The game shouldn't have to stay home. These sets pack everything into something you can actually carry — tiles, racks, a mat and a bag, sized for a suitcase or the back seat.

They're the answer to the beach week, the lake house, the annual trip where somebody always says they wish they'd brought the set. Compact enough to travel with, complete enough to play a real game when you arrive.

Aloha and Palm Beach lean tropical. Charleston and Parisian are quieter and more classic. All four make unusually good gifts for someone who already has a set at home.