6 games that offer a bit more challenge and depth this Christmas.
7. Awkward Guests
It’s like Cluedo but better. In Awkward Guests, up to 8 budding Poirots (double decker moustache optional, Belgian brogue obligatory) compete to be the first to solve the Walton Manor murder.
As expected, some rich, doddery, old duffer has been ‘offed’ and you have to use your skills of deduction and hand management to work out whodunnit, where, why and with what. You’ll start with some cards that provide clues and you’ll move around the mansion, as well as negotiate and barter information with other players, to build your case.
Awkward Guests is one of the longer games on the list; it’s a bit more fiddly than others and takes a bit of time to set up (play the ‘someone needs to read the rules’ card right and you could dodge the Christmas clear-up) but if you like to ‘‘get ur Agatha Christie on’’ you won’t be disappointed.
8. Zooloretto/Coloretto
Zooloretto is the most ‘family’ of the games on this list. Allan and Peter liked this when they were younger and still do. Up to 5 budding zoo keepers can spend around 45 mins. filling their zoos with Pandas and other lovely, cuddly, furry and feathery creatures (that would tear you to shreds, but not in this game, sadly).
However, there is an edge to Zooloretto, wherein lies the fun. On your turn you will either take a truck and unload its animal tiles into your zoo, or draw an animal tile from a bag and add it to a waiting truck. That’s pretty much it. However, to which truck do you add the kangaroo tile you’ve just drawn? Not the one with the kangaroo on it already, that’s for sure! Mamie wants that one (she’s got a thing for Kangaroos-see The Pretender, The 12 Games of Christmas 2025, Pt.1). No way that old witch is getting to take a truck with two kangaroos on it so she can complete an enclosure. And I’m not putting it on the truck I plan to take either-I don’t want kangaroos. I’ll add it to the truck with the flamingo that Nathalie wants. A kangaroo will cost her points so she’ll be very sad! Mwa ha ha ha ha! The central mechanism that makes this game tick is sometimes known as ‘hate drafting’ and we love it!
Zooloretto is the board game version of the card game Coloretto. Coloretto is simpler and plays in 20-30 mins. You have to hate-draft chameleons. It’s fun too but zoos, and zoo animals and zoo animals producing baby zoo animals? Zooloretto is better.
Coda: Nathalie took the truck I wanted and left me with the kangaroo and the flamingo. Useless bird- the flamingo that is, not Nathalie!
9. Las Vegas
Nathalie loves Las Vegas, the city and the game. Rupen does too; the game that is. Maybe the city too. Who knows. He’s a man of mystery. In Las Vegas (the game) there is a lot to like: the cheers, whoops, sighs and unseemly banter associated with chucking handfuls of dice, the friendly? animosity that develops around the table as you compete to dominate casino tiles, and winning thousands of money.
Las Vegas hides its light under a bushel. It appears to be a shortish (30-45 mins?) dice chucker where luck rules the roost. But a few rounds in you’ll be thinking, “Maybe I should put one die here, forcing Rupen to put his dice here too, leaving that other tile open for later” and “maybe I shouldn’t plough all my dice into the big money tiles that everyone fights over and instead use them sparingly to win all the small bills” and maybe I’ll put one die on every casino and take the big bucks when there is a draw…
Viva Las Vegas, baby.
10. Zoo Vadis
Strange name for a game but there you have it. Suffice to say that it is a re-theming and up-grading of an older game called Quo Vadis, designed by Reiner Knizia, who is considered by many to be the games designer GOAT.
So, why should you fork out for this game then plonk it amongst the scraps and left-overs on your Christmas table? Well, it looks good. The components are tactile and colourful and the box art suggests that you are going to have fun, which you are. It plays good too.
Zoo Vadis is, at heart, a negotiation game which engenders lots of chat and banter, as you try to get one of your animals into the prize enclosure while simultaneously collecting as many laurels (VPs) as you can.
Turns come around quickly as you take only 1 of a possible 4 actions on your turn. If you don’t fancy reading the rulebook then watch a ‘How to Play’ vid. on YouTube. Even Nick “quite likes it” and he’s fun averse.
11. Survive: Escape from Atlantis/Survive the Island
Everyone banging the table; “Dah da!…..dah da!.. da da da da da da da da…..”. Hof, in a thick Irish accent, quotes Quint from ‘Jaws’, “Y’know the t’ing about a shark, he’s got…lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s eyes…”. You are playing Survive: Escape from Atlantis (a.k.a Survive the Island), a ‘take that’ game that will make Christmas memorable.
Save your meeples from a doomed Island and turn your chums into chum. Set up the game, explain the symbols under the island tiles and off you go. By the time you have taken your turn everyone will know how to play. There is a measure of luck in the tile draws and dice rolls but who cares. There will be “ooh’s” and “ah’s” aplenty as the game moves along, perhaps followed by less guarded vocabulary. We often forget about winning and focus on creating a chaotic, watery, bloodbath, just so we can watch Rob’s face drop and his eyes tear up as his last meeple descends to Davy Jones’s locker.
12. I’m the Boss
If I’ve got the desire, and energy, to hoot, holler, wheedle, connive, argue and back-stab for 90 mins. or so I’ll reach for ‘I’m the Boss’. Think ‘Monopoly’ with all the crap bits tossed out and loads of Trump impersonations thrown in. This is a great game to kick start the post turkey shenanigans.
I’m the Boss is a ‘take that’, negotiation game where, to win, you will have to behave like a right little Donald. On your turn you will try to lead on the deal which you have the most chance of dominating. You will attempt to complete this deal by involving the least amount of players and leveraging the most amount of money. Then those sullen, angry peeps you deliberately ditched (your family and friends, remember?) will use their cards to try to shut your deal down or take over your negotiations. There may be a lot of metaphorical blood spilled playing ‘I’m the Boss’ so follow up with a relationship affirming yoga and meditation session- chant after me, “it’s only a game, it’s only a game…”
Phew. If your experience of the festive season is anything like mine it will be over in a blink. So create some memories to keep you warm until Spring and …merry Christmas.
