The days are getting shorter, colder, and more expensive. That’s right, the holiday season is upon us. And if you are like me, then you are ready to speed past the cold and get back to summer. But for the rest of you, it’s a season for enjoyment and family. So with that in mind, today we are going to look at the best Christmas-themed board games. Surprisingly, there are some really good options out there for those of you who enjoy all things Santa, presents, and elves (not the D&D kind). So grab a cup of hot cocoa, adjust the mistletoe, and throw on another yule log as we dive into some fun Christmas-themed games.

10. Patchwork: Christmas Edition

In Patchwork, two players compete to build the highest-scoring patchwork quilt on their personal game board. Players will be moving their marker around a shared board to gain polyomino pieces to use. Patchwork also has a timing mechanic that the farther you jump ahead to claim that piece you want, the longer you have to wait for your next turn. While Patchwork is a great game in general, its Christmas theme is 100% pasted on, so it gets bumped down further in the last due to its light thematic integration.

2 Players • Ages 6+ • 15-30 minutes • $29

9. Holly Jolly

Holly Jolly is a simple, family-friendly card game that will have players decorating a tree and collecting presents. The cards are arranged in the center of the playing area, forming a tree with presents placed below. On their turn, players will choose and place either a light or a tinsel card onto the tree. Using the point total from cards on the tree will determine which presents or ornaments they can collect into their score pile. It’s a fun Christmas-themed set collection game about decorating the tree and collecting presents.

2-4 Players • Ages 6+ • 20-30 minutes • $11

8. Ghosts of Christmas

Grab that Victorian outfit from your closet and join the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future on a time-traveling adventure. In this trick-taking game, you’ll play tricks to each time period as you try to outwit your fellow travelers and collect enough wreaths to decorate all the holiday doors. Ghosts of Christmas is a new version of the acclaimed (and hard-to-find) Japanese game “Time Palatrix” by Taiki Shinzawa. Some trick-taking games are relaxing affairs where you play your highest card and hope for the best. Ghosts of Christmas will challenge you; there are multiple ways to approach each round and navigate through the other players.

3-4 Players • Ages 12+ • 40 minutes • $19

7. Die Hard: The Nakatomi Heist Board Game

Die Hard: The Nakatomi Heist Board Game uses one-versus-many, asymmetric gameplay to pit John McClane against others acting as thieves who have taken over Nakatomi Plaza. The thieves must work together to stop John McClane from saving the hostages. Die Hard: The Nakatomi Heist Board Game has plenty of thematic call-backs to this 1988 Christmas film. While the gameplay is definitely getting a boost by its excellent theme, it’s a ton of fun to relive the moments from the best Christmas movie of all time.

2-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 60 minutes

6. Final Girl: The North Pole Nightmare

Krampus is Santa Claus’s evil twin, and each year, the horned devil goes out on Christmas Eve, punishing the naughtiest of the naughty kids. In this expansion to the acclaimed solo game Final Girl, you play as either an elf or Mrs Clause trying to defeat Krampus and save Christmas. It has a survival horror theme and requires the Final Girl core set to play, but it is still an excellent experience as you try and defeat Krampus to save Christmas.

1 Player • Ages 14+ • 20-60 minutes • $31

5. boop the Halls!

A deceptively cute, deceivingly challenging abstract strategy game for two players. Unlike Patchwork earlier on this list, boop the Halls! is more than just a pasted-on Christmas theme. This one has somewhat changed the gameplay from the original boop. The “hoomans” are hanging ornaments on the highest boughs of the tree, but those clever cats are leaping up and boopin’ them right off. You can win “Naughty” by knocking off 3 of your opponent’s ornaments or “Nice” by lining up three cats in a row! At its heart, it’s a simple abstract strategy game, but its clever gameplay and great theme make this a fun one to play around the holidays.

2 Players • Ages 8+ • 20 minutes • $28

4. Exit: The Game – Advent Calendar: The Hunt for the Golden Book

Exit: The Game – Advent Calendar: The Hunt for the Golden Book is an EXIT game and a 24-part adventure story in one. To find the golden book, you must open a little calendar door every day. Behind each, you will find a new puzzle, the solution of which will help you move onto the next room. Only if you follow the clues and solve all 24 puzzles will you find the thief and the book and save Christmas. For those who enjoy Advent calendars, this is a great option, and there are also a number of different themed ones depending on your preference.

1+ Players • Ages 8+ • 45 minutes • $40

3. Super-Skill Pinball: Holiday Special

Geoff Engelstein’s Super-Skill Pinball games have gone through a number of standalone expansions and themes. And this time, he’s tackling famous holiday movies. Super-Skill Pinball: Holiday Special adds three tables to the game featuring Christmas movie classics Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and A Christmas Story. The gameplay is simple, having you roll 2 dice and move your marker around the pinball table collecting points. For fans of any of these classic movies, this is a great option to play around the holidays.

1-4 Players • Ages 8+ • 15-45 minutes • $20

2. Santa’s Workshop (Second Edition)

It’s late in December, and Santa is gearing up for his big night. His elvish helpers are busy making sure he’s ready to deliver joy across the world! The elves have a lot to do: toys to be built and assembled, reindeer to be tended in the stables, and the North Pole’s own Christmas tree to decorate. In this medium-light worker placement game, players will take on the role of elves making Christmas toys, tending the reindeer, and getting ready for Christmas. This new edition comes with two game modes: the standard game for families, and an advanced game for more experienced gamers.

2-5 Players • Ages 6+ • 30-60 minutes • $40

1. Dice Throne: Santa vs Krampus

Dice Throne has been around for quite a while, and it’s an absolutely fantastic game. So while this high ranking also represents some of my personal preferences, the gameplay here is still top-notch. Dice Throne is a Yahtzee-like game where you roll dice and use the results to attack your opponent. In this version, you have Santa taking on Krampus, but these heroes can also be mixed and matched with any other Dice Throne character, giving you a ton of replay value. It’s a dueling game with a Christmas theme that also works any other time of the year, which is a win in my book.

2, 10, 20-40

2 Players • Ages 10+ • 20-40 minutes • $29