Happy holidays everyone! It’s that time of year when we all start to see our family a little more often. While that can be a blessing for some of us, it can be a nightmare for others as we grow tired of having the same conversations about why you’re still single, how work is going, and desperately dodging anything related to politics. While sports and movies are a great way to avoid this they can only take it so far. Especially when boredom strikes, and that’s where video games come to the rescue.
Video games are the perfect distraction because with the right game they can be a great way to kill time before dinner or the perfect choice to keep everyone entertained for the night. Even better is that with consoles like the Switch being so portable most of us don’t even need to pack too much to bring any of these games with us, and all of them can be downloaded on the spot. We did our best to find a good variety of games for all kinds of families and gamers so if you find yourself in need of some holiday entertainment with your family then you will want to keep all of these games in mind.
America’s Greatest Game Shows: Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy! – PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
This is probably the perfect game for those of you that want to play with people who do not play video games. Everyone knows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! and while their digital versions aren’t the best recreations of America’s two favorite game shows, the two versions on modern consoles right now should get the job done just fine. They follow all the same rules as the regular shows, can usually be adjusted for a quicker game or a family version, and you should only need one controller to play them.
Making this even more approachable for all of us is both games have been packaged together into one with America’s Greatest Game Shows: Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy! so you’ll have your choice of game. This might not be the best game on this list, but it’s the most familiar and one that both your cousin and grandma can play.
Mario Party Superstars – Switch
Why get into fights over politics when instead you can tell your family you’re never speaking to them again because they stole your star on the final turn? Yes, there is no rage quite like the one created by Mario Party Superstars but that is what makes it perfect for those of you in more competitive families that want to challenge each other. It’s incredibly easy to pick up as a beginner, there’s plenty of ways for both veteran players and newcomers to enjoy it, and it can use up an entire night if you want it to.
The only downside is the max amount of players per game is four, and everyone will need their own controller, so playing it will require a little more effort than other games on this list but it’s worth the effort. Just maybe have a hotel or something booked just in case you need to leave the house in a huff.
Jackbox Party Pack– PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
There are now nine Jackbox Party Pack games and all of them have something unique that separates it from the rest. We can’t decide on one that’s better than the rest so we just suggest looking up some of the games that are on each pack and deciding which on you like the most. Once that’s settled, playing Jackbox is incredibly easy because all you need is a screen that everyone can see and something with access to a web browser. Games are played on Jackbox.tv with a room code and are easily playable on a phone.
Jackbox is perfect for those of you with larger families because everyone can play either by participating in the games themselves or being a member of the “audience.” The only downside is that because it’s designed for larger groups it can be not as fun with only a few people so we suggest having at least four people minimum and six to get the best experience. If you can convince everyone to play though it’s going to be a really fun time!
Nintendo Switch Sports – Switch
Sometimes it gets stuffy and annoying inside the house. All you want to do is just get up and move around. Really get that heart pumping! Well if that’s you, or if there’s a kid that you want to tire out before dinner, then pop in Nintendo Switch Sports and get moving. This is basically a sequel to the extremely popular Wii Sports with the only downside being that it isn’t free. It’s just as fun as the last game though and sure to bring up some memories for families that played Wii Sports back in the day.
There is a downside and it’s that you will want to a pretty spacious room to play in. Don’t knock over a lamp, or be one of those people who shatter their TV because they got way too into tennis. Also, despite being a sequel, there’s a surprising lack of options so the fun won’t last forever. This is definitely a time-killer game.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
Okay you’ve just been assigned babysitting duty with your nephew and have no idea what to do, but you do know they’re super in to Star Wars right now. In this scenario, there’s no better game to play than LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. This game is a Lego recreation of every single Star Wars movie, and it’s really fun. Every movie gets an abridged version that players play through, and since it’s all Lego that means everything is made of blocks. The writing for it is really funny, and will make most adults laugh out loud, and the gameplay isn’t too hard for most children. It’s a perfect co-op adventure.
That final sentence is the only downside. This is a two-player game, so it’s not great to play with the entire family, and it can be pretty lengthy to beat. It can be a fun one-off for the night, but if you have aspirations of seeing everything the game has to offer then you will be putting quite a bit of time into this. Of course, it is the holidays so we imagine most of you will have the time to do just that if you choose.