18 Christmas Party Games for Adults (That Aren't Lame)

Every December, somebody volunteers to host, buys a mountain of cheese, and then realizes around 6:45 p.m. that the party needs something to do besides stand near the cheese. That’s where Christmas party games for adults come in. The right game turns a room of polite small talk into the kind of evening people still bring up next July.

Below are 18 tried-and-true games, grouped so you can find the right one fast: a showstopper main event, icebreakers, competitive games, low-prep options, big-group games and dinner-party games. Each one comes with how to play, the group size it suits and what you need. No awkward trust falls, we promise.

The Showstopper: A Christmas Murder Mystery

1. Murder at Hollyberry Hall

Group size: 6 to 12 players Time: About 2.5 hours What you need: Our Christmas murder mystery kit, a printer and guests willing to play along

If you want one game that is the party, this is it. It’s Christmas Eve at Hollyberry Hall, a snowbound country house. The gifts have been exchanged, the eggnog is flowing, and the cantankerous owner, Reginald Holloway, is found dead beneath the mistletoe. Every guest plays a suspect with secrets of their own, and over the evening you’ll trade accusations, uncover clues and finally unmask the killer.

How to play: Send each guest their character card about two weeks ahead so they can plan a costume. On the night, the host follows a minute-by-minute timeline, handing out clue cards between courses while guests question each other in character. At the end, everyone makes their accusation and the host reads the solution.

Why it’s the headliner: it gives the whole evening a structure, so you’re not scrambling to fill gaps. The kit is a $24 instant printable download and includes the host guide, character booklets, clue cards, solution script and name tags, plus printable invitations (and a text-message version), a themed menu with recipes and a shopping list, drink pairings, costume suggestions for every character, a playlist and printable decor like place cards and menus. It works for adults and mixed groups with teens, so it’s a safe bet for family gatherings too.

New to murder mysteries? Our guide to how to host a murder mystery party walks you through it, or see how it works. Want a test run first? Try our free mini-mystery, The Last Slice, which takes about 45 minutes with 4 to 6 players.

Icebreaker Christmas Party Games

Perfect for the first 30 minutes, when half the room hasn’t met the other half.

2. Two Truths and a Lie (Festive Edition)

Group size: 5 to 20 What you need: Nothing

Each person shares three holiday-themed statements: two true, one false. “I once got a fruitcake as a gift three years in a row.” “I’ve never seen Home Alone.” The group votes on the lie. It’s simple, and you’ll learn shockingly specific things about your coworkers.

3. Who Am I? (Christmas Characters)

Group size: 6 to 30 What you need: Sticky notes and a marker

Write a Christmas character on a sticky note (Rudolph, Ebenezer Scrooge, Buddy the Elf, the Grinch, Clark Griswold) and stick it on each guest’s back as they arrive. Guests ask each other yes-or-no questions to figure out who they are. It forces mingling without anyone having to think of an opener.

4. Holiday Would You Rather

Group size: Any What you need: A list of prompts (printed or on your phone)

“Would you rather only eat Christmas cookies for a week or never eat one again?” “Would you rather spend Christmas in a cabin with no Wi-Fi or a beach with no tree?” Read a prompt, have people pick a side of the room, and let them defend their choice. Low stakes, high debate.

5. Christmas Scavenger Hunt (Mingle Version)

Group size: 10 to 40 What you need: A printed sheet per guest

Make a list like “Find someone who has re-gifted a present,” “Find someone who still has their tree up in February,” “Find someone who can name all of Santa’s reindeer.” Guests collect signatures. First full sheet wins a small prize.

Competitive Christmas Party Games

For groups that like a scoreboard and some light trash talk.

6. Christmas Movie Trivia

Group size: 6 to 40, in teams What you need: A list of questions, paper and pens

Write 20 to 30 questions covering classics and modern favorites: quotes, plot details, “which movie is this scene from?” Run it in rounds with teams of four to six. Bonus round: hum a theme song and make teams guess.

7. Holiday Charades

Group size: 6 to 20 What you need: Slips of paper with prompts, a timer

Fill a bowl with Christmas movies, songs and activities (“untangling the lights,” “assembling a toy at 2 a.m.”). Two teams take turns acting them out against a one-minute timer. Nobody looks dignified, which is the point.

8. Holiday Pictionary

Group size: 6 to 20 What you need: Whiteboard or large paper pad, markers, prompt cards

Same idea as charades, but with drawing. “Partridge in a pear tree” is a tougher sketch than it sounds.

9. Name That Christmas Tune

Group size: 6 to 30 What you need: A speaker and a playlist

Play the first three to five seconds of a Christmas song. First team to shout the correct title gets the point. Mix the obvious (Mariah) with deep cuts to keep things fair.

10. Minute to Win It: Christmas Edition

Group size: 6 to 30 What you need: Cheap props like candy canes, ornaments, tissue boxes, cotton balls

Set up quick one-minute challenges: hook candy canes using only a candy cane held in your mouth, stack plastic cups into a tree, shake ornaments out of a tissue box tied to your waist. Rotate players so everyone gets a turn.

Low-Prep Christmas Party Games

You’ve been baking for three days. These require nearly nothing.

11. White Elephant Gift Exchange (With Steals)

Group size: 6 to 30 What you need: One wrapped gift per guest, with a set price limit

Everyone draws a number. Player one opens a gift; each following player either opens a new gift or steals one already opened. Limit each gift to three steals so it eventually ends. The real game is watching who hoards the good bottle of wine.

12. The Christmas Song Game

Group size: 4 to 15 What you need: Nothing

Someone says a word (“snow,” “bells,” “home”), and players take turns singing a line of a Christmas song containing that word. If you hesitate or repeat a song, you’re out. Gets surprisingly competitive.

13. Holiday Hot Seat

Group size: 5 to 15 What you need: Nothing

One guest sits in the “hot seat” and the group fires festive questions at them for one minute: worst gift ever received, biggest holiday disaster, most embarrassing family tradition. Pass the seat around.

14. Pass the Parcel (Grown-Up Version)

Group size: 6 to 20 What you need: A small prize wrapped in many layers, music

Each layer hides a dare, a trivia question or a tiny treat. Pass it while music plays; whoever holds it when the music stops unwraps one layer and does what it says.

Christmas Party Games for Big Groups

When the guest list hits 20 or more, these keep everyone involved. Planning for coworkers? See our office Christmas party games for team-friendly picks.

15. Christmas Bingo

Group size: 10 to 100 What you need: Printable bingo cards, a caller list, markers or candy

Fill cards with holiday words or pictures and have someone call them out. It’s one of the most reliable printable Christmas party games for adults, especially for office parties where you want something inclusive and quiet enough for conversation.

16. Team Ugly Sweater Contest

Group size: 15 and up What you need: Sweaters, a ballot box, a prize

Ask guests to wear their worst sweater, then add a twist: teams build or decorate a sweater on one volunteer using supplies you provide (tinsel, bows, tape, ornaments). Judge on creativity and sheer audacity.

Christmas Games for Dinner Parties

Sit-down games that work around the table.

17. Table Topics Crackers

Group size: 4 to 12 What you need: Christmas crackers or paper slips in envelopes

Tuck a conversation question into each cracker or place setting: “What’s a holiday tradition you’d quietly like to retire?” Guests read theirs between courses. Easy, charming and it fills those lulls.

18. Christmas Dinner Whodunit (A Mini Murder Mystery)

Group size: 4 to 12 What you need: A mystery kit

If the full evening of Hollyberry Hall feels like a lot, a shorter mystery can run alongside dinner. The Last Slice is free, takes about 45 minutes and suits 4 to 6 players. For a bigger table, the full Christmas kit is designed to pace itself around courses. For more inspiration, browse our murder mystery dinner party ideas.

How to Pick the Right Christmas Party Game for Your Crowd

The best game isn’t the cleverest one. It’s the one that fits your guests. A few questions to ask yourself:

How well do people know each other? Strangers and coworkers need icebreakers first (Who Am I?, the scavenger hunt). Old friends can jump straight into competitive games or a murder mystery.

How many people are coming? Under 12, you can run almost anything. Over 15, choose games that work in teams or in parallel, like bingo, trivia or White Elephant, so no one waits 20 minutes for a turn.

What’s the energy level? A loud, after-work crowd will love charades and Minute to Win It. A seated dinner party does better with table topics or a murder mystery that unfolds between courses.

How much prep can you handle? Be honest. If you’re cooking for 10, pick low-prep games or a kit that does the planning for you. A complete kit with a timeline means you aren’t inventing the evening as you go.

Are there teens or grandparents in the mix? Stick to games where anyone can win on wit rather than trivia knowledge or physical dares. Hollyberry Hall is written to suit adults and mixed groups with teens.

Do you want a main event or background fun? If you want the night to have a shape, with a beginning, a twist and a big reveal, go for a murder mystery. If you want people drifting between the kitchen and the couch, run two or three short games and let the party breathe.

A Sample Game Plan for the Evening

Not sure how to string it all together? Here’s a simple flow for a three-to-four-hour party:

1. Arrival (30 min): Who Am I? sticky notes as people come in.
2. Main event (2 to 2.5 hours): A murder mystery over dinner, or trivia plus charades if you’re keeping it loose.
3. Wind-down (30 min): White Elephant with dessert and coffee.

That’s enough structure to keep momentum without making anyone feel like they’re at a corporate retreat.

Ready to Plan the Party?

Christmas party games for adults work best when the host isn’t frazzled, so pick one or two that suit your crowd and let the rest take care of itself. If you’d like the whole night handled, from invitations to the final reveal, grab Murder at Hollyberry Hall or browse all our kits in the shop. And if you just want to dip a toe in, start with the free Last Slice mini-mystery.

Happy hosting, and keep an eye on whoever’s standing under the mistletoe.

Frequently asked questions

What are good Christmas party games for adults?

Crowd favorites include a Christmas murder mystery, White Elephant with steals, Christmas movie trivia, Holiday Charades and Two Truths and a Lie (Festive Edition). The best pick depends on your group size and whether you want a structured evening or quick games between snacks.

How many games should I plan for an adult Christmas party?

For a casual party, plan two or three short games plus one backup. If you're running a murder mystery, that is the main event, so you only need a quick icebreaker as guests arrive.

What Christmas party games work for large groups?

White Elephant, Christmas Bingo, team trivia, Holiday Pictionary and Minute to Win It style challenges all scale well to 15 or more people. Split into teams of four to six so nobody stands around waiting for a turn.

Are there printable Christmas party games for adults?

Yes. Christmas bingo cards, trivia sheets, scavenger hunt lists and complete murder mystery kits can all be printed at home. Our Christmas murder mystery kit is an instant download with everything you need, from character booklets to place cards.