably better.