Christmas Games For Two People: 16 For A Quiet Christmas

A Christmas for two is a genuinely good day - no schedule, no seating plan, no arguments over the gravy. It just needs a couple of things to do between the food and the film.

Everything here works with two people, and most of it works with a pack of cards.

Card and dice games for two

• Cribbage - the classic two-hander, and a board makes a good present.
• Gin Rummy, Beggar My Neighbour, Sevens and German Whist.
• Yahtzee or Farkle with a pot of coppers as stakes.
• Pairs or Cheat if you want something silly rather than strategic.
• Backgammon and draughts, both quick and both easy to pick back up.

Board games that are better with two

• Patchwork, 7 Wonders Duel, Jaipur and Codenames Duet are all designed for exactly two players.
• Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride both work well as a two-hander.
• A jigsaw on a board that stays out all week - not a game, but the same job.
• A crossword or cryptic done together over the afternoon.

Just the two of you games

• The year quiz: twenty questions each about the year you've both had.
• Two truths and a lie with things the other doesn't know yet. Harder than it sounds after a decade.
• Guess the Christmas number one from the year you met.
• Predictions for next year, written down and sealed until next Christmas.
• Best and worst of the year, three each, out loud with a drink.

Making a quiet Christmas feel like Christmas

• Keep two or three traditions and drop the rest - the film, the walk, the good breakfast.
• Eat when you want. A quiet Christmas is the only one where three o'clock means nothing.
• Phone or video call one person in the afternoon rather than several. It's more of a Christmas than five rushed calls.
• A walk out before it gets dark, even a short one. It marks the day as different.

Shop Christmas cards

How to write it so it lands

• Pick the games before the day - nobody chooses well at 3pm.
• One thing that takes all afternoon (jigsaw, long game) beats five short ones.
• Get outside before dark.

Where to shop next

• Christmas gift ideas hub
• Christmas Day games for after dinner
• Christmas games for the whole family
• Christmas Eve games and traditions
• Christmas party games for adults
• Secret Santa and gift swap games
• The left right Christmas story game
• Christmas charades and Pictionary word lists
• Christmas Day quiz
• Christmas morning games for kids
• Twelve games of Christmas
• New Year's Eve party games
• Boxing Day walk and outdoor games
• Christmas board games
• Boxing Day games
• Board games hub
• Secret Santa gift ideas
• Free feel good tools
• Shop Christmas cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What games can two people play at Christmas?

Cribbage, Gin Rummy, Yahtzee, backgammon and two-player board games like Patchwork, Jaipur and 7 Wonders Duel. A jigsaw and a crossword do the same job if you'd rather not compete.

How do you make Christmas for two feel special?

Keep two or three traditions and let the rest go - a good breakfast, a walk before dark and a film you both like. Eating when you want instead of at three o'clock is the best part of a quiet Christmas.

What's a good Christmas game for a couple?

The year quiz - twenty questions each about the year you've had, then written predictions for next year sealed in an envelope to open next Christmas.

What if you're on your own at Christmas?

A jigsaw, a cryptic crossword, a long walk and a phone call arranged in advance all help. Local community lunches run in most towns on Christmas Day, and volunteering at one is a genuinely good way to spend it.

Do you sell games or party supplies?

No - we make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. The games here need little or nothing to run, and the only products on this page are our own cards.