I don’t know about you, but I love the holidays. The decorations, the hot cocoa, the snuggling under a fuzzy blanket with my Kindle. Yes, the holidays are great—save for the absolute madness of shopping malls. So, what do I do? I go shopping online. (Surprise!) And this year, I’m adding my own nerdy self to the holiday shopping list.
I love all sorts of gadgets and gaming, and my friends and family do too. So, I went digging online for the perfect nerdy presents. Bottom line: I’d buy all these for myself in a blink. I’m PCWorld’s daily deals writer, so I did my best to focus on value, and zeroed in on top-rated products before sharing them with you.
Take Pac-Man everywhere — My Arcade Pac-Man Pocket Player Pro
My Arcade
How cool is it that you can take Pac-Man with you anywhere you go? This legendary video game has been around for decades, and it’s been a part of many of our lives since we were kids, running around eating all the dots while avoiding those annoying ghosts.
This thing needs four AA batteries or can be powered via USB-C. And while I picked Pac-Man because it’s one of my personal favorites, the same shop also sells editions for Street Fighter, Space Invaders, Ms PacMan, MegaMan, and Galaga. There’s also an Atari version with 100 separate games. The best part is these handhelds are quite affordable, with the most expensive one going for $40 right now. If you want the Pac-Man version, however, it’ll cost you only $30.
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Be on time — Nixie Tube Clock
ClockTeck
Do I even have to explain why I’d buy this in a blink for myself my friends? Look at it! How cool does this thing look?! The retro-future-looking tubes can tell the time in regular monochrome, or you can go RGB and bring color to your life. There are so many modes to choose from, it’ll be hard to pick one.
This LED clock is a replica of a Nixie vacuum tube clock, making it much more affordable than the $300 versions you need to order from Eastern Europe. It can be linked to your local Wi-Fi, so it will always tell the time perfectly. You can also set up alarms and switch between a 12 and 24-hour format. If you guys want to get me one… just saying. This model from ClocTeck is $70 at the time of writing with no active discounts.
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Add magic to your bookshelf — Criolpo book nook kit
Criolpo
If you’re a book dragon who can’t help but always add new books to the cart, then you’re going to absolutely love this Criolpo Book Nook. I’m going to have to be completely honest here and say that I’ve already fallen for the cuteness of the book nook trend and bought one. The kit is not yet complete, but I’m working on it. I cannot wait to have it on the shelf between two heavy books and to light it up.
It’s basically a 3D wooden puzzle. You assemble it yourself (and that’s more than half the fun!) to bring a miniature world into your home. What’s not to love? This one in the image above is $34 at the time of writing, but it’s on sale. If you want a more cyberpunk model, you can certainly find one of those too.
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We have arcade games at home — Foosball table
Best Choice Products
Now, don’t tell my husband, but I actually got him a foosball table for Xmas. Shh! This thing looks great, and it will be so much fun to play over the holidays. It’s perfectly sized for gamers of all ages, and even features two cup holders for, ehm, beer hot chocolate? You can play this one 1v1 or 2v2, so you can have tons of fun with friends.
It also comes in multiple colors, so you can pick whichever matches your furniture better. It’s only $120 to get right now since it’s 25% off. Now, I have to figure out how to ensure my husband doesn’t read this article…
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Dungeons and Dragons (and dice)
Zhoorqi/Medikaison
Can we even talk about nerdy gifts without listing a few cool dice sets? We really don’t think you can. There are so many options out there that we’re having a hard time picking. My kid really loved these LED light-up rechargeable dice (I mean, fair, they’re gorgeous), while I’d go for something more practical like the metal dice on the right, especially since you can actually roll the dice in the box. Whatever floats your boat! There’s an endless list of possibilities when it comes to DnD dice sets.
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May the Funko Pop be with you — Darth Vader
Funko Pop
Suggesting Funko Pop figures for a present seems like a “duh” situation, but here we are — how about a Funko Pop with Darth Vader? If they’re into Star Wars, this one’ll definitely be a hit. But then again, Funko Pop has about a gazillion models for just about any fandom, from Stranger Things to Wicked, from Scream to Pokemon, sports teams, anime, Disney, music artists, Marvel, Harry Potter, and soooo much more. They’re pretty affordable, too. This Darth Vader one is only $10 right now.
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Play with energy — National Geographic Circuit Maker Kit
National Geographic
So, is this Epic Circuits Science Kit theoretically meant for kids? Sure. Does that mean you can’t have fun with it as an adult? Absolutely not! National Geographic has some insanely fun STEM kits, including this one where you can set up over 120 projects, figuring out how circuits work and more. You can even create songs or make cool light shows, and that’s fantastic at any age. Embrace the kid inside and snag one of these Nat Geo kits for $44.
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LEGO! — Boost Creative Toolbox 17101
LEGO
Who doesn’t want LEGO as a gift? I mean, I don’t know anyone who’d pout over receiving a set like this? Especially this set. I actually bought this a while back, and it’s absolutely amazing. Insanely fun to play with, since you can build one of five models and then hook it up to a tablet and have fun. You can get the little robot to move in certain patterns, and then rebuild it into Frankie the Cat, or into a funky guitar to play music. The LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox is definitely pricey, but it’s a set you can have fun with for years to come. You can even pretend you got it for your kids… as I did.
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Rest your wrist — Strebito mini electric screwdriver set
Strebito
If you’re always tinkering with computers and other tech at home (or you know someone who is), then getting one of these 70-in-1 electric screwdriver kits makes perfect sense. The electric mechanism is powerful and will handle all those pesky screws in a blink. There are 64 magnetic bits in the set, so you can be sure those tiny screws won’t get dropped in the void, forever lost somewhere in the computer case. There are three torque levels to choose from, but you can also use it in manual mode if need be. The best part is that you can charge it via the USB-C port. Oh, and it’s only $50.
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DIY a tiny computer — RasTech Raspberry Pi 5
RasTech
There’s an endless list of things you can do with a Raspberry Pi. This RasTech kit is absolutely tiny and it can be such a cool DIY project. The kit features a Pi5 8GB board, a 65GB card, two card readers, a cooler, a case, a power supply, and several cables. There’s even a tiny screwdriver in the pack, but you can always just get the Strebito electric one we mentioned just now.
So, whether you want to turn your dumb TV into a smart one or you want to make an old-school gaming emulator, this kit is fantastic. Check out more awesome Raspberry Pi projects you can have fun with.
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Old school gaming, tiny mode — Retro mini Arcade Game
Arcade Classics
Hey, remember those big arcade games we used to play? Well, you have adult-money now, so you can get one. Joking. I mean, you can, but this $20 Retro Mini Arcade is probably the type of thing you could purchase without too much drama, right?
This tiny handheld game console lets you use joysticks to play Pac-Man, Tetris, WWE, or Ms. Pac-Man. I mean, you could say they’re for kids, but we know who’s really going to play with them.
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Neat, organized, and pixelated — Numskull Minecraft gaming accessory locker & storage stand
Numskull
Listen, whatever your age, this Numskull Gaming Accessory Locker is absolutely cool. It’s shaped as a Creeper, and it’s (of course) Minecraft-green. There are four controller holders on the sides, and a “head” holder for headphones. There’s room for up to ten DVDs inside the locker, and the little drawer on the bottom can hold cables, remotes, and other accessories.
You can set this thing up next to your console or on your desk and have everything within reach. There are other theme variations available too, like Harry Potter, Fortnite, or Sonic, to name a few. They’re all about $30.
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Bring your projects to life — Bambu Lab A1 mini 3D printer
Bambu Lab
Man, I have soooo many projects I could get done with a 3D printer. It’s something I’ve been waiting to get for a while, holding off mostly due to lack of space. But if I were to get one right now, it’s this one: the Bambu Lab A1. I have a friend who reviewed a ton of printers and he’s talked about this one several times. It’s not too big, it’s well-priced, and it’s also fairly quiet, AND it can print in color!
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Make it fly — DJI mini 4K drone
DJI
Haven’t you always wanted a drone to fly across an awesome landscape to record gorgeous video? Can’t just be me! This DJI Mini Drone captures 4K video, which is absolutely amazing considering just how your vids will turn out. Not only will the videos look gorgeous, but they’ll also be steady, given the 3-axis gimbal stabilization.
The coolest part is that this drone is absolutely tiny. How tiny? Well, it weighs under 249 grams, and it fits in the palm of your hand. Just imagine what cool vacation vids you’ll capture.
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Germs be gone — PhoneSoap 3 phone sanitizer
PhoneSoap
Did you know how disgusting your phone is? You touch that thing all the time, you place it everywhere without worry, you take it with you anywhere you go — it’s so full of germs it might as well be a petri dish. Well, this portable phone sanitizer offers complete disinfection with the help of UV-C lights in just 10 minutes.
You can take this with you anywhere you go since it features a battery, and you can recharge it with a USB-A or USB-C cable. Easy peasy! One of these is only $68 right now. Just think how useful it’s going to be to you, your family, and all your friends. Perfect stocking stuffer if you ask us!
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