Well, the holiday season is upon us, and it’s time to start looking for gifts for loved ones (and assorted family members too). Gamers are notoriously hard to shop for because…. reasons. We’ve polled our writers here and we’ve come up with a few lists that might help you find some gifts for that special gamer in your life. With all these lists, we will use Amazon affiliate links (and if you buy things from clicking these links, we might make a commission that help us keep the proverbial lights on here)
You can check out our previous lists at: https://opinionatedgamers.com/category/holiday-gift-list/
For today’s installment – you might need to get online soon to order these things – you’ll probably want them by the first of December!
Advent calendars are a well-entrenched tradition in Germany. Each October when I head to Essen for SPIEL, the stores are already jammed packed with Advent calendars of all types. The first printed Advent calendar originated in Germany in the early 20th century with Gerhard Lang. When Gerhard was a little boy his mother made him a calendar with 24 small candies attached to cardboard, one for each day before Christmas. Lang grew up to operate the Reichhold & Lang printing company where he printed the first Advent cardboard calendar with 24 little pictures. A few years later, the company printed the first calendar with the little doors that everyone loves to open. The first chocolate Advent calendar appeared in 1958, but it was in 1971 that Cadbury joined the race and launched its own version in the UK. Cadbury produced Advent calendars intermittently from 1972 to 1986, but it wasn’t until 1993 that they finally became a mainstay.
Admittedly, I’m most familiar with the chocolate types as a child, but as I have grown up, I have also found calendars that provide a craft beer per day or perhaps a dram of whiskey? In any event, you can make an advent calendar out of just about anything, so long as it can hide behind a paper door… So, the geniuses at Kosmos figured out that maybe they could hide a puzzle a day in a calendar? This calendar came out in German last year, but it wasn’t translated in time to make it in English (or at least I couldn’t find it last December). Blissfully, it has been translated and is already available on the market. In fact, they also managed to translate and produce the second Exit advent calendar – so people in the EN market have two to choose from!
Here, you can read the rest of our review of last year’s EXIT Advent Calendar –
Affiliate links for the advent calendars:
The Ice Cave – https://amzn.to/3D1cf7Q
The Golden Book – https://amzn.to/3CZPyRK
If you’ve got little kids at home, HABA has made a few calendars for that soon-to-be-gamer to open and enjoy each day
There are other calendars that might interesting gamers that you know – what about a calendar that provides you and your family with a game a day? Open up the big box to reveal 24 smaller boxes. One box for each day before Christmas. Each box contains 1 unforgettable game. The countdown to Christmas is going to be SOOOO much FUN. https://amzn.to/3TPqWkP
Gamers also tend to like puzzles – so what about a calendar that provides a brain teaser each day – this one comes with 12 brightly colored plastic interlocking puzzle pieces and 12 metal wire puzzle pieces. These puzzles have smooth edges, are not prone to bending and breaking, and are safe to play. https://amzn.to/3VbCsZ3
Ganers also tend to like doing jisgaw puzzles – what about these options – either make a small jigsaw puzzle every day? https://amzn.to/3gjmpJM
Or what about a calendar that gives you a 42-piece section of an overall 1,000 piece puzzle – that you can put together piece by piece over the month? https://amzn.to/3OoSMne
Or what if crosswords are your style? Here is a calendar that gives you a new pencil-pushing challenge each day – https://amzn.to/3Gxq7dA
Or maybe you’re into RPGs? Surely you’re looking for a calendar that provides you with a new die each day? Roll them all at the end of the month! https://amzn.to/3GxtO36
Or maybe you collect Funko pops? Or you’re a Disney person? Here’s a calendar that combines those two things – https://amzn.to/3ENFxcc
And to close – the Opinionated Eaters would be remiss not to include some calendars that you can eat! I’ll start with my favorite one from 2021 – a Bonne Maman calendar where you get a cute little jar of preserves or honey each day! https://amzn.to/3EjXiPb
Other options might be a Harry Potter Jelly Bean calendar or maybe even a calendar of treats for your cat?
Well, don’t wait too long – order now so that you can have them on your doorstep by the start of the month!
