Gifts for nerdy boyfriends, from board games to LEGO and Raspberry Pi

Gift ideas for a nerdy boyfriend or partner: a Star Trek LEGO set, co-op board games, a retro keyboard, a Raspberry Pi kit, D&D gear and books.

12 researched picks
$20 to $200
Updated September 2026
By Considered Gifts editorial desk

Before you shop

Most nerdy partners have one or two deep interests rather than a general love of gadgets: a weekly D&D group, a shelf of Star Trek, a Raspberry Pi running a project in the closet, a box of old Game Boy cartridges. They know their hobby well and notice the details, such as the edition, the switch type or the player count. The gifts that land either add to something they already do or give them a new project in the same world.

The common mistake is buying “nerd” merchandise: a slogan T-shirt, a joke mug or a gadget from the wrong fandom. Star Wars and Star Trek fans are not interchangeable, and a board gamer may not care about video games. Find out what they actually play, read and build, then buy something they will use: a game to play together, a model to build, a better keyboard for their desk or a book in a genre they already love.

Each pick says which kind of nerd it suits, from board gamers and D&D players to retro gamers, tinkerers and sci-fi readers. Several are built for two, so the gift is also an evening together. Prices run from about $20 for an escape-room game or a paperback to $200 for a LEGO set, a Raspberry Pi desktop kit or a Game Boy-compatible handheld.

How we chose

Matched to one specific interest: board games, D&D, retro gaming, tinkering, LEGO, or sci-fi and fantasy reading.
Something they will play, build or use, not a slogan shirt or a joke mug.
Several picks for two, including a two-player game and cooperative games they can play as a team.
Details enthusiasts care about, such as compatibility, what’s in the box and player counts, taken from the maker’s or publisher’s page.
Available to buy in late September 2026; sold-out favorites such as the Playdate and Analogue Pocket were left out.

Quick comparison

All 12 picks at a glance

Jump to any pick for the reasoning, who should skip it, and where to find it.

01LEGO Icons Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 Bridge (11385)Star Trek fans and adult LEGO builders who want a display piece$200 02Sky Team two-player cooperative board gameBoard gamers who want a game to play with their partner$33 03Raspberry Pi 500 Desktop Kit, US layoutTinkerers who want a spare computer for coding, electronics and home projects$200 048BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard, N EditionRetro gamers and PC users curious about mechanical keyboards$100 05Gloomhaven: Jaws of the LionD&D players and fantasy fans who want a dungeon campaign without a game master$60 06Wyrmwood Magnetic Dice Vault, cherryD&D and tabletop RPG players with a favorite set of dice$45 07ModRetro Chromatic + Tetris BundleGame Boy-era retro gamers with old cartridges to play$200 08EXIT: The Lord of the Rings – Shadows Over Middle-earthTolkien fans and puzzle lovers who want an evening game for two$20 09Dune: Imperium – UprisingSci-fi fans with a regular game group who like deep strategy$60 10What If? 2 by Randall Munroe, hardcoverScience nerds and longtime readers of the web comic xkcd$30 11Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, paperbackScience fiction readers who like big ideas and alien worlds$20 12Masters of Doom by David Kushner, paperbackPC gamers and programmers who grew up on Doom and Quake$22

The picks

Each gift, and who it suits

LEGO setAbout $200
LEGO Icons Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 Bridge (11385)
Best for Star Trek fans and adult LEGO builders who want a display piece
It gives a Star Trek fan a long, satisfying build that ends as a display piece. LEGO says this is the first time the bridge from The Original Series has been made in LEGO bricks. The 1,701-piece set includes eight crew minifigures, from Kirk and Spock to Uhura and Chapel, plus a transporter room where turning a dial beams crew off the pads. The captain’s chair rocks to simulate warp turbulence, and the finished model is about 22.5 inches wide. A bridge full of characters gives them more to look at than another starship model.
Skip it if
They follow Star Wars rather than Star Trek, or they have no shelf space for a model about 22.5 inches wide and 13.5 inches deep.
Before you buy
LEGO listed it as available now, with a limit of three per order. LEGO also sells the Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D set for $399.99.
See it at LEGOOr compare prices on
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Two-player board gameAbout $33
Sky Team two-player cooperative board game
Best for Board gamers who want a game to play with their partner
It gives a board-gaming couple a game built for exactly two. One plays the pilot and the other the co-pilot, and together they land an airliner by silently placing dice in the cockpit to control its axis, speed, flaps and landing gear. The box holds 11 airports and 21 scenarios, with wind, traffic, ice and even an intern to train. It won the 2024 Spiel des Jahres. Many games claim to work for two; this one is designed only for two.
Skip it if
They mostly play big group games or prefer competing to cooperating; Sky Team plays exactly two people.
Before you buy
Once they have landed at every airport, the Turbulence expansion costs $14.99 from Hachette Boardgames US.
See it at hachetteboardgames.comOr compare prices on
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Keyboard computer kitAbout $200
Raspberry Pi 500 Desktop Kit, US layout
Best for Tinkerers who want a spare computer for coding, electronics and home projects
It hands a tinkerer a complete little computer to experiment with. The Raspberry Pi 500 is built into a compact keyboard, with 8GB of RAM and a 2.4GHz quad-core Arm processor. The desktop kit adds a mouse, a 27W USB-C power supply, a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable, a 32GB microSD card preloaded with Raspberry Pi OS and the official Beginner’s Guide. Unlike a bare Raspberry Pi board, the kit comes with everything they need except a screen.
Skip it if
They already own several Raspberry Pis, or they have no spare monitor or TV with an HDMI input to plug it into.
Before you buy
Raspberry Pi sells through approved resellers; PiShop.us listed the US kit in stock at $200 in September 2026. The unit alone is $180.
See it at Raspberry PiOr compare prices on
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Mechanical keyboardAbout $100
8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard, N Edition
Best for Retro gamers and PC users curious about mechanical keyboards
It puts a retro gamer’s taste on their desk in a keyboard that is a real mechanical board. The 87-key layout uses Kailh Box White V2 switches on a hot-swappable board, so switches can be swapped later without soldering. It connects by 2.4G wireless, Bluetooth or USB cable, and 8BitDo rates the 2,000mAh battery for 200 hours of use. Two oversized Super Buttons can be mapped to any key or macro without software. Unlike a novelty keyboard, it is built to be typed on every day.
Skip it if
They work mainly on a Mac; 8BitDo lists Windows 10 and Android 9.0 or later, not macOS. Also skip it if they already build custom keyboards.
Before you buy
The N, Fami and M Editions cost $99.99 and a C64 Edition $109.99 on 8BitDo’s store. Extra Super Buttons are sold separately.
See it at 8BitDoOr compare prices on
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Cooperative campaign gameAbout $60
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Best for D&D players and fantasy fans who want a dungeon campaign without a game master
It gives a D&D player a fantasy campaign they can run at home without a dungeon master. Players take on four mercenaries and fight through a prequel campaign of tactical battles, cooperating against the game. Built-in tutorials, a learn-to-play guide and scenario books that double as the play surface make it quicker to start than its famous parent. Five of its 25 scenarios form a tutorial, and the original Gloomhaven was BoardGameGeek’s top-rated game from 2017 until 2023. It costs a fraction of the original’s $199.99.
Skip it if
They dislike long campaigns and rules-heavy games, or they already own the original Gloomhaven or Frosthaven.
Before you buy
Cephalofair also sells a Jaws of the Lion removable sticker set and map for $7.49.
See it at Cephalofair GamesOr compare prices on
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Dice caseAbout $45
Wyrmwood Magnetic Dice Vault, cherry
Best for D&D and tabletop RPG players with a favorite set of dice
It gives a D&D player’s favorite dice a proper home. The vault is solid wood with a strong magnetic closure, and it fits a full set of standard polyhedral dice, up to 10, between removable foam liners. It is 8 inches long and weighs 6 ounces, small enough for a game-night bag. Wood choices run from elm at $40 to Macassar ebony at $150, and text engraving costs $25 more. A new dice set is easy to duplicate; a hardwood case engraved with a character’s name is not.
Skip it if
They don’t play tabletop RPGs, or they bring a big pile of dice to every game; a vault holds one set of up to 10.
Before you buy
Cherry is $45 and Eastern elm $40. Black walnut was out of stock in late September 2026. A black suede liner adds $10.
See it at WyrmwoodOr compare prices on
Google Shopping
Retro handheldAbout $200
ModRetro Chromatic + Tetris Bundle
Best for Game Boy-era retro gamers with old cartridges to play
It lets a Game Boy-era gamer play their old cartridges on a new handheld. ModRetro says the Chromatic is fully compatible with original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, and every unit comes with Tetris for Chromatic. There are no downloads or logins: they plug in a cartridge and play. Its library of new cartridges includes newly developed titles and re-released classics. It was in stock in seven colors in late September 2026, while two popular retro handhelds, the Playdate and the Analogue Pocket, were sold out.
Skip it if
They would rather play a large library of downloadable games, or they own no Game Boy cartridges and have no interest in buying them.
Before you buy
The standard version is $199.99 in seven colors; a Sapphire version is $299.99.
See it at ModRetroOr compare prices on
Google Shopping
Escape-room gameAbout $20
EXIT: The Lord of the Rings – Shadows Over Middle-earth
Best for Tolkien fans and puzzle lovers who want an evening game for two
It turns a Tolkien fan’s evening into an escape-room game set in Middle-earth. Frodo and the Fellowship are on their way to Mordor, and players carry out Gandalf’s secret assignments to buy Frodo enough time to reach Mount Doom. It plays one to four people, ages 10 and up, in one to two hours, so it works as a date-night puzzle for two. Designed by Inka and Markus Brand, it gives them something to do with the story rather than another poster to hang.
Skip it if
They dislike puzzles, or they want a game to play again and again; an escape-room game is built around puzzles they solve once.
Before you buy
For a board gamer who prefers Catan to Tolkien, EXIT: Adventures on Catan is also $19.95 from Thames & Kosmos.
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Strategy board gameAbout $60
Dune: Imperium – Uprising
Best for Sci-fi fans with a regular game group who like deep strategy
It gives a sci-fi strategy gamer a game night on Arrakis. Uprising is a stand-alone sequel to Dune: Imperium that mixes deck-building with worker placement, then adds spies, contracts and Fremen who ride sandworms into battle. A new six-player mode splits the table into two teams, which suits a bigger game group. Because it stands alone, they don’t need the original to play. For a Dune fan with a regular group, it is a real strategy game rather than a licensed novelty.
Skip it if
They prefer quick, light games, or they already own Uprising.
Before you buy
Dire Wolf’s store sells the original Dune: Imperium for $55, but Uprising doesn’t require it.
See it at Dire WolfOr compare prices on
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Science humor bookAbout $30
What If? 2 by Randall Munroe, hardcover
Best for Science nerds and longtime readers of the web comic xkcd
It gives a science nerd real physics applied to ridiculous questions. Randall Munroe, the creator of xkcd and a former NASA roboticist, answers readers’ hypotheticals, such as a fire pole from the Moon or a billion-story building, with current research and his stick-figure drawings. The hardcover runs 368 pages of short answers, so it suits a coffee table or nightstand. For someone who already reads xkcd, it is a surer bet than a general popular-science book.
Skip it if
They already own it, or they prefer long-form science writing to short, joke-filled answers.
Before you buy
The audiobook, narrated by Wil Wheaton, runs 6 hours 35 minutes.
See it at penguinrandomhouse.comOr compare prices on
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Science fiction novelAbout $20
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, paperback
Best for Science fiction readers who like big ideas and alien worlds
It gives a science fiction reader a big, prize-winning novel to disappear into. The last survivors of humanity reach a terraformed planet that was meant to be their refuge and find it has new masters. Adrian Tchaikovsky’s novel won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and Orbit’s trade paperback runs 416 pages. For a reader who has already worked through the classics, an award winner from this century is a safer bet than a random new release.
Skip it if
They have already read it, or they prefer light, funny science fiction to long, serious novels.
Before you buy
Orbit also lists a special edition hardcover at $70 for a reader who collects handsome editions.
See it at hachettebookgroup.comOr compare prices on
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Gaming history bookAbout $22
Masters of Doom by David Kushner, paperback
Best for PC gamers and programmers who grew up on Doom and Quake
It tells a PC gamer or programmer the story behind games they grew up on. David Kushner follows John Carmack and John Romero, whom the publisher calls the Lennon and McCartney of video games, from their early days to co-creating Doom and Quake, and the rift that followed. The publisher sums it up as a story of friendship and betrayal, commerce and artistry. The paperback runs 368 pages, and it reads as much like a business story as a gaming one.
Skip it if
They have no interest in gaming history, or they already own a copy.
See it at penguinrandomhouse.comOr compare prices on
Google Shopping

Before you buy

Where this gift can go wrong

Slogan shirts, “nerd” mugs and mystery geek boxes. They point at the label rather than the hobby, and most enthusiasts already own more merch than they want.
Guessing the fandom. A Star Trek fan may not care about Star Wars, and a D&D player may not play video games. Look at their shelves or ask a friend before buying licensed gear.
Skipping compatibility checks. The 8BitDo keyboard lists Windows and Android rather than macOS, and the Chromatic needs Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridges beyond the Tetris it ships with.
Big group games for someone without a group. A game for four or more sits on the shelf if they mostly play with a partner; Sky Team plays exactly two.
Duplicates. Collectors track what they own, so check before buying a book or game, and choose a stand-alone game in a series they like over a second copy of one they have.

Useful answers

Questions people ask

What do you get a nerdy boyfriend who has everything?

Add to a hobby they already have. A D&D player with a favorite dice set may not own a proper case for it, and a board gamer may lack a good two-player game. Stand-alone games in series they like, such as Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion or Dune: Imperium – Uprising, work without owning the original. Books and escape-room games are low-risk once you have checked their shelves.

Is a Raspberry Pi a good gift for a beginner?

The Raspberry Pi 500 Desktop Kit is the easiest way in. The computer is built into the keyboard, and the kit adds a mouse, power supply, micro-HDMI cable, a microSD card with Raspberry Pi OS and the official Beginner’s Guide. They only need a monitor or TV with an HDMI input. The kit costs $200, or $180 for the unit alone.

What should you check before buying a retro handheld?

Check stock and what games they own. In late September 2026 the Playdate ($229) and the Analogue Pocket ($239.99) were both listed out of stock on their makers’ sites. The ModRetro Chromatic was in stock from $199.99 and plays original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. It ships with Tetris; every other game is a cartridge, so it suits someone who owns some or wants to collect.

What are good nerdy gifts for couples?

Games made for two or for teamwork. Sky Team is a cooperative game for exactly two players that won the 2024 Spiel des Jahres. EXIT: The Lord of the Rings plays one to four people in one to two hours, and Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a cooperative campaign they can play over many evenings. A big LEGO set can also be a shared build.

Research record

What we read

The sources that shaped this list, beyond the product pages linked with each pick. Last reviewed September 2026.

01Wikipedia: Sky Team (board game)en.wikipedia.org 02Wikipedia: Gloomhaven (Jaws of the Lion and BoardGameGeek ranking)en.wikipedia.org 03Raspberry Pi: Raspberry Pi 500 and Desktop Kitraspberrypi.com 04Analogue: Analogue Pocket (price, stock and cartridge support)analogue.co 05Playdate Store (price and stock)play.date

LEGO Icons Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 Bridge (11385)

Sky Team two-player cooperative board game

Raspberry Pi 500 Desktop Kit, US layout

8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard, N Edition

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion

Wyrmwood Magnetic Dice Vault, cherry

ModRetro Chromatic + Tetris Bundle

EXIT: The Lord of the Rings – Shadows Over Middle-earth

Dune: Imperium – Uprising

What If? 2 by Randall Munroe, hardcover

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, paperback

Masters of Doom by David Kushner, paperback

Where this gift can go wrong

Questions people ask

New guides and seasonal deadlines, occasionally.