A few good games turn a room of colleagues, old friends and plus-ones into one big party. Here are 20 Christmas party games for adults, from easy icebreakers for the office do to quizzes and drinking games for a night in, with quick rules for each and a free printable pack.
A good games plan starts gently and builds. Open with an icebreaker while people arrive, move on to a quiz or a team game once everyone has a drink, and save the sillier games for later. Keep each one to 10 or 15 minutes, and stop while everyone’s still laughing.
Five of these games are ready to print. Our free Christmas party games pack includes Christmas party bingo, a 20-question Christmas quiz, a Christmas emoji quiz, charades and pictionary cards, and Would You Rather: Christmas edition, plus an answer sheet for the host. Download the free Christmas party games pack (PDF).
Icebreakers: games 1 to 5
Christmas parties mix people who don’t usually spend time together: colleagues from different teams, partners, friends of friends. These get everyone talking in the first half hour.
1. Christmas party bingo
Hand everyone a card and a pen as they arrive, and tick off each square as it happens through the night: a cracker joke gets a groan, someone keeps their paper crown on all night, the boss hits the dance floor. The first person with a full line shouts “Ho ho ho!”, and the first to fill the whole card wins. Printable: two different bingo cards are in the free pack.
2. Snowball fight
Give everyone a sheet of paper to write a question on, such as “What’s the worst present you’ve ever been given?” Screw the sheets up into snowballs and have a 30-second snowball fight. Everyone grabs the nearest snowball, reads the question out and answers it. It’s daft, it’s fast, and it works for any group.
3. Two truths and a lie: Christmas edition
Each person shares three Christmas facts about themselves, two true and one made up, such as “I once had Christmas dinner on a beach” or “I still have a stocking with my name on it”. The group votes on the lie. It’s the quickest way to learn something surprising about everyone.
4. Who am I?
Write a Christmas character on a sticky note for each guest, from Rudolph to Scrooge, and stick one on everyone’s forehead without them seeing it. Guests ask each other yes-or-no questions to work out who they are. Mingling is the point, so set a time limit and let people wander.
5. Would you rather: Christmas edition
Read a question out and count down from three. Everyone points left for the first option or right for the second: “Would you rather have Christmas dinner with no roast potatoes, or no pigs in blankets?” Anyone in the minority has to explain themselves. Printable: twenty questions are in the pack.
Quizzes and guessing games: games 6 to 9
Split into teams of three to six and keep a running score across the night.
6. The Christmas quiz
Twenty questions on Christmas traditions, films and food, from who invented the Christmas cracker to which country sends London its Trafalgar Square tree. Read each question twice, give teams two minutes at the end to check their answers, and keep a small prize for the winners. Printable: the quiz sheet and answers are in the pack.
7. Christmas emoji quiz
Christmas films and songs told in emoji, from a snowman, a plane and a moon to a car, a house and a tree. Teams write down each title, with a bonus point for naming who sang each song. Printable: sixteen clues and the answers are in the pack.
8. Name that Christmas tune
One person hums the start of a Christmas song, and the first team to shout out the title wins the point. No words allowed, just humming. It gets harder, and funnier, the later the night goes on.
9. Guess the gift
Wrap up a handful of everyday objects, such as a potato, a wooden spoon and a pair of socks, and pass them round. Each team gets ten seconds to feel each parcel and write down a guess. Most correct guesses wins, and the potato always fools someone.
Team games: games 10 to 13
These need a bit more space, so push the chairs back first.
10. Christmas charades
Teams take turns to act out a card for their own team, with one minute on the clock: wrapping presents, pulling a cracker, Santa stuck in a chimney. No talking allowed. Printable: twenty-four cut-out cards are in the pack.
11. Christmas pictionary
Use the same cards, but draw instead of acting. No letters and no numbers. A big pad of paper or a whiteboard works best, so the whole room can see.
12. Toilet roll snowman
Give each team a few rolls of toilet paper, some sticky tape and ten minutes to turn one of their team into a snowman. Extra points for a scarf, a hat or a carrot nose. The host judges, and it makes for brilliant photos.
13. Reindeer ring toss
One person in each team wears a pair of antlers, and their teammates throw inflatable rings over them from a few metres away. Most rings in two minutes wins. Antler hats and rings only cost a few pounds, and you can use them again next year.
Classic games for grown-ups: games 14 to 16
The games you played as a child, with a few tweaks for adults.
14. The chocolate game
Put a big bar of chocolate on a plate in the middle of the table, with a hat, a scarf, a pair of gloves and a knife and fork. Take turns rolling a dice. Whoever rolls a six puts on the hat, scarf and gloves and starts eating the chocolate with the knife and fork, until someone else rolls a six and takes over. Chaotic, competitive and perfect after dinner.
15. Secret Santa steal
Everyone brings a wrapped gift to an agreed budget. Draw numbers, and in turn, each person either unwraps a new gift or steals one that’s already been opened. A gift can only be stolen twice. Someone always ends up fighting for the worst present in the room.
16. Pass the parcel with forfeits
Wrap a prize in lots of layers, with a forfeit tucked into each one: tell your worst cracker joke, do your best reindeer impression, sing the first line of a carol. Play music while it goes round, and whoever’s holding it when the music stops opens a layer and does what it says.
Drinking games: games 17 to 19
Every one of these works just as well with soft drinks or water, so nobody has to miss out, and nobody should feel pressured to drink.
17. Christmas film drinking game
Put on a Christmas film everyone knows, and agree the rules before it starts: take a sip whenever it snows, whenever someone hangs mistletoe and whenever a character says “Merry Christmas”. Stick to three or four rules, or the party’s over before the film is.
18. Mulled wine pong
Beer pong with a Christmas twist. Set up two triangles of cups at opposite ends of a table, pour a little mulled wine or prosecco into each, and take turns throwing a ping pong ball into the other team’s cups. Land one, and the other team drinks it.
19. Drink if: Christmas edition
One person reads out statements, and anyone they apply to takes a sip: drink if you’ve ever re-gifted a present, drink if you’ve fallen asleep before the King’s Christmas message, drink if you’ve already finished your Christmas shopping. Keep it tame or cheeky to suit the room.
Let someone else host: game 20
20. Christmas cocktail-off
Split into teams, give each one the same ingredients and fifteen minutes to invent a Christmas cocktail, then name it and present it to a judging panel. The winning team’s cocktail becomes the drink of the night.
Or let us bring the bar. Our cocktail masterclass comes to your home, office or venue with every ingredient included, from £25 per person for two hours, and everyone makes three or four cocktails each. For a work Christmas party, choose a smartly dressed mixologist as your host. For a girls’ Christmas night in, a butler in the buff can host the class at no extra cost, or serve the drinks and run the games instead, from £170 for two hours.
The best Christmas party games for work
For an office party, choose games that work for every age and personality, don’t need alcohol and won’t make anyone wince on Monday morning. Christmas party bingo, the snowball fight, the Christmas quiz, the emoji quiz, charades, pictionary, the toilet roll snowman and the Secret Santa steal all fit the bill. Play in mixed teams so people from different departments get talking, and keep any forfeits gentle.
Tips for a great Christmas games night
- Print and prep the day before. Cut out the cards, find some pens and put everything in one bag.
- Know your audience. Start with the gentler games and save anything sillier for later, once you’ve read the room.
- Keep the prizes small. A selection box, a mini bottle of fizz or first pick of the Secret Santa is plenty.
- Pace the drinks. Alternate with water, and swap sips for points whenever anyone wants. The NHS has a handy guide to alcohol units.
Christmas party games FAQs
What are the best Christmas party games for adults?
Christmas party bingo, the Christmas quiz, the emoji quiz, charades and the chocolate game please almost any group. For a night in with friends, add mulled wine pong or the Christmas film drinking game.
What games work for a work Christmas party?
Choose games that don’t need alcohol and won’t embarrass anyone. Bingo, the snowball fight, a Christmas quiz, charades and the Secret Santa steal are all safe choices, and mixed teams get different departments talking.
How many games should we play?
Three to five across an evening is plenty. Mix an icebreaker, a quiz and a team game, then save anything sillier for later.
Where can I find printable Christmas party games?
Our free Christmas party games pack has five printable games, from Christmas party bingo to Would You Rather, plus an answer sheet for the host. There’s no sign-up or email needed.
Can someone run the games for us?
Yes. A butler in the buff arrives with games and runs them for you, and our cocktail masterclass hosts bring everything for the class, so the organiser can relax and enjoy the party.
Plan the rest of the party
For more ideas, see our guide to planning an adult Christmas party. Planning a hen do as well? Try our 25 hen party games and 27 hen party ideas for 2027. Or call us on 07360 677638 or 01924 806151, or email [email protected].