Our pick of the top 10 family board games for Christmas

Board games have come a long way in recent years and are now a staple of many families’ Christmas celebrations.

Of course, some people still be wary of breaking out a board game after suffering a three-hour Monopoly session in the post-Christmas dinner slump.

Fear not, with the help of games expert Charlotte Staffer, who runs the games department at Heffers bookshop, we have selected 10 games this year that will suit the whole family, and avoid serious disagreements or your brother-in-law flipping the table over. Instead there will be laughs, puzzle solving and a chance for even the youngest to win.

So what is the secret of the perfect family Christmas game?

Charlotte says: “For me, it has to be a game that includes luck and strategy where everyone stands a chance to win and you don’t find out until the end who has won.

“So if you have someone who is not as skilled as the other players they still have a chance to get involved. The worst thing is a game where you have a leader straight off the bat and then you are just waiting for them to win - this always happens in our family with Monopoly where everyone just waits for my dad to take all their money.”

Why is luck important to a game where everyone has fun? “Because if a game is just about strategy then the least skilled - and often youngest - person always loses,” says Charlotte.

“And that’s no fun. But with a game that involves luck, even the most skilled person could roll badly and draw a bad card.”

Her own personal favourites are the Exit games, which are a locked room puzzle that you can play at home.

She says: “It’s co-operative because you all have to work together to solve the clues that will help you escape. The puzzles are really interactive and you will get a good few hours where you are all involved. Also, if you are struggling there are have two hints and cards with the solutions on. When you solve all the puzzles it is a joint victory that feels really satisfying.”

The collaborative game that comes out top in our list, Micromacro, is a “fabulous teamgame”, according to Charlotte. But it’s also really quick to play and easy to understand.

Here are our top 10 picks for games to play with the family this Christmas:

1. Micromacro: Crime City Full House - one-four players, 15-45 minutes, age 12-plus, £25.99

Winner of last year’s Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year), Micro Macro has players work as a team to solve the many crimes of the aptly named Crime City. In an entertaining smash up between Where's Wally and Cluedo you will all pour over the giant map of the city to locate hidden information and to trace the movements of criminals and victims. You need good eyesight to spot some of the clues so it would be a good idea to include a magnifying glass with this gift. Great family fun!

2. Wingspan - one-four players, 60-90 minutes, age 10-plus, £59.99

This beautiful game won the 2019 Kennerspiel des Jahres (Connoisseur Game of the Year) and sees players become bird enthusiasts attempting to attract the best birds to their aviary habitat. Each bird has a unique ability and these can be chained into powerful combinations. Perfect for bird lovers and for those wanting a little bit more complexity this Christmas.

3. Just One - four-seven players, 20-plus minutes, age eight-plus, £17.99

This fun, co-operative party game won the 2019 Spiel des Jahres and is perfect for those looking for something a bit lighter this Christmas. You all work as a team and take it in turns to guess a word, aided by one word clues given by your fellow teammates. However, before being presented with your clues, if any two are the same they are hidden from you, so players have to balance being helpful with not being too obvious!

4. Telestrations - four-eight players, 15-plus minutes, age 12-plus, £24.99

This fabulously fun party games is Pictionary meets Chinese Whispers! Alternate drawing and guessing and laugh at the trail of miscommunication along the way! Great fun for all ages!

5. EXIT Game Series - one-four players, one-two hour, age 10-plus, £14.99

This award winning series allows you to bring the experience of an escape room to your home. You will be presented with puzzles, riddles, clues and evidence, all to aid you in cracking codes to progress through to victory. The series is expansive and includes many themes to explore with unique challenges to solve. These games are one time play as you are actively manipulating the pieces included but they provide hours of interactive fun!

6. Ingenious -one-four players, 30-45 minutes, age eight-plus, £29.99

This super simple colour matching game brings a feel of dominoes to a modern audience. Players take turns placing dual hexagon tiles onto a board and and scoring points for the matching colour lines touching the tile. Your final score is the lowest value of the colours. A perfect blend of familiar and new for families to enjoy.

7. Lost Words / Lost Spells - two-four players, 30 minutes, age eight-plus, £14.99

These games are based on the books by Robert MacFarlane and features the equisite artwork of Jackie Morris throughout. Using these beautifully illustrated cards, each person is trying to pair the incantation with the matching element of nature. First player to unite their pairs becomes the winner.

8. Jamaica - three-six players, 45-60 minutes, age eight-plus, £38.99

A Pirate racing game that is fun and incredibly easy to teach. In Jamaica you sail the seas around the island collecting treasure, feeding your crew, and gunning other player's boats along the way. The game looks beautiful on the table, with vibrant colours on the artwork and the pieces. Jamaica can comfortably play up to 6 players and fits nicely into an hour's play.

9. The Crew: Mission Deep Sea - three-five players, 20 minutes, age 10-plus, £14.99

The Crew was last year's Kennerspiel des Jahres award winner, and rightfully so. It takes the traditional concepts of trick taking games but applies them to a cooperative game experience, where by specific cards need be won by specific players in a mission book of increasing difficulties.

10. Skull - three-six players, 15-30 minutes, age eight-plus, £16.99

This social bluffing game is simple and recommended as a great icebreaker game. Think Poker, but rather than counting cards or a flip of the deck, you are playing against the choice of whether someone has played a flower tile or their "Skull" trap tile. The tiles feel like bar coasters with interesting art designs making them durable for many situations.