50 Christmas Party Games for Adults

On this page

1. Gift exchange games
2. Trivia and quiz games
3. Conversation and icebreaker games
4. Drawing, acting and guessing games
5. 60-second games
6. Team games for bigger groups
7. Grown-up extras
8. How to plan the games for your party
9. Questions hosts ask

That’s the left-right game, and it’s the easiest way to start a gift exchange. Everyone holds a wrapped gift, the host reads the story, and gifts move left or right every time the word comes up. By the end, nobody knows who has what. Print the story or read it from your phone.

The rest of this list is sorted by the kind of game it is, so you can build a party from a couple of each. Every game here works sober. Where a drinking version makes sense, we say so, and it’s always optional.

Gift exchange games

1. White elephant gift swap

Everyone brings one wrapped gift in a set price range and draws a number. Player 1 opens a gift; everyone after that can open a new one or steal an opened gift. Cap each gift at three steals, or the game never ends. Plan 30 to 45 minutes for 15 people.

2. Left-right gift game (free printable)

The story above. Five to ten minutes, works for any group of 6 to 30, and needs one wrapped gift per person. Read at a steady pace; speeding up near the end makes it chaotic in a good way.

3. Dice gift swap

Put all the gifts in the middle. Players take turns rolling one die: a 6 lets you take a gift from the pile, a 1 lets you steal from someone. Once the pile is empty, set a three-minute timer and keep rolling, with 6 meaning swap with anyone. When the timer goes off, you keep what you’re holding.

4. Secret Santa guessing

Run a normal Secret Santa, but don’t reveal who bought what. Each person opens their gift and gets one guess at their Santa. Correct guesses earn a candy cane. It turns a quiet unwrapping into a round of detective work.

5. Worst gift ever contest

Guests bring the strangest gift they’ve ever received (or a stand-in), wrapped. Each person unwraps and tells the story, and everyone votes for the worst. The winner takes home a slightly better prize. Allow two to three minutes per person.

6. Oven mitt unwrap

Wrap a small prize in a box, then wrap it again, six or seven times, with lots of tape. Players pass it around a circle and roll two dice. Roll doubles and you put on oven mitts and start unwrapping until someone else rolls doubles. It takes about 15 minutes and one very well-taped box.

Trivia and quiz games

7. Christmas movie trivia (free printable)

Twenty-five multiple-choice questions on the Christmas movies adults actually rewatch, from It’s a Wonderful Life to Elf. Play in teams of three to five; it runs 15 to 25 minutes.

8. General Christmas trivia

For a longer quiz, pull questions from our 150 Christmas trivia questions and answers, grouped into music, history, food and Christmas around the world. Ten questions per round, two or three rounds, and a pen for each team.

9. Name that Christmas song

Play the first three to five seconds of a Christmas song and have teams write down the title and artist. Mix old standards with recent pop. Twenty songs takes about 15 minutes, and all you need is a phone and a speaker.

10. Finish the song title

The host reads the first half of a Christmas song title (“Rockin’ Around the…”, “Have Yourself a Merry…”) and players race to finish it. Titles only, no singing required. It’s a fast warm-up round for a bigger quiz.

11. The worst movie plot summary

The host describes a Christmas movie in the most boring way possible: “A man goes to his wife’s office party and it goes badly.” First to name the movie (Die Hard) gets a point. Better yet, have each guest write one summary on a card beforehand.

12. Christmas bingo (free printable)

Bingo gets a bad rap as a kids’ game, but it’s a good low-effort game for a big office crowd that’s still eating. Print a different card for everyone from our Christmas bingo page and give out small prizes each round.

13. Christmas word scramble race (free printable)

Our printable scramble has 22 holiday words. Hand it out face down, start a three-minute timer and see who solves the most. With a timer running, it gets competitive fast.

14. Guess the childhood Christmas photo

Ask guests to send you an old Christmas photo of themselves before the party. Number them, post them on a wall or a TV slideshow, and have everyone match photos to people. It’s especially good for office parties where people don’t know each other well.

Conversation and icebreaker games

15. “I Have Never” cards, Christmas edition (free printable)

Draw a card and read it: “I have never re-gifted a present.” Anyone who has puts a finger down. It works for any group of four or more, takes 15 to 30 minutes and gets people telling stories fast. If you’re at a party with drinks, a sip instead of a finger is the classic adults-only version.

16. Christmas This or That (free printable)

Real tree or fake? Open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Everyone picks a side at once, and the minority has to defend itself. Fifty cards, no setup, and it works standing around the kitchen island.

17. Two truths and a lie, holiday edition

Each person shares three Christmas memories, one of them made up. Everyone guesses the lie. Allow about a minute per person.

18. Christmas would you rather

Would you rather spend Christmas in a snowed-in cabin or on a beach? Go around the room asking and answering. Our would you rather questions have plenty more if you run dry.

19. The confession jar

Guests write an anonymous holiday confession on a slip (“I opened my gifts early and rewrapped them”) and drop it in a jar. The host reads them out one by one and the group tries to name the writer of each. Keep it clean for office parties by setting the rule up front: nothing you wouldn’t tell your boss.

20. Hot seat

One person sits in the “hot seat” for 60 seconds while everyone fires quick holiday questions at them: favorite Christmas movie, worst gift, best cookie. No thinking allowed. Rotate through the group.

21. Whose ornament is it?

Each guest brings one ornament with a story behind it and drops it in a basket. Pull them out one at a time and try to name the owner of each. The owner tells the story. It’s a gentler game for a smaller group.

22. Christmas superlatives

Hand out ballots with categories like “most likely to start decorating in October” and “most likely to regift this year’s present.” Tally the votes and announce winners at the end of the night. Print tiny certificates if you’re feeling fancy.

Drawing, acting and guessing games

23. Christmas charades (free printable)

Our printable deck has 58 prompts, from “untangling Christmas lights” to “Santa stuck in the chimney.” Two teams, 60 seconds per turn, no talking. It suits groups of 6 to 30 and runs as long as you have cards.

24. Christmas drawing game

It plays like Pictionary: one teammate draws a Christmas word or movie title on a whiteboard while the team guesses against a one-minute timer. You can reuse the charades cards as prompts. You’ll need a whiteboard or big paper pad and markers.

25. Blind Santa drawing

Everyone puts a paper plate on their head and draws Santa on it as the host calls out features: the hat, the beard, the belly, the boots. Nobody can see what they’re drawing. Hold them up at the end and vote on the best (and worst). Five minutes, paper plates and pens.

26. Hum that carol

One player hums a Christmas song; their team has 30 seconds to name it. Humming only, no words. It’s harder than it sounds, and it’s funny to watch someone hum “Carol of the Bells”.

27. Forehead guessing game

Write a Christmas figure or thing (Santa, Scrooge, a nutcracker, fruitcake) on a sticky note and stick it on each guest’s forehead. Players ask yes-or-no questions to figure out who they are. It works as a mingling game while people arrive.

28. Sixty-second scene

Teams draw a famous Christmas movie scene from a hat and get two minutes to plan and one minute to act it out. The other teams guess the movie. Think the leg lamp arriving or the kid putting his hands on his cheeks.

29. Ugly sweater runway

If it’s an ugly sweater party, make the judging a game. Clear a path, play music, and have each guest walk the “runway.” Everyone votes by paper ballot in categories like ugliest, most lights and best homemade.

60-second games

These are short, silly and a little active, so clear some space and move the breakable things. Each round takes one minute.

30. Candy cane hook

Hold a candy cane in your mouth by the straight end and use the hook to pick up other candy canes from the table, no hands. Most candy canes hooked in 60 seconds wins.

31. Jingle bell shake

Fill an empty tissue box with six to eight jingle bells and strap it to a player’s waist with a belt or ribbon. They have one minute to shake all the bells out without using their hands. Play it with two people racing at once.

32. Cup Christmas tree

Give each player 36 plastic cups (green if you can find them). In 60 seconds, stack them into a pyramid tree of eight rows. If it falls, start again.

33. Snowball scoop

Put a bowl of cotton balls on one side of the table and an empty bowl on the other. Players wear a blindfold and use a spoon to move as many “snowballs” as they can in a minute.

34. Ornament relay

Teams race to carry shatterproof ornaments on a spoon across the room and hang them on a small tree. If it drops, go back to start. Use plastic ornaments only.

35. Reindeer ring toss

One player wears a headband with antlers while teammates toss rings (pool rings or paper plates with the middle cut out) at them from a few feet away. Most rings on the antlers in 60 seconds wins. The antler-wearer can move their head to help.

36. Decorate a human tree

Teams get a roll of green streamers, a few garlands and some paper ornaments. They have three minutes to turn one teammate into a Christmas tree. Everyone votes on the winner. It’s a longer round, so save it for when the room needs a lift.

37. Toilet paper snowman

Same idea, different look: teams wrap one person in toilet paper to build a snowman in 60 seconds, adding a scarf and a hat. Buy the cheap rolls for this one.

38. Gift wrap race

Two players each get a box, wrapping paper, tape and scissors, and race to wrap it. The twist: one hand each behind their backs, or both of them wearing oven mitts. Judge on speed and neatness.

Team games for bigger groups

39. Christmas photo scavenger hunt

Teams get a list of things to photograph in 20 minutes: a stranger in a Santa hat, the team making a human wreath, the ugliest decoration in the house. Most items wins. It’s great for a party that spills across a whole house or an office floor.

40. Name ten

Call out a category (Christmas movies, reindeer names, things you put in a stocking) and give a team 60 seconds to name ten. It moves quickly and needs no supplies.

41. Christmas survey game

Two teams guess the most common answers to questions like “Name something people hang on a Christmas tree.” Our survey game questions and answers have ready-made rounds with points.

42. Price guessing game

Bring five or six holiday items from the store with the receipts. Teams write down their price guesses, and the closest without going over wins each item. Keep the receipts hidden until the reveal.

43. Christmas quiz board

Build a board of five categories with five questions each on a whiteboard or TV slide, from 100 to 500 points. Teams choose a category and value; harder questions are worth more. Borrow the questions from our trivia list.

44. Gingerbread house showdown

Teams of two or three get graham crackers, frosting and candy and 30 minutes to build a gingerbread house. Everyone votes on the best, the most structurally sound and the most likely to collapse. Put down a tablecloth first.

45. Cookie decorating contest

Set out plain sugar cookies, frosting and sprinkles. Each guest decorates two, one “nice” and one “naughty” (keep it office-safe), and the group votes.

46. Christmas karaoke battle

Split into two teams and alternate Christmas songs. A panel of three judges scores each performance on enthusiasm, not singing ability. A phone, a TV and a karaoke video channel is all the equipment you need.

47. Shake and guess

Wrap five or six ordinary household objects in odd-shaped boxes. Guests pick each one up, shake it and write down their guess. The most correct guesses wins. Pick things with a distinctive sound, like a box of pasta or a roll of tape.

Grown-up extras

48. Christmas movie watch-along

Put on a Christmas movie everyone knows and hand out cards with things to watch for: someone says “Merry Christmas,” a character falls down, snow on screen. Take a sip of your drink (cocoa counts) each time one happens. It’s optional, and a candy-per-event version works just as well.

49. Naughty or nice auction

Give every guest a stack of play money. The host “auctions” off small wrapped gifts, and guests bid. The catch: before bidding starts, the host reads a “naughty” or “nice” clue about what’s inside. Ten items take about 20 minutes.

50. Holiday toast roulette

Write toast prompts on cards: “Toast the person who helped you most this year”, “Toast a holiday food”. A guest draws a card and gives a 20-second toast. It’s a good way to wind down at the end of the night.

How to plan the games for your party

Say you’re hosting 20 coworkers for three hours. You don’t need 50 games; four is plenty. A lineup that works:

• As people arrive: the forehead guessing game, so they talk to each other right away.
• While people eat: Christmas movie trivia in teams at the tables.
• Mid-party energy boost: two or three 60-second games with volunteers while everyone else watches.
• To finish: a white elephant or the left-right gift game.

For a smaller group of friends at home, swap the 60-second games for “I Have Never” cards and This or That. Conversation games work better around a coffee table than a gym-style relay.

You’ll find every Christmas printable we make, including bingo and a word search, on our Christmas games page.

Questions hosts ask

By the Party Game Book editors. Every game here is free to print for personal, classroom and non-commercial use. How we make and check our games.