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Insane Christmas Party Games For All Ages
Shakespeel
It’s that time of year, and if you’re here, then you’re about to be the family expert on Christmas party games. We know what you want.
You need slick games, quick to set up and family appropriate. These games also have to be easy for anyone to learn, whether they’re glued to an iPad or a bingo card.
Rest easy, friend. We’ve got the list for you. These games were curated by Squazzed agents, undercover across the globe! We cross referenced party game and family game statistics, and this is the result! These are the crème de la crème of fun-for-all-ages Christmas party games.
Oh, and none of ’em are Christmas themed!
Medium
We’re starting things off on a simple game with mind-bending possibilities. Medium invites you to connect with one another through the power of word association!
During a turn of Medium, 2 players place down one card, each containing a single word. They then both think of a single word that connects them, and at the count of 3, announce it to see if they thought of the same thing.
For instance, if you played a card that said “mouse,” and I played a card that said “cartoon,” then on the count of 3, we would both try to match and say…? That’s right, “copyright infringement!”
As you can see, despite the name being Medium, explaining the game is actually easy. Most people get the idea after seeing a turn being played out. You can play with or without points, and the game has no hard boundary on how many “hints” you can give the other player as to what word you’re thinking of.
Number of players: 2-8
Average time: 30-45 minutes
Fanatics Gone Bananas
Who doesn’t love a good ad-lib, side-splitting card game? Only issue is people only know about the same old two games, and they don’t work as well in this family sitch.
Apples To Apples is boring dated, and pulling out Cards Against Humanity around 12-year-olds makes you look like the creepy uncle. Look, as long as you’ve packed your own deodorant, we’ve got the rest covered! Introducing Fanatics Gone Bananas!
Bananas strikes a balance in humor, with most of the cards being crude, but innocent jokes! Perfect for the family to play over holiday dinner! The Rotten 17+ cards are in a separate box, kept out of sight until the eggnog comes out.
If you’ve never played a game like this, the rules are simple. Each round, one person (the Banana Inspector) draws a card with a question or fill-in-the-blank prompt on it. The other players all hand cards with punchlines in response. Whoever the Banana Inspector thought had the funniest card wins the round!
One secret about our card game is that a Christmas banana fairy literally plucks the product, wrapped in plastic, from a tree every time someone orders one! Please help her pay rent and order your box now!
Number of players: 3-10
Average time: 30-90 minutes
Just One
What’s that above? Is it Charades? Is it Heads-up? Wait just one minute – it’s Just One!
The word-guessing genre is among the classic Christmas party games, and Just One takes it to a new, interesting level while still keeping it simple. Everyone can only give the guesser just one hint, but if that hint matches someone else’s, they’re both hidden from the guesser.
Just One is completely cooperative. Everyone works in a team to get as many points as possible; so, if you lose, you all lose together! There’s no risk of anyone feeling that anguish of loss alone.
The added depth of hint elimination is like a second game within the game. Players can’t confer before writing their hints down, so they have to think of helpful hints that no one else would.
Number of players: 3-7
Average time: 20-60 minutes
Snake Oil
Want to play a Christmas party game, but also want to train the next generation of marketing employees? Bada-bing, have I got the game for you!
Snake Oil puts players in the shoes of a slick salesman, trying to their darndest to sell whatever it is they just came up with on the spot.
Each round, one player becomes a certain customer, depending on the card they draw. The other players use the cards in their hand to whip up some invention, then they each get a chance to persuade the customer to buy their product!
The scenarios are different each time, and players from all ages can enjoy roleplaying consumerism in a way that doesn’t make anyone slam their phone down and yell, “I HATE TELEMARKETERS!”
Number of players: 3-10
Average time: 20-30 minutes
Calico
Someone could tell me this game is full of cats, and I’d be sold. No? You want more? Fine.
Calico is the coziest game on this list, but it still packs a lot of strategic depth. Each player works to sew their own aesthetically pleasing quilt, in order to attract the most cats!
The actual gameplay is straightforward enough during a turn: place a tile onto your quilt, then draw a new tile. But with multiple scoring systems stacked together, the combinations are endless! Every turn will have your gears turning, trying to find the best placement of each tile to get the most points, and the most cats!
This game might get tricky for people who aren’t used to crunchier, in-depth games – but it’s still rewarding. Plus, Calico includes rules for a family mode that simplifies the scoring system, which is purrfect for anyone that doesn’t want to think too hard while playing, but still wants this adorable experience.
Number of players: 1-4
Average time: 30-45 minutes