Small enough for a stocking
The tiniest thing in their stocking, the biggest night of January
It takes up no more room than a gift tag. Behind it is a game on their phone with 20 sealed dates, and the envelope they hold at the end becomes a real evening for the two of you. All for less than a fancy lip balm.
Make the stocking stuffer · $3.99$3.99 once · under $5 · link in your inbox as soon as you pay
Three ways to get a link into a stocking
- The handwritten card. Copy the link onto a small card, add "Open on your phone. Don't skip this one." and roll it up with a ribbon next to the chocolate coins.
- The hidden PIN. Lock the game with a 4 to 6 digit code. Text them the link in the morning, and when the game asks for the PIN, the only place it exists is a slip of paper at the bottom of the stocking.
- The scavenger hint. Leave a note that says "Check your messages after breakfast" and send the link when they've had their coffee.
Why it beats the usual stocking stuffers
Socks, mini hand creams and novelty mugs are fine, but they are things. This is a plan. You spend a few minutes before Christmas going through 20 envelopes in four tiers. We suggest each one from 199 ideas, and you can change any of them or write your own, like "dumplings at that place on 5th." Three more go to the Date Dealer, who rings during the game with offers they can take or turn down.
On the day it plays out on their phone, laptop or tablet, with nothing to download. You get to watch them hesitate over every offer, and at the end the envelope they keep (or swap) tells you both what is coming next.
Small-tier ideas that suit a stocking
Keep a few big ones in the Dreamy and Perfect envelopes so the game stays tense.
- Hot chocolate & a view Thermos, blanket, best viewpoint in town · Sweet
- Dessert crawl Three bakeries, one dessert each · Sweet
- Ice skating Hold hands, try not to fall · Lovely
- Movie night in Blanket fort, popcorn, your pick · Sweet
- Kitchen karaoke Duets are mandatory · Sweet
- Pizza from scratch Dough fights encouraged · Sweet
- Bookstore date Pick a book for each other · Sweet
- Ceramics painting Matching mugs, forever · Lovely
- Chocolate tasting Dark, milk, ruby, chilli · Lovely
- Karaoke box Private room, power ballads · Lovely
- Boutique hotel night in town Room service and a bathtub · Dreamy
- Christmas markets tour Mulled wine in three countries · Perfect
What happens after they find the card
- 01Pick
Your partner chooses one of 20 mystery envelopes and keeps it sealed.
- 02Eliminate
Four rounds of cracking wax seals. Every opened envelope is a date leaving the game.
- 03Resist
The Date Dealer calls three times with an offer you wrote. DATE, or NO DATE?
- 04Reveal
Stick or swap, then the last seal breaks. That is your next date.
Pair it with a bigger present
It works as the full gift too: see the Christmas date night gift, or the last minute Christmas gift for a boyfriend if December got away from you. Playing it together that evening? Here are some Christmas games for couples. More reading: for him, for her.
Questions, answered
What is a good stocking stuffer for couples?
Something small that turns into time together. A date night stocking stuffer like DateOrNoDate fits on a folded card: a link to a game of 20 envelopes, each hiding a date, and the one your partner keeps is what you do next.
How do you put a digital gift in a stocking?
Write the link by hand on a small card or gift tag and tuck it in the toe. Or send the link by text and hide only the PIN in the stocking, so they have to dig for it before they can play.
What is a cheap stocking stuffer for my boyfriend?
This one costs $3.99, paid once, which keeps it under $5. He gets a game to play on his phone and a date at the end, which is more than most stocking stuffers manage.
What is a good stocking stuffer for my girlfriend that is not more stuff?
An experience. Fill her envelopes with the things she keeps mentioning, a pottery class, a long brunch, a night at a boutique hotel, and the game decides which one happens.
Is an experience stocking stuffer worth it?
Small things in a stocking tend to get lost under the bigger presents. A date gives it a second life: first the game on Christmas morning, then the evening out weeks later.
Can they replay it?
As often as they like. Each replay reshuffles the envelopes, and you can check how it went on your private page or in the result email.
A small card, a whole evening
Build it in a few minutes and write the link on anything that fits in a stocking.
Make the stocking stuffer$3.99, once · no subscription · unlimited replays