Huzzah! We have passed the halfway mark of December and we are oh-so-close to the finish line. With said finish line come a few celebrations. And while yes, they won’t be the same as they were the year before, there should still be fun. And the fun does, as per usual, include board games. Now, we know that you won’t have the same large holiday groups, but there are some fantastic party games for small groups. And we’re here to show them to you.

5. Exploding Kittens

We can’t go any further without mentioning the king of small party board games. Exploding Kittens is, to this day, the most-backed Kickstarter ever. It is an easy, short and adorable card game centered around a “Russian roulette” mechanic. If you draw an Exploding Kitten, you’re screwed. Well, not exactly. The first time you draw one, you can disarm it, but after that you are at the luck of your cards. It’s great.

4. You’ve Got Crabs!

From the creators that brought you Exploding Kittens comes a game with just as many animals, just as much cuteness, just as much craziness, and a little bit of teamwork! You’ve Got Crabs is a game that only works in even numbers, as it’s a team game. It’s also crazy fun. The goal of the game might make it seem quite familiar to our Romanian readers. You’ve got a hand of cards, which you can trade with the cards on the table, in order to have a hand of 4 cards of the same pattern. Once you’ve done that, you try to communicate it to your teammate. If they yell out, “You’ve Got Crabs!” you get a point. If people on the other team figure it out before you, then they’ll steal that point for them. It’s a classic, it’s funny and relatively easy to teach, making it perfect for games with your family. Plus, if you get the expansion, you can have crab hands, and who hasn’t dreamed of that?

3. Colt Express

Next up on the docket is a contender with a little more flavor than the others. Colt Express places you on a moving 3D train. Your goal? Steal as much as you can while avoiding getting punched and shot by the other bandits. It is, at its core, a game about train robbery. There is no surprise then that it is criminally fun (pun intended). Every turn, you’ll have to plan your actions along with everybody else, then have them play out one by one. What anybody else does might throw your plans off, which makes for the fun of the game. And it is so very fun, a perfect party game for small groups.

2. BANG!

Sticking with the western theme, BANG! is a hidden identity masterpiece. At the start of the game, everyone will receive a card. They’ll either be the sheriff, a deputy, an outlaw or a renegade. And this is where the fun begins. While the sheriff is revealed, the rest remain hidden. The best part about it, all of them have different win conditions. While the sheriff wants to clean up the town, the outlaws want to take him down and the renegade wants to be the last one left standing. Pair this up with either a plentiful deck of cards in the original version or a more random installment with BANG! The Dice Game is sure to be a good fit for any table.

1. Dungeon Mayhem

I might be a little bit biased for the top pick, but how could I not pick Dungeon Mayhem? This battle royale card game spawned as a Dungeons & Dragons spin-off has grown into a beloved classic in quite a short while. Its simplicity is unmatched, its art style hilarious and its mechanics, although not always balanced, makes for extraordinary moments, like the wizard turning a game on its head in an instant. It is one of our favorite party game for small groups, as it can be played with 2-4 players at its base, going up to 12 players with its expansions, which are just as fun.

There are so many other fun party games, these are just our favorites to play in smaller groups. You check out our previous article with other recommendations here or browse on the online shop. Hopefully, you’ll have some time to play them these holidays. Hopefully, it’ll even be enough to wash away the bad taste of the last two years. And if it does, be sure to let us know by sending us a message with your favorite game from this list!