Printable Christmas Games for Adults: 8 Party Games That Actually Work

Most "Christmas games" lists are written for kids. Adults want something different: a game that needs no setup, has a clear winner, and still works when half the room has a drink in hand. Here is what works, and when to use it.

How to choose a game for an adult crowd

• Under 10 people: pick a talking game (Would You Rather, charades). Everyone gets a turn.
• 10 to 50 people, like an office party: pick a game everyone plays at once (trivia in teams, bingo).
• Gifts involved: a gift exchange game beats a plain swap, because the presents keep moving.
• Mixed ages: charades and movie bingo work for teens and grandparents at the same table.

1. Christmas trivia in teams

Split into teams of three to five, read ten questions per round, and swap answer sheets to mark. Teams make shy guests talk. Here are five free questions with answers to start you off:

1. Which country started the tradition of the Christmas tree? (Germany)
2. In Home Alone, where are the McCallisters flying to? (Paris)
3. In the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", how many reindeer pull the sleigh? (Eight. Rudolph came later, in 1939.)
4. Which ballet is set on Christmas Eve? (The Nutcracker)
5. In "The Twelve Days of Christmas", how many lords are a-leaping? (Ten)

Want a whole night of it? The Christmas Trivia Game for Adults has 200 questions in 10 rounds, question cards and an answer key, for A4 and US Letter.

2. Office Christmas party games

At work the game has to be safe for everyone and quick to start. Bingo cards on the tables, a short trivia round, and a "who is most likely to" round work well. The 25 Office Christmas Party Games set has 30 bingo cards, a 40-question trivia with answers, an emoji movie quiz and icebreakers in one 61-page printable.

3. Charades and draw-and-guess

The oldest party game still works because it needs nothing but cards. Mix "act it out" and "draw it" so the less theatrical guests can sketch instead. Christmas Charades has 160 cards for both.

4. Would You Rather at the dinner table

Pass a stack of cards around the table between courses. No scoring, just good arguments. The Christmas Would You Rather game has 150 Would You Rather questions, 60 This or That cards and 10 tough choices.

5. Christmas movie bingo

Put a Christmas film on and let everyone mark the tropes: snow at the perfect moment, a big-city job, a bakery. It turns a quiet movie night into a game. Christmas Movie Bingo has 20 different cards, so no two players share a card.

6. A gift exchange game instead of a plain swap

A Left Right story makes gifts move around the circle every time someone reads "left" or "right". A dice game or white elephant rules add stealing. The Christmas Gift Exchange Games set has all of them plus swap cards.

7. An ugly sweater contest

If the dress code is ugly sweaters, make it official: ballots, a vote and silly awards. The Ugly Sweater Party Kit has the ballots, awards, bingo and invitations.

8. Mix two short games, not one long one

The best adult parties run a 15-minute trivia round, then something loud like charades, then the gift exchange. Stop each game while people still want more.

Printing tips

Print on thicker paper (160 to 200 gsm) for cards that get passed around. Cut with a paper trimmer, not scissors. All the files above print on both A4 and US Letter.