Christmas party games for adults

Choose games by group

• Mixed crowd: trivia, bingo, charades.
• Close friends: gift games with stealing, guess-who.
• Coworkers: work-safe team games, see office holiday party games.
• Remote: see virtual holiday party games.

Tips for running games

1. Explain rules in one or two sentences.
2. Keep a timer visible.
3. Pick a referee for stealing games.
4. Have prizes ready, small and funny.
5. Make every game optional.
6. Alternate active games with seated ones.

Add a gift exchange game. Draw names in seconds from one link. Create your group, free

Supplies list

• Dice, a timer and a bowl for numbers
• Wrapping paper, tape and scissors for relay games
• Pens and slips of paper for voting and bingo
• A speaker and a playlist for music rounds
• Small prizes, such as candy, mugs or coffee cards

Gift exchange games

Gift swaps make some of the best games. White elephant, dice swaps and secret reveals are in the list below. For more, see gift exchange games, white elephant rules and Secret Santa generator.

Use a steal limit in any stealing game. Two steals per gift keeps things moving.

1. White elephant

   Guests draw numbers. Each turn, pick a wrapped gift or steal one. Set a steal limit of two. Takes about 30 to 45 minutes.

2. Dice swap

   Wrapped gifts sit in a circle. Players roll two dice and trade gifts based on the roll, with a simple rule card. Takes 20 minutes.

3. Left-right story gift pass

   Read a short story with the words left and right. Each time one is read, pass the gift in that direction. The gift you hold at the end is yours.

4. Holiday trivia

   Teams answer 15 questions on holiday traditions, songs and movies. Winners pick a prize first.

5. Charades

   Players act out holiday words or movie titles within 60 seconds. Teams alternate. Use only titles widely known.

6. Guess the gift

   Wrapped gifts sit on a table. Guests feel, shake or ask yes or no questions for 30 seconds and guess what is inside.

7. Who said it

   Share funny anonymous quotes from the group about the year. Guests guess who said each one. Get permission before you share any quote.

8. Bingo

   Cards have squares like someone says cheers or a sweater has lights. First to a line wins.

9. Ornament toss

   Players toss soft rings or beanbags at a tree or bucket from a line. Highest total in three tries wins.

10. Wrap it

    Teams wrap a mystery item wearing oven mitts. Neatest and fastest wins.

11. Name that carol

    Hum or play five seconds of a carol. Teams buzz in. Hum only, no lyrics, to make it harder.

12. Secret Santa guess

    After the reveal, players guess who had them. Closest guesses win a small prize. Hollyhush has a guess-your-Santa game built in.