Christmas is a perfect time to put a little something under the tree for that special geek in your life. But what to buy? Here’s a list of 12 gift ideas for nerds.
12 Months of Marvel Unlimited
I get more value out of my Marvel Unlimited subscription than any other thing I use. Granted, I read a lot but chances are the Nerd in your life reads a lot too.
Marvel Unlimited is a digital library of 30,000 Marvel comics you read on your iPad. It has nearly all the Marvel comics from yesteryear. (I’m currently re-reading comics from 1986.) Plus, it has today’s Marvel comics as well, albeit with a 3-month delay to give them an opportunity to be sold physically in comic shops.
It’s updated weekly, so whomever receives it as a gift will forever be thankful to have it.
Stranger Things Eleven
I love Stranger Things and I bet you have a Nerd in your life that loves it too. But rather than point you to a single Stranger Things gift, I’ll point you to an entire page of Stranger Things items.
But a few stand out:
10-Sided Dice
Dungeons and Dragons is more popular than it has ever been. As a result, collectible dice are flying off the shelves. So, here are a handful of great polyhedral dice sets that make for great holiday gifts for the Nerd in your life:
- The excellent Dice of Rolling.
- Lycanthrope Silver by Norse Foundry.
- Bronze Dragon Scale dice.
- Anything from Easy Roller!
- And a Fire Dragon Dice Tray to hold them all.
Dune Board Game (by Gale Force 9)
DUNE: A Game of Conquest & Diplomacy isn’t to be confused to the OG DUNE board game. This one features streamlined rules and mechanics to appeal to more casual gamers than the original version. It plays more quickly, thanks to gameplay additions like the Market Deck and a maximum of five rounds. There’s even a two-player mode where players take control of specific faction combos, which means you can play even if you can’t get an entire table together for game night.
Because of the tie-in to the recent Dune movie, DUNE: A Game of Conquest & Diplomacy has great appeal for anyone interested in the world of Dune.
8 Bit Super Retro Trio HD
The Super Retro Trio is a $80 console that has slots on top for old school NES, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis cartridges. So, plug those vintage video games into the console. Then plug the HDMI out cable into your fancy modern TV for an old school good time.
Couple the console with an old school cartridge from your youth and you have a truly wonderful holiday gift for that nerd who grew up on 8-bit goodness.
Get the Super Retro Trio here.
7 Wonders Board Game
I’ll just copy the marketing text straight form the website:
You are the leader of one of the 7 great cities of the Ancient World. Gather resources, develop commercial routes and affirm your military supremacy. Build your city and erect an architectural wonder which will transcend future times!
7 wonders is a simple and addictive game for the whole family. In 30 minutes you can raise a complete civilization and build the greatest Wonders of the World.
It’s only won about 7 gazillion awards for it’s game play! Available here.
BIG HERO 6 Hoodie
Big Hero 6 has a loyal fan base. And we bet that if you know one of those loyal fans, they’ll want a hoodie! Disney, of course, is more than happy to sell us swag and the good news is, they have some nice swag to sell us.
It’s a clean, simple design. Just like Baymax!
5 Book Ideas
Nerdy books are always a great gift to receive during the holidays, so here are 5 book ideas for Nerds:
- Wheel of Time just debuted to rave reviews on Amazon Prime TV. Here is the first book that started off that epic fantasy series: Wheel of Time Book 1.
- Star Wars The High Republic is a whole new era of Star Wars that is set 200 years before Luke Skywalker. Here’s the book that kicked it off: Light of the Jedi.
- If the Nerd in your life is into military action, the Jack Reacher novels are really good. Jack Reacher book 1: Killing Floor.
- Sometimes there is no school like the old school. Dragonlance are the books that got millions of readers into fantasy. Here is book 1 of the Dragonlance Chronicles: Dragons of Autumn Twilight.
- Though I grew bored of the later books, Becky Chambers’ first book is among the most lovely books I’ve ever read. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.
Doctor Who TARDIS 4 Port USB Hub
Two things that all nerds more of are Police Boxes that are actually spacecrafts that aren’t confined by the limits of physical space and can also travel through time.
The second thing nerds need more of are USB ports.
The Doctor Who TARDIS 4 Port USB hub gives a nerd both in one handy little deck top package. Perfect.
(Note: This is USB 1.0, so it’s more of a novelty than a state-of the-art cutting-edge changing hub.)
$30, you can get it here.
3.14 Raspberry Pi Smart Car Kit
Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that is built for tinkering. Little nerds can learn electronics and programming skills, while big nerds can build all sorts of tricked out gadgets.
There is mountain of plans, schematics, accessories, and expansions that plug into the Raspberry Pi platform. It really is cool and they sell a variety of starter packages that offer step-by-step guides: Small, Medium, Ultimate.
But if you are looking for a Raspberry Pi project that’s read y to take shape, I recommend something like a smart car kit.
2 More Board Games
Do you like to have fun with your friends? Do you like to spend time face-to-face with your friends? Board games continue to be experiencing a huge renaissance right now and make a great gift.
Prices range from $60 for Marvel Champions to $30 for Marvel United.
1 Year Subscription to Disney+
If you want to give a gift that keeps on giving all year long, a 1-year gift subscription to Disney+ is a great gift.
Listen, it’s likely the nerd in your life already watches Disney+ regularly, but in the off-chance they don’t, why not give them all the Marvel shows like WandaVision and Hawkeye, plus Star Wars shows like Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett. Hey, they might even be into Elena of Avalor, I don’t know.
Find Disney+ gift subscriptions here.
There you go, 12 gift ideas for nerds. From board games to tinkering gadgets, there are suggestions from a wide variety of hobbies and price points. Now go out there and get something for your favorite nerd.
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