Gifts for puzzle lovers: ideas for different kinds of solver
Choose gifts for puzzle lovers by the puzzles they already enjoy. A wooden jigsaw suits someone who likes assembling an image; a crossword book suits a word solver; a mechanical puzzle makes a small gift they can pick up between other things. For someone who wants a longer adventure, consider a boxed escape room game. Our games work solo or with up to six people.
This guide includes our games and gifts from other makers. Start with the kind of puzzle the recipient likes, then choose the size and format. Current prices and availability are on the linked store pages.
"Puzzle lover" is at least four different people
The phrase covers people who want completely different objects, and telling them apart is most of the work.
There is the person who does the crossword every morning, solving alone in short bursts with a pen. There is the one who keeps a jigsaw going on the dining table for a week, also solving alone but far more slowly, and who cares how the pieces feel as much as what the picture is. Some people are still talking about an escape room they did with friends two years ago, and what they want is an evening with other people in it. Others just fidget with a metal ring puzzle during a conference call, and what they want is an object rather than a session.
Use those habits as clues, but leave room for someone to enjoy more than one kind of puzzle. If they already have a favorite format, a new title in that format is a sensible gift. If they’re curious about something else, this is a chance to try it.
Ask how they like to solve, how much time they want to spend and whether they’d enjoy sharing the game.
Gifts for a puzzle lover who solves alone
These ideas suit short solo sessions or a project someone can return to over several days.
A wooden jigsaw, if they already own the cardboard kind
The jump from a mass market cardboard jigsaw to a laser-cut wooden one is bigger than the price gap suggests, and it is the piece shapes rather than the picture that does it. Artifact Puzzles cuts figural pieces, called whimsies, into recognizable shapes hidden inside the image: a teapot, a running fox, a heron. You find them by touch as you go, which turns the last hour of a jigsaw into something other than sky.
Choose the image as carefully as the piece count. A subject the recipient enjoys can make a jigsaw feel personal, and the finished puzzle can be taken apart to solve again another time.
A crossword book, if they solve on a phone every morning
A crossword book gives a word solver something to work through away from a screen. Collections such as The New York Times Sunday Crosswords Vol. 3 and Classic Crossword Puzzles Vol. 6 are starting points to browse. Check the puzzle style, print size and binding before choosing, especially if the recipient likes to solve with the book resting on their lap.
Check which kind of crossword the recipient likes: American-style crosswords and British cryptics use different conventions. A familiar style is a safer choice unless they want to try something new. If the daily habit is Murdle, our games like Murdle guide covers that format separately.
A speedcube, if they like a puzzle that resets
Twisty puzzles can be scrambled and solved repeatedly. A magnetic speedcube is worth considering for someone who already enjoys a basic cube and would like a different turning feel.
The Cubicle’s magnetic 3x3 and the MoYu RS3 M are options to compare. If the recipient already owns a speedcube, check the model first; a different turning feel is more useful than a duplicate.
A brain teaser, or a wooden box with something hidden in it
Metal and wooden hand puzzles make a small gift someone can use without clearing a table. Check the difficulty and size, especially if it’s for a person who already owns several.
Project Genius’s Aztec Family Chest has a hidden compartment for a gift card, cash or a note. The maker rates it 14+ and three out of five for difficulty. Check stock before choosing this model; if it’s unavailable, browse the puzzle gift box range for another box with a suitable compartment.
Gifts for a puzzle lover who wants everyone at the table
A boxed puzzle game gives the recipient a story to work through with printed clues. In ours, an online companion guide provides answer checking and optional hints. The recipient can play alone or invite others.
The Fifth Column is our pick for someone who enjoys wartime stories and codebreaking. Set in Manhattan in June 1945, it has the players stopping a Nazi plot after Germany’s surrender. It plays with 1 to 6 people, is rated 14+, and takes 2 to 4+ hours across two parts, with 4.9 stars from 152 reviews.
See what comes in The Fifth Column. Heather F. wrote: “This is the second year I give the game as a gift. My friends love it!”
Our escape room gift guide compares player counts, session lengths and whether games can be passed on after play. For someone who mainly wants to solve a whodunit, the murder mystery gifts guide includes cases from other publishers.
Down the Rabbit Hole is our gentlest boxed game. It plays with 1 to 6 people, is rated 12+, and takes 1.5 to 3+ hours in one part, with 4.9 stars from 82 reviews. EXIT: The Secret Lab is another standalone option for ages 12+. Its materials are altered during play, so check that the recipient is happy with a single-use box.
The Blackbrim Trilogy follows one Victorian manhunt across three games and six parts. It provides 10+ hours of play for 1 to 6 people, ages 14+, and has 4.9 stars from 533 reviews. Choose it for someone who wants a longer connected story. You can also browse all our boxed games.
Small puzzle gifts
A smaller gift can still give someone plenty to solve. These options ask for different amounts of time and space.
Mission: Elfpossible is our digital holiday game, delivered by email and played on a laptop or desktop computer. You help rescue Santa at the North Pole, playing solo or with a group. It’s rated 14+ and has 4.7 stars from 26 reviews. Our Christmas escape room guide covers more seasonal options.
EXIT: The Secret Lab, Sunday Crosswords Vol. 3 and the Project Genius hand puzzles also make smaller gifts. Match the format to the person rather than adding several things they may not use. Our stocking stuffers for puzzle lovers guide has more choices.
Fifteen free puzzles, if you want to test the idea first
Our free Puzzle Archive has fifteen browser puzzles graded from introductory to expert, with optional hints and answer checking. Sending a puzzle is one way to learn what someone enjoys solving. For a paper extra to put in a card, see the separate free printable escape room puzzles guide.
What to send when you have run out of time
If there isn’t time for shipping, choose an emailed gift. Our last-minute gifts for puzzle lovers guide compares options by how much time you have left.
Mission: Elfpossible and our gift card arrive by email, so neither needs shipping time. If you also have time to order a physical puzzle box, you could put a printed gift card inside its hidden compartment.
For anything physical from us, orders generally leave one business day after you place them. Standard shipping to the contiguous US then takes three to seven business days, and there is an expedited option that runs two to four. Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico run one to three weeks, so treat those as a different deadline entirely.
Questions we get from people buying for a puzzle lover
These questions help narrow the gift down.
What is the best gift for someone who loves puzzles?
Start with what they enjoy solving. A wooden jigsaw suits someone who likes assembling pictures; a crossword book suits a word solver; a mechanical puzzle can be picked up in short sessions. For a longer story, The Fifth Column is an at-home escape room game for 1 to 6 players, ages 14+, over 2 to 4+ hours.
What is a good small puzzle gift?
Mission: Elfpossible is a digital holiday game for ages 14+. EXIT: The Secret Lab is a compact boxed game, Sunday Crosswords Vol. 3 is a crossword collection, and a speedcube or hand puzzle can be used in short sessions. Choose the format they enjoy and check current availability before ordering.
Do boxed puzzle games work for someone who will play on their own?
Yes. Our boxes support 1 to 6 players and have no timer, so a solo player can work at their own pace. Optional hints are available if they get stuck.
How does shipping work, and what does free shipping need?
Current rates, delivery windows and the free-shipping thresholds are on our shipping page and shown at checkout. We ship across the US, to Canada and the UK, and to Norway, Singapore and Australia. Anything digital, the gift card included, has no shipping cost at all.
What do you give a puzzle lover who already owns everything?
Look for a format they’re curious about but haven’t tried. A wooden jigsaw, a magnetic speedcube or a puzzle box with a hidden compartment can offer something different from another title in a full collection. Our gifts for someone who has everything guide has more ideas.
