Look, we get it. You’re a busy person and there’s a lot going on this time of year. We’re not judging. In fact, we’re here to help! We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite items from TTRPG to comics to lifestyle products that the loved ones in your life are going to, well, love. Just make sure you let them know their gift will be arriving post-holiday. (ProTip: Click the item titles for easy link buying options for the products listed.)
Comics
If you absolutely don’t want your loved one to be empty-handed on the day/evening of, and they’re also a diehard comics fan, you’re in luck. You can’t go wrong with a Comixology gift card. If they have a computer, tablet, or smartphone, they can read their favorite titles digitally, and pick out whatever they so desire, from the big two (Marvel and DC Comics) to a whole slew of independent publishers.
For those who can wait, SuperHeroStuff is currently running its holiday sale with savings from 25% up to 70% off. We picked out a few of our favorites below:
Nightwing Patroller of Blüdhaven Men’s T-Shirt
Harley Quinn Kawaii Women’s Low-Cut Sock 2 Pack
Spider-Gwen Wrap Around 20oz Ceramic Mug
Tabletop Games
If there’s one thing we know, it’s games, so buckle in because boy do we have some suggestions.
For the World Traveller
Amul – Stronghold Games
The city of Āmul was one of the largest centers of international trade in ancient times and an important transit point on the Great Silk Road. The prosperity of this splendid city of merchants peaked after Arabian conquest in the 10th century and it was destroyed by the Mongols in 1220.
In Āmul, each player is a striving merchant, competing for wealth and success. The creative card drafting mechanism caters to swift and simultaneous gameplay, keeping all players constantly engaged.
Tonari – IDW Games
The small island of Kuchinoshima has been hit by a terrible storm, leaving the village with only a single fishing boat. Each hoping to prove themselves, the villagers best fisherman (2-4 players) take turns moving the boat marker around the Island, collecting any fish tiles they land upon. At the end of the day, the player with the best haul wins, but there’s a twist – each player score is added to their left neighbor’s score before determining the winner!
For the Lover of the Outdoors
Everdell – Starling Games
Within the charming valley of Everdell, beneath the boughs of towering trees, among meandering streams and mossy hollows, a civilization of forest critters is thriving and expanding. From Everfrost to Bellsong, many a year have come and gone, but the time has come for new territories to be settled and new cities established. You will be the leader of a group of critters intent on just such a task. There are buildings to construct, lively characters to meet, events to host—you have a busy year ahead of yourself. Will the sun shine brightest on your city before the winter moon rises?
PARKS – Keymaster Games
We already ranked PARKS as number one game on our Top Ten Board Games of 2019 list, find out why!
For the Partier
(May Cause) Side Effects – Games Adults Play
You’re participating in a clinical trial study for a new drug. All you have to do is take a pill and answer some questions, but you’re experiencing some side effects! Play in teams. One player is the test subject, acting out side effects while getting their partner (lab assistant) to guess a word or phrase. If they guess right, they keep the card, and stay in the drug study! Whichever team has communicated the best at the end of the game is the winner!
For the Movie Buff
Blockbuster – Big Potato Games
The golden age of video rentals is back! Introducing a brand new fun family game for anyone that has ever seen a movie – and just like all great blockbusters, this one’s a double bill! This game also landed on our Top Ten Board Games of 2019!
Jaws – Ravensburger
Experience Jaws as a suspenseful tabletop strategy game! One player menaces the Island of Amity as the three-button great white while the other players go on the hunt as Brody, Hooper, and quint. Two thrilling phrases of gameplay capture the edge-of-your-seat excitement of the classic movie.
Die Hard Nakatomi Heist – The OP
Relive the 1988 action movie classic Die Hard with this competitive one-versus-many-style game! Players will take on the opposing roles of John McLane, Hans Gruber, and the Thieves to maneuver through Nakatomi Plaza over three suspenseful acts. Another game that landed on our Top Ten Board Games of 2019! Enjoy the fun gameplay while you argue whether or not Die Hard belongs in the Christmas movie genre.
For the Uber Fan
Batman: The Animated Series Rogues Gallery – IDW Games
Defeat Batman to rule the city! Gotham city’s coffers are ripe for the robbing, but one thing stands in the way of the city’s supervillains-the reviled Batman. It’s time someone finally took out that nuisance! Choose your favorite villain, then go on a crime spree, steal powerful upgrades, recruit nefarious accomplices, and race to complete your master plan and be the first to defeat the world’s greatest detective.
Marvel Fluxx Specialty Edition – Looney Labs
In this version of the hit card game Flux, fans can stand up and say, “make mine Marvel!” Flux is “the card game of ever-changing rules.” the rules start out simple—draw 1, play 1—but become more exciting as players add new rule cards from their hands. Goals (The way to win the game) can also be changed by the players throughout the game. Featuring familiar heroes and villains from your favorite Marvel Comics, this version of Flux lets you assemble your dream team of Avengers and much, much more. You might even notice some new superpowers for your friendly neighborhood Flux! Includes a collectible coin.
TTRPG
Pathfinder 2nd Edition Bundle
So you want to get your loved one the totally awesome Pathfinder 2E adventure, but you don’t know where to start or how much they’re going to need. We got you covered. This bundle is a great starting point for any Pathfinder 2E adventure, complete with the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, the Pathfinder Bestiary, and a comprehensive Pathfinder GM screen.
Accessories
Level Up Dice – Amethyst
Does a player really need a set of fancy amethyst dice? We say yes, yes they do. It’s on the pricier end of our gift guide, but if you’re buying for that very special gamer in your life (and have the budget), it’s hard to go wrong with a set of hand-crafted gemstone dice.
Game On! Travel Coin Set
Beadle & Grimm’s Warehouse – Badge Pack
It’s no secret we’re pretty big fans of the work the guys over at Beadle & Grimm’s are doing. Releasing premium versions of some of our favorite D&D campaigns, the products B&G create are absolutely top-notch and a must-have for anyone’s collection. They just dropped a limited-run collection of all four badges from their various projects, so get yours while you still can!
Lifestyle
Caffeine
It’s pretty much a given, most of the world runs on caffeine. If you want to give your loved one the give of sweet, sweet caffeine, we have some suggestions (and perhaps a discount to boot!)
Dryad Tea
Dryad Tea creates small batch hand-blended artisan teas. All of their tea blends are inspired by music, mythology, geekery, and works of literature. Each tea is carefully dreamed up, planned and taste tested before being offered to tea drinkers everywhere!
Smugglers Coffee
Smugglers Coffee offers colorful and sometimes fandom-inspired blends of whole bean or ground coffee that they roast themselves. Smugglers Coffee is also big on barrel aging, and keeping it local, so they source from the best local breweries in their area.
Found Familiar Coffee
Found Familiar was founded by a nerdy couple, Aaron and Lindsay Niles, with a passion for coffee and Dungeons & Dragons. They’ve teamed up with artists from across the globe to bring coffee lovers a variety of specialty grade coffees that also celebrate the creativity sparked by TTRPG games (while also supporting creators). If you buy from Found Familiar, you can save 10% by entering the code FANDOM at checkout. Check out the artist who designed the artwork for Step of the Wind coffee blend here!
Beauty and Grooming
People like to look nice. We have some recommended products to assist in that endeavor.
MudCat Whiskers
MudCat Whiskers is a Louisiana based company that sells handcrafted beard products ranging from beard oils, beard balms, beard washes, and beard conditioners. The products draw inspiration from the history of Louisiana. If you buy from MudCat Whiskers, enter the promo code FAN for a whopping 25% off your order!
ProTip: Tabletop Editor Dan suggests checking out their Traiteur Oil!
Funko Makeup
Yes, you read that correctly, Funko has a makeup line. And some of their villain-inspired products can make for a pretty rad gift for the young Disney fan in your life.
Style
And finally, for the style-oriented fan that hasn’t fallen into any of the categories above, we’ve still got you covered. Managing Editors Gretchen and Kori have some suggestions!
Her Universe
For the fashionable Disney/Star Wars/Marvel/Harry Potter/Studio Ghibli nerd in your life, might I suggest checking out Her Universe? Ashley Eckstein—voice of Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars—set up her own nerdy fashion website and everything on it is amazing. You can tell the clothes are designed by someone who loves fandom, fashion, and understands what femme nerds want (like pockets in their dresses for the love of god the dresses have pockets). I bought the Vice Admiral Holdo dress for myself for a costume, but honestly, I got so many compliments on it that I plan on wearing it out on the town! There are a ton of collections, and it seems like more get added all the time. I’m currently obsessed with the She-Ra collection, so don’t mind me, I’m just going to be drooling over this Adora bomber jacket. Get one for your world-saving lesbian jock friend this holiday season! – Gretchen
Nerdy But Still Girly
Finding fandom jewelry that’s quality (and that won’t break the bank) can be a trial. I just want a pair of earrings to display my deep love for Lapidot, okay? How hard can that be? Well, not that hard anymore since I discovered Nerdy But Still Girly! If you’re a shipper or know a shipper that needs a gift this holiday season, look no further. While not ‘officially’ a shipping focused shop…that’s basically what it is. You can get pairs of adorable, chibi dangle earrings with favorite characters from a wide variety of fandoms. From Steven Universe to Legend of Korra to Adventure Time to Doctor Who and Star Wars (heck, there are even “shocked Pickachu meme” earrings), you’re sure to find the ship you’re looking for. And if not, you can always customize your order! And if earrings aren’t what you’re looking for, there are all sorts of other kinds of merch with the same adorable style. (R2d2 and C-3P0 earrings…I have my eye on you.) – Gretchen
Enter the WatchDome
So you’re at the end of this guide and you’re still thinking “But Fandomentals Editors, I just don’t see anything here that applies to the people in my life! They’re not super into fandoms! Or they’re casual fans but won’t use “bigly” decorated items and they don’t like tea or coffee!” I got you. Picture this… a watch. Now hear me out, watches are currently in a fashion renaissance of sorts. As people have largely transitioned to using their phones to tell time, watches found a resurgence as fashion markers, and a good watch can put the finishing touch on any outfit. I’m listing a few affordable items below that work for any person in your life, for both daily use and formal wear. And they won’t break the piggy bank. – Kori
Invicta Men’s 8926OB Pro Diver Stainless Steel Automatic Watch
You can’t get a more classic design than the “sub-mariner”, however, Invicta not only offers you a great design (with a rock-solid automatic NH35A movement), but at a price that the average person can actually afford. At 40mm, this watch will fit nearly any wrist size.
Seiko SNK789 Seiko 5 Automatic
For a slightly dressier option, you can’t go wrong with a Seiko 5 model. With a Seiko caliber 7S26 movement and a stainless steel case and bracelet, this watch can hold up to work for both a daily beater and for more formal occasions. At 36 mm, this watch fits nearly all smaller wrists, and most average wrist sizes as well. The model I’ve chosen is the white dial.
Timex Men’s Easy Reader Date
A very affordable go-to for the formal occasion, Timex offers a solid quartz entry with a leather strap and a white dial. At 35mm, this watch fits nearly all smaller wrists and most average wrist sizes as well.
Invicta Pro Diver Collection Chronograph 18k Gold-Plated Watch
You might have noticed the above watches run in a smaller size and might not fit those of you with a larger wrist. Fear not, I’ve included this watch for y’all. (Note: Invicta has several watch lines with larger sizes, you can view them at www.invictastores.com to find more, and they’re also running some killer holiday sales.) This 48mm quartz chronograph features a blue dial and a unidirectional rotating bezel, with additional complications in the three subdials for measuring 60 seconds, 30 minutes and 1/10th seconds, as well as having a date window.
The Fandomental Store
You’re still here! You read the entire guide? That deserves a little reward! If you’re still looking to pick a little something up for yourself, head on over to our store and use the promo code FANDOM2019 to save 15% off your entire order from now until December 31st!
