28 Christmas Game Ideas for Adults That'll Actually Get People Playing

Sometimes it's fair to say you need more than small talk and background music to keep your holiday party buzzing. With this in mind, I've pulled together 25 fun Christmas games that work for different group sizes and energy levels.

Some need zero prep. Others give you an excuse to break out the craft supplies (!!). All of them beat awkward silences.

You'll find quick games for when everyone's hyped up, slower options for post-dinner lounging, and a few that work brilliantly even when your uncle who "doesn't do games" shows up. 

Pick a few that match your crowd. Mix competitive with collaborative. Keep the instructions simple. That's really all you need for a party people won't want to leave.

Want an easy life? Look out for printable games we have in our shop... and a couple that are totally free for you to download. 

28 Christmas Games Your Guests Will Want to Play

Here's your complete list for a holiday gathering that stays fun all night.

Christmas Ugly Sweater Game

Turn your sweater contest into an interactive game that gets everyone mingling instead of just standing around.

• Number of players: 6-30
• What you need: Ugly Christmas sweaters (worn by guests), voting cards, small prizes, camera for photos

How to play:

• Ask guests to wear their most outrageous holiday sweaters to the party
• Create a runway area where contestants can show off their sweaters
• Have each person explain their sweater's story or inspiration (30 seconds maximum)
• Set up voting categories like "Most Creative," "Most Hilarious," or "Best DIY"
• Let guests vote by applause or written ballots
• Tally votes and announce winners for each category
• Award silly prizes or certificates
• Take a group photo of all participants for social media sharing

White Elephant Gift Exchange

The classic party game where stealing gifts creates more entertainment than the presents themselves.

• Number of players: 6-20
• What you need: One wrapped gift per person (set a price limit that works for your guests), numbered slips of paper

How to play:

• Set a price limit and optional theme before the party
• Have guests bring wrapped gifts and place them in a central pile
• Draw numbers to determine playing order
• Player one picks any gift, unwraps it, and shows everyone
• Player two either steals player one's gift or picks a new one from the pile
• If their gift gets stolen, that player chooses a new gift or steals from someone else
• Set a three-steal maximum per gift before it's "frozen"
• Continue until everyone has a gift
• Allow player one a final chance to steal any gift

Holiday Charades

Classic charades gets a festive upgrade with Christmas-specific prompts that everyone can act out.

• Number of players: 4-20
• What you need: Cards with holiday phrases, timer, bowl or hat

How to play:

• Write Christmas phrases on cards ("building a snowman," "wrapping presents," "decorating the tree")
• Split into two teams
• One player draws a card and acts it out silently
• Their team guesses while you time them (60 seconds maximum)
• Award one point for correct guesses
• Teams alternate turns
• Keep score on a visible board
• Play until all cards are used or set a specific number of rounds
• Team with most points wins

Christmas Movie Bingo

This one keeps everyone engaged during your holiday film marathon without requiring full attention to the screen.

• Number of players: 2-20
• What you need: Printed bingo cards with common Christmas movie moments, markers or pens, small prizes

How to play:

• Create 5x5 bingo cards featuring typical holiday film elements like "snowball fight," "Christmas carol," or "family reunion"
• Give each player a unique card and something to mark squares with
• Start your chosen Christmas film
• Players mark off squares when they spot their items on screen
• First person to complete a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) shouts "Bingo!"
• Verify their card and award a small prize
• Continue playing for multiple rounds with different films

Name That Christmas Tune

Test your guests' knowledge of holiday music with this quick-fire guessing game.

• Number of players: 4-30
• What you need: Christmas music playlist, speaker, score sheets, pens

How to play:

• Create 10-15 second clips of popular Christmas songs
• Include both classic carols and modern holiday hits
• Give each player or team a score sheet
• Play the first clip
• Players write down the song title and artist
• Reveal the answer after each clip
• Award one point for the title, bonus point for the artist
• Share interesting facts about songs between rounds
• Total scores at the end
• Award a prize to the winner

Christmas Scavenger Hunt

Get people moving around your space hunting for holiday-themed items and completing festive challenges.

• Number of players: 4-30
• What you need: Printed lists of items and challenges, bags for collecting, small prizes

How to play:

• Create lists mixing items to find ("candy cane," "red ornament") with challenges ("sing a carol," "take a festive selfie")
• Split into teams or play individually
• Give each team a list and collection bag
• Set a time limit (30-60 minutes)
• Teams hunt for items and complete challenges
• Award points for each item found and challenge completed
• Give bonus points for creativity
• Gather everyone to share their finds
• Tally points and announce winners
• Award prizes for various categories

Christmas Trivia

Put everyone's holiday knowledge to the test with questions about traditions, films, and festive facts.

• Number of players: 4-30
• What you need: List of trivia questions, answer sheets, pens, scoreboard

How to play:

• Prepare questions covering Christmas history, films, songs, and traditions
• Organise into themed rounds (movies, music, traditions)
• Split players into teams
• Read questions aloud, giving 30-60 seconds to answer
• Teams write answers or use buzzers
• Award one point per correct answer
• Keep visible score throughout
• Include a challenging final round for bonus points
• Announce winners and award prizes
• Discuss interesting facts from questions

Christmas Pictionary

The drawing game gets festive with holiday-themed words that range from easy to hilariously difficult.

• Number of players: 4-20
• What you need: Whiteboard or large paper, markers, timer, cards with Christmas words

How to play:

• Write Christmas words on cards ("reindeer," "gingerbread house," "mistletoe")
• Form two or more teams
• One player from the first team draws a card
• They illustrate the word without letters, numbers, or speaking
• Their team guesses within 60 seconds
• Award one point for correct guesses
• If time runs out, the other team can steal with one guess
• Teams alternate turns
• Continue until all cards are used
• Team with most points wins

Two Truths and a Lie: Holiday Edition

This getting-to-know-you game reveals funny and surprising holiday stories from your guests.

• Number of players: 5-20
• What you need: Nothing (or paper and pens if players want to prepare statements)

How to play:

• Each player thinks of three holiday-related statements about themselves
• Two statements must be true, one must be false
• Go around the circle, with each person sharing their three statements
• Other players discuss which one they think is the lie
• Everyone votes on which statement is false
• The player reveals the lie and explains the true stories
• Continue until everyone has shared
• Award a prize for the most convincing lie or best true story

Christmas Gift Wrap Relay

Turn gift wrapping into a hilarious race that tests speed and coordination under pressure.

• Number of players: 8-24
• What you need: Empty boxes (various sizes), wrapping paper, tape, scissors, ribbons and bows, timer

How to play:

• Set up a wrapping station with all supplies
• Mark start and finish lines
• Form teams of 4-6 players
• Each team member must wrap one gift
• First player runs to the station, wraps their box, and races back
• They tag the next teammate who repeats the process
• Continue until all team members have wrapped a gift
• Stop when the first team finishes or after a set time
• Judge wrapped gifts on neatness and creativity
• Award points for speed and presentation
• Announce the winning team and give prizes

Christmas Carol Karaoke Battle

Turn holiday music into a competitive sing-off that's entertaining even for people who can't carry a tune.

• Number of players: 4-20
• What you need: Karaoke machine or YouTube karaoke videos, speaker, score sheets

How to play:

• Create a playlist of Christmas karaoke tracks
• Split into teams or compete individually
• Each person or team picks a song from the list
• Performers sing their chosen carol
• Award points for enthusiasm, creativity, and crowd reaction (not singing ability)
• Include categories like "Best Performance," "Most Dramatic," or "Funniest Interpretation"
• Let the audience vote after each performance
• Tally scores and announce winners
• Give prizes for different categories

Holiday Movie Quote Challenge

See who can identify Christmas films from just one memorable line.

• Number of players: 4-30
• What you need: List of movie quotes, answer sheets, pens

How to play:

• Compile 15-20 quotes from popular Christmas films
• Mix obvious ones with trickier deep cuts
• Read each quote aloud with dramatic flair
• Players write down the film title
• Give 15 seconds per quote
• Award one point for each correct answer
• Include bonus points for naming the character who said it
• Read out answers after all quotes
• Crown the Christmas film expert
• Award a DVD or streaming gift card as the prize

Snowball Toss

A simple throwing game that gets surprisingly competitive once people have had a few drinks.

• Number of players: 4-20
• What you need: White socks rolled into balls (or cotton balls), buckets or baskets, tape for marking lines

How to play:

• Roll white socks into tight balls to create "snowballs"
• Set up buckets at varying distances
• Mark throwing lines with tape
• Assign point values to each bucket (further = more points)
• Players take turns tossing five snowballs
• Keep score for each round
• Play multiple rounds
• Add challenges like tossing backwards or with your non-dominant hand
• Total all scores at the end
• Winner gets a small prize

Christmas Word Association

A fast-paced game that reveals who's really paying attention.

• Number of players: 6-20
• What you need: Nothing (or a timer if you want to add pressure)

How to play:

• Sit in a circle
• First person says a Christmas-related word
• Next person must immediately say a related word
• Continue around the circle as fast as possible
• Words can't be repeated
• Anyone who hesitates more than three seconds is out
• Anyone who says an unrelated word is out
• Last person remaining wins
• Start a new round with a different category (Christmas foods, decorations, songs)
• Play multiple rounds

Ornament Decorating Contest

Give everyone a plain ornament and watch the competitive creativity come out.

• Number of players: 4-20
• What you need: Plain ball ornaments, paint markers, glitter, glue, ribbons, stickers, other craft supplies

How to play:

• Give each person a plain ornament
• Set out all decorating supplies
• Set a time limit (20-30 minutes)
• Everyone decorates their ornament
• No rules except it must be Christmas-themed
• Display all finished ornaments together
• Vote on categories like "Most Creative," "Funniest," "Most Festive"
• Let guests take their ornaments home
• Winner in each category gets a prize

Christmas Emoji Story

Use only emojis to tell a Christmas story and see who can decode it.

• Number of players: 4-30
• What you need: Phones or printed emoji sheets, paper, pens

How to play:

• Each player creates a Christmas story using only emojis (film plot, carol, or tradition)
• Limit stories to 10-15 emojis
• Players take turns sharing their emoji sequence
• Others guess what story they're telling
• First person to guess correctly gets a point
• Creator gets a point if nobody guesses within two minutes
• Continue until everyone has shared
• Person with most points wins
• This works great in group texts if you're playing remotely

Candy Cane Hook

A surprisingly difficult game that looks easy until you try it.

• Number of players: 2-20
• What you need: Candy canes, large bowl, timer

How to play:

• Give each player one candy cane to hold in their mouth (hook end out)
• Place a bowl of candy canes on a table
• Players must hook other candy canes using only the one in their mouth
• No hands allowed
• Set a timer for 60 seconds
• Player who hooks the most candy canes wins
• Play multiple rounds
• Winner keeps their candy canes

Christmas Price Is Right

Guess the cost of holiday items without going over.

• Number of players: 4-30
• What you need: 10-15 wrapped Christmas items with price tags hidden, paper, pens

How to play:

• Wrap various Christmas items (ornaments, candy, small gifts)
• Keep price tags or receipts hidden
• Show each item to the group
• Players write down their price guess
• Closest guess without going over wins that round
• Winner keeps the item
• Continue through all items
• Person who wins most rounds gets an extra prize

Reindeer Ring Toss

Turn yourself into a reindeer and catch rings on your antlers.

• Number of players: 4-20
• What you need: Reindeer antler headbands, small rings or glow stick necklaces

How to play:

• One player wears reindeer antlers
• Stand 6-8 feet away from the thrower
• Thrower tosses rings trying to land them on the antlers
• Antler-wearer can move to help catch rings
• Each player gets five tosses
• Score one point per successful ring
• Players take turns being the reindeer
• Highest score wins
• Make it harder by increasing distance

Christmas Stocking Scramble

Race to fill a stocking with specific items while wearing oven mitts.

• Number of players: 4-20
• What you need: Christmas stockings, small wrapped items, oven mitts, timer

How to play:

• Set out identical piles of small wrapped items for each team
• Give each player or team a stocking and oven mitts
• Players must wear the mitts throughout
• When timer starts, grab items and stuff them in the stocking
• First person to get all items in their stocking wins
• For teams, relay style with one person going at a time
• Make it harder with bulky winter gloves instead of oven mitts
• Winner gets to keep their filled stocking

Christmas Left Right Story Game

Read a festive story aloud while gifts get passed around the circle based on the words "left" and "right."

• Number of players: 6-30
• What you need: Wrapped gifts (one per person), printed Christmas story with "left" and "right" throughout

How to play:

• Everyone sits in a circle holding a wrapped gift
• Read a Christmas-themed story that includes the words "left" and "right" frequently
• When players hear "left," they pass their gift to the left
• When they hear "right," they pass their gift to the right
• Read at a moderate pace so people can keep up
• The gift each person holds at the end of the story is theirs to keep
• You can find pre-written stories online or write your own
• Make it harder by adding "across" for passing gifts to the person opposite

Christmas Minute to Win It Challenges

Set up quick one-minute challenges using holiday items for fast-paced competition.

• Number of players: 4-20
• What you need: Various supplies depending on challenges (Christmas cookies, candy canes, ornaments, chopsticks), timer

How to play:

• Set up 5-10 different challenge stations around your space
• Challenges could include stacking cookies, moving ornaments with chopsticks, or sorting candy by colour
• Each player gets 60 seconds to complete each challenge
• Award points for successful completion
• Players rotate through all stations
• Keep a running scoreboard
• Add bonus points for speed if someone finishes early
• Winner is whoever completes the most challenges or has the highest score

Christmas Song Lyric Fill-in-the-Blank

Test how well your guests really know those carols they've been hearing since November.

• Number of players: 4-30
• What you need: Printed sheets with Christmas song lyrics (with blanks), pens

How to play:

• Prepare sheets with popular Christmas song lyrics that have key words removed
• Include a mix of easy and difficult songs
• Give each player or team a sheet and pen
• Set a time limit (10-15 minutes)
• Players fill in the missing words
• Read through answers together
• Award one point per correct word
• Play the actual songs at the end for everyone to sing along
• Highest score wins

Saran Wrap Ball Challenge

Unwrap layers of cling film to grab prizes while the person next to you rolls dice trying to steal your turn.

• Number of players: 6-20
• What you need: Large ball of Saran wrap with small prizes wrapped inside, pair of dice, oven mitts, bowl, challenge cards (optional)

How to play:

• Before the party, wrap small prizes in layers of Saran wrap to create a large ball
• Add prizes every few layers (candy, gift cards, small toys, lottery tickets)
• Sit everyone in a circle
• First player puts on oven mitts and starts unwrapping the ball
• Player next to them rolls the dice repeatedly trying to get doubles
• When doubles are rolled, the ball passes to the dice roller
• They put on the mitts and start unwrapping while the next person rolls
• Any prizes you unwrap are yours to keep
• Add challenge cards between layers for bonus fun (sing a carol, do a dance, tell a joke)
• Game continues until the entire ball is unwrapped
• The frantic energy makes this one hilarious to watch

Holiday Would You Rather

Spark conversations and debates with Christmas-themed dilemmas that have no right answers.

• Number of players: 4-30
• What you need: List of "Would You Rather" questions, nothing else

How to play:

• Prepare 15-20 Christmas-themed "Would You Rather" questions
• Examples: "Would you rather only eat fruitcake or only eat candy canes for a month?"
• Go around the circle asking questions
• Each person must choose one option and explain why
• No sitting on the fence allowed
• Other players can debate or share their own reasoning
• Keep it lighthearted and fun
• This works great as an icebreaker or between other games

Christmas Memory Tray Game

See who has the sharpest memory when holiday items disappear from view.

• Number of players: 4-20
• What you need: Tray, 15-20 small Christmas items, tea towel or cloth, paper, pens

How to play:

• Arrange 15-20 Christmas items on a tray (ornament, candy cane, small gift, ribbon, etc.)
• Show the tray to all players for 30 seconds
• Cover the tray with a tea towel
• Players write down every item they can remember
• Give them 2-3 minutes to write their lists
• Reveal the tray and go through items one by one
• Award one point per correct item
• Deduct points for items that weren't actually there (optional)
• Player with the most correct items wins

Christmas Carol Lyrics Quiz

Put your guests' carol knowledge to the test with a proper quiz that separates the casual listeners from the people who've been singing along since childhood.

• Number of players: 4-30
• What you need: Printed quiz sheets with carol lyric questions, pens, answer key

How to play:

• Give each player or team a quiz sheet and pen
• Set a time limit (15-20 minutes works well)
• Questions should test specific lyric knowledge from popular carols
• Include a mix of easy recognisable lines and trickier verses
• Players fill in missing words or answer questions about the songs
• Collect all sheets when time's up
• Read through answers together (this bit's always funny)
• Award one point per correct answer
• Highest score wins a small prize
• Consider playing the actual songs at the end so everyone can hear the right answers

Christmas Find The Guest Game

Get people mingling and chatting by sending them on a mission to find guests who match specific festive descriptions.

• Number of players: 10-40
• What you need: Printed game sheets with descriptions to find, pens

How to play:

• Give each guest a sheet listing various Christmas-related descriptions
• Examples might include "has made their own Christmas pudding" or "owns more than 10 Christmas jumpers"
• Guests mingle and ask questions to find people who match each description
• When they find a match, that person signs their name next to the description
• Set a time limit (20-30 minutes)
• First person to complete their entire sheet wins
• Alternatively, whoever has the most signatures when time's up wins
• This works brilliantly for groups where not everyone knows each other
• Award a small prize to the winner

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