1. The Very Merry Christmas Game
Move around the board collecting “presents” to put in your stocking; these cards have different values depending on whether they’re nice or naff, plus there are two dreaded Brussels sprouts cards to watch out for. If you land on the singing space, you have to serenade the other players with a Christmas song or carol to keep hold of your gifts. Up to 20 people can play at a time, making this game perfect when visiting extended family. Ages 8+
2. Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
Suited to two or more players, this ultra-competitive game – which features a large 20cm mechanical wheel that works like a spinning top – is based on the hugely popular BBC TV game show. Players must correctly answer a question from seven chosen categories (with topics ranging from science to social media) – while running the risk of being thrown off The Wheel. This game is “quick and easy to set up, with game sessions lasting up to 30 minutes”, said the Daily Express. Ages 10+
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3. League of the Lexicon
When League of the Lexicon launched on Kickstarter in July, it became the most successful word game in the crowdfunding platform’s history. It features 2,000 questions – many provided by leading linguists – which probe every corner of language, from definitions to etymology. And, with two levels of difficulty, younger or less confident players can join in too.
4. Clipology
Test your knowledge of cinematic classics from Top Gun to Jurassic Park with this new game – out just in time for Christmas. Clipology, described as “the premier streaming board game”, combines clips from the world’s most iconic film and TV content with a traditional board game set-up. The interactive game is built on a cloud platform, allowing access across all devices with internet access, with the content regularly refreshed for a unique experience every time.
5. Monopoly Arcade Pac-Man Game
The aim of Monopoly Arcade Pac-Man is to get the most points as you race around the board, accumulating levels while avoiding the ghosts. Each time you pass or land on Go, you’ll play the mini arcade game, which also keeps a total of each player’s points, so no one can cheat. Ages 8+
6. Big Money
Make a fortune in this high-stakes board game, which can be won in under 40 minutes. You have three rolls of the dice to make money, then you buy investments for your empire. A cross between “the classic dice game of Yahtzee and the real-estate game of Monopoly”, Big Money is a game of “strategy and shrewd investments”, said Our Family Reviews. Ages 8+
£11.50; theonlinetoystore.co.uk
7. Herd Mentality
“The concept of Herd Mentality is wonderfully simple,” said Board-Game.co.uk: the most obvious answer wins. Write down your answers to the questions and if you’re not with the “herd” then you’ll be stuck with the pink cow. But unusually for a board game, it “does not matter who has won”. Herd Mentality has succeeded “if people have fun, are discussing their responses, and are getting to understand each other’s likes or dislikes”. Ages 10+
8. The Sock Game
In this fast and frantic game, two teams compete to find items stuffed inside a fluffy sock. Spin the spinner to see what you need to find from the 30 objects; whoever finds it first scores a point, and the first team to gain 11 points wins. Ages 8+
9. 5 Second Rule Spintensity
In this fast-talking game you have to name three things related to whatever is on the card in under five seconds; the spinner then decides what happens next. It’s “quite quick and easy to set up”, said MeHimTheDogAndaBaby.com, and we “really loved” how varied the topics were. Ages 12+
10. Throw Throw Burrito
A huge bonus of this “crazy dodgeball style card game”, said Board-Game.co.uk, is that it’s “quick and easy to learn” – it’s “the sort of game you can pull out at a New Year celebration and have people playing in a matter of minutes, even if they are slightly inebriated”. Players go head-to-head following instructions on a card and then attempt to hit opponents with super-soft burritos. Be sure to move anything breakable before playing. Ages 7+
11. Einstein Eats Eggs
A fast-talking game for any charades fan. On your turn you have 90 seconds to guess as many of the three-word alliterative phrases as you can. If you get three right, say, you move three spaces on the board. Ages 10+
12. Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza
This game is “filled to the brim with hand-slapping mayhem”, said Board Game Geek. Similar to Snap, the idea is to match the card and the spoken word, so you turn over a card into the draw pile while you all say taco/cat/goat/cheese/pizza in sequence. The first person to lose all their cards is the winner. Ages 8+
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