The best family-friendly multiplayer games to play during the holidays

Best Family / Party Games

We’re kicking off our list with the best family/party games for the holidays. These titles are perfect if you’ve got many friends or family members coming over all at once. 

Fun for all in Mario Party Superstars

For starters, you can’t go wrong with Mario Party Superstars. This ultimate collection of previous Mario Party titles is your go-to family game for the holidays. In Mario Party Superstars, up to four different players compete in a digital board game featuring 100 classic minigames. Win the minigames, collect coins on the way, and purchase stars to win it all. With 5 different boards and 7 different modes, Mario Party Superstars is perfect for every situation: hop in for a couple of quick minigames or create the ultimate family duel in a 30-turn board game marathon. Mario Party is fun for all ages and probably the most accessible game to play during the holidays.

Mario Party Superstars

Switch

£49.99

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Fastest in the family? Prove it in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Ready to move into a higher gear? Then Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is your pick for the holidays! Mario Kart 8 is the definitive Mario racing game for the Nintendo Switch. Racing against your friends or family members has never been this fun with 42 different characters, 48 challenging courses and 23 powerful items. Everyone can join in on the action with support for up to eight players in local wireless multiplayer. Even better: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features new options such as Smart Steering, to help out new racers on the circuit. Perfect for all the rookie players in the family!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Switch

£49.99

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Best Sports Games

Searching for a game to play with all those sports fans in the family? Look no further! These are the best sports games to play during the holidays. 

Challenge your family members to a game of FIFA 22

First up is FIFA 22. The newest installment of FIFA is the best game to play with soccer enthusiasts in the family. Play with up to four people in the local co-op mode and dominate the field with your favorite players thanks to official licensing for more than 700 real life clubs. Stun your uncle with some skill moves or challenge your brother, sister, niece or nephew to the ultimate 1v1 FIFA duel. You can even spice things up in the streets with the return of VOLTA FOOTBALL. There’s even more room for skills and flair in this street football playground. Who’s the ultimate soccer champion in the family?

Become the NBA star of the family

Not into soccer? No problem, there’s plenty of fun to go around in NBA 2K22! This brand new NBA installment offers the best basketball gaming experience to date. You’ll feel right at home on the court with up to 50 different signature moves from famous players. Your match becomes even more realistic with a new shot meter that is influenced by stamina, fatigue and separation of the defenders. Improved defensive AI is also here to help out newer players. Boot up a local multiplayer match and challenge your family members to a game or team up against the AI. Basketball during the holidays starts with NBA 2K22!

Best Action & Adventure Games

If you fancy some more action or exploring during the holidays, the following titles should be your pick. These are our recommendations for action & adventure games to play with your family!

Brawl it out in Super Smash Bros: Ultimate

The best action-packed game on our list is Super Smash Bros: Ultimate. This fresh entry to the popular brawler franchise features an epic crossover cast with 74 playable fighters from your favorite franchises such as The Legend of Zelda, Mario, Pokémon, Fire Emblem and Street Fighter. Choose your character and battle it out with up to 8 players on one system. Your objective is to knock everyone off the stage and be the last one standing to win. Combine your kicks and punches with powerful items on over 100 stages and become the ultimate brawler. Super Smash Bros: Ultimate is our pick for a fast-paced multiplayer game to play with the whole family!

Super Smash Bros Ultimate Fighters Pass

Switch

£21.62

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol. 2

Switch

£25.95

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Super Smash Bros: Ultimate

Switch

£59.99

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Explore, trade and battle in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Pokémon Shining Pearl

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl offer the perfect gameplay experience for all the explorers and adventurers in the family. Although Pokémon is mostly known for its single player mode, the remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl offer lots of cool multiplayer features. First off, there’s trading. In order to catch all Pokémon in the Sinnoh region, you’ll have to trade with your friends or family members to obtain various version exclusive Pokémon. The holiday season is of course the perfect time to do so! All done trading? Challenge those aspiring Pokémon trainers in your family to a classic Pokémon battle or test your performance skills in the Super Contest Shows. You can even team up to mine treasures together in the Grand Underground. Tons of multiplayer modes to choose from!

Pokémon Shining Pearl

Switch

£49.99

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Pokémon Brilliant Diamond

Switch

£49.99

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Best Puzzle / Card Games

Trade in those old fashioned puzzle and card games and get your family started with our picks for the best digital puzzle/card games.

Moving Out - Moving furniture has never been this fun

Although moving furniture might seem very boring at first, Moving Out is everything but boring. You’ll be tasked with moving furniture and appliances from a house to a moving truck within the time limit. But here’s the catch: along the way you’ll face many obstacles such as fires, rakes and ice that will make your job a lot harder. Work together with up to three other players to move heavy objects and be careful not to break anything! Moving Out also features an “Assist Move” that helps out newer players by adding extra time and removing certain obstacles. Fun for all!

Nintendo eShop Card £25

Digital code

£25.00

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Xbox Gift Card £25

Digital code

£25.00

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PlayStation Store Card £25

Digital code

£25.00

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UNO - A classic card game goes digital

Remember UNO? The popular card game is also available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows and Nintendo Switch! This digital version of UNO spices up the classic gameplay with both a standard four-player mode and a 2v2 mode where you can partner up with one of your family members. Create an even more personalized experience with custom house rules or custom theme decks such as the UNO Winter Theme deck and the UNO Just Dance deck. Pick up the UNO Ultimate Edition to try them all out!

UNO® Ultimate Edition

Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S

£15.99

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Best Mobile Phone Games

Don’t have a game console at home? No worries, we’ve got you covered with the best holiday picks for mobile phones.

Lose the Christmas weight with Pokémon GO

With lots of festive dinners coming up this month, Pokémon GO is the perfect game to accompany you on your journey to lose the extra Christmas weight. Download the free app on your iPhone or Android device and start catching all your favorites on the go. Team up with some friends or family members and take on local Gyms or battle it out in a Trainer Battle. Oh and don’t forget to stock up on all winter-themed items before you go out the door!

Which family member can you trust in Among Us?

Deception is the name of the game in Among Us. In this multiplayer social deduction game, you take on one of two roles: crewmate or impostor. The crewmates need to identify the impostors while completing tasks around the map. The imposters, on the other hand, are tasked with sabotaging the mission by eliminating all crewmates or by triggering a disaster. Up to 15 players can play together and thanks to crossplay everyone can join in on the fun on Android, iOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5 and Xbox One/Series X|S!

Apple Gift Card £25 — Email Delivery

Digital code

£25.00

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Apple Gift Card £50 — Email Delivery

Digital code

£50.00

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4 essential tips for gaming with groups, family and/or friends

Ready to try out your favorite titles from our list? Make sure you’re prepared with our tips for gaming with your family during the holidays:

1. Know your players: choosing the correct genre for friends and family that come over is vital to keep everyone interested. Pick a game from a genre that your relatives will enjoy and make sure the game offers enough room for all players.

2. Preparation is key: no one likes waiting so maximize your playtime by purchasing your favorite titles in advance. Bring enough controllers for everyone and don’t forget to charge them. You may also want to learn the game in advance so you can help out your family members if they’re struggling to get the hang of it.

3. Make sure you can play online: if your friends or family members are not coming over for the holidays, you’ll want to get yourself a PlayStation Plus, Xbox Live Gold or Nintendo Switch Online membership to connect with them online.

Nintendo Switch Online 12 months

Digital code

£17.15

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4. Have fun: games are all about having fun, so make sure everyone is having a good time. Switch up games or take a moment to show everyone the ropes to ensure that everyone is having a blast!

Enjoy playing multiplayer games with your family during the holidays

Whether you’re going to introduce your family to an accessible party game like Mario Party Superstars or an action-packed brawler like Super Smash Bros: Ultimate, we hope you have a great time gaming during the holidays. We wish you all the best and we can’t wait to see you in 2022! Happy holidays!