Room Escape Artist

Welcome to our 10th annual Holiday Gift Guide.

Every year we assemble a collection of potential gifts to get your family, friends, or yourself. They range from intensely practical… to niche and specialized… to debatably unhinged.

The REA team truly spends 12 months slowly researching and creating this collection. With 2025’s guide publishing today, we literally created the draft for the 2026 guide this morning.

Each year’s gift selection offers an assortment of games, puzzles, tools, and oddities. We don’t repeat gifts year to year, so you can always reference our past guides for more inspiration. We’ve put a lot of thought and love into each guide; they still hold up.

• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016

2025 Gift Guide

As always, we break this guide up into categories for your comfort and convenience.

Tabletop Escape Games

Our first category is always tabletop escape rooms and puzzle games. We play a lot of these over the course of the year. These are – hands down – our favorites.

Ministry of Lost Things: Case 1: Lint Condition (PostCurious)

$29 (Allplay)

🔒2024 Golden Lock Award Winner

Lisa Spira: “Ridiculously adorable! I loved this inter-dimensional, whimsical world. The game offered an impressive variety of puzzles, but for me, the language-based ones were the highlight. Lint Condition is the first game in the Ministry of Lost Things series, so if you love it, you can expect more good things to come.” (Review)

History Mysteries: The Medieval Mishap

£24.00 ($32 before tariffs) (History Mysteries)

🔒2025 Golden Lock Award Winner

Sarah Mendez: “Whether you like jousting, alchemy, or just plain puzzling fun, this family game manages to engage tweens and adults alike with gorgeous materials, well-balanced challenges, and a charming web app to guide the whole endeavor.” (Review)

Hidden Notes

$35 (Giddy Box)

Lisa Spira: “With the pace of our lives, it’s hard to carve out time for a date. Hidden Notes made it easy to sprinkle little acts of love into jam-packed days. Each time I found one of David’s tiny notes, it brought me outsized joy.”

David Spira: “We are juggling a lot here. For us, a night in but away from our computers was special. These notes culminated in a low-stress date night from the comfort of our own home that included solving simple puzzles together and appreciating on our partnership. If you want to give your partner a thoughtful gift, but you don’t have the time to figure out how, Hidden Notes puts the experience on rails, but with plenty of room for you to express yourself to your partner.”

The Case of the Curiously Correct Blueprints (Bluefish Games)

$39 (Bluefish Games)

🔒2025 Golden Lock Award Winner

Christina Rohlf: “The Case of the Curiously Correct Blueprints is a perfect mix of puzzles surrounded by a quirky story characteristic of all of Bluefish Games’ tabletop experiences. The abridged audiobook and puzzle pages were so seamlessly related that we felt like we were able to experience the story firsthand as we puzzled.” (Review)

EXIT: The Game – Advent Calendar – The Intergalactic Race

$49 (Amazon)

Tammy McLeod: “EXIT Advent Calendar’s The Intergalactic Race provides 24 days of bite sized puzzles, that while being creative and fun, get progressively more challenging and unhinged over the course of the month.” (Review)

The Shackleton Series (Escape Mail)

$80 (Escape Mail)

Christina Rohlf: “The Shackleton Series was a perfect way to engage with a historical narrative amongst a plethora of puzzles and escape room elements. We found this to be one of the harder tabletop puzzle games we have played recently, but there were also in-game resources to scale the difficulty level for less experienced players.” (Review)

Jigsaw Puzzles

Greater Roadrunner 500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle (New York Puzzle Company)

$29 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Our community has no shortage of birders… so here’s one for you. New York Puzzle Company makes fantastic jigsaw puzzles and has a collection featuring illustrations from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Collection. This is my personal favorite puzzle from the collaboration.”

Lizard Infinity Puzzle (nervoussystem)

$80 (Etsy)

Tammy McLeod: “The Lizard Infinity puzzle, made up entirely of uniquely colored lizard shapes, will stymie every attempt to find the ‘best’ solution, as there exists no beginning or end to the gradient of the design.”

Peacock Library Lamp (Liberty Puzzle)

$105 (Liberty Puzzle)

David Spira: “I’m in the enviable position of regularly receiving third-hand laser-cut wooden jigsaw puzzles. This is one of the cooler designs that I have seen in a while. I also have a weakness for stained glass and just love this aesthetic.”

Escape Room Tickets

David Spira: “You can always forgo buying stuff and purchase experiences as gifts instead. May I suggest a wonderful escape room? We have regional recommendations guides for many cities all over the world. Find the one nearest you, and get into some fantastic games.”

Puzzle Books

Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More!

$38 (Amazon)

Brett Kuehner: “Once a year the NY Times publishes a mega-sized puzzle section that includes a giant crossword, puzzles based on their daily types like Connections and Spelling Bee, and an assortment of other puzzle styles. This book has 200 pages of puzzling, with more than 20 different puzzle types.”

Games World of Puzzles

$39.99 Print/ $17.99 Digital. 9 issues per year (Games World of Puzzles)

Cindi Saiewitz: “I’ve had a subscription to Games World of Puzzles for decades, and have always loved the interesting articles and variety of puzzles in each issue. From the front cover to Pencilwise section to quizzes and contests, there’s a range of difficulty and different puzzle styles to suit everyone. It’s always in my backpack when I travel. A definite must for puzzle people.”

Mechanical Puzzles

Jellyfish, by Acazu

$14 (Team JB Hobbies)

Brett Kuehner: “Lovely organic shapes and a fairly easy solve. Many people will solve it in under 15 minutes, making it good for beginners to tray-packing puzzles.”

Sliding Crossword, by Sherzod Khaydarbekov and produced by NothingYet Designs

$30 (Nothing Yet Designs)

Brett Kuehner: “A hybrid of a 4×4 letter grid puzzle and a sliding piece puzzle similar to the classic 15 puzzle. Solve the clues to determine the words and then slide the pieces to make a grid with all the answers. Three different challenges.”

7 puzzle set, by Acazu

$65 (Team JB Hobbies)

Brett Kuehner: “If you think Acazu’s Jellyfish puzzle is attractive but will be too easy, give this a try. Seven sets of pieces, each of which can be arranged to lie flat in the same square frame. Varying difficulty levels. None are easy, and collectively they’ll keep someone puzzling for quite some time.”

Skyscraper, by PuzzlerWJ

$95 (Team JB Hobbies)

Brett Kuehner: “This 3D-printed sequential discovery puzzle has more than 10 steps, and you find tools along the way to help with later stages. One step does require a very keen eye for detail, but the others are a little easier, leading to an overall medium level of difficulty.”

Piston II, by Felix Ure

$280 (Team JB Hobbies)

Brett Kuehner: “Made of solid brass and steel, Piston II weighs more than a kilogram. You’ll definitely feel that weight as you work your way through the solve. There are no blind steps; everything you can do is visible. It is down to your ingenuity and persistence to find the path to the end.”

RECON – The Reality Escape Convention

$699 (RECON)

Lisa Spira: “This August we’re bringing RECON to Laval, Québec, Canada. Tickets are on sale now, in time for the holidays. If someone in your life is creating or operating escape rooms, or thinking about getting into this industry, there is no better gift than a RECON ticket. Give them the opportunity to learn and connect at RECON. While they are in Laval, they can also take inspiration from the world-renowned local games.”

Use code REA50 for $50 off a General Ticket (valid through December 31, 2025.)

Note, if you buy a RECON ticket as a gift, and you want it to be a surprise, you can put your own email in the “attendee email” field and update it later. If you add their email, they will get a confirmation email from RECON when the ticket is purchased.

Home

Citrus Garnish Tool

$12 (Amazon)

Peih-Gee Law: “For our group of friends, game night gives us an opportunity to whip out fancy barware and craft fun cocktails for the group. Garnishing with a beautiful citrus twist gives your drinks a fancy flair, and this tool makes it quick and easy. I bought this as a gift after a miserable night trying and failing to make garnishes with just a paring knife. This tool only has one job, but it does it beautifully.”

Silicone Ladle

$25 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Ok, stay with me now… This ladle is the best. It has a flattened front that is also flexible, so it can scrape things in with exceptional efficiency. Once you use this, you’ll never want to go back to round and rigid ladles.”

Whiskey Smoker Kit with Torch

$60 (Amazon)

Theresa Wagner: “I always admired the cocktails with the smokey taste, and with this kit I’ve been able to explore the world of smoked drinks at home! It comes with plenty of wood to get you started on your smokey cocktail journey!”

Office

chubbycable Fast Charging Soft Silicone USB C Cable 240W Extra Thick

$21 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Everything that I own is now on USB-C… and when I made that leap, I wanted cables that truly felt pleasant to use. These cables feel terrific. More specifically, the connectors are chonky, knurled, and easy to grip. I’m not going to travel with these cables, but I keep one beside my bed and one at my desk.”

Sennheiser Pro Audio Microphone, XS Lav USB-C

$50 (Amazon)

David Spira: “I went on a quest to find a simple and inexpensive microphone to make recording easier for my guests. This is the solution. If you want to level up your microphone but don’t want to buy, set up, and learn to use a bunch of equipment, this, right here, is the solution. This is especially helpful if you plan on guesting on a podcast.”

Endless Alchemy Fountain Pen Ink & Lamy Z28 Fountain Pen Converter

Ink $40 (Amazon) & Converter $6 (Amazon)

Lisa Spira: “In last year’s guide we featured Lamy Fountain Pens as an easy and affordable way to get into fountain pens. This year we upgraded by getting this Alchemy ink that has a beautiful shimmer… also the bottle makes you feel like a wizard. To cleanly load this ink into our Lamy pen, we use these little converters that suck up the ink before we slide it into the pen. All of our new Patreon supporters get a card that is handwritten in this ink.”

REA Membership

If you’re supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon (thank you!!) please consider giving the gift of a REA Patreon subscription. You can choose any tier, and gift someone any number of months, or gift an annual subscription at a 10% discount.

If you’re enjoying our Patreon Discord chat, consider gifting someone else into that conversation. If you enjoy the REPOD Bonus Show or the Spoilers Club podcasts, this is the best way to share that content with someone else.

All of our work is fan funded, and your support goes a long way. Just a few dollars a month helps us keep all of this going. And beyond the money, this community also means a lot to the entire team here. If you have the means please consider supporting us, and bringing someone else in with a gift subscription.

Tabletop Games

Flip 7

$8 (Amazon)

Cindi Saiewitz: “Flip 7 is a fast-paced, press-your-luck-style card game where players try to earn points by being the first to turn over 7 cards. Flip a duplicate? You lose the round and all your points. Special cards can improve your hand or dash your hopes, all with a single flip. It’s fun to watch the tension and excitement build as players inch closer to getting that 7th card. Plus, you find out which of your friends are risk-takers! My adult son, who generally hates playing most games, was on his feet more often than not, as he dared to flip just one more card and steal the round.”

The Gang – Cooperative Poker Card Game

$16 (Amazon)

Cindi Saiewitz: “The Gang combines the strategy of Texas Hold ‘em poker with just a touch of the card game The Mind in a cooperative, fast-moving game that’s simple to learn, yet subtly addicting. With only a 20-minute play time, it’s easy to spin up a game anytime – no gambling or in-depth poker knowledge required. It joins The Crew as one of my two favorite games to grab when packing for a trip.”

Abducktion – A weirdly Strategic Duck Kidnapping Game

$35 (Amazon)

Theresa Wagner: “Here at Room Escape Artist, we love ducks almost as much as escape rooms. Combining ducks, UFOs, easy-to-learn gameplay, and ever-changing win conditions equals one of the most-played games on our shelf!”

Perspectives

$35 (Amazon)

Peih-Gee Law: “Perspectives is a collaborative investigation game where each player has unique information they must share to solve the mystery. This is an asymmetrical information game that rewards observation and communication. There are some very satisfying aha moments and puzzley elements. Each game has three cases to solve, with four acts in each case. Every case has a totally different story, with different art styles and deduction patterns.”

Escape Plan

$95 (Amazon)

Christina Rohlf: “For years I have been drawn to complex, thematic, worker-placement games, making Vital Lacerda (the king of those games) one of my favorite designers. While Escape Plan is certainly complex and thematic, it is a not a worker placement game. Nor is it dominated by any single mechanism. There is a bit of exploration as you navigate the city while evading the law enforcement, tableau building as you recruit gangs and contacts for your underground network, some elements of racing as you try to escape the city first on day 3, resource management as you balance your daily income with extracting money from your laundering operations, and more. However, the mechanism soup of Escape Plan is tied so well to the theme of the game that every action makes you feel the urgency of being a crime lord on a grab-and-go mission. Although we have played Escape Plan as two and enjoyed it, this game really shines with a larger player count (4-5).”

Tools

JACO Superior Products ElitePro Digital Tire Pressure Gauge

$30 (Amazon)

David Spira: “My trusty old tire pressure gauge died last year. This one is so much better. It’s not close.”

Rolls MM11PRO Microphone Mute/ Talk Switch

$69 (Amazon)

David Spira: “This is a push-to-talk/ push-to-mute button (you can choose which mode it operates in), and it’s robust AF. I saw these in the gamemaster room at CU Adventures back in the spring, and it immediately solved a big problem for me: I was tired of editing little bits of background noise from my podcasts. I no longer have to do that on my own track because my mic is only active when I depress the button, which I hold in my hands while recording. It only works with proper XLR microphones and I recommend pairing it with a high quality set cables. No tool has saved me more time and effort this year.”

KNIPEX Automatic Wire Stripper

$50 (Amazon)

Brett Kuehner: “Do you strip wires? Like, lots of wires? If so, get this; it will make you happy. Put the wire in, squeeze the handle, and the wire is perfectly stripped to exactly the length you want. No adjustment for wire gauge, no nicking, no guessing how hard to squeeze. And since it doesn’t pull on the wire, you can strip wires that are attached at one end without damaging them.”

Books

Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

$10 (Amazon)

Theresa Piazza: “The Starless Sea is a wonderful book that any escape room enthusiast or immersive experience goer will love. I was gifted this book a few winters ago and once I started reading it, I could not put it down. It is set in a New York City I wish was real. It’s a tale with hidden doors to magical places the reader truly could get lost within.”

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

$14 (Amazon)

Theresa Wagner: “The premise sucks on paper: Carl and his cat Princess Donut find themselves in a destroyed planet earth, with their only option of survival to enter the World Dungeon and fight their way through 18 floors. I can promise you, this is the first book that’s caught my attention in years. It’s equal parts fast paced and hilarious, and leaves you wanting more!”

Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds by by Margaret Kerrison

$30 (Amazon)

Richard Burns: “This very approachable writer’s guide is filled with lessons, tips, and examples that will be useful for anyone endeavoring to into the world of immersive storytelling. It uses a no-nonsense method of asking practical questions and letting those answers inform decision making.”

Matching Minds with Sondheim: The Puzzles and Games of the Broadway Legend by Barry Joseph

$35 (Amazon)

Lisa Spira: “Matching Minds with Sondheim explores the wild, expansive, and deep relationship that the legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim had with puzzles throughout his life. In the book, author Barry Joseph includes Sondheim’s discovery of escape rooms in his 80s. This exceptionally written book is the definitive work on the subject.” (Listen to author Barry Joseph on Reality Escape Pod)

Everyday Carry Items

Oclip Ultra Flashlight Clip-on Light (OLIGHT)

$50 (Amazon)

David Spira: “This tiny flashlight packs a lot of might and options. It’s bright at 530 lumens, and has 3 modes: spotlight, floodlight, and UV light. It’s also rechargeable with USB-C, and has a sturdy and versatile clip so it’s easy to go hands free.”

Peak Design Mobile Tripod

$79 (Amazon)

David Spira: “This tripod is incredibly solid, and it magsafes to the back of my phone (portrait or landscape). Whether I am using this to film or just setting it on a table or an airplane tray table, it’s perfectly reliable.”

Peak Design Qi2 Charging Car Vent Mount

$99 (Amazon)

David Spira: “This is a pricey car mount, for sure. However, I always try to spend money in accordance to how much I use an item… and I got tired of mediocre car mounts slumping or breaking on me. Just make sure that this particular mount fits your air vents. If it doesn’t, they have other options.”

Travel Gear

1oz Silicone Travel Bottles, TSA Approved Leakproof with Locking Lid (4-Pack)

$7 (Amazon)

Theresa Wagner: “Recently, I realized how much space and weight my toiletries take up in my travel bag. Saving space for those precious souvenirs is important, so I’ve come to terms with bringing smaller bottles with plenty of product for the week. Plus, the locking lid never leaks!”

Silicone Luggage Tag

$8 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Luggage tags are a necessary pain in the butt. Most are too flimsy to survive airport baggage handling… but when I have bought metal ones, they have gotten bent and mangled. This tag is splitting the difference. The silicone tag is durable yet flexible, while the metal loop is strong enough to hold everything together. I also appreciate how loud some of these tag colors are. It helps make my bag stand out on a carousel.”

humangear GoBites Quattro | Travel & Camping Utensils

$16 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Sometimes I find myself sitting in escape room lobbies eating delivery… but my order didn’t come with utensils. This kit is amazing. It’s lightweight yet durable, never rattles around, doesn’t trigger the TSA, is dishwasher-safe, and includes a fork, spoon, chopsticks, and a toothpick.”

GEARAID HEROCLIP 360° Swivel Carabiner Gear Clip and Hook

$28 (Amazon)

David Spira: “I have always kept a carabiner on my bag to attach random stuff. This carabiner does all of that plus it can turn into a hook and hang off of a variety of surfaces. It also comes in multiple sizes. I use the medium one which can hold 60 pounds.”

For the Little Ones

How To Fool Your Parents by David Kwong

$13 (Amazon)

David Spira: “One of my all-time favorite magicians made a book to help kids learn magic. David Kwong’s practial and informative style is perfect for the type of kid who loves learning skills and secrets.” (Listen to author David Kwong on Reality Escape Pod)

Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin

$20 (Amazon)

Brett Kuehner: “This picture book starts with a kid who wishes he could be a robot, and the story unfolds from there. Everyone I’ve shown it to, of any age, has loved it. You can judge this book by its cover, but Robo-sauce is definitely more than meets the eye.”

Froggy: A Pond Full of Pals! by Paige Walshe

$13 (Amazon)

Theresa Wagner: “Froggy is one of the most lovable storybook characters of recent years, combining adorable friends, serious life lessons, and incredible artwork for all ages!”

I Know Dino! Amazing Breakthroughs, Mega Mistakes, and Unsolved Mysteries in Dinosaur Science by Sabrina Ricci & Garret Kruger

$17 (Amazon)

David Spira: “This book is amazing. It’s technically written for kids, but it’s filled with wonderful dinosaur knowledge for all ages. And who doesn’t want dinosaur knowledge? It’s also written by our friends Sabrina and Garret from the I Know Dino Podcast, and they are wonderful.”

Lulu! (Squishmallow Original 10 Inch Theotto The Cthulhu)

$21 (Amazon)

Lisa Spira: “We absolutely love our Lulu– that’s what we named our adorable Cthulhu. We first bought her at Costco in the huge size to accompany everyone on the Montreal Tour and for escape room photo ops. We later bought this smaller size for overseas escape room travel. And I have to say, this size is the most huggable. She’s just such a perfect size to cuddle with.”

For the Dogs

Bully Stick Holder

$13 (Amazon)

Peih-Gee Law: “If you love to spoil your dog with bully sticks or other types of chews, you need this holder. It serves two purposes. It helps your dog have a more secure grip on the chew, because the holder is easier for the paws to grasp. More importantly, it keeps your pup from accidentally swallowing the last few inches of the bully stick, which can present a choking or blockage hazard.”

Calming Dog Bed

$60 for small doggos (Amazon)

Peih-Gee Law: “If you have a pup who loves to dig their bed before getting comfy, they need this bed. My dog, Yum Yum, loves to “make up” his bed and already destroyed one before I got him this one, which has lasted for 3 years so far. It has a loose blanket top with lots of material that moves around as he digs. It keeps him from ripping up the bed, and it also lets him “arrange” the bed how he likes.”

Dog Car Seat

$69 (Amazon)

Peih-Gee Law: “Even pups want to travel in style and comfort. This car seat has 2 straps to securely fasten it to the car seat, and another strap to secure your dog to the car seat. It’s very comfy for the dogs, with bolsters on all sides so they can rest their heads. It also keeps them safely contained if you need to abruptly slam on the brakes. This can also double as a portable dog bed when traveling.”

For the Cats

Yeoww! Catnip Yellow Banana

$8 (Amazon)

Kurtis Rohlf: “Whenever our cats are looking for a little trip, they always gravitate toward this bright fruit toy! It is chock full of catnip and they bite, lick, and kick it to their heart’s content. It is filled 100% with catnip, so you don’t have to worry about it running out of “power.” We tend to buy a new one every couple of years after it bursts from being used so much.”

MidWest Feline Nuvo Grand Forte 41-Inch Cat Scratching Post

$59 (Chewy)

Kurtis Rohlf: “We first got this nearly 4-foot tall scratching post when we were fostering a litter of kittens. It was hilarious, and sometimes terrifying, to watch them climb to the top and play “king of the post.” Our grown cats love this too since it allows them to stretch out to their full length while scratching. This is a must-have post for anyone with cats that love to climb. It is durable, has held up for the past 5 years, and is still going strong.”

For The Person Who Has Everything

Lego Game Boy

$60 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Every once in a while Lego makes a set that truly speaks to me, and this Game Boy is incredible. The icing on the cake is the The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening cartridge.”

Burnt Impressions Custom Toaster

$150 (Burnt Impressions)

David Spira: “When Lisa and I got married, one of my oldest friends gave us a toaster bearing the engraving, ‘You should have had a registry’ on its side. When he got married earlier this year, he became the proud owner of a toaster that burns my face directly into toast. The possibilities are endless with this gift, but do note that delivery took longer than I had expected, so don’t dawdle.”

Support Room Escape Artist’s Mission

There are lots of ways to support Room Escape Artist, like buying from Amazon or Etsy after clicking into the links included in this post or backing us on Patreon.

The money that we make from these helps us to grow the site and continue to add more value to the community that we love so much.