Christmas season is finally here, and you know what that means—it’s time to gather friends and family for some holiday cheer! While some folks are busy perfecting their cookie recipes or debating over who makes the best eggnog, there’s nothing quite like an evening filled with laughter, unexpected challenges, and a few ridiculous moments shared over party games. After all, isn’t that what makes a gathering unforgettable? But here’s the catch—finding games that truly entertain adults can sometimes be a challenge.
Fear not! I’ve got you covered with this ultimate list of 31 Christmas party games for adults that are all about having loads of fun. These games will take your party from cozy to completely festive—making everyone laugh, bond, and maybe even unleash a competitive spirit or two. Whether you want a quick icebreaker or something to keep everyone entertained for hours, you’re sure to find the perfect game for your crowd.
Ready to sprinkle a little extra magic into your Christmas gathering? Let’s dive into these delightful Christmas party games that guarantee a night of fun, laughter, and maybe even some hilarious surprises!
1. White Elephant Exchange with a Twist
Tired of the traditional White Elephant? Spice it up this year by adding a quirky twist. Set special rules, like only allowing handmade or “as seen on TV” gifts. The twists add unpredictability, and you’ll watch your guests try to barter and exchange their way to the most desirable gifts—or avoid the “bad” ones!
Another fun twist is to add a swapping challenge. For instance, players could swap their gifts with the person who tells the funniest holiday story. Adding these variations keeps everyone engaged and adds a sense of adventure to the traditional White Elephant.
2. Yankee Swap Memory Challenge
Add an element of memory to the classic Yankee Swap. Each player has to describe their gift after it’s opened—then, during each swap, players must remember what gift each person has. This memory twist makes it both entertaining and keeps everyone engaged throughout the whole game.
It’s surprising how tricky this gets as the swaps pile up. People will have to think on their feet and remember the gifts others have opened, adding a whole new level of fun and challenge to this well-loved exchange.
3. Christmas Charades
Charades are a classic, but why not make it Christmas-themed? Write down holiday movie titles, Christmas carols, or festive activities, and let your guests take turns acting them out. This is a perfect way to kick off the party and break the ice.
Christmas Charades guarantee laughter as people get creative with their interpretations of things like “decking the halls” or “building a snowman.” It’s a great way to bring out everyone’s festive spirit and get the party started on a high note.
4. Jingle Bell Pictionary
Get ready for some artistic hilarity with Jingle Bell Pictionary! Set up a whiteboard or large sheets of paper, and have players draw Christmas-related items—think snowmen, reindeer, Santa stuck in a chimney. Guests can work in teams to guess the drawing before the timer runs out.
You’ll soon discover who’s secretly an artist and who’s not quite there yet! The rushed drawing combined with holiday themes makes it extra amusing, ensuring laughter all around.
5. Holiday Two Truths and a Lie
If you’re looking for a way to get your guests talking, try Holiday Two Truths and a Lie. Ask each guest to share three holiday experiences—two of which are true and one that is a lie. The rest of the group has to guess which story is made up.
This is a perfect way to spark conversation and reveal funny—and sometimes absurd—holiday stories. It also helps guests get to know each other better in a relaxed, festive atmosphere.
6. Christmas Trivia Battle
Who doesn’t love a good trivia battle? Create a list of fun Christmas-themed trivia questions covering everything from movies and music to quirky facts about holiday traditions. Split guests into teams, and see who has the most holiday knowledge.
Adding some small prizes for the winning team can take the fun up a notch. The trivia competition will spark some friendly rivalry, and everyone will enjoy learning new holiday facts along the way.
7. Reindeer Ring Toss
Time to bring out the antlers! Get a reindeer ring toss set (or make your own using a headband with antlers and some rings). Divide your guests into pairs and see who can successfully throw the rings onto their teammate’s antlers.
This game may seem simple, but it’s a lot harder than it looks—and the results are often hilarious! Watching people struggle to aim properly while their partner tries to stay still is always entertaining.
8. Festive Minute to Win It Challenges
These quick games are ideal if you want something fast-paced and thrilling. Set up a series of one-minute challenges like stacking marshmallows, unwrapping a gift with oven mitts, or moving ornaments from one bowl to another using only a spoon in your mouth.
Guests compete against the clock, and it’s sure to bring about lots of laughs! The frantic pace and silly challenges make these games a great addition to your Christmas party.
9. Christmas Movie Drinking Game
Let’s be honest, Christmas movies are a huge part of the holiday season. Choose a classic Christmas movie—like “Home Alone” or “Elf”—and create some drinking cues. Take a sip whenever Kevin screams, whenever Buddy the Elf eats something with syrup, or whenever someone says “Merry Christmas.”
Just make sure everyone drinks responsibly—it’s about fun, not overdoing it! This game combines the joy of Christmas movies with a little extra festive cheer.
10. Never Have I Ever: Holiday Edition
Never Have I Ever is always a hit, but put a holiday spin on it. Make it all about Christmas-related confessions. Have you ever peeked at your presents before Christmas morning? Ever gotten into a fight over a board game at Christmas?
Guests will get to know each other’s holiday habits—both naughty and nice! This lighthearted game encourages honesty and guarantees lots of laughs.
11. Eggnog Pong
It’s like Beer Pong but with a holiday twist! Set up cups of eggnog (or any festive drink), and let your guests try to land a ping pong ball in them. The first team to get all the cups wins.
The added thickness of eggnog adds an extra challenge, and it keeps things festive. This game is perfect for competitive guests who love a classic drinking game with a twist.
12. Santa Sack Relay Race
Split your guests into two teams, and give each team a Santa sack filled with wrapped presents. The aim? They have to carry the sack to the other end of the room and back without dropping any of the gifts.
If they drop anything, they have to start again! This game is all about balance, speed, and lots of laughter as people struggle to keep their presents in the sack.
13. Snowball Spoon Relay
This classic relay race game gets a festive twist. Have players race while balancing a “snowball”—aka a marshmallow—on a spoon. It’s harder than it looks, and dropping the snowball means starting all over again.
It’s a lighthearted game that’s perfect for getting everyone up and moving. The added pressure of not dropping the marshmallow keeps everyone on their toes.
14. Wrap It Up Relay
For this relay, give each team a roll of wrapping paper, some tape, and a box. Players have to pass the box along their line, with each person adding a piece of wrapping paper or tape.
The challenge? Do it as quickly as possible while making the box look presentable. The resulting wrap jobs are often hilarious—and sometimes surprisingly good!
15. Gingerbread House Decorating Contest
Channel the creativity of your guests by hosting a gingerbread house decorating contest. Supply some pre-built gingerbread houses and plenty of decorations. You can make it more interesting by giving everyone a time limit.
Afterward, judge the houses based on creativity, neatness, or even “most likely to collapse.” This is a great way to let guests get creative while keeping it festive.
16. Ornament Decorating
Set up a station where guests can decorate their own Christmas ornaments. It’s more of an activity than a competitive game, but it’s a fun, laid-back way for people to chat and show off their artistic side.
Plus, everyone gets to take home their creation as a keepsake. It’s a lovely way to add a personal touch to the holiday festivities.
17. Holiday Wreath Making Race
Turn crafting into a competition by hosting a wreath-making race. Provide different materials like ribbons, fake holly, pinecones, and bells. Set a time limit, and see who can come up with the most creative wreath within that time frame.
This combines creativity with a bit of pressure, which often leads to some surprisingly impressive (or hilariously awful) results. It’s a great way to bring out everyone’s crafty side.
18. The Christmas Carol Whisper Challenge
A holiday twist on the popular Whisper Challenge! One person puts on headphones playing loud Christmas music, while the other whispers a line from a carol. The player with the headphones must try to lip-read and guess what’s being said.
This game gets really silly, really fast, especially when guests misinterpret common carol lyrics! It’s a fun way to test people’s lip-reading skills and enjoy some laughs.
19. Pin the Nose on Rudolph
Take the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” game and give it a Christmas makeover. Blindfold your guests, spin them around, and see if they can pin a red nose on Rudolph.
It’s simple, silly, and guaranteed to get everyone laughing. This game is perfect for bringing out the playful side of all your guests.
20. Ugly Sweater Parade
Encourage everyone to show up in their most ridiculous ugly Christmas sweater, and then have an impromptu runway show. Award different categories like “Most Hideous Sweater,” “Best Homemade Sweater,” and “Most Festive Sweater.”
It’s an easy, fun way to get everyone in the spirit—and you’ll be amazed at some of the sweaters people come up with! The parade adds an extra element of fun to your holiday party.
21. Christmas Memory Game
Test your guests’ memories by laying out a tray of Christmas-themed items—like candy canes, ornaments, tinsel—and letting everyone study it for 30 seconds. Cover the tray, and then see who can remember the most items.
It’s a surprisingly challenging game that gets everyone thinking. It’s also a fun way to see who has the best memory under pressure.
22. Holiday Movie Quote Match
Write down famous quotes from Christmas movies on slips of paper, and have your guests match the quote to the correct movie. This game works well as a group activity and is perfect for a group that loves holiday films.
It’s a great way to stir up some nostalgic conversations about everyone’s favorite holiday movies. Plus, it’s always fun to hear everyone’s take on the best Christmas quotes.
23. Who Am I: Christmas Character Edition
In this guessing game, each guest has the name of a Christmas character stuck to their forehead—like Santa, Frosty, or the Grinch. They have to ask yes-or-no questions to figure out who they are.
It’s a fun, interactive game that gets everyone talking and laughing. The simple rules and festive theme make it easy for everyone to join in.
24. Christmas Cookie Face Challenge
Place a Christmas cookie on each player’s forehead, and they have to move it to their mouth without using their hands. It’s a lot harder than it sounds and results in some truly funny faces—perfect for capturing those candid moments on camera!
The challenge always leads to laughter as people scrunch their faces in funny ways trying to get the cookie to their mouth. It’s a simple, yet hilarious game that everyone will enjoy.
25. Balloon Pop Race
Have each guest blow up a balloon, tie it, and then pop it by sitting on it. You can make it more festive by placing tiny jingle bells inside the balloons before they’re inflated.
The noise, laughter, and excitement as everyone tries to pop their balloons make this a fantastic game to liven up the party. The added bells make it extra festive and noisy—perfect for a holiday gathering.
26. Jingle Bell Shake
Attach several jingle bells to a tissue box, tie the box around someone’s waist, and see how many bells they can shake out in a minute. The sight of guests wiggling around trying to shake out all the bells is guaranteed to have everyone cracking up!
This game is simple to set up and results in lots of laughter as people try to wiggle as fast as they can. It’s a great way to get everyone moving and having fun.
27. Christmas Song Lyrics Scramble
Divide guests into teams and give them scrambled lyrics from popular Christmas songs. They have to work together to unscramble the lyrics and guess the song.
This game is a great way to get everyone working together, and it’s perfect for a group that loves caroling. It’s challenging enough to be interesting, but easy enough that everyone can participate.
28. Holiday Bingo
Create bingo cards filled with different Christmas activities, items, or traditions—like “sang a Christmas carol,” “sipped hot cocoa,” or “wore an ugly sweater.” As the night goes on, guests mark off any they’ve done.
It’s a relaxing game that guests can play throughout the night, and it adds a little extra fun to everything that’s happening. Bingo is always a hit, and the holiday theme makes it even more enjoyable.
29. The Naughty or Nice List
This game involves a bit of storytelling! Each guest has to confess something “naughty” or “nice” they did during the year, and the group gets to decide if they belong on Santa’s naughty or nice list.
It’s a hilarious way to learn a bit more about your friends’ antics over the year. It also makes for some pretty great storytelling and lots of laughs.
30. Christmas Would You Rather
This is a great game for winding down toward the end of the night. Ask funny holiday-themed “Would You Rather” questions, like “Would you rather have a snowball fight with Frosty or help Santa pack his sleigh?”
The answers often lead to hilarious debates and surprising insights. It’s a fun way to wrap up the evening while keeping everyone entertained.
31. Pass the Present
For a more relaxed game, try Pass the Present. Wrap a gift in multiple layers of wrapping paper, and have guests pass it around while Christmas music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the gift removes a layer of wrapping.
The person who unwraps the final layer gets to keep the gift. It’s a simple, classic game that adds a bit of suspense and excitement without too much pressure.
Time to Celebrate!
With these 31 Christmas party games for adults, your holiday gathering will be anything but boring. Whether you’re looking for competitive games, silly activities, or creative challenges, there’s something here for every type of party guest. The best part? These games aren’t just about winning or losing—they’re about sharing laughs, making memories, and creating an unforgettable Christmas experience with the people you care about.
So, break out the Santa hats, get the eggnog flowing, and let the games begin! Which of these games do you think your friends would enjoy the most? Go ahead and give them a try—your guests will thank you for hosting the most entertaining Christmas party of the season.