Christmas family games
Something for the whole table, from the 6-year-old to Grandad.
After the big meal, before the film. Games that work with a wide range of ages and don't need anyone to read a manual first — just a phone each and the TV as the board.
Ludo and Snakes & Ladders both scale down to two players just as well as four, so it still works if half the family's gone for a nap after dinner.
Good picks for this
- Quick
Connect 4
Drop. Line up. Gotcha.
- Players
- 2 players
- Duration
- 3–10 min
- Ages
- Ages 6+
- Quick
Hangman
Guess the word. Save the doodle.
- Players
- 1–8 players
- Duration
- 3–8 min
- Ages
- Ages 6+
- Quick
Word Scramble
Unjumble it first.
- Players
- 1–8 players
- Duration
- 5–10 min
- Ages
- Ages 6+
- Quick
Memory Match
Two of a kind.
- Players
- 1–6 players
- Duration
- 5–12 min
- Ages
- Ages 5+
- Medium
Snakes & Ladders
Climb up. Slide down. Curse the dice.
- Players
- 2–4 players
- Duration
- 10–20 min
- Ages
- Ages 5+
- Long
Ludo
Roll. Race. Knock them out.
- Players
- 2–4 players
- Duration
- 20–40 min
- Ages
- Ages 6+
Hosting this one
- 1Put the board on the TV and hand out phones as controllers — closest thing to the real box, without hunting for the dice.
- 2Memory Match is the one the youngest cousin can actually win.
- 3Save Imposter for after the kids are in bed — it plays better with a bit of bluffing nerve.
Questions people ask
- Will the grandparents actually be able to play?
- Yes — there's nothing to install and nothing to remember between turns. Big buttons, a name and an avatar to join, and the board does the rest.
- Can six-year-olds and adults play in the same game?
- Memory Match and Snakes & Ladders both scale down to a five-year-old with no reading required — colours and counting only — while still holding an adult's attention.
- Does everyone need to download an app?
- No. It's a website — open it in any phone or laptop browser, no app store, no account, no download.
- What if half the family goes for a nap after dinner?
- Ludo and Snakes & Ladders both work fine down to two players, so the game doesn't stall waiting for a full table.
- Is it free to play?
- Yes, fully free — it's supported by ads that sit in fixed slots and never cover the board or the controls.
- It's the gap between presents and Christmas dinner — will it fill the time?
- That's exactly the slot it's built for — rounds run 3 to 20 minutes depending on the game, so you can fit one quick game or a few longer ones before the table's called.
How a game night works
- 1
Pick a game
Eight to start with. Quick fillers to full board games.
- 2
Create a room
One tap. You get a 4-digit code and a QR to share.
- 3
Share the code
Friends type it in, or scan the QR from their phone.
- 4
Play
Host hits start. You're in. Play again in one tap.