Christmas is the time of year when people start to come together. The holiday season can help bring friends and family closer to one another. One of the best ways to get the whole family together is by getting out some fun Christmas board games.

Not only will they help pass the time during the holidays, family board games can help strengthen their bonds. From different card games to fun party games, there are plenty of different options available for everyone.

However, for those that aren’t in the know, it can be super challenging to pick out the right board game. You can find a huge collection of board games on amazon. If you’re unsure about doing the research yourself, here are some of the best Christmas board games on the list.

List Of 12 Best Christmas Board Games

Christmas Board Games

1. The Santa Claus Game

Christmas Board Games

2. Monopoly

Christmas Board Games

3. Pictionary

Christmas Board Games

4. Candyland

Christmas Board Games

5. Tis The Season

Christmas Board Games

6. Trivial Pursuit

Christmas Board Games

7. Home Alone Game

Christmas Board Games

8. Clue: North Pole Holiday Edition

Christmas Board Games

9. 12 Days Of Xmas

Christmas Board Games

10. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas Journey

Christmas Board Games

11. Scrabble

Christmas Board Games

12. Codenames


The Santa Claus Game

Christmas Board Games

Players: 2-4

Ages: 3+

Game Time: 30 minutes

Complexity: Medium

Release Year: 2014

There’s nothing more Christmas themed than The Santa Claus Game. It’s the perfect holiday game for a fun family game night. The best part of the game is that it’s super accessible. Children over the age of 3 can easily enjoy the game and understand the complexities.

The players will get access to 4 plastic sleighs in which they’ll put in toys. All players will travel through a Christmas tree cutout that help creates nice holiday atmosphere.

While it’s a very basic roll and move board game, it can lead to a lot of family fun. There are several fun elements that makes the game a great time for everyone.

On a christmas holiday, the game will have you singing, ho-ho-ho-ing, and dancing around to your hearts content. It may not be the most complex but it’s definitely a fun game.

Pros

  • Simple but fun gameplay
  • Kids of all ages can join in
  • Perfect for christmas time

Cons

  • Too simple for some

Final Thoughts

The Santa Claus game helps younger kids join in on the Christmas fun. It’s great for getting the family into the Christmas spirit.


Monopoly

Christmas Board Games

Players: 2-8

Ages: 8+

Game Time: 45 – 120 minutes

Complexity: High

Release Year: 1935

Monopoly is easily one of the most iconic board games of all time. After nearly a century in circulation, Monopoly is now a totally global phenomenon. One particular reason why Monopoly is so popular is because of the several different editions that exist.
The game puts the player in the role of a real estate agent. On their turn, they must roll the dice, move their piece accordingly, and then decide on whether they’ll buy the property.
If the player lands on a property that belongs to another, they must pay rent. Once they pass through GO, each player receives $200. The objective of the game is to be the last player remaining on the board.
The classic game is available in many different formats. The Christmas themed edition is ideal for getting you in the mood for the festive season.


Pros
• Requires a variety of different skills
• Intense gaming sessions
• Competitive gameplay


Cons
• Games can last a long time


Final Thoughts
Monopoly is one of the most popular board games of all time for good reason. The Christmas themed board game will take you directly to the north pole. There’s also a version known as Christmas-opoly.


Pictionary

Christmas Board Games

Players: 2 Teams

Ages: 6+

Game Time: 30 minutes

Complexity: Low

Release Year: 1985

Pictionary is the perfect game for a holiday party. In a lot of homes playing charades is a family tradition. Pictionary puts a slight twist on Charades by having the first player of each team draw it on paper instead of acting.
It’s a great game to enjoy with all your loved ones because the cards are split into two categories. There are 120 adult cards and 80 junior cards. The card will contain the word and the category as well.
There’s also an All Play stage where both teams will participate together and try to guess the word as quickly as possible. After the card is drawn, the word is shown to the Picturist on each team.
To win the game, a team needs to reach the final all play square and be in control of the device at the same time.


Pros
• Great for all ages
• Fun take on the Charades
• Ending rounds can be very intense


Cons
• Can lead to arguments


Final Thoughts
Pictionary is a pretty great game for a holiday party. You can involve as many players as you want in teams of two and get everyone in on the act.


Candyland

Christmas Board Games

Players: 2-4

Ages: 3+

Game Time: 15-25 minutes

Complexity: Low

Release Year: 1949

Candyland is a fairly simple and no-nonsense racing game published by Hasbro. Thanks to the games minimalist nature, it requires no major reading and counting skills. That makes the game ideal for younger children.
Instead of using a dice to determine what moves the characters will take, players simply take it in turn to draw cards. The cards will contain names of the location which are naturally themed after different candies!
You’ll get to visit various candy cane themed location and enjoy a good time with the family. Thanks to the simplistic nature of the game, the whole family can enjoy without getting too swamped by the rules.


Pros
• Simplistic gameplay
• Great holiday aesthetics
• Multiple fun locations


Cons
• Too simplistic


Final Thoughts
Candyland is a very simple game that people of all ages can enjoy. While it might be a bit too simple to engage older gamers, the simplistic nature can make for very fun moments.


Tis The Season

Christmas Board Games

Players: 1 – 5

Ages: 8+

Game Time: 20 minutes

Complexity: Low

Release Year: 1990

For some families, nothing gets them in the holiday spirit quite like a bit of trivia. Trivia games really help everyone participate in a game that’s a whole lot of fun under the Christmas lights. Tis The Season involves players splitting into multiple teams.
The teams then take it in turns to draw a card and ask the opponents a question. If the team manages to answer correctly, they can take on another question. The questions generally are divided into six categories.
The first team that manages to get enough questions correctly and spell the world “Christmas” will end up winning the game. There are 300 cards, a score-pad, and box that features all the instructions on the bottom.


Pros
• Great trivia questions
• Fun holiday theme
• Good way to spend time


Cons
• Overshadowed by other trivia games


Final Thoughts
When it comes to christmas board games, tis the season provides a fun amount of trivia challenge. You may only bring it out during the holidays, but it has the potential to become a Christmas tradition.

Trivial Pursuit

Christmas Board Games

Players: 2 – 6

Ages: 16+

Game Time: 45-90 minutes

Complexity: Low

Release Year: 1981

Staying on the subject of trivia games, Trivial Pursuit is an instant classic board game. It features a fun gameplay mechanic and whole host of trivia mechanics to make the game a lot of fun.
In trivial pursuit, the main objective of the game is to move around the board by answering the trivia questions. The questions feature six different categories. Each one has different colors to help identify the category.
To win the game, players need to cross over the finish line with all six pieces on the wedge. There are several different editions of the game as well. Certain versions of the board game even cater to shows and popular movies.


Pros
• Exciting game mechanism
• Diverse trivia questions
• Great party game


Final Thoughts
Trivial pursuit is a long standing board game that’s has a long standing reputation among trivia games. It upholds the reputation for good reason as well.


Home Alone Game

Christmas Board Games

Players: 2-4

Ages: 8+

Game Time: 15-20 minutes

Complexity: Low

Release Year: 2018

If you’re looking for a hint of nostalgia regarding one of the all time great christmas movies, the Home Alone Game is a great option. As the name suggests, the game puts players in the role of Kevin and the burglars in the Home Alone Game.
The gameplay involves playing through different phases. During the different phases, players must work between collecting cards and using them to their advantage. Players in charge of Kevin will get cards that they’ll need to place in different positions on the board. These will serve as traps.
On the other hand, the robbers will get different cards. They can use these cards to disarm the traps and get as much treasure as possible.


Pros
• Fun nostalgic experience
• Gets you in the holiday spirit
• Decent strategic gameplay


Cons
• Can get repetitive


Final Thoughts
The Home Alone board game is quite a trip down nostalgia lane. It features a solid gameplay system. However, at times it can get a bit repetitive, making the gameplay boring.


Clue: North Pole Holiday Edition

Christmas Board Games

Players: 3-6

Ages: 8+

Game Time: 40-60 minutes

Complexity: High

Release Year: 2020

Clue or Cluedo is a fantastic game but a murder mystery might not be the most Christmas vibe. However, fans of the game need not be deterred as there’s a Christmas version. In the North Pole edition of the game, the main characters are replaced by elves.
Instead of solving a murder, you’ll be looking for the elf who stole all the presents. The other aspects of the game are the same. Players will take it in turns to travel to different rooms and attempt to discover clues to help find the culprit.
It’s a great game to play in the holidays with your loved ones. The whole experience can create a lot of fun comedic moments.


Pros
• Fun skillful gameplay
• Kid friendly game
• Requires many different skills


Cons
• May not scratch the same itch as the standard version


Final Thoughts
Clue: North Pole Edition is a great way to bring the murder mystery a family twist. Thanks to the family friendly nature. Kids can join in as well!


12 Days

Christmas Board Games

Players: 2-16

Ages: 8+

Game Time: 15 minutes

Complexity: Low

Release Year: 2011

There’s nothing that’ll get you into the holiday spirit like a Christmas carol. However, Christmas carols also serve as an inspiration for this fun card game. 12 days features a set of eight cards. The cards contain several different pictures on the top.
There are 12 total rounds in the game. Each round there’s a singular holiday card that’s up for grabs. Players much play gift cards each round to see how gets the highest points.
The person who owns the card with the highest points, will win the holiday card. At the end of the game, the person with the most highest number of holiday card points will be the winner.


Pros
• Fun christmas themed gameplay
• Simple fun
• Everyone can join


Cons
• Can get a bit boring


Final Thoughts
12 days is inspired by a Christmas carol but it still makes for a fun way to pass time. The game is simple and a quick way to pass the time.


Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas Journey

Christmas Board Games

Players: 2-4

Ages: 8+

Game Time: 30-60 minutes

Complexity: Low

Release Year: 2016

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas Journey is definitely a game for the holidays. The objective of the game is to reach the finish line fastest. You’ll be travelling through the Island of Misfit toys and racing to Saint Nick’s workshop.
Players will take turns to roll the dice that will allow them to move around the game board. There are also several different mechanics around the way to keep the game interesting.
After the first two players end up reaching the finish line, they’ll compete in the final Reindeer Games competition. It’ll be a best two out of the three competition. Where the players most roll the dice and see who gets the highest.


Pros
• Fun fast paced gameplay
• Cool game pieces
• Fun setting


Cons
• Not particularly engaging


Final Thoughts
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas Journey is a fun game to play in the holidays. With a whole host of different possibilities and a fun eight-sided dice, the game can be an exciting holiday tradition.


Scrabble

Christmas Board Games

Players: 2-4

Ages: 10+

Game Time: 90 minutes

Complexity: Low

Release Year: 1949

Scrabble is a classic word game that’s a great amount of fun. It provides a slow-paced yet very engaging way to spend a few hours on the holidays. In this game, players will take it in turns to form words on the board.
Players will use their seven drawn letter-tiles to form words on the board. Each word helps the player earn points depending on the points of the letters used. Certain board spaces provide players with bonus points.
The game is made slightly more complex by the fact that the words on the list need to use already-played tiles. Alternatively, you could add additional tiles to add to an already-played word.
Players who have the most points at the end of the game are declared the winners.


Pros
• Leisurely fun
• Great competition
• Good for vocabulary


Cons
• Losing tiles can ruin the game


Final Thoughts
Scrabble is one of the best selling board games of all time and it’s good fun over the holidays as well. There’s multiple different strategies that players can use to come out on top this Christmas!


Codenames

Christmas Board Games

Players: 2-8

Ages: 14+

Game Time: 15 minutes

Complexity: Low

Release Year: 2015

Codenames is a supremely popular party game which is a lot of guaranteed fun on the holidays. The game has players competing against one another in two teams. There’s a red side and a blue side. The goal of the team leader is to lead their team to victory.
At the start of the game, the table will have 25 cards on it with different words. Each card will hold a respective position and will represent a different color. However, only the team leader can see the color of the card.
The team leader then needs to help find all the cards of their own color to win the game. They’ll do this by shouting different word prompts that are related to the color.
Due to the slightly complex nature of the game, younger players will often struggle to play the game. However, due to the team setting, things go very well.


Pros
• Great holiday party game
• Tons of fun for everyone
• Can get very loud


Cons
• Can’t play with kids


Final Thoughts
Codenames is quite a fun party game. It may be relatively new, but the game is already developing quite a following. It’s definitely worth keeping in your box of holiday board games.


Buying Guide

When it comes to the holidays, the most important thing is spending time with your loved ones. One of the best ways to spend time together is by playing a fun board game. We don’t need to tell you about how board games are definitely a family tradition around several house around the globe. Here’s what you should keep an eye out for when buying a board game.

Number of Players

One of the most important things that you need to do when buying a board game on Christmas is the number of players it can handle.

If the game doesn’t accommodate a lot of players, then you’ll end up leaving people out. You should ideally pick board games that accommodate a good number of players.

Type

Another factor to consider when buying a board game is the type. There are several different types of board games available in the market. From complex strategy games, to basic roll and go adventures, there’s quite a variety of options to choose between!

Difficulty

Boardgames are available in a variety of different difficulties and the level depends on the players. Some players prefer complex board games that can challenge the mind. However, if you want to incorporate a lot of players, going with simple games is the better option.

Theme

One of the main aspects of a holiday game is following the theme. There’s nothing that will get you in the holiday spirit like a Christmas themed game. Games that follow the theme are appealing because they often look at incorporating a high number of players.

Conclusion

The holidays are meant to spend time with your loved ones, and one of the best ways to do that is by indulging in Christmas board games. These are a lot of fun and help the family get together for tons of fun. You can find all these games and more Christmas themed variants on Amazon. Any of the games on our list will make a great addition to your boardgame collection!