Gift guide: Games for your Christmas Get-together

So, here we are with the countdown to Christmas… and the perfect excuse to bring family and friends together.

This year’s Christmas buying guide features five standout games that are ideal for pre-Christmas parties, Boxing Day festivities, or a New Year’s Eve that’ll have everybody competing well into the early hours.

Whether you prefer clever challenges, quick-fire rounds or the full immersive experience, there's something to suit every kind of group. They're also fantastic gift ideas for anyone who loves a little fun and games at Christmas.

Time to forget the awkward small talk and put your phones aside – let’s get everyone around the table for some (friendly) competition, unexpected twists and plenty of laughs!

So let’s start the party with...

>> Articulate Under Pressure

• Perfect for: keeping everybody involved!

It talks! It flashes! It ramps up the tension with urgent music!

Up to ten players can join in with Articulate Under Pressure, the friendly electric game-show-host that guides your guests through the challenges on each game card.

And we do mean ‘join in’ – even when it’s not your turn, you’re always involved in the fun! This is a game that involves bags of interaction from the word ‘go’.

So, can you quickly identify ‘penguins’ from the cryptic clues? What about ‘The Canary Islands’ or ‘Ice-Cream’…? How many places can you blurt out that are featured in song lyrics? What about extinct animals? Or famous siblings?

This is the sort of quickfire chaos that you’d expect from an Articulate game… a perfect choice to play with those difficult-to-engage teenagers.

See it in store and online at Smyths

>> One Night of The Traitors – Castle of Lies

• Perfect for: the next-level dinner-party host!

The Traitors Official Board Game has inspired many a duplicitous game night across the UK, but how about a version that’s specifically designed as the centrepiece for a whole evening of themed deception?

One Night of The Traitors isn’t simply a game. Think of it as the basis for something much bigger...

You’re invited to gather up to seven other friends or family members, transform your home into a castle and set the scene with music, food and atmosphere.

Then immerse yourselves in around two thrilling hours of Missions, Banishments and Murders, guided by the One Night of The Traitors game cards, leading up to the finale and big reveal!

Faithful or Traitor, you and your guests are in for a memorable night!

Find it in your local Argos, here!

>> The Weakest Link Board Game

• Perfect for: families with a competitive edge!

Possibly one of the best family quiz games around... it’s the massively popular board game tie-in with the BBC’s smash hit show.

You’ll recognise the graphics… you know the gameplay… now here’s your chance to recreate the drama, tension and excitement of the show – in the comfort of your own living room!

The Weakest Link board game is a high-quality adaptation, with the 1000+ questions having been personally written by the TV show’s own team.

So, get your quizzing hats on, make sure you BANK in time, and – above all – get rehearsing THAT catchphrase!

Check out the game on Amazon, here.

>> The All-Time Classic Articulate Games

• Perfect for: families and friends who like their games LOUD

Describe the word on the card – but no ‘sounds like’, no ‘rhymes with’… and definitely NO mouthing the answer!

The party game to end all party games, anyone can play Articulate, and it’s the quintessential ‘the worse you are, the funnier it gets’ game.

The younger ones can join in, no problem – there’s even a dedicated kids’ version that can either be played on its own, or integrated in with the main game to make one big family showdown.

Articulate is the game for groups who thrive on laughter; a perfect choice when you have a big number around the table at Christmas.

Hundreds of five-star reviews over on Amazon tell their own story – we’ll point you towards these!

>> Seasonal Specials

• Perfect for: a quick burst of fun after dinner!

A rapid icebreaker, or a flurry of fun to help the mince pies go down… sometimes the evening just needs something quick and easy to make the laughs flow.

So here are the festive-themed versions of two award-winning family favourites – both designed in a quickfire format for a more casual game between friends.

(In fact, the Best of Christmas game picked up another award just a month or so ago... we're talking Best Budget Gift 2026!)

We’re talking exclusively Yuletide-related topics and questions, here, be they films, songs, food or those Christmas traditions that we all hold dear.

And each game comes with a particularly Christmassy scoring system... be it a tree to build, or a festive jigsaw to complete!

These are games to enjoy on the Big Day itself, to take in for the office quiz – or to gift to that Christmas-obsessive family member that we all know and love (the one who rolls out their festive playlist from December 1st every year…!)

Add the Best of Christmas and Articulate Christmas to your Amazon basket!

Merry Christmas, and thanks for supporting British board games!