Puzzle and Game Advent Calendars: Jigsaws, Mysteries and Dice

Puzzle and game Advent calendars swap candy for a daily challenge. Jigsaw calendars from Galison and Nautilus Puzzles give you a small puzzle each day, often over 12 days, that builds toward one picture. EXIT calendars run a 24-day escape room mystery, and dice calendars such as FanRoll’s add a new die each morning.

What to look for in a puzzle Advent calendar

• Days. Jigsaw calendars often run 12 days; mystery and dice calendars run 24 or 25.
• Time per day. A few dice take seconds. A 50-piece wooden section or a riddle can take a coffee break or longer.
• One picture or many. Some jigsaws join into a single image; others give you separate mini puzzles.
• Who plays. Solo puzzlers, couples and families want different formats.
• Spoilers. A few calendars hide the final image on purpose.

Puzzle and game Advent calendars on eBay

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Jigsaw puzzle Advent calendars

Jigsaw calendars are the most common puzzle format. TODAY’s 2026 Advent calendar roundup lists Galison’s Home for the Holidays calendar as its pick “for the puzzle obsessed” and Nautilus Puzzles’ 2026 calendar as an editor’s pick.

Galison: cardboard mini puzzles, 12 days

Galison’s puzzle Advent calendars all count down 12 days, with a new mini puzzle behind each window. The collection includes several formats, according to Galison:

• Twelve 80-piece puzzles, each its own picture
• 12 mini puzzles that combine into a single 500-piece image
• 48-piece family-friendly formats
• A wooden ornament countdown calendar

The Home for the Holidays calendar, illustrated by Holly Maguire, is the 500-piece version. Its 12 windows each hold a mini puzzle, and the finished puzzle measures 24 by 17 inches. Galison lists the compartments as cardboard.

TODAY also lists Michael Storrings’ 12 Days of Christmas Puzzle Calendar from Galison: twelve 80-piece puzzles, each 5 by 7 inches when done, with each one showing how a different country celebrates Christmas.

Best for: anyone who wants a short daily puzzle at the kitchen table, and families who like to finish one picture together.

Nautilus Puzzles: wooden, no picture, 13 drawers

Nautilus Puzzles makes wooden jigsaws in California. Its limited-edition 2026 calendar is a different kind of challenge:

The pieces include “whimsy” shapes, pieces cut into figures that match the theme. Because there is no reference image, each section is solved blind until the full picture appears.

Best for: experienced puzzlers who want a keepsake and do not mind working without a picture.

Mystery and escape room Advent calendars

Escape room calendars turn December into a story. Thames & Kosmos publishes several EXIT: The Game Advent calendars, including The Magic of Christmas, The Missing Hollywood Star and The Intergalactic Race.

Thames & Kosmos describes The Magic of Christmas as both an EXIT game and an adventure story. You open a door each day and find a new riddle. Its solution takes you to the next day’s room, and only by solving all 24 riddles do you learn what happened to the enchanted forest in the story.

Because each answer points to the next door, the riddles are meant to be solved in order. If you miss a day, catch up before moving on.

Best for: families with older kids, couples and anyone who likes logic puzzles more than jigsaws. Check the age rating on the box before buying for children.

Dice Advent calendars for tabletop gamers

Dice calendars suit people who play Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games, where players use sets of polyhedral dice.

FanRoll’s Holiday Advent Dice Calendar 2026 covers 25 days. FanRoll says this year’s theme is polar bears, with inclusion dice featuring polar bears and Santa, plus red and green mini dice, holiday metal dice and some new surprises. TODAY lists it for “the DnD player in your life.”

Best for: tabletop gamers. A useful gift for a player whose group meets through December.

Collectible and game Advent calendars on eBay

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Puzzle and game Advent calendars compared

Daily times above are based on piece counts and formats listed by the makers, not on timed trials.

Safety with small pieces

Puzzle pieces and dice are small. The CPSC bans small parts in toys and children’s products intended for children under 3, where a small part is anything that fits entirely into its test cylinder, sized to approximate a young child’s throat. Keep these calendars on a table or shelf out of reach of toddlers and pets, and count dice back into their bag after play.

Buying tips

• Order early. Limited editions, like the Nautilus calendar, can sell out before December.
• Check the start date. A 12-day calendar may be meant to start on December 13 or on December 1, depending on the maker.
• Look for sealed boxes when buying past-year calendars, since missing pieces spoil a jigsaw.
• Read seller feedback and return terms before buying from a marketplace.

Related guides

Compare puzzle calendars with every other type in our best Advent calendars hub. For more grown-up picks, see Advent calendars for adults. Building fans should also read our LEGO Advent calendar guide, and if you would rather fill your own, try these Advent calendar filler ideas.