Once dinner is over and everyone has caught up, a Christmas party can lose a little momentum. A few games can bring people back together, especially when your guests include different friend groups, relatives who rarely meet, or coworkers who don’t know one another well.
You don’t need elaborate props or a packed schedule. A playlist, a bowl of handwritten prompts, and a few inexpensive gifts are enough to get things started.
These 15 Christmas games for adults range from quick icebreakers to competitive gift exchanges and longer group activities. Some take just a few minutes to prepare; others need a little planning. Pick two or three that suit your guests and leave the rest for another occasion.
1. Christmas Trivia
Players: 4 or more | Preparation: 10–15 minutes
Christmas trivia is an easy way to get a group competing without asking anyone to act or perform in front of the room.
Prepare 15–20 questions about Christmas movies, songs, traditions, and food. Divide guests into teams of two to four and give them about 20 seconds to answer each question. Award one point per correct answer.
Use these questions to get started:
- Which reindeer has a red nose? Rudolph.
- Who plays Buddy in Elf? Will Ferrell.
- In Home Alone, where is the McCallister family traveling when Kevin is left behind? Paris.
- Which ballet features the Sugar Plum Fairy? The Nutcracker.
- What is the name of the Grinch’s dog? Max.
Mix easy questions with harder ones so one team doesn’t dominate every round. If the scores are close, make the final question worth double points.
A simple prize: A box of chocolates, a festive mug, or a homemade certificate naming the winners Christmas experts.
2. Christmas Charades
Players: 6 or more | Preparation: 10 minutes
Write Christmas-related words and phrases on slips of paper, fold them, and put them in a bowl. Divide everyone into two teams. Players take turns drawing a prompt and acting it out without speaking while their teammates guess within 60 seconds.
Start with familiar ideas such as decorating a tree, wrapping presents, or building a snowman. Add more challenging situations once everyone gets the hang of it.
Try these prompts:
- Getting tangled in Christmas lights
- Trying to assemble a toy on Christmas Eve
- Sneaking downstairs to look for presents
- Getting stuck in a chimney
- Singing a Christmas carol in the wrong key
- Discovering that someone has eaten the last Christmas cookie
No talking, mouthing words, or spelling things in the air. If the group is competitive, award one point for every correct guess and rotate players after each turn.
3. White Elephant Gift Exchange
Players: 6 or more | Preparation: Guests bring gifts in advance
White Elephant is a gift exchange in which players can steal one another’s presents. It’s a good alternative to drawing names and buying a gift for one specific person.
Agree on a budget before the party. Around $10–$15 can work for a casual gathering, but choose an amount that suits everyone’s circumstances. Each guest brings one wrapped gift, and players draw numbers to determine the order.
The first player opens a gift. The next can open a new one or steal the opened present. If someone’s gift is stolen, that player chooses another unopened gift or steals from another participant, following the agreed rules.
Set a limit of two or three steals per gift. Without a limit, the same present can circulate around the room for far too long.
Choose a theme if you want to make shopping easier: useful kitchen items, cozy winter accessories, or gifts under $15. A mixture of practical presents and silly novelty items usually gives everyone something to talk about.
4. Guess the Christmas Movie
Players: 4 or more | Preparation: 15 minutes
Prepare clues about popular Christmas films and challenge guests to identify the titles. Divide the group into teams and award one point for each correct answer.
Start with these:
- A boy is accidentally left behind when his family travels to Paris.
- A green character tries to steal Christmas from a cheerful town.
- A man gets a glimpse of what life would have been like if he had never been born.
- A human raised by elves travels to New York to find his father.
The answers are Home Alone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Elf.
Once the easy clues are gone, use character names, less obvious plot details, or short quotes. If you have a television, show screenshots or play a few seconds of a soundtrack.
Include films from different decades so the quiz doesn’t favor only one generation. Keep a few tie-breaker questions ready, too.
5. Christmas Never Have I Ever
Players: 3 or more | Preparation: None
Everyone starts with five fingers raised. One person reads a statement beginning with “Never have I ever.” Anyone who has done the activity lowers one finger. The last person with fingers remaining wins.
Try these Christmas-themed prompts:
- Never have I ever regifted a present.
- Never have I ever forgotten someone’s gift until Christmas Eve.
- Never have I ever pretended to like a present.
- Never have I ever eaten chocolates meant for a Christmas stocking.
- Never have I ever bought something for myself while shopping for someone else.
This game works best with people who feel comfortable sharing a few harmless stories. Let anyone skip a question without explanation, especially if coworkers or newer acquaintances are playing.
For a version that keeps everyone involved, award a point whenever someone has done the activity instead of eliminating players.
6. Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Players: 6 or more | Preparation: 15–20 minutes
A scavenger hunt gives guests a reason to explore the party space rather than stay in the same conversation group all evening.
Make a list of 10–15 items to find, such as a red ornament, a candy cane, a Christmas card, a snowflake decoration, or something shaped like a star. Divide guests into teams and give them 10–15 minutes to complete the list.
Players can collect items that are safe to move or take photographs of decorations that should stay in place.
For a harder version, use clues instead of naming the items directly:
- “Something hung by the fireplace that might hold a surprise.” (A stocking.)
- “A festive accessory worn on the head.” (A Santa hat.)
- “A decoration associated with a winter sky.” (A star.)
Set boundaries before the timer starts. Nobody should need to open cupboards, enter private rooms, or handle fragile decorations to win.
Award one point for each item. If two teams tie, give them one final clue to solve.
7. Guess That Christmas Song
Players: 4 or more | Preparation: 10 minutes
Make a playlist of Christmas songs from different decades. Play the opening three to five seconds of each track and ask teams to name the song.
Award one point for the title and another for the artist. Include traditional carols, familiar pop hits, and songs from Christmas movies so the playlist isn’t limited to one generation.
For a bonus round, stop a song just before a recognizable lyric and ask teams to finish the line. You could also play instrumental versions for a more difficult challenge.
Check your playlist before guests arrive and arrange the tracks in advance. A speaker and a score sheet are all you need.
No speaker? Have one player hum a tune while the others guess. It might not be musically accurate, but that can make the round more entertaining.
8. Christmas Pictionary
Players: 4 or more | Preparation: 10 minutes
Pictionary is a drawing game in which artistic talent isn’t required. Divide guests into teams, then write Christmas-related words and phrases on slips of paper.
One player draws a prompt while their teammates try to guess it within 60 seconds. The artist cannot speak, write letters, or use numbers.
Use a mixture of simple prompts and longer phrases:
- Reindeer
- Stocking
- Gingerbread house
- Wrapping presents at midnight
- Untangling Christmas lights
- A snowman melting indoors
Award one point for every correct answer and rotate the artist after each turn. Paper and pens are enough, although a whiteboard makes the drawings easier to see.
For an extra challenge, have players draw with their non-dominant hand. Don’t expect the results to be recognizable.
9. Christmas Bingo
Players: 6 or more | Preparation: 15 minutes
Create bingo cards featuring Christmas words or pictures instead of numbers. Include a reindeer, a Christmas tree, a stocking, a snowflake, and a candy cane. Give each guest a card and markers, then call out the items in random order.
The first player to complete a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line wins. If you have more time, play for four corners or a full card.
For a more personal version, use things that might happen during the party. Squares could include:
- Someone mentions last-minute shopping.
- A guest wears a festive jumper.
- Someone asks for a second helping of dessert.
- A Christmas song plays.
- Someone takes a photograph of the food.
Prepare several different card layouts so guests aren’t all marking identical squares. You can make your own or use a printable bingo template.
10. Christmas Murder Mystery
Players: Around 6–12 | Preparation: 30 minutes or more
A Christmas murder mystery can become the main event of the evening, but it requires more preparation than most party games.
Choose a mystery kit or write a simple story set at a snowy country house, an office Christmas party, or a family gathering where a valuable heirloom has disappeared.
Give each guest a character description containing background information, relationships, and clues. Reveal additional details as the game progresses. Players question one another, compare evidence, and decide who they think is responsible.
At the end, everyone names their suspect before you reveal the solution. Award a prize to whoever solves the mystery or presents the most convincing explanation.
Choose a story that suits the group. For an office party, a lighthearted mystery is generally a safer choice than one built around embarrassing personal secrets.
Because the game takes time to develop, plan it as the main activity rather than squeezing it between several short rounds.
11. Saran Wrap Christmas Ball Challenge
Players: 6 or more | Preparation: About 20 minutes
Prepare a ball of wrapped prizes by placing small gifts and treats between layers of plastic wrap. Chocolates, festive socks, and inexpensive novelty items work well. Put a more desirable prize near the center.
Have everyone sit in a circle. One player starts unwrapping the ball while the next person rolls two dice. When the dice show an agreed combination, the ball passes to the next player. Any prize fully released during a turn belongs to that player.
The challenge is getting through the layers before the dice trigger a change of player. To make it harder, have players wear oven mitts.
Use lightweight items and avoid sharp or breakable prizes. If you’d prefer to reduce plastic waste, use reusable fabric wrapping secured with ribbons instead.
Agree on the rules before starting, including what dice combination ends a turn. That way, nobody has to pause the game to settle a dispute.
12. Christmas Would You Rather?
Players: 3 or more | Preparation: None
Take turns asking questions with two possible answers. Everyone chooses one and explains their reasoning.
Try these:
- Would you rather spend Christmas in a snowy cabin or on a sunny beach?
- Would you rather receive one expensive gift or ten small ones?
- Would you rather cook Christmas dinner or wash every dish afterward?
- Would you rather give up Christmas movies or Christmas music for a year?
- Would you rather wear a Santa suit for a week or sing a carol every time you enter a room?
Guests can raise their hands to vote or move to opposite sides of the room. Let people suggest their own questions once the game gets going.
Choose questions without an obvious right answer. A simple choice between cooking dinner and washing dishes can lead to a surprisingly strong debate.
13. Minute-to-Win-It Christmas Challenges
Players: 4 or more | Preparation: 15 minutes
Set a timer for 60 seconds and give players a task to complete before it runs out. Run several challenges in a row and keep a tally of the winners.
Try these three:
- Cup tree: Build the tallest stable tower possible using plastic cups.
- Cotton ball transfer: Move cotton balls from one bowl to another using a spoon.
- Sweet transfer: Use chopsticks to move individually wrapped sweets between containers.
Give each player the same equipment and explain the rules before starting the timer. Award a point for completing a task or rank players according to how many items they move.
For larger groups, organize a relay in which each teammate completes a different challenge before handing over to the next player.
Test the activities beforehand. If nobody can finish a task within a minute, adjust the difficulty. Clear the playing area and avoid challenges involving slippery floors or objects that could cause injuries.
14. Christmas Gift Auction
Players: 6 or more | Preparation: 10 minutes, plus the gifts
A gift auction lets guests bid on wrapped presents instead of taking turns choosing them.
Ask everyone to bring one gift within an agreed budget. Give each player 100 tokens in pretend money, then auction the gifts one at a time.
Guests can inspect the packages and listen to a clue from the host, but they can’t open a gift before bidding. The highest bidder wins the present and opens it before the next auction begins.
Clues such as “something useful on a cold evening” or “a gift for someone who loves snacks” offer a hint without revealing the contents.
Set a minimum bid and decide how ties will be settled. Don’t allow players to borrow tokens from one another; they’ll have to decide whether to spend heavily early or save for a later gift.
Try to keep gifts within a similar price range so everyone has a reasonable chance of taking home something worthwhile.
15. Christmas Drinking Games
Players: Adults | Preparation: 10 minutes
Christmas movie and music games can take on a drinking-game format, but alcohol doesn’t have to be involved. Guests can use soft drinks, mocktails, or water.
For a movie version, choose a familiar Christmas film and prepare a list of recurring moments. Whenever someone mentions Santa, decorates a tree, or misunderstands another character, players mark their cards or take a sip of their chosen drink.
For a music version, play Christmas songs and ask guests to identify them. An incorrect answer could mean telling a festive joke or completing another silly challenge.
Keep participation optional, and avoid rules that encourage rapid or excessive drinking. Have food and water available, and arrange safe transportation for anyone consuming alcohol.
Which Games Should You Choose?
You don’t need all 15 games for one party. Choose according to the group and how much time you have.
| Type of gathering | Games to consider |
|---|---|
| Large Christmas party | Trivia, Bingo, Scavenger Hunt |
| Small group of friends | Never Have I Ever, Would You Rather, Charades |
| Office celebration | Trivia, Pictionary, Gift Auction |
| Friendsmas night | White Elephant, Song Guessing, Saran Wrap Challenge |
| Dinner party | Movie Guessing, Would You Rather, Murder Mystery |
If you’re hosting, prepare the supplies before guests arrive and explain the rules briefly. Let people sit out a round if they’d rather chat. The aim is to give guests something to enjoy, not to make everyone follow a strict schedule.
A Simple Christmas Party Game Schedule
If you’d prefer a ready-made plan, try this three-game lineup:
- Before dinner — Christmas trivia (15 minutes): Start with teams and straightforward questions to get people talking.
- After dinner — White Elephant (30–45 minutes): Have the gifts ready so you can start without interrupting the evening.
- Later — Christmas charades (15–20 minutes): Bring it out if guests are still in the mood for something active.
Adjust the timing to your group. If a game is going well, there’s no need to stop just because the schedule says it’s time to move on.