Come December 31, the world splits into two types of people.
There are the optimists who believe in the magic of the countdown and the pragmatists who know that staying in is the best option of all.
But don’t be mistaken: staying in doesn’t mean tucking yourself up in bed by 10.30pm. Celebrating at home is just as fun, if not better, than going out out. Think about it: a playlist of your greatest hits, shelter from icy temperatures, snacks within arm’s reach - what’s not to love? Plus you’ll have control over the type of do you’re throwing, be it an elegant dinner party with your closest friends, a movie marathon with the squad or a full-throttle house party.
Whether you’re mixing friendship groups or not, some fun games can break the ice and get things off the ground.
Drinking games may be the first one to spring to mind. For New Year’s, they are perfect, getting everyone on their merry way as the clock inches towards midnight. But go easy - you don’t want to peak too soon and certainly not before Big Ben’s famous gongs.
Board games can be fun, but some feel may require far too much concentration on a night like this. That leaves card and action games, like Charades, Head’s Up and Pictionary.
If you’re looking for a fun game to liven things up and encourage end-of-year rivalry, we’ve rounded up the best indoor options below. Some are adult-only appropriate while others can have the whole family joining in, from your little niece to your nana.
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Monopoly Deal Card Game
Carting a board around when you’re on the road isn’t always possible, but Hasbro has found a way to turn the popular property-buying game into a travel-friendly version. Monopoly Deal sees up to five players make property sets out of London’s best-known landmarks, making deals, trades and treacherous swipes along the way. As a total novice, it took me a round to get the hang of it, and then I was addicted.
Buy now £7.99, Amazon
Hasbro Gaming Classic Jenga
Hasbro's classic game is a riot for all ages and groups. Using strategy, composure and full-blown daring, keeping the tower upright rachets up the excitement to new levels. Separate your party into teams to foster a sense of camaraderie.
Buy now £10.99, Amazon
Reusable Murder Mystery on the Dancefloor Kit
It may sound a little Saltburn-esque, but this murder mystery game sends a dozen players to a tragic incident at a NYC nightclub in arguably the most glamorous decade: the 70s.
With character profiles, back stories, clues and crime files, this fun game needs the full player number to be enjoyed best, making it ideal for NYE when there are always willing participants around.
Plus, the fact that it comes with three possible endings means you can replay it well into 2025.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon
Drinking Roulette incl. 16 shot glasses
Whether there’s just two of you or a gang of eight, this casino-style roulette wheel game promises plenty of fun. Fill the shot glasses with your choice booze - or you could add a twist, as one customer did, by filling the evens with chocolate and the odds with liquidised broccoli - and let the wheel spin. The stakes may be high, but so are the laughs.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
Cieex Beer Pong Set
You don’t need much to play a game of beer pong but this set adds a sense of ceremony to the proceedings. Complete with a mat, blue and red cups and of course, the all-important ping pong balls, to play simply split yourselves into teams and try and get as many ping pongs into the opposition’s cups. If the ball lands in a cup, you finish that drink. The objective is to drink the other side dry and crown yourselves the winners! If you want to go slow, fill the cups with low or no alcohol beer and save the full-strength for the party.
Buy now £16.99, Amazon
Riley 6ft Folding Snooker and Pool Table
Measures: 184 x 95 x 79cm
Weight: 52kg
Why play one game when you can get a table that allows you to play four? Riley's nifty design allows you to play pool and snooker while an extra mat puts table tennis on the schedule. Once you've tired of those, exercise your throwing arm by flipping the vertical folding leg system up to reveal a soft-tip dart board on the back. If that wasn't enough, this table comes with all the accessories needed to play the games: think a set of 1.3/4-inch snooker balls, 1.3/4-inch spots and stripes pool balls, triangles and two (48-inch/122cm) cues.
Buy now £419.00, Amazon
Winmau Blade 6 Professional Bristle Dartboard
Say hello to Winmau's sixth-generation dartboard, designed for superior durability and performance. The web design includes a 'density control wire' and heightened dart retention in the double, treble and bullseye zones. It comes with a Rota-Lock mounting system which is easy to adjust. The high-quality design comes with ultra-thin wire to minimise bounce-outs.
Buy now £49.95, Amazon
Block Design Gradient Playing Cards
Designed to bring joy to the chromatophiliac in your world, these playing cards transform a typical suit into a glorious rainbow of gradient colour. Red and black colours are replaced with sunny hues, allowing players to understand colour theory while getting into the death round of cribbage. They certainly make a game of snap much more interesting.
Buy now £15.00, NOTHS
Cards Against Humanity
The first version of CAH came out in May 2011 and took the gaming world by storm; it’s been outraging people ever since. The game is easy enough to play, and will reveal your most horrible friends in an instant.
It goes like this: in each round, a player asks a question pulled from the Black Card stack, everyone else must consult their White answer card and choose the funniest option from their pile. The Black Card holder picks the person with the wildest answer, and that winner picks the next Black Card.
Hilarious and horrific in equal measure, turn it into a drinking game by having losers take a sip of their drink.
Buy now £29.00, Amazon
Articulate Board Game
‘The fast-talking description game’ is always a family favourite around Christmas time. Gather everyone together, split off into teams and compete to describe as many words as you can, without actually saying them.
Race against your opposition with 30 seconds on the clock, no ‘rhymes with’ or ‘sounds like’ allowed. From objects and nature to people and action words, give it your best go and laugh the whole way through. Guessers need to keep alert too to win the points.
Buy now £17.99, Amazon
