5 games for large groups

For most of us, the holidays is the moment per excellence to spend quality time with those you love. Whether you‘re hosting a family reunion or looking for quick entertainment with friends, board games are in my mind the best way to bring everyone together. We all know that finding and choosing the right game makes the difference here. But worry not: I‘ve got you covered. In this post, I have rounded up five board games that are a perfect match to the holiday season. Each one supports large groups, provide a stress-free experience, encourages social interaction, features easy set-up, simple rules all in a maximum of 30 minutes. Best of all, these games are approchable to new gamers and seasonned veterans alike. Everyone can jump in and enjoy them. I also tried to list different style of games to better suit your tastes. Lets begin.

Dixit Odyssey

Dixit Odyssey (or any Dixit box really) is a beautiful board game for the creatives among you. In Dixit, players have illustrated cards, each featuring surreal and sometimes whimsical artwork. Each turn, a player will be the storyteller, secretly selecting a card in his hand and giving a clue inspired by it. All other players will then select a card of their own that they think fits the clue. All selected cards are shuffled and players are tasked on finding what card the storyteller chose. The key part of the game is that the storytelling DOESN‘T want every player to guess his card correctly. In that way, the game encourages creative thinking and really knowing with who you are playing. For example, ‘inside jokes‘ are perfect clues to give here.

Over the years, I have found that Dixit offers even the most timid players a time to shine and is just a great vector to retale good stories to bond with friends and family alike. It does not required particular focus or complex decision making, so it is a great fit for the late hours. The game does offer a scoring system, but the goal really isn‘t to win: just to have fun. The gorgeous, dreamlike artwork is also a big draw. The visual appeal is great to entice people who might not be familiar with board games. Each game is unique and changes everytime you play. So, you‘ll have plenty of great time for your buck. This game can, officially, accomodate up to 12 players (6 players for the other boxes) but, frankly, you can play with pretty much how many players you want. Just ditch the scoring system and make sure that everyone has enough cards. You‘ll be good to go.

Codenames

This game is perfect for crowds who enjoy puzzles, teamwork and word play. The game is played in two teams each with a “spymaster“. The spymasters know the secret identities of 25 words laid out in a grid and must give one-word clues to help their team guess the correct words. The catch is that the spymaster can (and should) give clues referencing multiple words while avoiding linking the clue to the other team‘s words or the dangerous assassin word that would instantly end the game. This game is a slower pace puzzle that demands some reflection, but nothing too exhaustive. The experience also offer great space for cooperation in a short playtime and in a stress-free way. An excellent choice with kids. The game being compact and short, it can easily be played muliple rounds to fit in between to meals. One of the biggest draws of it is the fact that it can accomadate pretty much any player count over 4. Just split players into two teams and you will be good to go. I even played a game with 30 players. Went like a charm.

Cartographers

This one is for those yatzee enjoyers who might want new ways to enjoy it. Cartographers is an engaging paper and pencil game where players are mapmakers in a fantasy world, aiming to creat the most impressive map. Each round, players draw cards showing terrain shapes and a scoring condition (for example, mountains must be adjacent to water). Each player must then draw the corresponding tearrain on their sheet and try to match the scoring conditions as best as they can. After each round, players score their map based on the objectives and it starts over. Within that small and accessible ruleset, Cartographers packages light strategy with creativity. Furthermore, Cartographers offers surprisingly high interactivity for a game of its ilk: players can place “monster“ on other players maps putting some obstacles in their way. Yet again, it visual aspects make it an immediate success with children and non-gamers, but it can also offer enough meat for the seasonned. The scoring cards garantee replayability and the game can, by nature, accomodate as many players as you want. Just make sure that everyone has a pencil and a map (which is available for free to print if you need more) and you will be good to go.

Deception: Murder in Honk Kong

For those wanting a more involved social gathering, it is difficult to do better than Deception; Murder in Hong Kong. This thrilling social deduction game blends mystery, intrigue but also teamwork and a small time investment, something rare in the genre. Here‘s how it works: each player is assigned a role at the start. Most players will be investigators, one player will be the murderer and another player will be the forensic scientist. The forensic scientist acts as a game master for the round, knowing the details of the crime committed and providing clues to the investigators. The clues are generally abstract aspects of the crime - such as locations, weather, etc. Investigators work together to narrow down the possibilities. Meanwhile, the murderer is trying to mislead and avoid being caught. At this point, you might worry that, like many other social deduction games, depends much on the group. But don‘t worry: the game got you covered. The game support a clear and solid structure, making sure that every player (even the most timid) as time to expose his theories on the crime. Furthermore, the focus is not on finding who is the murderer and decyphiring facial expressions, but on the possible clues in front of the players and solving the puzzle in front of them. At larger player counts, the game adds an accomplice to help the murderer and a witness who saw the crime for even more complications. The murderer is therefore not alone. Even when the murderer has been caught, he can still win if he can guess who is the witness. In that way, even the murderer can have a stress-free and enjoyable experience. Much of the gameplay reolves about talking, guessing and persuasing. Some will even enjoy weaving wild and funny theories (that might actually be right). Non-gamers will enjoy the social aspect of it. This deceptively fun and approachable game is suitable up to 12 players. Sadly, no cheat to support more, but still an excellent time.

Hitster

Finally, here‘s a great choice for the trivia fanatics. Hitster is a easy-to-play board game where players work together to order popular songs from different decades and genre by year of release. Players are given a stack of cards, each featuring a song title, artist and year of release. These informations are hidden beneath the card and the player must scan the qr code on the front of the card to hear a sample of it. Players then collaborate to arrange every sample correctly on the timeline. The variety of music genres—from classic rock to modern pop—means there’s something for everyone, and the game doesn’t require expert knowledge of every song; a little intuition and memory often go a long way. Since the game features songs from a broad range of decades and genres, it appeals to players of all ages. Younger players may recognize more modern hits, while older players can enjoy the challenge of placing classic songs correctly. This makes Hitster a great choice for multi-generational groups, where everyone can participate and contribute their knowledge. Hitster also taps beautifully into nostalgia, making in an enjoyable ride down memory lane. Since each round is relatively quick (about 30 minutes), you can play multiple rounds, allowing for plenty of fun while mingling or enjoying snacks and drinks. Its simplicity, music-driven theme, and ability to bring people together make it an ideal choice for a fun, inclusive, and memorable holiday game.

Time to setup

With your new holiday lineup, you‘re now equipped to create some memorable moments. The holidays are all about spending quality time with those who matter most, and with these games, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to strengthen those bonds, share great conversations, and make lasting memories. So, gather your group, set up the game, and let the fun begin! Happy holidays and happy gaming!

Enjoy the moment and see you next time.