We've been banned from playing these board games over Christmas

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We've been banned from playing these board games over Christmas News By Benjamin Abbott Contributions from Tabitha Baker published 9 December 2025

"Would you like a game of Twilight Imperium? Hey, where are you going?"

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(Image credit: Ian Stokes)

Even though board games are supposed to bring us together, it's an unwritten rule that some… well, some aren't for polite company. Or your family. Or especially competitive friends.

The GamesRadar+ team and I test a lot of board games each month, but there are a few we've been banned from playing with our loved ones. Despite being some of the best board games overall, they get a "oh hell no, veto" whenever we try to set them up. Sometimes that's down to their length and/or complexity, and for others, it's because we get a touch too competitive for our own good.

Basically? Break these board games out over Christmas at your peril.

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Unfathomable | $89.99 at AmazonI adore this cosmic horror combination of hidden roles and adventure, but it can be a struggle getting anyone to join in. That was the case even before the idea was rebranded for the Lovecraft-inspired Arkham Horror universe (back when it was better known as Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game), and it's all thanks to how long it takes. While it's nowhere near as long-winded as Twilight Imperium, a proper session of Unfathomable will take hours to finish – which was my main criticism in our Unfathomable review. And yes, those hours are fantastic. But unless your fellow players are just as keen as you are, you aren't likely to get many return visits to the good ship Unfathomable.Buy it if:✅ You love bluffing games✅ You're a fan of deeper, more complex gamesDon't buy it if:❌ You'd rather not be playing for hours and hoursPrice check: 💲 Target | $89.99UK price: £89.99 £70.99 at Zatu Games

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Pandemic | $49.99 $39.99 at AmazonAfter a Christmas largely defined by the Pandemic board game, I'm no longer allowed to participate. The co-operative world-saving expedition is one of my absolute favorites, but I've been relegated to playing it solo on my iPad these days. I'll fully accept I'm the problem here, but wrangling my family into working together proved too difficult all those years ago and I'll admit, I took over. Apparently my cries of "do you want to win?" didn't help matters while I, perhaps slightly too forcefully, took leadership in our fight against the deadly plague spreading over the world. There are a lot of different strategies at play here, something we loved in our Pandemic review. It turns out people want to play their turn, I just can't let them when it's so obviously going to lead to the end of the world as we know it. Buy it if:✅ Your players can work together as a team✅ You like variety in your strategyDon't buy it if:❌ You prefer competitive titlesPrice check: 💲 Walmart | $39.99UK price: £39.99 £24.98 at Amazon

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Twilight Imperium | View at AmazonIf you've not heard of this sci-fi epic before, know that it's a beloved and thoroughly brilliant board game. You'll lead a cosmic civilization in an effort to rule the stars, held up by tense diplomacy, warfare, and trade. Oh, and one more thing: it takes bloody ages. Sessions are known to last upwards of five hours, and it's not unheard of for a match to swallow an entire day. It's worth the investment, as noted in our Twilight Imperium review, but I can totally understand why some will nope out at the merest mention of a Twilight Imperium sesh.Buy it if:✅ You enjoy enormous, sprawling games✅ You dream of an immersive, sci-fi experienceDon't buy it if:❌ The idea of an 8-hour gaming session scares youPrice check: 💲 Asmodee | Out of stockUK price: £164.97 at Amazon

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Cards Against Humanity | $29 at AmazonLongtime contributor and Entertainment Editor at our sister site Space, Ian Stokes, put in a vote for this long-running card game as one he's vetoed. More specifically, he says that "Cards Against Humanity is one I play through gritted teeth. It's the Mrs Brown's Boys of game night." Honestly, I agree. While I don't want to yuck anyone's yum, I'm not a fan of how it punches down at every given opportunity for the sake of 'the lolz.' I also think it mistakes being outright mean and/or offensive for humor. Oh, and its penchant for sensationalizing means the game is over-reliant on shock-value. Once the surprise is gone, it loses a lot of its power. That's especially true because gaining points is so subjective – it can boil down to a popularity contest. Buy it if:✅ You have a dark sense of humor✅ You want a party game to play while drunkDon't buy it if:❌ You aren't a fan of outrageous humorPrice check: 💲 Walmart | $29UK price: £29 at Amazon

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Monopoly | $19.99 $14.97 at AmazonUnlike most of the board games on this list, Monopoly isn't something we love or are passionate about. Our families haven't sworn off it because of its complexity or how competitive we get at the table. In fact, I'm the one who's banned it – and it's because I think Monopoly is rubbish. OK, that's probably a bit strong. I can see the appeal to this classic roll-and-move title. I respect it, even. But I just don't believe it's very good. The mechanics were designed specifically to highlight the flaw of land monopolies in the early 1900s, so the agonizingly slow bleedout of every session where you struggle to catch up with whoever's winning is a feature, not a flaw. (Indeed, Monopoly's commercialization may be the best case of 'missing the point' in all of tabletop gaming.) It's changed a fair bit since then, of course, but at its core, I don't think Monopoly is much fun. I'm not sure it involves any skill either, to be honest; it's purely random based on what you roll, and once someone takes the lead, it's near-impossible to drag them back. Try to suggest a game over Christmas and watch me vanish in five seconds flat.Buy it if:✅ You want a very easy family game✅ You've got a lot of time to killDon't buy it if:❌ You value your own sanityPrice check: 💲 Walmart | $14.97UK price: £25.99 £14 at Amazon

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More board games we're banned from playing at Christmas

• 7 Wonders: $59.99 $55.94 at Amazon
• Talisman: $59.99 $37.99 at Amazon

For top-tier tabletop recommendations, don't miss the best card games and the best tabletop RPGs.

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES Tabletop Gaming Benjamin AbbottSocial Links NavigationTabletop & Merch Editor

I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and now manage GamesRadar+'s tabletop gaming and toy coverage. You'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news.

With contributions from

• Tabitha BakerManaging Editor - Hardware

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