Christmas party games for any group
The best Christmas party games let everyone play at once and nobody perform alone. Start with a buzzer quiz on everyone's phone, then a White Elephant exchange with a die, then quick rounds of Imposter or Most Likely To. Below are twelve ideas with time, group size and materials, and a 90-minute plan.
12 Christmas party games
They're sorted roughly by how well they work with people who don't know each other yet. The first ones break the ice, the last ones are for the group that stays late. Want a drawing game on top? Draw Telephone lets everyone draw on their own phone, and the app is free for guests.
1. Buzzer quiz
Time: 20 to 30 minutes · Group: 4 to 25 · You need: the free GameClique app on every phone
You read the questions, everyone buzzes on their own phone. Guests scan a QR code and buzz in the free app. You see who was first down to the millisecond and hand out points with a tap. Mix easy holiday trivia with questions about your group: where last year's party was, who has the longest commute. Play in teams if the group is big. Free with up to four guests or teams. More on the online buzzer.
2. White Elephant with a die
Time: 20 to 30 minutes · Group: 3 to 30 · You need: one wrapped gift per person, a die, a timer
Everyone brings an odd little gift. The die decides who swaps with whom, and only a 6 takes a new gift off the pile. When the timer rings, you keep what you hold. Nobody has to steal on purpose, which makes it the friendliest version for coworkers. See the White Elephant rules for the classic version with steals.
3. Imposter with holiday words
Time: 10 to 15 minutes per round · Group: 4 to 12 · You need: one phone, or slips of paper
Everyone gets the same secret word, like "mistletoe", except one person, who only knows they're the imposter. Each player says one word that fits. Then everyone votes on who was faking. Short, funny and good for quiet people, because one word is all you need. Find ideas in our imposter game words.
4. Most Likely To, holiday edition
Time: 10 to 20 minutes · Group: 4 to 15 · You need: a list of questions
Read a question like "Who's most likely to finish their gift shopping in July?" On three, everybody points at someone. It's about situations, never about looks or money, so nobody gets put on the spot. Here are 150 most likely to questions, including a Christmas party set.
5. Who Am I?
Time: 10 to 15 minutes · Group: 3 to 12 · You need: sticky notes, or one phone
One player holds a word to their forehead without looking: snowman, reindeer, gingerbread, carol singer. The others describe it until the guesser gets it or the time runs out. Then pass it on. In the app, the phone goes on your forehead and you tap to score.
6. Fact or Fake: holiday stories
Time: 15 minutes · Group: 4 to 12 · You need: nothing
One person tells a short holiday memory. The rest decide: true, or made up on the spot? It's a great way to learn something new about coworkers without anyone having to share more than they want. If nobody wants to go first, the app has Fact or Fake with ready-made claims: everyone votes with a thumb, then you see the answer and its source.
7. Gift wrap relay
Time: 10 minutes · Group: teams of 3 or 4 · You need: wrapping paper, tape, scissors, awkward objects
Each team gets something hard to wrap: a basketball, a hanger, a coffee mug. Start the countdown. The best looking parcel after three minutes wins, judged by a neutral person. Bonus round: wrap with one hand each.
8. Hum the carol
Time: 10 minutes · Group: 6 and up, in teams · You need: a list of carols
One player from each team gets a song title and hums it, no words. The team that guesses first scores. Works well with the buzzer, so there's no arguing who shouted first.
9. Paper snowflake contest
Time: 15 minutes · Group: any size · You need: paper, scissors
Everyone folds and cuts a snowflake in five minutes. Hang them on a window and vote for the prettiest, the strangest and the one that looks least like a snowflake. Quiet, calm and good for the start of the party while people arrive.
10. Ornament hunt
Time: 10 minutes · Group: any size · You need: 20 to 30 small ornaments or paper stars
Before the party, hide small ornaments around the room. Guests look for them while they arrive, and whoever finds the most gets first pick at the snack table. Great with kids, surprisingly competitive with adults.
11. Holiday movie in three words
Time: 15 minutes · Group: 6 and up, in teams · You need: paper, pens
Each team writes the plot of a well known holiday movie in exactly three words, like "boy, home, alone" or "elf, mail room, dad". The others guess. The funnier the three words, the better.
12. Werewolf for the late crowd
Time: 30 to 45 minutes · Group: 6 to 18 · You need: one phone, or role cards
A village, a few secret werewolves and a lot of accusing. It's the game for the group that stays after the dishes. The app deals the roles, narrates night and day and counts the votes, so nobody has to sit out as the narrator. Read up on the Werewolf roles first.
At the office: what to play and what to skip
An office party is not a party with friends. People come from different teams, some don't know each other and nobody wants to embarrass themselves in front of the boss. Keep these rules in mind:
- No drinking games. Not everybody drinks, and nobody should have to explain why.
- Teams over solo acts. Nobody has to sing, dance or act alone. A buzzer quiz in teams beats a karaoke contest.
- Situations, not people. Questions about habits and holiday mishaps are fine. Questions about looks, money, health or dating are not.
- Short rounds. Fifteen to twenty-five minutes per game, then a break. People who only want to talk should be able to.
- Everyone can pass. Say it at the start: sitting out a round is fine.
- Mix the teams. Put people from different departments together. That's half the point of the party.
A 90-minute plan
For 10 to 30 people, at the office or at home. Adjust the times as you go, and leave room for food.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Guests arrive. Ornament hunt or snowflake contest while everyone gets settled. |
| 0:15 | Buzzer quiz in teams, three rounds of eight questions. |
| 0:40 | Food break. Put the Most Likely To questions on the tables. |
| 0:55 | White Elephant with a die, 20 minutes with a timer and a final minute. |
| 1:15 | Quick round of Imposter or Hum the carol. |
| 1:25 | Winners of the quiz, best junk of the night, group photo. |
Anyone who wants to keep going can start a round of Werewolf afterwards. Everyone else heads home with a gift they didn't ask for, which is exactly how it should be.
Questions people ask
What are good Christmas party games for adults?
Games where everyone plays at once and nobody has to perform alone. A buzzer quiz, White Elephant with a die, Imposter and Most Likely To all work with adults who don't know each other well. For a group of close friends that stays late, add a round of Werewolf once the dishes are done.
Which games work for a big office party?
Pick games that scale. A buzzer quiz works with teams, and each team shares one phone. The White Elephant dice game works with two dice in a large circle. Keep every game short, 15 to 25 minutes, and plan breaks for food in between, so people who just want to talk can do that.
How do you keep party games from getting awkward?
Make joining easy and sitting out even easier. Play in teams, keep questions about situations instead of people, and skip anything about looks, money or dating. No drinking games. If someone gets a question they don't like, they just pass. The goal is that everyone laughs together, not at someone.
What do you need for a Christmas party game night?
Less than you think. A die, some paper, pens, wrapping paper and tape cover most of the games on this list. For the buzzer quiz, everyone uses the free GameClique app on their own phone. The rest comes from the people you invited.
Are these games okay for kids?
Most of them are. The gift wrap relay, the ornament hunt, the snowflake contest, Who Am I and the dice version of White Elephant all work with kids from about eight. For Imposter, pick easy words. Werewolf is better for teens and adults, because it needs some patience with the rules.
Play it with GameClique
One phone runs the party games. Your guests just play.
- A buzzer quiz where every guest buzzes on their own phone in the free app.
- White Elephant with a die, a timer and a final minute.
- Imposter, Most Likely To, Who Am I and Fact or Fake on one phone you pass around.
- Teams, countdown and score counter in the free toolbox.
Coming soon
The tools are free and ad-free. Everyone plays with the free app. One person pays, everyone plays.
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Keep reading
Online buzzer
The host opens a room, guests buzz in the free app, the order comes down to the millisecond.
White Elephant rules
The classic rules with steals and a steal limit, plus the dice version with a table.
Most likely to questions
150 questions for friends, family, the office, the Christmas party, roommates and travel.