Playing board games with the family at Christmas doesn’t have to end in an argument about who was the best cheater at Monopoly. Instead, pick up one (or more) of these games from the more interesting side of the tabletop hobby, and your Christmas day might be saved. Or indeed, turn into an argument about Codenames instead, which is still a lot better.
Join Chris and Charlie as they explore some of the best games for kids and adults this Christmas. If you like what we do, subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming (and let us know what you think in the comments below)
You can buy the games included in our Christmas family board game list using the links below (from which we’ll make a small amount of money from).
Don’t Get Got (Big Potato Games) 2-8 Players | 14+ | 30 minutes to three days Around £20 – https://amzn.to/34caQLH
What is Don’t Get Got? This is an ongoing game, so you can start it in the morning and play it through to the evening, even whilst playing other games! You’ll have six secret missions to complete, to trick other players into completing your task for you but without getting caught. For example, you may be asked to ‘“Hide this card inside a jar and get a player to open it”, or to “get a player to admit to a crime”, “Make something and get a player to wear it”
What is Dobble? Dobble is a quick and easy game to pick up, and is simply matching to begin with – you’ll try to get rid of your hand by calling out matches and placing your card, where you or another player will then try to find a new match.
The Mind (Coiled Spring Games) 2-4 Players | 8+ | 15 minutes Around £11 – https://amzn.to/2TaZlxy
What is The Mind? This is part game, part experiment – and absolutely quiet. If your Christmas day is totally hectic, this might be a moment to take some quiet time, stare into your fellow players eyes, and communicate telepathically instead. In the Mind, every player gets a hand of cards from a deck labelled 1-100. You play these cards each round, playing your lowest card – and using that telepathy to ensure no one else holds a card lower.
What is Codenames? Codenames is a game of hints and guessing. Sure, you may have had played Scrabble, but this is where your words and semantics are important. You’ll work in teams, where a player will use a word to connect those laid out in front of you, allowing you to identify one or more secret agents. The tough part is in making sure your hint doesn’t lead the team to pick the wrong cards, being either a victory for the other team, or an assassin card that means you instantly lose!
A Game of Cat and Mouth (Exploding Kittens) 2 Players | 7+ | 15 minutes Around £25 – https://amzn.to/3ahowZm
What is A Game of Cat and Mouth? A Game of Cat and Mouth is a pinball-ish, air hockey-ish, bundle of fun. You’ll pull back a magnetic paw with a ball included, and try to fire it through the cat head in the middle, scoring points by knocking certain balls to the other players side. It comes with a tournament mode, which means the whole family can play, and is fun to watch too!
What is Ticket To Ride? Ticket to Ride is a standalone game that takes you on a new train adventure across the globe. You’ll have routes you’ll need to try to plot to gain points, but remember that others may want the same routes, and may block your attempts! You’ll need to do the same to them though in order to win. Clear your tickets to gain your points!
What is Unlock? If you have trouble with competitiveness, then a co-operative game is a necessity. The Unlock Series sees you try to solve the puzzles in order to escape, using numbered cards to keep you guessing.
Mysterium Park (Libellud) 2-6 players | 10+ | 30 minutes Around £24 – https://amzn.to/3jbqZFA
What is Mysterium Park? Scrooge got to meet the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and future, and that turned out really well for him – so why not meet a few ghosts for your Christmas too? You’ll be communicating with a ghost through abstract visions they send you made up of gorgeous art pieces, to try to guide you to understand what happened to them.
