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Christmas Party Games for Adults That’ll Actually Keep Everyone Entertained (No Boring Charades Here)
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Christmas party games for adults can make or break your holiday gathering, and I’m here to tell you that nobody wants to play another round of awkward icebreakers that feel like a middle school mixer.
You know the panic that sets in around mid-December when you’ve committed to hosting a Christmas party and suddenly realize you need more than just eggnog and a Spotify playlist to keep your guests from checking their phones?
I’ve been there, standing in my living room at 3 PM on party day, wondering how to keep twelve adults entertained for four hours without resorting to charades (which, let’s be honest, half your guests will hate).
The secret is having a mix of games that don’t require a PhD to understand but also don’t insult your guests’ intelligence.
The Games That Save Every Holiday Party
Cocktail Competition: Because Adults Like Their Games With a Side of Booze
Let me tell you about the game that single-handedly saved my Christmas party three years ago.
I split my guests into teams and challenged them to create the best festive cocktail using ingredients I’d laid out on my kitchen counter.
The chaos was glorious.
One team created something they called “Santa’s Revenge” that was basically cranberry juice with enough vodka to strip paint.
Another made a surprisingly sophisticated rosemary-gin situation that actually tasted like Christmas smelled.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A selection of spirits (vodka, gin, rum, whiskey)
- Mixers (cranberry juice, ginger beer, tonic, soda)
- Festive additions (rosemary sprigs, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, orange peels)
- Cocktail shaker sets for each team
- Small tasting cups for judging
The winning team gets bragging rights and doesn’t have to help with dishes.
Trust me, that second prize is more motivating than you’d think.
Holiday Scattergories: The Classic Gets a Festive Makeover
Regular Scattergories is fine, but Christmas party games for adults need that holiday twist to really land.
I modify the categories to include things like:
- Things you’d find in Santa’s workshop
- Reasons to end up on the naughty list
- Christmas movies that make you ugly cry
- Foods that should never be peppermint-flavored
- Excuses for why you didn’t send Christmas cards
Pick up a Scattergories game and customize the cards, or create your own from scratch.
The beauty is watching your accountant friend trying to come up with seven words that start with “Q” related to Christmas under time pressure.
It’s entertainment gold.
Most Likely To: Holiday Edition Gets Real Fast
This game reveals who your friends really are.
Create scenarios like:
- Most likely to show up to Christmas dinner drunk
- Most likely to re-gift something you gave them
- Most likely to start a political argument at the dinner table
- Most likely to cry during a Hallmark movie
- Most likely to eat all the cookies meant for Santa
Everyone points at once to who they think fits each scenario.
The person with the most votes takes a drink.
No equipment needed, just brutal honesty and thick skin.
Festive Karaoke: Embrace the Cringe
I used to think karaoke was reserved for dive bars and bachelorette parties until I discovered that nothing bonds adults faster than watching their normally composed neighbor butcher “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
Set up a karaoke machine or use a YouTube karaoke channel.
Award categories that make it competitive:
- Loudest singer (my cousin wins this every year and I’m convinced our neighbors hate us)
- Best performance (includes choreography)
- Most emotional delivery (someone always cries during “Blue Christmas”)
- Most creative interpretation (watching someone rap “Silent Night” is unforgettable)
The trick is making sure you go first.
Lead by embarrassing example and everyone else will follow.
Games That Get People Moving (Without Feeling Like Forced Fun)
Hook the Tinsel: Deceptively Difficult
This game looks simple until you’ve had three glasses of wine and you’re trying to land a candy cane on tinsel from six feet away.
Setup:
- Hang tinsel garland from your ceiling or a door frame
- Give each player five candy canes
- Mark a throwing line 5-8 feet back
- Watch grown adults lose their minds over what should be simple physics
I’ve seen a software engineer spend twenty minutes perfecting his throwing technique while his wife hooked three in a row on her first try.
The competitive energy this generates is unmatched.
Plastic Wrap Ball Game: Pure Chaos in Spherical Form
This game is messy, loud, and absolutely perfect.
I learned about it from my sister-in-law who runs her holiday parties like a drill sergeant, and now I’m obsessed.
How it works:
- Buy a giant roll of plastic wrap (the industrial kind, not your kitchen drawer stuff).
- Start with a decent prize in the center and wrap it.
- Add small gifts and candy as you keep wrapping—think gift cards, mini bottles, lottery tickets, candy bars.
- Keep wrapping until
