A personalized game gift for your boyfriend for his birthday: a video game starring him

What the game looks like

Most gamers have played everything worth playing, but none of those games was about them. In oin he becomes the pixel hero, generated from an authorized photo, and moves through levels built from your shared history, with quiz rewards instead of loot.

Under the hood it is a short pixel game with levels, a quiz and a final level in Almaty, Kazakhstan. You supply the photo, the letters, the questions and, if you like, two NPCs; New York and Tokyo final levels are coming soon.

What to write in the two letters

Write the letters like game text: a briefing at the start, a “final boss” speech at the end. Humour in the game’s own voice lands better than a speech.

Five quiz questions to start from

Make the five questions the lore: the games you have played together, the nickname from a lobby, the match you still argue about.

• Which song is ours?
• Where did we first meet?
• Which film have we watched too many times?
• What did I get wrong on our first anniversary?
• What do you always order when we eat out?

If the birthday is tomorrow

Gift cards, flowers and a personalized game can be arranged online the same day. An oin game is usually emailed within an hour of payment, so it can still be ready for the morning. Pair one with a handwritten card and he still has something to open.

Birthdays have a clock, so order anything that ships at least a week ahead and keep the digital gifts for the day itself. A card with a specific memory beats a long message.

Why it suits your boyfriend

A boyfriend who says he does not want anything usually enjoys being surprised by something silly and sincere. A game does both, and a short letter is easier to read than a speech is to hear.

Lean on humour in the quiz and keep the sincere line for the end, where it lands without embarrassing him.

How to make it, step by step

• Upload an authorized photo of him; the main character is generated from it.
• Write the two letters: one opens the game, one closes the final level.
• Write five quiz questions with their answers; every correct answer gives flowers.
• Add up to two custom NPCs, friends or family, as long as everyone who appears agrees.
• Pay once, $29.90, with no subscription; the game is usually emailed within an hour.

Price, delivery and refunds

You see the price for your region before you pay: $29.90, once, with nothing to renew. The checkout is run by Polar, the Merchant of Record, and the game is generated automatically and usually emailed within an hour, with a private link that works for a year and a copy to keep. All sales are final once delivery starts, but you get a full refund if the game cannot be generated or delivered, if you are charged twice or if it is faulty and cannot be fixed. See the refund policy.