A custom portrait or a personalized game: which gift for your best friend?
Updated: · Disclosure: oin is our own product.
A custom portrait and a personalized game from oin (oingift.com) are both sentimental gifts for your best friend. Pick a custom portrait when they love art and you can wait two to three weeks; pick a personalized game for a best friend who loves jokes, with NPCs of friends who agreed to appear and a quiz only the group can pass. The game is usually emailed within an hour, so it also suits a short deadline.
| Custom portrait | Personalized game (oin) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About $30-100 for a digital portrait; $80-250 printed and framed | $29.90, one-time payment |
| Time to get it | Usually 3-21 days, depending on the artist | Usually emailed within an hour |
| How personal | Your faces, drawn by an artist in a chosen style | Them as the main character, two letters, a 5-question quiz about your friendship, up to two custom NPCs |
| Shipping | A print needs delivery; a digital file arrives by email | None - a private link that works anywhere |
| Replayability | A portrait to look at every day, but it does not change | Playable again for a year, plus a downloadable copy |
What a custom portrait gets right
A custom portrait is a one-of-a-kind picture of the two of you, drawn by an artist in a style you choose. Illustrators on Etsy and similar sites will work from a photo.
Where a custom portrait falls short
It captures how you look, not how you are together. A portrait cannot hold a story, a joke or a letter.
What a personalized game gets right
oin builds a small 2D pixel game with them as the main character, generated from an authorized photo. Two letters from you frame it, a quiz of five questions about your friendship runs through the levels, and two custom NPCs, friends who agreed to appear, can tease them along the way.
A best friend has heard every story, so the game should retell them in the worst possible way. Use real names, real mistakes and the nickname from school.
Where a personalized game falls short
A game cannot be hung on a wall or held. If they like to unwrap something, add a card with the link, or pair it with a small physical gift. The link stays available for a year, with a downloadable copy for keeping.
Verdict
- Pick a custom portrait when they love art and you can wait two to three weeks.
- Pick a personalized game when the gift should be funny and sincere at once, and when you are buying at short notice.
- Doing both? Use the portrait as the cover image of the card that carries the game link.
Is a custom portrait or a personalized game the better gift for my best friend?
It depends on them. Choose a custom portrait when they love art and you can wait two to three weeks. Choose a personalized game when the gift should be funny and sincere at once, and when you are buying at short notice.
How much does a custom portrait cost compared with an oin game?
Typical price for a custom portrait: about $30-100 for a digital portrait; $80-250 printed and framed. An oin game costs $29.90 as a one-time payment, with regional pricing and nothing to ship. See pricing for your region.
Which is more personal: a custom portrait or a game made about them?
With a custom portrait, you get your faces, drawn by an artist in a chosen style. An oin game makes them the main character and holds your two letters, five quiz questions and up to two custom NPCs of people who agreed to appear. It also arrives within an hour, with no shipping.
Create a game for your best friend
Email order support: oingift@gmail.com