Another Christmas has rolled around and I tend to spend a bit of time with family at this time of year. When things get quiet it’s always good to pull out some games to either kill boredom, get kids off screens, or just have some fun in general. I’m lucky that the family that I catch up with all tend to like some of the heavier games, but I also want to cater to the younger and those that may be tired or stressed from the silly season. So here are the games that I will be taking to (Covid-safe) Christmas this year.

The Isle of Cats – This one is a great tile laying/puzzle game for the whole family. Simpler rules can be played with the younger kids and more complex ones for the adults. Great theme and overall good fun. Only issues is that it is a bit of a space hog, which can be a bit hard to come by at Christmas.

Wingspan – It’s Wingspan. One of the breakout hits of the last few years. I don’t have any of the expansions, but even just the base game is a great experience for the whole family. Relatively easy to teach and set up and just a chilled out experience in general makes me want to share it with others.

Skull – Good, silly, non-thinky fun. Can be played with anyone and you don’t even need the official game to play it. The essence of a bluffing game, I don’t think I have ever played a game of Skull without a ton of laughter and silliness involved.

Just One – This was one of the hits of last year’s Christmas, so it will definitely be going in the bag again this year. Raucous, silly fun that the whole family can engage in. It’s not uncommon for several games of this to get played back to back.

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong – This is actually one that I haven’t tried out yet, so Christmas will really be the test for it. Highly rated for Party games, what could go wrong? I’m drawn to the deduction and deception in this one and really feel that it will match the family well.

Bang: The Dice Game – great for the whole family, deduction, dice chucking and silliness. Not the game if there are little ones napping but a fun experience all round.

What, if anything, are you taking to family gatherings or holidays this year?