The holidays are a time when people from all backgrounds and ages can come together and enjoy themselves, eating food, giving gifts, and of course, playing games. Sometimes, those family gatherings can get a bit boring, with nothing to do after all the socks and underwear have been unwrapped, leaving many feeling bored and wanting to go home. However, there are plenty of ways to liven up the evening; specifically, with games that can bring an instant shift in mood to a room, and that everyone can get involved in, no matter who they are.
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Because there are often kids, grandparents, and just about everyone in between at these gatherings, a game that can be picked up quickly while still being fun for everyone can be quite hard to find. However, there are several great options to choose from that require nothing but a TV and a few mobile phones to get started. These games come in all shapes and sizes. Some are a bit more active and require movement from the players, while others offer a more thought-provoking experience that can still be enjoyed by virtually anyone. Whatever people are looking for, there is bound to be a great game waiting for them to boot up that is guaranteed to bring endless laughs to their holiday gatherings.
Codenames
Testing Friendships And Creating New Bonds
- Take turns giving clues to uncover colored squares.
- Out-of-the-box thinking is needed in every round.
Codenames is a brilliant little party game that can be set up in about 30 seconds, but can potentially bring hours of fun for the whole family. Before the game begins, the group needs to be split into two teams, and within those teams, players need to decide who will be an operative (effectively the guessers), and who will be the spymaster (the one giving the clues). From there, the investigation begins. Teams take turns providing clues to specific words on the grid, and the goal of the operatives is to find all of their team's words before the other team beats them to it.
Because the gameplay is so easy to understand and get into, virtually anyone with a phone can join in on the fun. As players get used to what kinds of clues work best and how the other players think, new strategies come into play, and suddenly, a single word can give away half of the board for the team. There are also some extra modes like duet, which lets players work together on a single board, which is great for people who prefer cooperation as opposed to competition. If the base set of words isn't exciting enough, there are even additional packs that can be thrown into the mix, as well as the option to add custom words that can bring an even more comedic twist to the games.
Heads Up!
The Next Evolution Of Charades
- Trivia on everything from celebrities to TV shows.
- Works best in larger groups.
Heads Up! Is a hilarious mobile game that quickly became a favorite in households across the globe when it was first released. A slight variation on the classic Charades format, players take turns holding a phone above their heads while the other players shout out clues for the guesser to use to identify the words being displayed. After each correct guess or pass, the word changes, and the guessing continues until the timer runs out. This means that, in a single round, players might find themselves with a lot of right answers or, in some cases, none at all. Similar to Charades, there's no spelling or saying of the word itself allowed, so the team has to get creative with how they deliver their clues, whether by creatively acting things out or coming up with good links that can quickly reveal the answer.
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Unlike many other party games, there is basically no barrier to entry. Players can choose a category that suits them, like movies or people, and have an equal chance of doing as well as anyone else in the game. This means that kids and grownups alike can all get involved at the same time, alternating guesser and clue-giver to allow everyone the opportunity to appreciate how hard it is to perform in both roles. By the end of a few rounds, there will be plenty of laughs, and sometimes a few shouts, thanks to the simple yet effective chaos that the game can bring to basically any gathering.
Shoutrageous!
Yelling Becomes A Necessity
- Calling out answers is the whole point.
- Accessible for all ages.
Shoutrageous! Takes the slow and collected concept of trivia and speeds it up to an intense battle of knowledge and wits. The only set-up needed is to break off into teams. From there, the fun follows almost instantly. Players are presented with a category, whether it's TV, music, or even things in the fridge, and when they are ready, they have to shout out the 10 listed answers before the time runs out. Each answer awards the guessing team with points, which adds a highly competitive aspect to an otherwise pretty standard trivia game. Because the categories are so diverse, anyone can get in on the fun without being an expert in typical categories like science, 80s media, or sports.
What makes the game so perfect for groups is how easy it is for everyone to get involved. A team can consist of two or three people or upwards of five, with more mouths only serving to add even more fun and chaos to the game. The lack of prep time or explaining means that people can start playing right away without much preamble, removing any sense of boredom from the evening in a matter of moments.
Just Dance Now
Time To Get Up And Move
- Provides a huge library of songs to choose from.
- Play with nothing but a smartphone and a TV.
Just Dance needs no introduction, but Just Dance Now makes the iconic dancing franchise more accessible than ever. Rather than requiring a console or a PC to play on, players can instead use any device they have on hand, from a TV to a laptop screen, connect to it with their mobile devices, and enjoy all the same fun that the series has become known for over the years. There are plenty of songs to choose from, ranging from classic hits to modern anthems, but at the end of the day, so long as the player can get up and move, they can still have a great time even if they don't know the tune.
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Because of how simple the game is to get into, it is pretty common to see people dancing around for hours on end. The only real limit is their own stamina. Also, there are so many different options in terms of difficulty and style that players with a lot of energy, and maybe some natural rhythm, can show off their moves, but less agile dancers can also have a great time with some easier songs that are a bit more to their speed.
The Jackbox Party Pack
The Group Game Classic
- Comedic games for everyone to enjoy.
- No skill or trivia required; just drawing and writing.
The Jackbox Party Pack is the definition of a crowd-pleaser. The first in a long line of iconic bundles, players can hop into a range of hilarious games that each have a unique feel and goal in mind. Drawful introduces players to a silly version of Pictionary, while Fibbage is all about creating fake answers to fool other players, and those are just two of the five games in the original pack, with the rest being equally funny and enjoyable for all.
Only a single copy of the game is needed for everyone to take part, and before long, the whole family can be writing funny phrases and drawing crazy images just minutes after the gifts are unwrapped. If the first package isn't enough, players can swap to one of many others, each with different games and twists on previous ones in the series. The beauty comes from how easy it is to understand and get into. After a brief explanation by the witty narrator, literally anyone can jump in and share some laughs, many of which come from nothing more than a few words or a silly interaction with another player in the games.
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