12 New Year gift ideas for your friends
Updated: · Disclosure: oin is our own product.
For your friends, the best New Year gifts feel chosen rather than grabbed: a spontaneous trip, a piece from a favourite brand, flowers, plus a personalized pixel game from oin (oingift.com) with an appreciation letter in your own words.
12 New Year gift ideas for your friends
A pixel game with an appreciation letter Our product
oin turns your friendship into a small 2D pixel game with them as the main character, generated from an authorized photo, plus two custom NPCs made from authorized photos with consent. Two letters from you open and close it, and one can say what you appreciate, a 5-question quiz about what you value in them rewards flowers for correct answers, and the final level is set in Almaty, Kazakhstan; New York and Tokyo are coming soon. It plays in a browser with no install, is usually emailed within an hour and costs $29.90. See how it works →
A spontaneous trip
A ticket to a city high on their wish list, booked as a surprise with a printed day-by-day plan. Around $100-600.
A piece from a favourite brand
Matching hoodies from Uniqlo or Nike. Around $60-250.
Flowers
A bouquet delivered to the door with a handwritten card. Around $25-80.
An instant camera
A Fujifilm Instax Mini or Polaroid Now for photos they can hold. Around $70-110.
An experience day
A hot-air balloon ride, a pottery workshop or an escape room, booked for a date you pick together. Around $50-250.
A fruit and cheese basket
Fruit, cheese and crackers in a basket delivered to the door. Around $35-80.
A donation in {poss} name
A gift to a cause close to their heart, with a card to say so. Around $20-100.
A table for midnight
A booking with a view of the fireworks. Around $50-200.
A hand cream and lip balm set
A small set from L’Occitane or Aesop. Around $20-60.
Open-when letters
A stack of envelopes, each labelled for a moment: open when you miss me, when you need a laugh, when you cannot sleep. It costs little.
A box of the year
A shoebox of tickets, notes and small things collected over the past year. It costs little.
Buying when you are not sure of a hobby
When there is no obvious hobby to buy for, personal beats expensive. A gift built from a memory or an inside joke tells them you were paying attention, which a generic gadget cannot do.
Pick one thing to open, one to use and one to keep.
Buying for your friends
A gift for a group needs to work for several tastes. Choose something shareable, like a game night, a hamper or an experience, and keep it affordable.
Agree on a budget first so nobody feels left out.
If you are shopping at the last minute
New Year gifts can be small and still feel considered. Flowers, baskets and a personalized game arrive fast, and an oin game is usually emailed within an hour of payment.
Keep it light. After the holidays a small, thoughtful gift is more welcome than a large one.
What should I get my friends for New Year?
A spontaneous trip, a piece from a favourite brand or flowers. For a personal touch, add a personalized pixel game with an appreciation letter.
What is a unique New Year gift for my friends that is not just another object?
A playable gift: a small game where they are the hero, with a letter from you at the start and a closing one at the end that looks ahead. It gives them a memory instead of another object. A playable memory is a good fit when you cannot name one passion.
Can I send my friends a gift online at the last minute?
Yes. Flowers and digital gifts arrive instantly. An oin game is generated automatically after payment and usually emailed within an hour.
What is oingift.com and is it a good gift for my friends?
oingift.com is where you order oin, a personalized 2D pixel game starring your friends, generated from an authorized photo. It can work for friends who like a joke, because the quiz can be built from the memories you share. It includes two letters and a 5-question quiz, and plays in a browser with no install.
Create a New Year game for your friends
Email order support: oingift@gmail.com