[NOPUB] The PC Gamer 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

Metal Gear Solid Codec pins ($29) 

Finally, we know that love can bloom on the battlefield, just like mine has for these gorgeous lenticular Metal Gear Solid pins. They’re pretty to look at even before you realize they’re lenticular, so you can tilt your view angle to see a different face for each character. At long last, I can recreate the awkwardness that would be a conversation between Sniper Wolf and Otacon.

OXO Good Grips Electronics Cleaning Brush ($9) 

One of our perennial recommendations, OXO’s handy tool is the little cleaning brush that can—and will—help keep your keyboard from being disgusting. It’s never too early to start spring cleaning, and given how much use our keyboards have been getting in this golden year of gaming, they could use a little spa treatment. 

Vintage Game Mags subscription ($15)  

Do you fancy strolls down gaming’s memory lane? Courtesy of the noble Video Game History Foundation, you can get a mystery issue of a mag from gaming history in your mailbox every month. Check out those reader letters arguing with editors, or just finally get help with the most frustrating video game puzzles from your younger years. The best part? All the profits go to support the VGHF, so your gift will double down on holiday spirit. 

Dart Armoury Dart Blaster ($40 and up) 

Counter-Strike 2 is here, and while we’re all trying to figure out recoil patterns and new smoke locations—the folks over at Dart Armoury have been perfecting replica dart blasters. Whether you want to stage cs_office in your office, or just have the coolest way to give your cats something to chase, you can’t help but feel awesome when your dart pistol’s slide locks back at the end of a magazine. Just don’t get banned from your server for friendly fire over the new year.  

The Art of Point & Click Adventure Games ($38)

From the exploits of Leisure Suit Larry to the best of LucasArts and beyond, the third edition of The Art of Point & Click Adventure Games is a love letter to the history of one of the PC’s most beloved genres. Whether you grew up on Quest for Glory and Secret of Monkey Island or came to them later, this book is simply gorgeous to behold. Don’t pass up checking out what else Bitmap Books has on offer too, especially their CRPG history book. 

Yetee Shirts ($28)

Aside from conjuring bad memories of an ancient enemy of PC gamers, the Yetee has pretty impeccable vibes. While they’re a big sponsor of charity speedrunning event GamesDoneQuick, they’re able to do so because they’ve got pretty cool shirts. Whether you know someone who would want to rep their favorite Stardew Valley bachelors or bachelorettes, or would appreciate flexing a controversial Street Fighter main—Yetee can have them covered. 

 A PC Gamer Subscription ($35) 

Not to doot our own trumpet too much, but you can get someone a year of PC Gamer in their mailbox for a pretty good price. We love our website, but there are exclusives and original stories in print, with all kinds of pretty layouts and special features about everything in the world of PC gaming. It’s a pretty dang nice gift, if we do say so ourselves (we do). 

CFM Desk Mats ($30)

Every desk needs a cushion for your fancy keyboard and mouse, so why not give it some style? Showing up on our list again this year, CFM has everything from the Stardew Valley night market to the notorious Hyper Beast skin of Counter-Strike fame, and tons of Star Trek ship schematics. 

Disco Elysium prints by Luis Melo ($15-20)

Have you run out of trash containers to nationalize? Does the light of your disco ball fade? Cheer you and your horrific necktie up with some fantastic prints from Luis Melo. He also has some excellent and stylish prints based on Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and others to check out. 

Ryobi Desktop Vacuum Kit ($50)

It makes a not-insignificant difference in our personal dignity to be able to eliminate desk debris in a snap. Avoid the super-cheap USB vacuums on Amazon and consider Ryobi’s power-tool-grade desktop vacuum, handy for your desk and portable for the surrounding area.

Geralt in the Tub ($56)

Witcher fans know he’s never getting out of the tub, and we like it that way. Remember: if you’re cold, he’s cold, so bring home your own Geralt.

Tunnel Snakes jacket ($75)

Do you or someone you love suffer from not being a Tunnel Snake? Thankfully, modern science has formulated a solution for terminal uncoolness: becoming a member of a greaser gang in a post-apocalyptic Fallout vault. Terms, conditions, and radroaches may apply. 

Lord of the Rings: Rivendell LEGO set ($500)

Is there anyone whose life wouldn’t be better owning a 6000-piece recreation of one of the most iconic sets of Lord of the Rings? Show me this person and I’ll show you someone who needs some life advice from a tiny Lego Samwise Gamgee himself.

PDP Victrix Pro FS Fight Stick ($399)

It’s been a bumper year for fighting games, and Tekken 8 is around the corner. This super-high-end stick features heavy, durable components, and a moddable back panel. Tournament-ready.

Lilipad 48″ standing desk  ($1149)

This otherwise deluxe electric motor standing desk has an interesting quirk: it’s collapsable, folding all the way down to a six-inch height so it can be rolled under a bed or hidden away. It’s a dream solution for space-starved PC gamers, for anyone who’s become a work-from-homer in the last few years, or for those who do the majority of their gaming off of a laptop. The 46.25″ x 24″ tabletop arrives fully assembled.

Dice Envy Advent Calendar ($65)

What could possibly be better than getting a gift for the holidays? Why, getting a gift every day of the holidays, of course. Whether your giftee is a veteran dice collector or just starting their hoard of shiny math rocks, Dice Envy’s advent calendar gives them a daily dose of dice of different sizes and materials.

Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate board game ($55)

You start out each game of Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate as friends, exploring and discovering new locations, but before long the game will turn one of the players into a traitor with their own agenda. As an improvement on the original Betrayal board game, Baldur’s Gate tweaks the formula of its predecessor a little with special powers for each character and other small but welcome adjustments. It’s perfect for a change of pace or to introduce some friends to board games.

Symbaroum RPG ($40)

A dark and spooky tabletop RPG that’s flown under the radar for a few years now, Symbaroum has a lot going for it. With its simple and flexible rules and hauntingly beautiful art Symbaroum is a great choice for exploring beyond D&D, but wanting to stay in a fantasy world.

Peacemaker Tries Hard! ($5/issue in your local comic shop)

One of PC Gamer Global Editor-in-Chief Evan Lahti’s favorite series from this year is this irreverent Peacemaker book from Kyle Starks, which sees DC’s biggest lunkhead fighting to rescue his dog from kidnappers. As Peacemaker joins forces with a little-known WWII superhero who commands bees to face off against, for example, a gang of villain construction workers, the story reasserts the profane absurdity of the 2022 TV spin-off.

Wonder Woman 2023 reboot ($5/issue in your local comic shop)

The current Wonder Woman storyline, which just kicked off at issue #801, is steeped in the serious politics we’d expect from the character. The US government is expelling Amazons from the United States after one is accused of murder, setting up a tense outlaw-on-the-run story for WW as she protects her people and tries to uncover the truth. Series writer Tom King is an ex-CIA officer and is so far delivering an exciting political thriller.

World of Cyberpunk 2077 ($5/issue in your local comic shop)

We’ve been hungry for more Cyberpunk 2077 after its masterful redemption arc over the last couple years, and Dark Horse has the goods. With several short series (and their graphic novel versions) tackling diverse stories across Night City, there’s a large helping of cyberpunk here. Personal favorites are Trauma Team—about a Trauma Team EMT put into impossible circumstances—and Big City Dreams, which won the Hugo award this year for best graphic story or comic.  

Doom (2016) soundtrack from Laced Records ($35)

The perfect jams to mulch demons to, Mick Gordon’s work for the Doom reboot improves any situation. If there’s ever a potential successor to the legendary At Doom’s Gate, it has to be BFG Division, which has motivated me for everything under the demonic sun. Cleaning the house? Try some demonslaying. Spreadsheets for work? Just add super shotguns.  

Warhammer 40K Darktide soundtrack from Laced Records ($50)

Descending to us from the skilled hands of Jesper Kyd, the Darktide soundtrack feels like it was composed in the vaulted halls of one of the mighty Imperial dreadnaughts in orbit. Equal parts tense, epic, and gothic, it’s one of our favorite soundtracks. The churning, chanting main theme feels like a miner’s song beamed into your brain from a very ugly planet.