Best Christmas Party Games for Families 2026
Christmas Day has a famous lull. The dinner is done, someone has nodded off, and the remote is being guarded like the crown jewels. This is where a good party game earns its place under the tree.
We design games at our London studio for exactly this moment. They are quick to learn, so nobody spends twenty minutes reading rules, and they get the whole family laughing together. Here are our favourites for Christmas 2026.
Festive Fun in a Bauble: games that hang on the tree
These are party games you can literally hang on your tree. Each bauble opens up to reveal a game, and when you are done you pack the cards back in and hang it up again, ready for next time. They are easy to learn and fun for all the family.
- Festive Fun in a Bauble: Trivia has 100 festive trivia questions. Perfect for the relative who knows everything.
- Festive Fun in a Bauble: Charades has 100 festive charades. Prepare for some very questionable reindeer impressions.
- Festive Fun in a Bauble: Sing the Next Line packs in 50 sing the next line challenges plus 50 festive music trivia questions. Volume warning applies.
At £8 each they make brilliant little gifts too. Collect all three and your tree becomes a games cupboard.
The Egg Game
The Egg Game is our best-selling party game, and it is pure Christmas chaos. Pull a challenge card and complete it without dropping the egg. Play it safe with the bouncy rubber egg for one point, or go brave with a real egg for three points (totally optional, and maybe not on the good carpet). There are 100 challenges that get everyone up off the chair, plus a timer. Kids and grown ups love it equally.
Zip It Party Game
In Zip It, talking is strictly off limits. You have to get your opponents to perform actions without opening your mouth. Everyone plays at once, racing to complete challenges and collect zip cards. First to connect five zip cards wins. It is loud, fast and silly, which is ironic for a game about keeping quiet.
Don't Spill It
Don't Spill It has 200 challenges that you complete without spilling the water. You bet your points before each challenge, so the more you wager, the more you can win (or lose). The box has cups, a syringe, a sponge, a measuring stick, a score card and a pen. The challenges work indoors and outdoors, so it will see you through Boxing Day walks and summer barbecues too.
Boba Battle
Who is the bubble tea sucking champion? Boba Battle has six different battles to settle it, using straws, cups and 47 boba balls made from cotton paper. It is for 4 players or teams, age 12+, which makes it a great pick for families with teens who claim they are too cool for board games. They are not.
Emoticon Hunt
Emoticon Hunt is all about pulling faces. Act out emoticons and be the first to find the right card to win points. There are 100 emoticon cards, and Grandad's version of the winking face is worth the price alone.
Recollect: The Memory Challenge Game
Fancy something a bit calmer? Recollect is a family friendly memory game for adults and kids. Recall icons to collect brain cells, then gamble them to up the stakes. It comes in a compact, plastic-free box, so it travels well to the in-laws.
Puzzle-Off the Game
Puzzle-Off turns jigsaws into a race. Each puzzle is a colour gradient with 81 pieces, and the first to finish wins. It is so easy to learn that anyone can play, and we have a strong feeling Nan will win.
Truth or Dare
A classic, made family friendly. Truth or Dare is packed with embarrassing stories to spill and silly dares to take on. At £5.99 it is a handy stocking filler that gets used the same day.
Once the little ones are in bed
For the grown ups only, Twisted Captions is our adult party game. Flip a picture card, then you have 60 seconds to build the funniest caption from 350 risqué word tiles. Read them out, vote for the best, and first to win five cards is crowned the most twisted. Definitely not one for Granny. Probably.
How to pick the right game
- Big mixed ages: the baubles, The Egg Game or Emoticon Hunt.
- Loud and active: Zip It, Don't Spill It or Boba Battle.
- Calmer competition: Recollect or Puzzle-Off.
- Just the adults: Twisted Captions.
Browse every game in our games and entertainment collection, or find more festive ideas in our Christmas gifts. UK delivery is free on orders over £30, so a couple of games and a bauble or two gets you there nicely.
