Simple. You post a wishlist to your Secret Santa, which you're not allowed to remove games from it (because you purchased them in this sale for example), otherwise you risk being gifted a game you already own.

My sale notification emails are always late. I don't think I've ever got one before a sale started or at the time a sale started. I usually find out about the on here :D

Same here, though this one will probably go down in history - I suspect it'll arrive when the sale's over. ;-)

I haven't witnessed repeats yet. I could be mistaken, but don't think so.

I haven't played XCOM, unfortunately. I wouldn't be surprised if its a better game than Xeno. If Xeno was a little cheaper I'd probably go for it, but it feels lacking in much that involves, beyond getting into a slow-paced strategical to and fro that doesn't (apparently) lead anywhere exciting. It feels wrong to write off a game without even playing it, but my gut (which is fairly substantial) is saying wait until the price comes down a little more. I'd still check out some videos yourself, though, just to be sure.

At this point, wouldn't only apply to the early Santa's? I think the rest of us still have until the 15th to finalize our wishlist.

Indeed, but given the unexpected change of the sale's date, everyone might end up becoming an early Santa.

I'm the exact same way with games in my "maybe" category. And like you I'm inclined to listen to that gut feeling when it comes to an "almost but not quite there yet" feeling!
You could always (and this might get tough) have a post-Christmas Secret Santa "regifting" party. Or a Yankee Swap with gifts that people that bought games on their wishlist. It might be fun. It might also be a huge pain / letdown for the gifter who got a gift only to have it be regifted. Or fun ;)

I was curious about doing the Secret Santa but by the time I saw it, it was already HUGE! LOL - good luck Momo! (I think? Who was running it?).

So... If I want to send someone a gift, I should make sure they don't have it on their Secret Santa wishlist. Right?

(I have always sucked at group activities with instructions.)

Same here. Lots of my long-term wishlist is on sale here, but 20-50% on $20+ games is a lot tougher than 80% on $5.99 games.

Yup. Otherwise, you might end up gifting a game that the Secret Santa would also gift.

Basically yes. :)

And like everyone here who's number of GOG games well exceeds anything even remotely related to normal (I can't quite believe I've got as many as I have) I've been stung enough times by impulse buys to pull back and let my brain resume control before leaping for the Add To Cart button.

Trying to beat Barry? ;)