Board and card games have made a comeback with TV-show themed ones, cultural ones and kitschy ones that are perfect as Christmas gifts this year. These games offer opportunities to trade screentime and hefty holiday to-do lists for good times with family and friends this season and beyond. The following 12 products, a mix of board, card and wooden toppling games for ages three to adults, range from Disney trivia to fast-paced timed competitions and another where everyone is a winner. There’s also a vino version of Monopoly, but adults will need to BYOB to play since the game is available sans wine. Whichever games you gift — to yourself and others — make time to play and be present in the moment then, and let the games begin.
Pete The Cat The Missing Cupcakes Game. Book, television and online video fans of a kooky cat named Pete who has a positive perspective even when things go awry, will appreciate this game based on the rhyming picture book by New York Times bestselling authors James and Kimberly Dean. In the game, Pete and his friends work together to retrieve missing cupcakes from Grumpy Toad who has taken them. Does Pete get upset? Goodness, no! To win, players collect colorful, non-edible 3D cupcakes then sing songs, act out activities and identify animals, foods and words. Ages 3 and up. $20.99. amazon.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
T-Rex Topple! Balancing Game. While not quite a board game, participants do need a table (or board) to play on. Two or more players stack colorful wooden sticks on the back of Tyrannosaurus rex in an attempt to pile it as high as possible without toppling. Ages 4 and up. $16.99. mudpuppy.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
The Magical World of Disney Trivia. With thousands of questions related to Disney and Pixar stories like “Encanto” and “Toy Story” to the very first Walt Disney production, this game is designed to test the knowledge of Disney parks and movie fans. Ages 6 and up. $39.99. barnesandnoble.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Monopoly Napa Valley Edition. Combine wine and a classic game and you’ll arrive at this new version of Monopoly which features some of wine country’s most popular cultural sites, historic landmarks and iconic wineries in Napa Valley including Beringer Vineyards, Frank Family Vineyards and Sterling Vineyards. In this version, players choose their favorite token, invest in real estate and trade their way to success — unless taxes and bankruptcy interrupts their plans. Chance and community cards feature classic Napa events like booking a picnic in the vineyard, consulting a top winery on the latest vintage and more. Wine lovers can make this into an adults-only game by toasting with their favorite bottle of vino. Otherwise, the game is ideal for ages 8 and up. $44.99. toptrumps.us
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Monopoly Travel: World Tour. Go around the world while remaining at home in this new Monopoly game that has players discovering and “visiting” exciting travel destinations. Wanderlusts in the making can create memories with the travel journal cards which become part of the gameplay in future games as well as learn fun facts about locations across the globe. Of course, to win, players will need to buy destinations, complete travel goals and stamp the dry-erase gameboard with a token stamper. Ages 8 and up. $11-$21.92. walmart.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Connect 4 Spin. Remember when you just dropped chips to make four in a row — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — to win? It’s not so in this new version. Players still slip their chips in the grid with the same objective but the game is more challenging now since each column can be spun. This can translate into a win for a careful player or a victory for a strategy-savvy opponent. Ages 8 and up. $15.99. target.com
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Credit: Handout
Mind the Gap. Get ready to answer coming-of-age trivia and pop culture questions as well as dance and showcase your best acting skills during challenges. Topics range from popular television shows, movies and music to slang and newsworthy events across several generations. Because questions are far and wide, the game is just as fun for youngsters as it is for elders and creates an opportunity for everyone to bond over laughter. Ages 10 and up. $29.99. solidroots.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
5 Second Rule, Fourth Edition. After drawing a card, players will need to think fast in this quick-witted, timer-based, fast-paced card game. It sounds easy to name three condiments but with the pressure of saying it in five seconds or less and opponents grilling you, it’s easy to get flustered. This game is sure to bring lots of good times and laughter throughout the holiday season and beyond. Ages 10 and up. $19.99. target.com
CultureTags. Test your knowledge of everything culture, from Black Twitter to popular hashtags and things family and friends may have said, with this game that features 350 trivia cards. Fun questions and acronyms like WMTPS? and BISS are included, and players give teammates clues to help them arrive at these answers: Who made the potato salad? and because I said so. The latter is a popular phrase mamas like to say. Ages 13 and up. $19.99. culturetags.com
The Chase TV card game. Based on the popular television quiz show, this at-home version requires players to do much of the same: outwit and figuratively outrun opponents (instead of the chaser in the TV show) to win lots of made-for-play cash. Ages 14 and up. $16.99. amazon.com
Black Card Revoked, Edition X. Celebrating its 10th edition, this card game is still filled with quirky, shady questions about everything Black – pop culture, important moments, life and more – asked on a black card. Players then write their best or most humorous response on a white card. Best of all, there are no losers, so everyone wins and keeps their black card, figuratively. Additionally, there is another game called Latin Card Revoked with Latin culture-based topics and themes. Ages 16 and up. Black Card Revoked, Edition X and Latin Card Revoked, $21.99 each. cardsforallpeople.com
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Credit: Handout
Giant Tumbling Tower. Inspired by the tabletop version, these colossal-sized real wooden blocks are the perfect entertainment in large interior spaces or backyards, if the weather is warm enough this Christmas. More than 50 blocks can be stacked over five feet tall when strategically and patiently placed. Best for adults. $55.24-$69.99. monoprice.com
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