Start Your Holiday Shopping with Family Games

2025 Family Games 1 - Hero

It’s that time of year again! The holidays are just around the corner and will be here before we know it. As we have done for many years, we’ve created multiple thematic guides to assist with holiday shopping. This guide is the first of two with a focus on “family games”. That doesn’t mean just games you can play with little kids. Family is a much broader term, and these really are gifts for a variety of ages. Gathering around a table, offering ideas for family bonding, giving people a reason to put down their devices and socialize are what the items in this gift guide promote.

Fireside Games

Ham Helsing is a cooperative adventure board game based on the graphic novel series about a reluctant monster-hunting pig. Join Ham, Ronin, Malcom, and Lobos as they attempt to save the world! Using a card-crafting system with transparent upgrade cards, protect locations from endless swarms of minions while powering up and improving your skills. Can you power up fast enough to stop the Villain from destroying Mud Canyon and save the day?

Lethal Chicken Games

Race to outwit your friends in Little Pig Little Pig! Players collect resources on a shifting 5×7 tile board to build their three houses—hay, wood, and brick—while dodging the Big Bad Wolf. Strategic movement, player battles, and the ever-lurking Wolf keep every turn unpredictable. It’s a whimsical blend of strategy and storytelling that’s simple enough to learn quickly yet deep enough for replay after replay.

Pickle Everything Games

Punny Party Game Fun – Pickle your brain with this hilarious word game where every answer starts with “P”! To score, shout your guess and say “Pickle!” A perfect family game or party game packed with laughter! Say It or Lose It – Guess the right “P” word but forget to yell “Pickle”? Sorry, no points for you! This pickle-packed card game keeps everyone on their toes and laughing nonstop.Three Pickled Ways to Play – Go classic with unlimited guesses, spice it up with one-word clues, or act it out charades-style! However you slice this pickle, it’s a party game everyone will relish. Fast, Furious, and Fun – Most rounds wrap up in just 20 minutes, making this the perfect family game night addition.

University Games

The Awkward Yeti Presents Organ Attack game brings groups together for a game night full of infectious battles, gut-busting laughter, and completely organ-ic family fun. It’s a perfect blend of strategy, humor, and friendly competition. In The Awkward Yeti Presents Organ Attack, each player protects their vital organs while using affliction cards to challenge opponents’ bodies. From gallstones to the common cold, the goal is to be the last player with at least one organ still in play. While it’s packed with laughs, players also pick up fun facts about anatomy and illness—no medical degree required.

Blue Orange Games

Linkx is a surprisingly addictive tetris-like strategy game where two players compete to be the first to connect two opposite edges of the grid. Add a piece to grow your own line or try to block your opponent!

Bezier Games

20 Questions… with a twist! In Werewords, players guess a secret word by asking “yes” or “no” questions. Figure out the magic word before time is up, and you win! However, one of the players is secretly a werewolf who is not only working against you, but also knows the word. If you don’t guess the word in time, you can still win by identifying the werewolf!

The Op Games

Step into a world of wonder and natural splendor with HUTAN, an immersive family game inspired by the Indonesian word for rainforest.

Roxley Games

Santorini is an accessible strategy game, simple enough for an elementary school classroom while aiming to provide gameplay depth and content for hardcore gamers to explore. The rules are simple. Each turn consists of 2 steps:

  1. Move – Move one of your workers into a neighboring space. You may move your worker along the same level, step-up one level, or step down any number of levels.
  2. Build – Then construct a building piece in a space neighboring the worker you moved. When building on top of the third level, place a dome instead, removing that space from play.

Winning the game – If either of your workers reaches the third level, you win.

Teachable in 30 seconds.
Highly thematic and accessible.
Beautiful miniatures and production.
Game altering variable player powers.
30 years of polishing and development.
Best with 2 players, supports 2 – 4.

asmodee

A fast-paced LEGO team challenge where one player gives instructions and the other builds, racing against rival teams to complete shapes the fastest. With simple rules, 92 shape cards, and dynamic challenge cards, every round brings a new test of communication, creativity, and speed—making it a fun pick for families, parties, and anyone who loves LEGO.

If you purchase something through the Amazon link, we’ll receive a small commission, but we strongly encourage you to check with your local game store to see if they have these in stock. Friendly Local Game Stores (FLGS) are the backbone for the gaming community, and we want our readers to support them. Stay tuned in the coming days for additional gift ideas that include an assortment of game suggestions, stocking stuffers and more.

Do you prefer to do your holiday shopping online or in person?

 

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