Christmas party games.

1. The imposter game, Christmas edition (ours)

Pass one phone round the couch. Everyone holds to see the secret word except the imposter, who gets only the category. One word each round the room, then everyone points at once. Pick the Holidays & Christmas pack and the words are Tinsel, Mistletoe, Advent Calendar, Mince Pie and the rest of the season. Free, no ads, and it works with the Wi-Fi down.

• Three generations: turn on Kids safe and the youngest get the Kids pack and a shorter talk, with an adult reading the card alongside them.
• A big family: the host runs it from one phone with the TV showing whose turn it is, so nobody on the far couch is left out.
• The cousins abroad: start a room and they join the family call from their own phones. The words come in sixteen languages.

The rules, a deal in your browser to try it, and playing it over a call.

2. Christmas charades

Films, songs and carols acted out in silence. Slips in a bowl, teams of the oldest against the youngest. Write the slips before lunch, or nobody will.

3. The wrapping race

Pairs wrap a present with one hand each, the other hand behind the back. Judge on neatness, then make them unwrap it.

4. Hum the carol

One person hums, first to name it hums next. Lasts exactly as long as the family’s knowledge of carols.

5. Who am I

A sticky note with a Christmas character on every forehead. Yes-or-no questions round the table until everyone knows who they are. The uncle who gets Rudolph never lives it down.

6. The present guess

Before any gift is opened, the room guesses what it is from the shape, the weight and the giver’s face. A point per correct guess, over the whole afternoon.

7. Secret Santa, exposed

After the presents, everyone guesses who had who. The giver who was guessed by nobody wins. Clues are allowed, lies are encouraged.

8. The after-dinner quiz

Ten questions about this family’s year: who moved, who got a dog, who said what in March. Teams by table end. The quizmaster is whoever remembers the most.

9. Name that film

One line from a Christmas film, read flat. First to name it reads the next. Keep a list ready, because nobody can remember a line on the spot.

10. The chocolate dice

A bar of chocolate, a knife and fork, a hat and gloves. Roll a six, put on the hat and gloves, and eat as much as you can with the cutlery until the next six is rolled. Every family already has a version of this.

Running games with everyone from seven to seventy

• Explain in one sentence and start. The second sentence loses the kids.
• Mixed ages play better in teams of two, young with old.
• Keep the adults-only games for after the kids are in bed. In Side Eye the 18+ packs are never picked unless someone chooses them.
• Have one game that needs nothing at all ready for when the batteries are flat.

Questions