The holiday season is the perfect excuse to slow down and gather around the table. It’s the time of year when warm, cheerful, and slightly magical games fit the mood perfectly. Maybe Christmas fun means a light card game over hot chocolate. Maybe it’s a festive puzzle with the family. Or perhaps you prefer a full-on strategic showdown surrounded by fairy lights. Whatever your style, there’s something here for every mood and every group.
These Christmas board games capture the spirit of the season. They bring cozy moments, playful energy, nostalgic warmth, and that soft, twinkling atmosphere we love. Some are pure holiday charm. Others pair beautifully with cold nights, warm blankets, and the soft glow of a tree in the corner.
If you want to explore more snug and seasonal picks beyond Christmas, take a look at our winter lineup in Best Winter Board Games ❄️ Discover 10 Snowy, Heart-Warming Picks You’ll Love. It’s perfect for snowy nights, quiet retreats, and cozy game sessions by the fire.
If you’re ready to turn your December nights into something truly special, this list of fifteen festive favorites will keep your table glowing all winter long.
Santa’s Workshop & Holiday Magic
Let’s start with the games that feel like Christmas the moment you lift the lid. These picks drop you straight into Santa’s workshop, gingerbread-scented cottages, and playful holiday showdowns between festive characters. It’s the most “magical” corner of the list, filled with warm colors, twinkling lights, and cheerful energy, exactly the vibe you want for a cozy holiday game night.
Santa’s Workshop
2–5 players | 30–60 min
Santa’s Workshop is pure Christmas energy from the first turn. You run a team of busy little elves. Each one darts around the workshop to gather materials, learn new skills, and build toys before the big night arrives. At its core, it’s worker placement. But it has a bright and playful twist that makes every round feel like a tiny race against time.
You’ll collect wood, metal, cloth, and even a touch of magic, then turn those resources into finished toys. Some gifts are quick and simple. Others need real planning. And the best ones always seem to be the exact gifts everyone else is chasing. The fun comes from upgrading your elves and spotting clever little efficiencies. You also try to grab the right resource before someone else claims the spot.
It’s cheerful, cozy, and surprisingly satisfying. It’s the kind of holiday game that keeps the table smiling while still giving you a small engine to build. And if you want something that mixes theme with a gentle dose of strategy, Santa’s Workshop is a perfect warm-up for a festive game night.
🛒 Get it here: US
Gingerbread House
2–4 players | 30 min
Gingerbread House looks sweet and whimsical, but beneath the frosting there’s a clever tile-laying puzzle waiting to unfold. Each turn you place a domino-style tile onto your gingerbread structure, covering symbols that give you resources you’ll use to “rescue” fairy-tale characters wandering through the forest. The whole thing feels like building a cozy confection tower one layer at a time.
The charm comes from how neatly every piece clicks together. You’re trying to create perfect little combos. You place the right tile, earn just enough gingerbread or candy canes, and lure the exact creature you need before someone else grabs them. The idea is simple to grasp, but the puzzle has satisfying depth. A single placement can set up three or four turns in a row.
Light, colorful, and full of holiday flavor, Gingerbread House brings everyone to the table with a smile. It feels festive without being overwhelming. It’s strategic without feeling stressful. And it’s perfect for families who enjoy a gentle challenge wrapped in a warm, fairy-tale theme.
Holly Jolly
2–4 players | 20–30 min
Holly Jolly is a cheerful little card game about decorating the tree, collecting gifts, and spreading as much festive spirit as possible. On your turn, you play a card into the display to change the “color value” of the Christmas lights, then draw a matching ornament, present, or decoration from the center of the table. It’s a simple idea, but the way the numbers and colors interact gives every choice a satisfying spark.
The fun is all in the timing. Everyone watches the same central display. Each player waits for the perfect moment to grab the ornament that fits their scoring set or to swipe a present someone else clearly wants. The game stays light and breezy. But it also has just enough nudge-and-take tension to keep everyone engaged. And when the tree finally starts looking exactly how you want it, the excitement grows even more.
Bright, friendly, and filled with that cozy “holiday night-in” feeling, Holly Jolly is an easy winner for families and casual groups. It plays fast and looks charming on the table. It also has that warm, inviting energy that makes you want to shuffle the deck and play again.
Cozy Christmas Card Games
Some holiday nights call for something simple, warm, and wonderfully easy to bring to the table. These card games are perfect for a relaxed December evening. They are quick to learn and full of festive charm. They’re also ideal for playing while you sip hot chocolate or unwind with family. They never overwhelm you with rules. Instead, they create small bursts of joy, clever decisions, and cozy moments you’ll want to repeat again and again.
12 Days
3–5 players | 15 min
12 Days takes the classic Christmas carol and turns it into a light and charming card game about giving and trading. It also rewards the timing of your plays. Each round, you gift a card to the player on your left and receive one from your right. Then you play a card into the center to compete for holiday “days” that score points. It’s all about reading the table and keeping just enough surprises in your hand to snag the rounds that matter.
The fun comes from the gentle push-and-pull of the gifting system. Do you pass along that perfect low card to stay flexible later? Or do you hold it for a sneaky win at the right moment? The deck mirrors the structure of the carol, with more 12s than 1s, so every hand feels a little different. This gives the game a lovely rhythm as it moves from day to day.
Simple, festive, and full of small delights, 12 Days is the kind of holiday filler that works with any group. It plays fast, makes people smile, and captures the easy, cheerful spirit of a cozy December night.
🛒 Get it here: US
Christmas Lights: A Card Game
2–6 players | 10–30 min
Christmas Lights is a light deduction-and-pattern game where everyone is trying to untangle their own strand of holiday lights. The twist is deliciously simple: you can’t see your own cards, only everyone else’s. Each turn you ask questions, swap cards, or reveal bits of information, slowly piecing together the exact sequence of bulbs you need to complete your perfect string.
It feels cozy and a little chaotic in the best way. The table becomes a swirl of colored lights, half-guesses, and playful hints as players try to guide each other, or gently nudge the round in their own favor. Sometimes the right card comes at the perfect moment, sometimes it leaves you with a hilarious, tangled mess. That’s part of the charm.
Warm, friendly, and full of that classic holiday “let’s figure this out together” energy, Christmas Lights works beautifully with mixed groups. It’s easy, social, and festive without demanding your full focus. That makes it a lovely pick for relaxed December evenings when you want something gentle and bright.
🛒 Get it here: US
Ghosts of Christmas
3–4 players | 40 min
Ghosts of Christmas wraps trick-taking in a charming Dickens-inspired twist. Instead of playing one trick at a time, you play across three timelines: Past, Present, and Future, placing cards into each row before resolving anything. Once all cards are down, the tricks are scored in order, and suddenly every earlier decision snaps into place with a mix of surprise, delight, and just a little chaos.
The magic lies in predicting what others will do across the three timelines. Maybe you sacrifice the Past to win the Present. Maybe you bluff in the Future to tempt someone into overcommitting. It feels familiar if you’ve played trick-taking before, but the multi-row system makes every round deeper and far more playful than it first appears.
It’s atmospheric, clever, and perfect for holiday nights when you want something with personality. With its cozy art, quick rounds, and gentle brain stretch, Ghosts of Christmas pulls off that rare trick of feeling festive and genuinely smart at the same time.
🛒 Get it here: FR
Winter Adventures & Snowy Journeys
Some games don’t shout “Christmas,” but they carry that perfect winter feeling. You get snowy landscapes, cold nights, cozy cabins, and quiet little journeys that pair beautifully with the season. These titles bring a warm and wintry calm to the table. They blend gentle strategy with atmospheric art and a sense of traveling through peaceful, frozen worlds. Whether you want a crisp northern adventure or a soft, snowy board full of charm, these games set the tone for the coziest game nights of winter.
Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries
2–3 players | 30–60 min
Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries takes the classic route-building system and sends it straight into the deep winter of Scandinavia. You’ll be connecting snowy cities across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, carving paths through icy fjords, frozen ports, and mountains dusted in white. The familiar mechanics are all here: collect cards, claim routes, complete tickets, but the tighter map gives the game a wonderfully cozy tension.
What makes this version shine is its intimate feel. With only two or three players on the board, the routes fill up quickly, turning simple decisions into small puzzles. Do you rush your long northern connection before someone blocks it, or try to weave around the snow-covered map with safer short routes? It’s smooth, elegant, and just crunchy enough to keep everyone leaning in.
It’s a winter classic for a reason. The artwork feels cold and quiet in the loveliest way, the pace is gentle but engaging, and every game leaves you wrapped in that warm “let’s play again” feeling. If you want a crisp, snowy journey for your holiday nights, Nordic Countries is a perfect pick.
Jokkmokk: The Winter Market
1–5 players | 45 min
Jokkmokk: The Winter Market invites you into a snowy Swedish village during its annual winter fair, a place filled with lanterns, crafts, warm drinks, and gentle bustle. The game blends set collection, light resource management, and small tactical choices as you move through the market, visiting stalls, collecting goods, and fulfilling cozy little winter tasks that feel straight out of a holiday postcard.
The charm comes from how peaceful it all feels. You’re planning your route through the marketplace, spotting a few clever combos, and timing your visits just right so you can grab the items you need before anyone else strolls over. The interactions are friendly rather than confrontational, and the art gives every turn that soft, wintry glow that makes the whole experience feel calm and inviting.
It’s the perfect game for players who want something warm and atmospheric without a heavy rules overhead. Jokkmokk is gentle, thoughtful, and filled with the magic of a winter festival, making it ideal for nights when you want strategy wrapped in a cozy, seasonal setting.
Festive Editions of Classics
Some games don’t need a full holiday theme; they just slip into something festive, add a pinch of Christmas magic, and suddenly feel perfect for December nights. These are familiar titles dressed in seasonal charm, with new art, snowy twists, or playful holiday variants that make them feel fresh again.
They keep everything you love about the original games but wrap the experience in warm colors, cozy details, and that cheerful “holiday special” energy. Whether you want a quick duel, a clever puzzle, or a bright little filler, these festive editions bring out the best of both worlds: comfort and celebration.
Flip 7: Grinch Edition
3–18 players | 20 min
Flip 7: Grinch Edition takes the familiar flip-and-write formula and wraps it in full holiday mischief. Each round, players flip a card, check the number, and try to place it cleverly to complete sets, hit bonuses, and chain scoring bursts. It’s simple on the surface, but those tiny choices add up quickly, especially when the perfect number shows up at the worst possible time.
The Grinch twist gives everything a playful, slightly chaotic charm. Some cards help you build neat little runs, others force awkward gaps, and a few downright sabotage your perfect plan in the most festive way. The fun is in trying to squeeze points out of whatever the deck throws at you, even when the Grinch clearly has other ideas.
Fast, cheerful, and super easy to bring to the table, Flip 7 is the kind of holiday filler everyone ends up replaying “just once more.” It’s light, bright, and full of that goofy Christmas energy that makes mixed groups and family nights feel effortless.
Boop the Halls
2 players | 20–30 min
Boop the Halls takes the beloved “booping” puzzle of the original game and wraps it in full holiday flair. Instead of sleepy kittens and mischievous cats, you get festive creatures bouncing across a soft, quilted bed covered in little seasonal patterns. Every time you place a piece, it gently “boops” adjacent pieces one space away, and suddenly the board turns into a tiny, adorable chain reaction.
The puzzle is simple to learn but sneaky to master. You’re trying to position your creatures just right so they can upgrade into bigger, stronger ones, all while booping your opponent’s pieces off the edge or out of their perfect formation. It’s light, clever, and full of those satisfying little moments where one well-placed ornament sends everything sliding in your favor.
Charming, compact, and irresistibly cute, Boop the Halls is the kind of two-player holiday game that makes you smile the entire time. It’s quick, cozy, and endlessly replayable, the perfect fireside battle for December nights.
🛒 Get it here: US
Patchwork Christmas Edition
2 players | 15–30 min
Patchwork Christmas Edition takes the classic two-player tile-laying puzzle and wraps it in pure holiday charm. Instead of sewing quirky fabrics into a quilt, you’re piecing together a cozy Christmas blanket filled with winter patterns, warm colors, and festive textures. The gameplay stays delightfully familiar: choose a patch, pay its cost, and fit it into your growing board as neatly as you can.
The magic is in the decisions. Some pieces are awkward, some are expensive, and some are perfect little treasures that fit into your quilt like they were meant to be there. Every choice has a gentle tension: do you take the piece that fits now, or plan for a satisfying combo later? And with the classic time-track system pushing you forward, there’s always just one more clever placement waiting to be discovered.
It’s warm, quiet, and wonderfully replayable. Patchwork Christmas Edition keeps everything that made the original a favorite, while giving it that soft holiday glow that makes it irresistible in December. It’s the perfect two-player puzzle for cold nights, cozy rooms, and anyone who loves a mix of calm and cleverness.
Super Skill Pinball: Holiday Special
1–4 players | 15–45 min
Super Skill Pinball: Holiday Special turns the classic roll-and-write pinball system into a bright and festive celebration. You get bouncing lights, candy canes, and a good dose of holiday silliness. You roll the dice and choose which bumper or lane to hit. Then you trace the ball’s path on your board. You score combos, trigger bonuses, and set up one more satisfying chain before gravity finally wins. It captures the feel of real pinball, just reimagined through cheerful, winter-themed sheets.
The holiday twist gives everything a playful new flavor. Some boards focus on sweet treats and cookie chaos, others on twinkling lights or snowy ramps that send your ball looping around for huge point bursts. You’re constantly weighing risk versus reward: should you push your luck for one last big shot, or bank your points before the ball drains? Every turn has that “just one more roll” energy.
It’s a joyful, lightweight experience that works beautifully with mixed groups. Whether you’re playing solo while the house is quiet or with friends around the table, the Holiday Special feels like a warm little tradition, familiar, cozy, and full of colorful surprises.
Dice Throne: Santa vs Krampus
2 players | 20–40 min
Dice Throne: Santa vs Krampus is exactly what it sounds like, an over-the-top, holiday-themed duel between the jolliest hero of all and the iconic Christmas troublemaker. Each character comes with their own dice, abilities, upgrade cards, and ultimate attacks. You roll, reroll, and combine results to unleash powerful abilities, chain combos, or set traps that slowly tip the battle in your favor.
Santa plays with charm and generosity… but also with a bit of explosive cheer. His abilities feel bright, magical, and full of clever twists. Krampus, on the other hand, is mean, spiky, and tricky, stealing resources, cursing dice, and punishing greedy plays. The asymmetry is what makes it shine: both sides feel thematic and wildly fun to master.
It’s quick, punchy, and full of holiday spectacle. Every turn feels dramatic and festive, whether you’re rolling for a massive ultimate attack or trying to block Krampus and his mischief. If you want a holiday showdown that mixes luck, tactics, and personality in equal measure, Santa vs Krampus delivers the perfect dose of seasonal chaos.
🛒 Get it here: FR
Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman
3–8 players | 10 min
Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman is one of those holiday party games that starts simple and ends in pure, joyful chaos. Players take turns saying the next word in the repeating pattern, “Santa, cookie, elf, candy, snowman”, while flipping a card from their personal deck. The moment your spoken word matches the card you reveal, everyone races to slap the pile in the center. The last hand wins nothing… except the entire pile added to their deck.
That’s where the fun really kicks in. Special action cards break the rhythm and force the whole table to react instantly. Maybe you strike a silly pose, maybe you shout something festive, maybe you do whatever the card commands before slapping the pile again. If you hesitate, laugh too hard, or freeze for even half a second, the cards are yours.
Fast, ridiculous, and full of that warm “family chaos at Christmas” energy, this is the kind of game that has people shouting, slapping, laughing, and begging for a rematch. It’s easy to teach, impossible to play with a straight face, and ends the moment one player finally empties their deck.
🛒 Get it here: US
Puzzles, Mysteries & Seasonal Stories
Not every holiday game is about decorations or cheerful chaos; some are all about quiet puzzles, clever mysteries, and little seasonal stories that unfold one piece at a time. These titles bring a different kind of festive magic to the table: calm, thoughtful, and perfect for cozy evenings when you want something to solve rather than something to shout. Whether you’re cracking codes, following clues, or opening one tiny door at a time, these games create some of the most memorable moments of the season.
EXIT Advent Calendar: The Intergalactic Race
1–99 players | 20-45 min
EXIT: The Game – Advent Calendar: The Intergalactic Race takes the classic EXIT puzzle style and turns it into a full 24-day space-themed adventure. Each morning you open a new door in the calendar, uncovering a tiny puzzle, a hidden clue, or a new piece of the story as you race across the cosmos in a holiday-flavored interstellar competition. Instead of chocolates, you’re unlocking compartments filled with riddles and sci-fi surprises.
The box itself becomes part of the puzzle. You’ll twist small components, slide open secret chambers, and examine tiny details hidden in the artwork to figure out how to progress. Every day adds a new step in your intergalactic journey, sometimes a quick brainteaser, sometimes a layered challenge that makes you pause and think before discovering the next clue.
It’s festive, clever, and wonderfully different from the usual Advent calendars. Whether you play it solo each morning or turn it into a nightly ritual with family, The Intergalactic Race brings a steady stream of puzzles, story beats, and that warm “one more door tomorrow” anticipation all December long.
🛒 Get it here: US
The Kringle Caper
1–4 players | 60 min
Holiday Hijinks: The Kringle Caper is a tiny, festive escape-room adventure packed into a single deck of cards. You’re investigating a Christmas crime at the North Pole. You flip cards one by one to uncover clues and spot hidden details. Each puzzle builds on the last, slowly revealing what really happened. Every card gives you a new snippet of the mystery. The accompanying website checks your answers and nudges you forward with just enough guidance.
The gameplay feels cozy and approachable. You’ll decode symbols, follow visual hints, connect patterns, and occasionally use objects around you to solve puzzles, all without needing a big setup or a dedicated puzzle table. It’s linear and story-driven, which makes it easy to settle into the narrative and enjoy the little twists as they unfold.
Light, charming, and perfect for a quiet December evening, The Kringle Caper offers a lovely experience for puzzle lovers. It’s ideal if you want a short, seasonal mystery without the intensity of a full escape-room box. It’s small enough to slip into a stocking. Yet it’s smart enough to leave you smiling when the final reveal clicks into place.
🛒 Get it here: FR
And if rain, hot cocoa, and soft blankets are more your winter vibe, don’t miss Rainy Day Board Games ☕ Discover Five Cozy, Beautiful & Soothing Picks. It’s ideal for moments when you want something gentle, atmospheric, and utterly comforting.
Which one will light up your holiday table first?
These Christmas and winter-themed games capture everything we love about the season. They bring warmth, laughter, and the soft glow of cozy nights. You might be solving a tiny mystery, decorating a gingerbread board, battling Krampus, or taking a snowy train ride through the Nordic countryside. No matter the choice, each pick brings its own kind of festive magic.
If you want board games that feel like comfort food for December nights, this list is the perfect place to start. Pour a warm drink, set the lights low, gather the people you love, and let the holiday spirit do the rest.
Play cozy, play bright, and may your game nights be merry and full of joy. 🎄✨
