Cake Bash (PC, PS4/5, Xbox)
Multiplayer hand-to-hand combat games are ridiculously good fun and there are plenty to choose from, including the rather similar Gang Beasts and Party Animals. I’ve gone for this one, however, which lets everyone pick a cake to play as before competing in food fights and taking on mini-games such as roasting marshmallows and lobbing fruit into a pie. If you ever wished that the Great British Bake Off was ever-so-slightly more gladitorial, this is the game for you.
Heave Ho (PC, Switch)
Ever wanted to use a friend or family member as a makeshift bridge to navigate a ravine? Now – finally! – is your chance. Heave Ho is a puzzle platformer in which up to four players take part as stretchy creatures navigating increasingly complex and deadly levels by pulling, throwing and expanding each other in ridiculous ways. Communication and experimentation are important – as is not getting too annoyed when Uncle Kevin accidentally catapults you to your certain doom.
Jackbox Party Pack 11 (Apple TV, PC, PS4/5, Switch, Xbox)
The latest in the long series of excellent quiz games returns for its 11th outing, allowing up to eight players to compete in a series of themed rounds involving doodling, making sound effects and, of course, trivia. Participants will need to be quiet (ie sober) enough to concentrate on the rules of each game, so maybe start the evening with this one.
Let’s Sing 2026 (PS5, Switch, Xbox)
Where would Christmas be without karaoke? It doesn’t bear thinking about. Let’s Sing 2026 comes with 35 hits from the likes of Chappell Roan, Lola Young and Lewis Capaldi, but you also get a month’s free access to the game’s online jukebox where you’ll find hundreds more, including lots of classics. You can buy a bundle pack with two USB microphones or download an app that lets you use your phone as a mic. Alternatively, Just Dance 2026 Edition is energetic and hilarious, but requires more room and coordination – it’s all fun and games until someone moonwalks into your Ming dynasty vase.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch)
For those weird families who prefer cooperation to competition, here’s a gorgeous shooter for up to four players in which everyone works together to keep a spaceship functioning, each player racing between different stations to fire at enemies, repair damage and charge shields. If you’ve ever wanted to shout “protect the hyperdrive!” at your nan, now is your chance.
Mario Kart World (Switch 2)
The ultimate accessible driving game, featuring simple (yet deep) controls, fun characters and crazy circuits, all within an explorable open-world map. The presence of weapons such as homing missile shells means even complete newcomers have a chance to win, but the real victory is the utter chaos you cause along the way. If you don’t yet have a Switch 2, Mario Kart 8 works just as well.
Moving Out 2 (PC, PS4/5, Switch, Xbox)
If you’re looking to experience the sheer fun of moving house without the expense or inconvenience, this is the co-op puzzle game for you. You play as a removal firm, carefully working together to carry sofas, tables and other fragile household items to your truck, as quickly as possible without smashing anything. I give it three minutes before every Friends fan in your house is shouting “pivot!!”
Spaceteam (iOS, Android)
Perfectly described by the developer as, “a cooperative shouting game”, SpaceTeam allows up to eight players (each with a copy of the game on their phone) to cosplay as the bridge crew of a malfunctioning star craft, yelling orders at each other according to onscreen prompts. It’s loud and hilarious and will fit the mood of any raucous Christmas Eve get-together.
