Sean Winningham
For many people, the month of December is a time to celebrate the winter holidays, such as Christmas. The Christmas season brings a lot of joy, memories, and fun activities for us to do with our loved ones: giving presents, singing holiday songs, etc. For those who are avid game players, finding games to play with our friends and family is a must (but let’s not kid ourselves – we would find any excuse to play a game!)
To help you find a great game for you to play (whether you’re a long-time gamer or new to play), here are 5 games you should add to your playlist this holiday season (and a few honorable mentions, too). The list includes board games, trivia, tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs), and video games!
If any of these interest you, find your local gaming store to buy or play (many game stores have demo libraries for you to try out), and let me know which one you decide to play!
(NOTE: Most descriptions of the games here are from the publishers, retrieved from Board Game Geek website)
Elf: Journey From The North Pole
- Players: 2-4 players
- Play Time: 20 minutes
- Ages: 8+
- Designer: Prospero Hall
- Mechanism: Pattern Building, Hidden Victory Points
- Genre/Theme: Christmas, Pattern Building
- Publisher: Funko Games
- Year Released: 2020
Help Buddy the Elf find his dad in Elf: Journey from the North Pole by laying a loopy route from the North Pole to New York City. Play path cards to the board and move Buddy along its crazy curves. Lead him toward your secret goal landmarks along the way to score points. The player with the most points when Buddy the Elf finds his dad wins!
Home Alone Game (2018)
- Players: 2-4 players
- Play Time: 15-20 minutes
- Ages: 8+
- Designer: Prospero Hall
- Mechanism: Hand Management, Card
- Genre/Theme: Christmas, Player 1 vs. Many
- Publisher: Big G Creative
- Year Released: 2018
It’s time to defend the house! When the McCallister family jets off for the holidays, they accidentally leave nine-year-old Kevin behind. And now, the notorious Wet Bandits are casing the neighborhood, hoping to score some valuable loot! Team up as the burglars in Home Alone Game to try to steal the goods, or play as Kevin to unleash an arsenal of creative contraptions to protect the house. Who will triumph: the little guy or the bad guys?
The Fight Before Christmas
- Designer: Paul Ettin
- Mechanism: Tabletop Roleplaying Game (TTRPG)
- System: Lasers & Feelings
- Genre/Theme: Christmas, Comedy/Satire
- Publisher: Weird Age Games
- Year Released: 2017
Have you always wanted to do a holiday-themed TTRPG (or any TTRPG) but feel like it may be too much to learn or teach how to play the game? Or, do you love dark humor and satire that involves Santa and violence (any fans of Violent Night here?)
Then check out The Fight Before Christmas by Paul Ettin (using the Lasers & Feelings system by John Harper):
IT’S THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, AND YOU’RE GONNA BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF SANTA CLAUS. Maybe you didn’t get any presents as a child. Maybe you want to put the Christ back in Christmas. Maybe the commercialism sickens you. Maybe you just hate Elf on the Shelf. Either way, you’re here to go to town on Santa Claus and drink eggnog… and you’re all outta ‘nog.
Oddly enough, there doesn’t seem to be a YouTube video that explains the game or done an Actual Play (I may need to change this…)
Christmas Trivia Game
- Players: 2+ players
- Ages: 12+
- Mechanism: Trivia
- Genre/Theme: Trivia, Christmas
- Publisher: Home Games
“Christmas ‘Tis the season! What better time to engage in a game of Christmas Trivia than when the family’s gathered together for the holidays? Learn all about Yuletide lore through the centuries, from the Three Kings to King Wenceslas, St. Nicholas to Sinterklaas, Ebenezer Scrooge to Frosty the Snowman. Categories test your knowledge of carols, movies, the North Pole, traditions, and stocking stuffers.”
In Christmas Trivia Game, each player tries to correctly answer two questions in each of five categories (or one of each, for a quicker game). Each player chooses a category, and the player to the right draws a card and asks the question in that category. Correct answers are recorded on a piece of paper. The card is then replaced at the bottom of the card stack. Play continues until one player has answered the designated number of questions.
Dice Throne: Santa Vs. Krampus
- Players: 2-6* players (more than 2 players requires expansion pack)
- Play Time: 20-40 minutes
- Ages: 8+
- Designers: Gavan Brown, Nate Chatellier, Manny Trembley
- Artist: Manny Trembley
- Mechanism: Dice Rolling, Hand Management
- Genre/Theme: Christmas, Fantasy, Fighting
- Publisher: Roxley, Grimspire
- Year Released: 2022
Two new and original Dice Throne heroes battle in this exciting, accessible stand-alone dueling game.
Dice Throne is a game of intriguing dice, tactical card play, powerful heroes, and unique abilities.
It’s a fast-paced 2-6 player combat game (1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 2v2v2, or free-for-all). Select from a variety of heroes that play and feel completely distinct from one another. Attack opponents and activate abilities by rolling your hero’s unique set of five dice. Accumulate combat points and spend them on cards that have a large range of effects, such as granting permanent hero upgrades, applying status effects, and manipulating dice directly (yours, your teammate’s, or even your opponent’s).
Dice Throne: Santa v. Krampus introduces two new heroes that can play against each other or any other hero in Dice Throne. Also compatible with Dice Throne Adventures!
This is a stand-alone release supporting 2 players. Additional heroes are required to play with more than 2 players.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some other games that are worth mentioning in case you want to explore more holiday-themed games that are just as fun!
Santa’s Workshop
- Players: 2-5 players
- Play Time: 30-60 minutes
- Ages: 6+
- Designers: Keith Ferguson, Paul Salomon
- Artists: Andrew Bosley, Jacqui Davis, Matt Paquette & Co.
- Mechanism: Worker Placement
- Genre/Theme: Christmas, Fantasy, Mythology
- Publisher: Elf Creek Games
- Year Released: 2023 (currently in pre-order status)
Welcome to the North Pole!
It’s late in December, and Santa is gearing up for his big night. His elvish helpers are busy making sure he’s ready to deliver joy across the world! The elves have a lot to do: toys to be built and assembled, reindeer to be tended in the stables, and the North Pole’s own Christmas tree to decorate. It’s a time of unbelievable hustle and bustle!
After the Christmas season is over, Santa always takes his own holiday, somewhere sunny and warm, and he brings along the most industrious team of elves as a reward. Can you lead your elvish crew to earn a spot with Santa on vacation?
Santa’s Workshop is a reimplementation of a game by the same name released in 2017. This new edition comes with two game modes: the standard game for families, and an advanced game for ages 10 and up.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Players: 1 player
- Rated: Teen
- Available: PS4, PS5, PC
- Publisher: Sony Playstation
- Year Released: 2020
If you haven’t played this game before, you may be asking why is this video game on this list. That’s because the game takes place during the Christmas season!
In the latest adventure in Marvel’s Spider-Man universe, teenager Miles Morales is adjusting to his new home while following in the footsteps of his mentor, Peter Parker, as a new Spider-Man.
But when a fierce power struggle threatens to destroy his new home, the aspiring hero realizes that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. To save all of Marvel’s New York, Miles must take up the mantle of Spider-Man and own it.
Ticket To Ride: Nordic Countries
- Players: 2-3 players
- Play Time: 30-60 minutes
- Ages: 8+
- Designer: Alan R. Moon
- Artists: Cyrille Daujean, Julien Delval
- Mechanism: Hand Management, Network and Route Building
- Genre/Theme: Winter, Trains
- Publisher: Days Of Wonder
- Year Released: 2007
Recommended by Nat Bellami
Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries takes you on a Nordic adventure through Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden as you travel to the great northern cities of Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki, and Stockholm. This version was initially available only in the Nordic Countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland; a worldwide limited-edition release occurred in August 2008 and it has since been kept in print again by Days of Wonder.
The goal in “Nordic” remains the same as base Ticket to Ride: collect and play cards to place your trains on the board, attempting to connect the different cities on your ticket cards. The map incorporates tunnels from Europe and also has routes containing ferries. Ferries will require a certain number of Locomotives to be played, as well as other cards, in order to be claimed. Locomotives are handled a bit differently as well. On your turn, you may take 2 Locomotives if you want, but you can only use them on ferries, tunnels, or the special 9-length route.
Unlike the USA or Europe maps, Nordic is designed for 2-3 players only and has a heavier focus on blocking your opponent and more aggressive play.
Although not an official expansion for this set, Ticket to Ride Map Collection 5: United Kingdom & Pennsylvania can be used as an expansion for Nordic Countries, although limited to the three players included in this set. Nordic Countries includes three sets of 40 trains, with 5 spare for each colour; the UK map in Ticket to Ride Map Collection 5: United Kingdom & Pennsylvania requires 35 trains and the Pennsylvania map requires 45 trains. Part of the Ticket to Ride series.
