The holidays are here and that probably means you’re either expecting house guests or you’ll be someone’s house guest, either way, there is probably going to be a fair amount of downtime with friends and family in your near future. And sure, there are football games to watch, TikTok videos to swipe, and dogs that need to be pet, but all of that is only fun for so long (except for petting dogs, that’s a full-time job that is fun one hundred percent of the time) so if you’re the type that aims to entertain, we’ve done some snooping and come up with a list of board games for adults that are actually fun! Let’s get started. 

Art Exhibit Murder Mystery Game | Hunt a Killer

If you’re like us and you binge watch true crime documentaries like nothin’ or solely listen to true crime podcasts, now is the time to show off your skills! This board game gives you the opportunity to comb through evidence, decode ciphers, piece together clues, and catch the killer. Think escape room but from the comfort of your own home, plus snacks! (Klonopin) (And wine. We suggest wine.) (buy here!) 

Wavelength

If you like games for large groups that make you think and spark creativity, then you should totally check out Wavelength! Basically how this game works is you get a category such as useful inventions and useless inventions as well as range placement, and it’s up to the members of your team to guess the placement; now in theory it’s easy to name useful and useless inventions, but what about ones that fall in the middle? See, that’s where the creativity comes in. This game could get out of hand easily, in the best possible way. (buy here!) 

Illimat

Brought to you by The Decemberists, this game is an interesting combination of hearts, bridge, and gin that combines both luck and strategy. This game is for 2 – 4 players, ideally over the age of 12. (buy here!) 

Empty Faces the Woods : Paranormal Game 

From the same company that brought us Fine Art Foul Play, comes Empty Faces the Woods. The same concept applies, players will decode ciphers, follow clues, and lead an investigation, this version just has a creepy, paranormal twist to it. Again, this game is like an escape room, just in the comfort of your own warm, cozy home. (buy here!)

Wit’s End

If you fancy a trivia game, we’ve got just the one for you. Wit’s End is set up like your average trivia board, the goal is to answer questions correctly and make your round. Questions are packed with trivia, riddles, and brain teasers on history, current affairs, popular culture, geography, science, arts, and more, so we suggest brushing up on your overall knowledge of, well, everything. (buy here!)