20 family games that are essential for the festive season
The festive season is a chance to spend some quality time together as a family. The kids have finished school for the year, and you hopefully have some time off work, so it’s the perfect opportunity to play some games.
The best family games for Christmas
When it’s cold and miserable outside, get together round the table or on the floor in front of the fire and crack open a game!
We have the lowdown on the 20 best games to entertain the whole family this Christmas. They could even make a great gift for the person in your household who’s impossible to buy for.
(The age suitability for each game is just a guide).
1. Articulate
Suitable for ages 12+
4 to 20 players
The aim is to describe as many things as possible without actually saying what it is, within the time limit. How many your team gets right dictates how many spaces you move round the board. The first team to reach the end is the winner.
Suitable for ages 8+
2 to 6 players
Someone’s been murdered! And it’s your job to find out whodunnit, with which weapon and in which room of the mansion.
There are alternative versions of this classic game, including Cluedo Junior (suitable for children as young as 5 years old), a Harry Potter edition and Scooby Doo version.
Suitable for ages 12+
2 to 6 players
Think you know your logos? The winner of this game is the one who identifies the most logos, brands, packaging, flavours, characters, or advertising to work their way around the board and take victory.
There’s also a special Christmas edition, for a festive twist on this fun, family game.
Suitable for ages 12+
2 to 6 players
Players have a set amount of time to write down as many things as they can think of beginning with the letter displayed on the dice relating to a particular category. The aim of the game is to pick something that no one else will think of to win points.
Suitable for all ages
4+ players
With age-appropriate toilet humour and mild innuendos for the adults,
Kids Against Maturity is the child-friendly version of the hilarious Cards Against Humanity, (and we all know that game is strictly for adults only!)
Suitable for ages 14+
2 to 6 players
Think you’ve got a good sense of smell? Put your nose to the test in this stinky party game for all the family.
Appoint a StinkPin to be in charge of the round, then each player picks a Mystery Whiff Card and tries to guess the smell. Once the time is up, pass your card to the next player and start the timer again.
Once all cards have been played, the StinkPin reveals the answers and scores. The Nose-It-All is the player who earnt the most points.
Suitable for ages 7+
2 to 5 players (Party edition allows up to 10 players)
This is a kitty-powered Russian Roulette game where the aim is to avoid the exploding kittens.
Place the pack of cards face down and take it in turns to draw a card from the top of the deck. Draw an exploding kitten and it’s game over. The last person left is the winner!
Suitable for ages 8+
2 to 5 players
This is a strategy game where the aim is to build a train track across Europe. Players collect train cards that enable them to claim railway routes to connect cities. The longer the routes, the more points they earn.
Other editions are available too, such as Ticket to Ride Nordic Countries – perfect for the festive season!
9. Carcassonne
Suitable for ages 7+
2 to 5 players
Another strategy game, Carcassonne is about developing the landscape of a medieval fortress city one tile at a time. Players can block a city's growth or connect with your opponent’s road to share the points. The player who makes the most strategic placements of tiles and followers will score the most points and win the game.
10. Dobble
Suitable for ages 6+
2 to 8 players
Dobble is a card game that requires speedy observations. There are different ways to play, but essentially the aim is to match an item on the top card with an item on your own card to claim that card. The player with the most cards at the end, wins!
There are various versions of Dobble including Harry Potter Dobble, Gruffalo Dobble and Frozen II Dobble.
11. Cranium
Suitable for ages 16+
4+ players
This is a game for the show-offs in your family! Players move around the board completing activities in 4 colour-coded categories: Creative Cat, Data Head, Star Performer, and Word Worm.
The winner is the first team to reach the Cranium Central space and complete one last challenge.
12. Pictionary
Suitable for ages 8+
2+ players
Pictionary is a classic party game that has been updated to include erasable markers and board, as well as adult and junior clues – making it perfect for the whole family to get involved.
Players take it in turns to show off their artistic skills by drawing things for their team to guess.
13. Rapidough
Suitable for ages 8+
4+ players
Similar to Pictionary, the aim of Rapidough is to get your team members to guess what you’re creating – by using modelling dough.
Each team grabs a card and shapes the dough according to the word provided. The last team to guess, loses a chunk of its dough.
14. Uno
Suitable for ages 7+
2 to 10 players
This classic card game is great for teaching number and colour association. The aim is to get rid of all your cards by matching them with the numbers and colours of the cards on the table. But watch out for the sneaky forfeit cards. And don’t forget to shout “Uno” when you lay your penultimate card!
Other versions of Uno are also available.
Suitable for ages 6+
3+ players
Can you name three flavours of ice cream in 5 seconds? Sounds easy but will you let the pressure get to you? It’s a fast-paced game where you just have to say what comes into your head first.
16. Rummikub
Suitable for ages 7+
2 to 4 players
This is a classic game of number strategy and skill as players compete to be the one to lay all their tiles first.
The Joker tiles can be your friend and help you get ahead, but if he’s still on your rack at the end of the game, you lose 30 points!
17. In for a Penny
Suitable for ages 8+
2 to 6 players
Based on Stephen Mulhern’s hilarious gameshow, the In for a Penny board game includes many of the favourite challenges from the TV show including ‘Pump it Up’, ‘Check it Out’ and, of course, ‘The Stopwatch Challenge’. It’ll feel like you’re taking part in the show!
Suitable for ages 8+
2 to 8 players
Keep those five words in your head because they’re the key to winning this crazy game. cards.
As soon as there’s a match between a card and a spoken word, players need to slap their hand on the central pile of cards. The last one to do so must take them all. You need to be quick to be the first to get rid of all your cards.
Look out for the special action cards, which require players to make specific gestures before racing to slap the deck.
19. Colour Brain
Suitable for ages 12+
2 to 20 players
This is colourful game for all the family where every answer is a colour. It’s great for kids because you have all the answers before you start, so they have more chance of getting it right.
Each player or team gets 11 colour cards. To answer a question, you have to decide which colour cards to play. If you choose right, you score – but only if another player slips up. So, the more players who get it wrong, the more points there are to be won.
20. Quirkle
Suitable for ages 6+
2 to 4 players
A great game for younger players to get involved with, Quirkle requires players to use the tiles to build lines that share the same shape or colour in order to win points. The key is to think strategically to help you win more points.
For all these and more family games click the link below:
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