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Cascadia
Exceptional consensus · 4 organizations
"Build a Pacific Northwest landscape and fill it with wildlife. Relaxing, with no attacking, for 1 to 4 players."
1–4 players45 minLight
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Cozy Board Games to Play at Christmas
Calm, beautiful games for the days between gifts and New Year's
The best stretch of the holidays is the slow part: the afternoon after presents, or the quiet days between Christmas and New Year's when everyone is home and nobody has plans. That's when a calm, beautiful board game shines. These picks are cozy rather than cutthroat. You build forests, landscapes and palace walls instead of attacking each other, and they look gorgeous on the table next to a mug of something warm. If a new game was under the tree this year, start here.
Hosting tips
- If someone got a new game as a gift, set it up on Christmas afternoon while everyone is around to learn it together.
- Calm, no-conflict games like Cascadia, Harmonies and Dorfromantik keep the peace when the family has been together all week.
- For two people after the kids are asleep, try Sky Team or The Crew.
- Still shopping? Our gift guides have award-winning picks by age and interest.
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Azul
Exceptional consensus · 5 organizations
"Draft colorful tiles to decorate a palace wall. Teaches in five minutes and looks beautiful on the table."
2–4 players45 minLight
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Harmonies
Highly awarded
"Build landscapes from colored tokens and welcome animals into them. Calm, quick and lovely for couples and families."
1–4 players30 minMedium
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Wingspan
Exceptional consensus · 5 organizations
"Fill your habitats with birds and build satisfying chain reactions. Gorgeous art for a long, cozy afternoon."
1–5 players70 minMedium
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Dorfromantik: The Board Game
Award winner
"Everyone builds one shared landscape together. A cooperative, relaxing tile game for up to 6 players."
1–6 players45 minLight
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Forest Shuffle
Award winner
"Grow a forest of trees, animals and plants with lots of clever combos, for 2 to 5 players."
2–5 players60 minMedium
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Kingdomino
Award winner
"Build a little kingdom from domino tiles in about 20 minutes. A family favorite for ages 8 and up."
2–4 players20 minLight
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Splendor
Highly awarded
"Collect gems and grow a merchant empire. Quick to teach, with chunky tokens that feel great to handle."
2–4 players30 minLight
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Sky Team
Exceptional consensus · 4 organizations
"Two players land a plane together without talking about their dice. A perfect cooperative game for couples."
2 players20 minMedium
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The Crew: Quest for Planet Nine
Exceptional consensus · 5 organizations
"A cooperative card game with 50 missions for 2 to 5 players. Great for families who enjoy Hearts or Spades."
2–5 players20 minMedium
See full details and buying options →More holiday picks
Spooky Board Games for Halloween
Ghosts, zombies, monsters and a demon in the village, all award winners
Best Board Games for Thanksgiving with the Whole Family
Easy to teach, great for big groups, fun from grandkids to grandparents
Party Games for New Year's Eve
Loud, fast and big-group friendly, to play until midnight