Top Christmas Board Games for Big Families in 2024

Top Christmas Board Games for Big Families in 2024

When it comes to Christmas, birthdays and other big celebrations, there’s nothing quite like a family get-together. Whether you have a large extended family, with grandparents, siblings, aunties and uncles (let alone cousins) in tow, or whether you are a large family of five or more,  it can be hard to keep the troops entertained. Family board games, however, are one of the best ways to keep the festive spirit in full flow.

Whether it’s a friendly game of Bananagrams (if it can ever be friendly!), or a serious game of Headbandz (great for young guests), you can rest assured that there’s a family board game to play for every age group and every occasion. Especially during the festivities, given how much time is invariably spent in front of screens. Surely there can be no better moment to switch off and turn your hand to some quality family time together over Christmas.

Plan Ahead

But first, it’s important to plan ahead. Get yourself a well-stocked games cupboard that can be your go-to for Christmas. It’s worth ensuring that you have a variety of games available to suit all ages and tastes. Two staples that every family cupboard should have include a word-based board game such as Scrabble, and a strategy board game. When in doubt, Battleship is a firm favourite and a strategy board game that everyone will enjoy playing and learning about. Finally, you should always have a pack of playing cards in the cupboard, as there are endless creative ways to keep everyone entertained, no matter how large the group.

Great gift ideas

As an additional thought, board games make fantastic gifts for people of all ages. So, whether you’re looking to get some presents bought early, or need to have some entertainment ready to go, the list below is all you need.

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Top Christmas Board Games:

• Christmas Eve, The Race to Help Santa
• Drumond Park The Best of Christmas Game
• Cluedo
• Trivial Pursuit
• Game for Fame
• Gullible
• Outsmarted
• Monopoly Christmas Edition
• Game of Life
• Top of the Pops Party Game

1. Christmas Eve, The Race to Help Santa

Number of players: up to six

Not only is this a fun game for larger groups (if you have more than six players then get into groups), but it has a Christmas theme too – bonus! Christmas Eve, The Race to Help Santa is popular to play on Christmas Eve, and in the run-up to the big day with young children.

Unfortunately, Santa’s sleigh has crashed and players are needed to race against each other in order to find the missing gifts.

A beautifully illustrated board, question cards, and dice make playing this a wonderful experience for adults and children alike.

2. Drumond Park The Best of Christmas Family Board Game

Number of players: 2+

Another game in the Christmas genre suitable for two or (many more) players is Drumond Park The Best of Christmas Family Board Game.

This festive edition of the brilliant Logo series of games challenges players to see who can decorate the 30-cm tall cardboard Christmas tree fastest using 64 decorations that hang beautifully from it.

A highly entertaining way to get into the Christmas spirit, answer themed questions such as “What shape are most of the paper hats that come out of crackers?” The winner is the individual or team that places the star on the tree first!

3. Cluedo

Number of players: up to six

This quintessentially British “murder mystery” game was developed in 1949 by designer Anthony E Pratt and manufactured by Waddingtons.

Cluedo is a board game staple so iconic that its “weapons”, rooms and characters have transcended into popular culture and are represented in books, films and even a musical.

Six different coloured tokens represent individual characters including Miss Scarlett, Reverend Green, and Colonel Mustard. The weapon list features a piece of lead pipe, a candlestick, a dagger, a revolver, a piece of rope and a spanner.

The game is as dramatic as it is competitive. Set in “Tudor Mansion”, an English country house, the board replicates its rooms, corridors, and secret passages. Three sets of cards relate to characters, weapons, and rooms; there is also a set of Solution Cards and an envelope which should contain one card from each set, effectively summarising the murder.

The poor murder victim is Dr Black and the objective of the game is to determine which of the six characters killed him, where the crime took place, and which weapon was used. Players move around the board collecting clues about the murder from other players.

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4. Trivial Pursuit

Number of players: up to six

What would Christmas be without it? This classic general knowledge quiz is straightforward to play and a great way for the whole family to compete against each other as they move around the board answering up to 2,400 questions from six different categories. Better still, if you have extended family over, you can bunch up into teams.

The beauty of Trivial Pursuit,  is that it can be bought in versions to suit everyone. Younger players can feel more included in the family edition, with cards for kids as well as adults, and there are sets of “enthusiast cards”, for example, fans of the TV show Friends, can recall their knowledge of the iconic programme – what a great Christmas gift!

5. Game for Fame

Number of players: 4-16

This is a fantastic game to play when the “Christmas spirit” starts to flow and everyone becomes a little more relaxed. Best of all, however, up to 16 people can play.

Game for Fame invites participants to undertake random and wacky challenges! No real talent is required, just a commitment to fun as players move around a board experiencing the highs and lows of fame. Avoid the tax man and get some bad plastic surgery, all the while acquiring lots of money.

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6. Gullible

Number of players: up to ten

Continuing the general knowledge theme, albeit with a twist, is Gullible. Originally from France, this is a great game for getting the family together for some quick-thinking fun.

Fast to learn and easy to play, two teams are given a question with an incredible answer. They then need to invent two alternative answers that are plausible yet as equally incredible as the actual answer.

Completing sheets with all three answers on them, teams swap their list and then bet using tokens or “chips”. Whoever has the most chips at the end of the game is the winner.

7. Outsmarted

Number of players: up to 24 players

If you’re entertaining a crowd, Outsmarted is perfect, as it’s specifically designed for larger groups. This is a great example of a next-generation game that connects with the internet via smart devices, making it so dynamic that there’s even a breaking news category.

Questions can be adapted to suit kids or teams and there’s a set of fun miniatures based on historical figures including Albert Einstein, Cleopatra and Leonardo DaVinci. Roll the dice and answer a question from the category related to that colour. Questions pop up on the device screen along with a timer..

8. Monopoly Christmas Edition

Number of players: 2+

Of course there’s a Christmas edition of the iconic Monopoly board game, and despite the fact that the late Queen Elizabeth was said to have banned the original version from the Royal Family’s festive celebrations, this list wouldn’t be complete without it!

The premise remains the same as the original, except in this whimsical adaptation of the classic it is possible to invest in grottos and workshops, navigating your way around the board as either a pudding, a turkey, an elf, Santa, a snowman, or a reindeer.

9. Game of Life

Number of players: teams of up to 4

Originally created in 1860, Game of Life was given an updated feel in the 1960s. Access to fake money gives this game Monopoly vibes, with each player journeying along in a car with room for six pegs that ultimately represent a family and the accompanying financial challenges that brings.

Earn more money by spinning an iconic wheel and use it to guide big financial decisions such as how much to sell a house for. While it’s for four players, we recommend that people join teams and get tactical, it’s far much more fun this way!

10. Top of the Pops Party Game

Number of players: up to 20

This is a must for music lovers, the Top of the Pops Party Game by Big Potato Games invites participants to take part in two rounds that recall tunes from throughout the decades.

In the first quick-fire round, players battle to name as many song titles as possible, pressing the buzzer as fast as possible.

Next up is “name that tune”, whereby players must guess which song is being played on a kazoo!

For every correct guess, players win a card in the design of a tape. The first to acquire one from each era is the winner!

Conclusion…

Christmas board games add a dash of fun to holiday gatherings. They’re the best Christmas board games to get everyone laughing and bonding. All the games in this post are great for big families with different tastes and ages. These family Christmas board games get everyone involved and make for a fun, merry Christmas. After all, Christmas is all about shared joy and togetherness.

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