Christmas Party Games for Adults: 8 Festive Ideas for Mixed Company

How we chose these Christmas games

A Christmas gathering has its own conditions. The guest list is set by family or by the office, not by friendship. People have eaten well and would prefer not to move. Ages often run from children to great-grandparents. And not everyone at the table celebrates in the same way, or at all.

With that in mind, our picks are:

1. Suitable for mixed company. Clean, kind and playable by colleagues or in-laws without anyone wincing.
2. Comfortable after a big meal. Most are seated; the two acting games come with seated-friendly prompts.
3. Seasonal, not religious. The prompts draw on winter and shared festive customs — lights, snow, presents, food — so guests of any background can join in.
4. Free of shopping. Nothing needs a wrapped prize, a special deck or a novelty kit. The only supplies are paper and whatever is already in the house.
5. Properly adapted. Each game has a specific festive version with original prompts, listed in the supplement below.

The Christmas adaptation for each game

Christmas Charades. Use the fourteen festive prompts in the supplement: wrapping an awkwardly shaped present, pretending to love a present, a snow globe being shaken. For a family, announce the category before each turn. For the full 180-prompt pack, “everyday actions” and “animals” are the easiest categories for mixed ages.

Festive Secret Word (Secret Word Detective). Give each guest one of the twelve festive words — tinsel, chimney, gingerbread, mistletoe, nutcracker — on a folded slip tucked under their plate. The game runs through the meal; reveal the words before dessert. It is the best Christmas dinner game we know, because it asks nothing of anyone who would rather just eat.

Christmas Would You Rather. Twelve original questions: decorate the tree or wrap all the presents? One big present or ten small ones? Go round the table between courses.

The Worst Gift Pitch (Team Object Pitch). Each team takes one ordinary object — a wooden spoon, a single sock, a roll of tape — and pitches it as this year’s most desirable present, complete with a name and a slogan. For an office party, add the “investor panel” variation with three colleagues as judges.

Two-Word Clues, festive edition. Target words: snowman, stocking, reindeer, wrapping, candle, sleigh, leftovers, carol, icicle, chimney. It is entirely seated, which is exactly right for the hour after lunch.

Christmas Film Remix (Story Remix). Base story: wrapping a present. Styles: a Christmas film trailer, a carol, a shopping-channel presenter, a letter of complaint, a nature documentary about the last mince pie.

Team Reverse Charades. Festive team scenes — carrying a tree through a doorway, a choir that has lost its place — work well at an office party, because nobody acts alone.

A Round-the-Table Story (One-Word Story). Titles: The Snowman Who Stayed for Summer, The Present Nobody Could Open, The Night the Lights Went Out on the Tree.

Family Christmas, office party, or friends?

Gathering	Best three games	Notes
Family Christmas lunch	Festive Secret Word, Christmas Would You Rather, One-Word Story	All seated; children play alongside adults
Office Christmas party	Worst Gift Pitch, Reverse Charades, Two-Word Clues	Teams mix departments; nothing personal is asked
Friends’ evening	Christmas Charades, Story Remix, Secret Word	Louder, later, more competitive
Large family gathering	Hands-up Would You Rather, team Charades	See family reunion games for splitting big groups

A note for office parties. Colleagues have to see each other again in January. Choose team games over individual ones, keep prompts neutral, make taking part optional, and do not build games around drinking. Our icebreaker games for adults collection has more on low-pressure openers for people who work together.

Timing games around the meal

• Before the meal: ten minutes of Would You Rather while the last dishes come out. It needs no attention from the cook.
• During the meal: only the background game. Festive Secret Word looks after itself.
• Straight after the meal: seated games only — Two-Word Clues, or the hands-up Would You Rather.
• An hour later: the active game. Charades lands best once people have recovered and the washing-up is done.
• Late: a single shared story, and stop.

If older relatives are joining, our party games for older adults page explains the small adjustments — repeating prompts, removing timers, large print — that make every game comfortable.

Common mistakes at Christmas

• Planning too much. Christmas Day is long, but attention is short. Three games are plenty.
• Games with forfeits or prizes. They create a loser at the one meal where nobody should feel like one.
• Starting the active game too soon after eating.
• Assuming everyone knows the same carols, films or traditions. The prompts here avoid them on purpose.
• Leaving out the cook. Schedule the main game for when everyone, including the host, can sit down.

Quick answers

What games can adults play at a Christmas party?

Christmas Charades, Festive Secret Word, Christmas Would You Rather, the Worst Gift Pitch, Two-Word Clues, Story Remix, Reverse Charades and One-Word Story all work for adults at Christmas. They suit mixed company, need no shopping, and each has original festive prompts on this page.

What is a good Christmas game for the dinner table?

Festive Secret Word is ideal. Each guest gets a word such as “tinsel” or “gingerbread” to slip into conversation without being noticed, and the game runs quietly through the meal. Christmas Would You Rather is the easiest alternative between courses.

What Christmas party games work for an office party?

Choose team games that ask nothing personal: the Worst Gift Pitch with a judging panel, Reverse Charades, and Two-Word Clues. Mix departments on each team, keep joining in optional, and avoid games built on drinking or on embarrassing individuals.

Are there Christmas games that need no equipment?

Yes. Christmas Would You Rather, One-Word Story and Story Remix need only voices, and Festive Secret Word needs a few slips of paper. Our party games without props collection lists twelve more.