A game as a gift: fifteen ideas by occasion

What makes a game gift work

The best game gifts are short. Nobody needs a ten-hour epic from a friend; people want a few minutes that feel made for them. A game of three to ten minutes, with a clear goal and a message at the end, beats a long one the recipient never finishes. Whatever the occasion, these four ingredients carry a game gift:

• A real detail: a nickname, a shared place, a running joke. The more specific, the more it feels personal.
• A clear, friendly goal: collect all the hearts, answer all the questions, find the way home.
• A reward at the end: a message, a promise or a coupon for something you will do together.
• The right difficulty: the player should win. A gift is not a test.

For couples

• 1. The anniversary runner. A runner in which your partner collects hearts that each unlock a shared memory, with a thunderclap or two to dodge. Genre runner, size Mini or Small.
• 2. “How well do you know me?” quiz. Ten questions about your favorites, your first date and your worst habit, with a loving explanation after each answer. Genre quiz, size Small.
• 3. The long-distance story. A short story adventure in which two characters find each other across two cities and a train line. Choices decide the route, and every ending leads to a meeting. Genre story, size Small.
• 4. The wedding quiz for guests. Questions about the couple, played on every guest’s phone before dinner. Genre quiz, size Medium.

For family

• 5. A story for the grandparents. A family-history adventure told as choices, with a funny ending about the day the cat ate the cake. Genre story, size Small.
• 6. The parents’ anniversary quiz. Fifteen questions about the years they have shared, played together at the table. Genre quiz, size Medium.
• 7. A platformer with sibling jokes. A hero who has your brother’s nickname and has to collect the TV remote from an angry cat. Genre platformer, size Small.
• 8. A baby-shower guessing quiz. Estimates about the new arrival, from the weight to the first word. Genre quiz, size Mini.

For friends

• 9. The farewell game. A friend moves abroad: a runner through the places you spent time together, ending in an invitation to visit. Genre runner, size Mini.
• 10. The graduation platformer. Levels named after exams, a final boss called “Reality”, and a diploma at the finish. Genre platformer, size Small.
• 11. The housewarming puzzle. A number puzzle themed around the new flat, with the address as the final tile. Genre number puzzle, size Mini.

For colleagues and clients

• 12. Retirement story. A career told as a branching story, with a funny ending in which the retiree finally reads every email. Genre story, size Medium.
• 13. The farewell quiz. How well do you know the leaving colleague? Twelve questions, shared in the team chat. Genre quiz, size Small.
• 14. A welcome game for new joiners. A short quiz about the team, the office and its in-jokes, so day one starts with a laugh. Genre quiz, size Mini.
• 15. A thank-you for clients. A small mini game in your company’s colors, with a high-score list and a thank-you screen. Genre runner, size Mini.

Size and price at a glance

You see the total, including extras such as sound or a high-score list, before you confirm the order. For a first gift, start small: a Mini game builds quickly and often moves people more than a long one.

Before you give it

• Play it once yourself, and ask someone close to the recipient to read the jokes. An in-joke that lands wrong spoils the gift.
• Keep the link private. The game is shared by link. Only publish a game in the public arcade if nothing personal is inside.
• Think of the device. Most people open the link on a phone, so choose touch controls for games with movement.
• Add your own words. A short message in the ending screen is what people remember.

More birthday-specific ideas are in 12 birthday game ideas, and the page personalized game gift shows how the ordering works. For a quiz as a gift, our guide how to write quiz questions helps you shape the questions.