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Top 5 Quick Christmas Games

MONOPOLY REFRESH

Aside from festive meals, board games are one of the best ways to get your loved ones around a table together during the holidays. On the flipside (and sometimes that’s the flipside of the board when someone tosses it!), the longer play-times of some games can lead to another holiday staple: arguments. Surely there are some shorter options which have the feel of classic Christmas board games but won’t start a family feud..?

Here are five suggestions for quick, engaging games you can bring to please a crowd during your seasonal visits and events. Each of our picks can be played in 30 minutes or fewer; perfect for when everyone feels too full to sit up at the table for long after dinner!

Pass the Pigs

(Age 8+, 2-10 players, 30 minutes)

The elements that have made Pass the Pigs a wedding reception favourite also make it a great bet for festive occasions. It’s engaging, portable, and works for up to 10 players (or more if people team up).

Players take turns to throw two small plastic pigs, scoring points according to how the pigs land and gambling on whether to throw again. The catch? Throw the wrong position and lose all your points for that round. The winner is the player who gets to 100 points first, so game length is variable, but it is an easy game to clear away and come back to if needed. This means that Pass the Pigs is a wonderful game for days with lots of interruptions - like Christmas!

The game hinges on the element of chance, which keeps things unpredictable and helps prevent arguments or tantrums from players who don’t like to lose, which can come in especially handy at family gatherings… The rules of the game are also extremely simple, with only a few pig positions to learn, and instructions with pictures to refer back to, so you’ll have everyone yelling “Makin’ Bacon” and “It’s a Snouter!” before they know it.

Best features for festive play:

It’s very interactive. Players stay engaged during others’ turns because of the gambling and chance elements of the game. After all, it’s in everyone’s interest to keep an eye on the scores they need to beat!
It’s extremely portable. The entire game fits into a plastic box the size of a small pencil case, which is perfect when you want to bring games to a Christmas visit but your case is already full of gifts for people. It also requires a tiny amount of space to play, so you can play a round or two even if the table is already set for dinner.
It also comes in a giant, inflatable edition, just in case you’re hosting outside!

Things to consider:

Is someone napping?! Participants will end up shouting like they’re at a sporting event, so this game is best avoided in situations where you need quiet.
The gathering includes multiple children under eight years old. However, they could definitely still enjoy the game if they played with an older team-mate, due to the simplicity of the game.

The Princess Bride Adventure Book Game

Age 10+, 1-4 players, 15 minutes per chapter

Follow the story of The Princess Bride through six chapters packed with escapes, true love, miracles and more to win the game and help the characters ride off into the sunset. This co-operative game features varied rules, fun challenges, and the storybook feel of the film it’s based on. Players work together to avoid “interruptions from the Grandson”, moving characters and discarding cards to complete challenges and advance the story. The chapters are packed with references to the movie, which will delight players who already know and love the story. This style of game is also novel to many players; characters are not assigned to each player, so participants must think more broadly about strategy and co-operation in order to collectively win each round. Chapters use different boards within the game “book”, so you only need to turn the “page” and shuffle the cards to start another round.

Importantly for a changeable festive schedule, this Adventure Book Game is made up of six chapters which each take 15 minutes to play (although a little longer is recommended for the first chapter, because new players will need to learn how the game works). This means that you can play just one game if you’re short on time, or follow the plot through several rounds. Players can also easily be switched in and out between chapters, so everyone can have a go.

Best features for festive play:

As a co-op game, The Princess Bride cuts out the competitive element and encourages players to work together. Very useful if you’re in a hyper-competitive group and want to avoid any sore loser tension!
The option to play as many or as few chapters as you like offers great flexibility to suit everyone’s needs and schedules.
Because it’s based on a cult classic film, the theme may encourage or intrigue players who would usually duck out of a board game session.

Things to consider:

The Princess Bride requires more set-up and more concentration than the other games on this list, because the rules change every chapter. It also uses a board, cards and game pieces, unlike our other picks.
Players who have never seen the film might feel left out or bored - this game is definitely one for fans of The Princess Bride.

Monopoly Deal (Refresh 2024)

Age 8+, 2-5 players, 15 minutes

Love Monopoly but can’t persuade your family to commit to a full game? Monopoly Deal is a great alternative, with all the set-collecting fun and competition of the original but none of the set-up or length. The whole game is contained in a deck of cards, so no set up is required beyond shuffling. Monopoly Deal also got a fresh new look this year, and the brighter colours and more readable design make it even easier to introduce the game to new players.

Be the first to collect three complete property sets whilst managing hand and action limits each turn, not to mention the multitude of Action cards which you and your opponents can use to tip the balance of the game. There’s plenty of opportunity to steal other players’ properties or demand money from them, but don’t forget: they can do the same to you.

Probably the most directly competitive game on this list, Monopoly Deal is a great choice for groups who love fast-paced, combative games but want to avoid lengthy set-ups and fiddly pieces. The short play-time also means there’s bound to be time for a rematch!

Best features for festive play:

Recognisable artwork and locations from the board game make it feel less like learning a new game, which is a plus when asking reluctant players to join in.
Unpredictability. You may think you know who’s holding sets, but the win usually happens very quickly and is often surprising.
Very fast-paced - there’s certainly no time for participants to get bored with this one!

Things to consider:

After a couple of rounds, the structure of the actions and limits can become repetitive and may cause players to lose interest. If you want a game with a lot of replayability over a short space of time, The Princess Bride Adventure Book Game or Pass the Pigs might work better for you.
This game isn’t designed for players to pause the round and come back to it later, unless you have an extra table where you can leave the cards laid out until you’re ready to return.

Trio

Age 7+, 3-6 players, 15 minutes

In Trio, set-collection, memory and chance combine to offer a fun variation on the classic Go Fish. Players compete to be the first to collect three sets of three matching numbers by finding the cards they need within the central supply or other players’ hands. However, you can only place the highest or lowest numbered set in your hand at any time, and other players can only show you their highest or lowest cards, which makes it more variable and complex than its traditional counterpart. Because of this rule, you can also instantly win the game by placing a set of 7s, the hardest number to collect. To win, players must gather information on which cards are in the centre or held by their opponents, then choose their moment to act.

Best features for festive play:

While the similar game of Go Fish can quickly become repetitive, Trio’s addition of the memory element makes for a far more interesting and engaging game. Like Pass the Pigs, Trio encourages players to pay attention to others’ turns, which removes any boring waiting periods between their own actions.
Although Trio has a short play-time, you don’t need to have quick hands or make speedy decisions. This makes it a good choice for players who prefer a more leisurely-feeling experience.
Like Monopoly Deal, Trio is a good bet for encouraging less-regular gamers to join in, because it has the feel of a game they may already know.

Things to consider:

Although the colour-coding of the cards is helpful, the similarity and saturation of the artwork for each number card means that Trio requires some concentration to read the cards quickly when they are turned over. If your group includes members who might have trouble focusing on the game, this could be tricky for them.
Some thorough shuffling is required between rounds, or the next game might feel a little too much like the one you just played!

Slamwich

Age 6+, 2-6 players, 20 minutes

In this food-themed family favourite, players compete to slam their way to winning the entire pack of cards. As a fun variation on the Snap, Slamwich is a fantastic choice for a gathering with lots of little ones. The rules are simple: place cards in the centre in turn, and if you see a “sandwich” of card A, card B, another card A, be the first to slap the deck while yelling “Slamwich!”. Whoever hits first wins all the cards currently in the centre, and is one step closer to victory. The additional “Thief” and “Muncher” cards spice things up by offering more chances to win the deck or drain your opponents' hands.

Best features

The bread-shaped cards and storybook-style illustrations make Slamwich a nostalgic treat for adults and a visually engaging experience for younger players.
There’s plenty of shouting and smacking the table involved, which is great fun for players of any age, but especially for littles.
The rules are simple, so Slamwich is very easy to teach to players who don’t game regularly.

Things to consider:

This may not be the choice for a group made up mostly of adults or older children. Slamwich’s fun artwork and novelty factor make it enjoyable for any age group, but due to the simplicity of the rules, it’s unlikely to keep the interest of older players longer than a round or two. With an older group, it works best sandwiched (ahem) between other games, or as a way to amuse the little ones while the adults do something else.
The game can go backwards and forwards for longer than 20 minutes if the players are evenly matched in speed, so it may be advisable to call the game and count the cards if this happens so that players don’t get frustrated.