5 Best Games to Play Over the Holidays: 2024 Edition

2024 has been a year packed full of new releases. But, if you’re a casual gamer, you might not be willing to spend time playing more niche titles like Slitterhead or the excellent Devil Blade Reboot. Luckily, there are still plenty of games that you should check out over the holiday break.

We’ve rounded up some of the best 2024 games you’ll definitely enjoy, regardless of how many games you usually play or how many consoles you might own.

These experiences listed could be endless; some can be played on your phone, and others are big adventures bound to warm your heart as you stuff yourself with turkey over Christmas.

No matter what kind of gamer you might be, there’s bound to be a game on this list for you.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. 5 Best 2024 Games to Play Over the Holiday Period
3. 5. Balatro
4. 4. Dragon Quest 3: HD-2D Remake
5. 3. Super Mario Party: Jamboree
6. 2. Pokémon TCG Pocket
7. 1. Thank Goodness You're Here
8. The Bottom Line
9. FAQs
10. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. 5 Best 2024 Games to Play Over the Holiday Period
3. 5. Balatro
Show Full Guide
4. 4. Dragon Quest 3: HD-2D Remake
5. 3. Super Mario Party: Jamboree
6. 2. Pokémon TCG Pocket
7. 1. Thank Goodness You're Here
8. The Bottom Line
9. FAQs
10. References

5 Best 2024 Games to Play Over the Holiday Period

5. Balatro

Everyone understands what a deck of cards is, right? Balatro is a mashup between Poker and Solitaire with game mechanics that are bound to keep you hooked, as the traditional game rules are continuously bent to score more points.

You’re dealt nine cards, and you play your best possible four or five-card hand. From here, you move over to the next one, continuously striving to score higher every time you advance to the next round. It’s easy to understand why Balatro has become one of the most popular games in 2024 and why it won big at The Game Awards.

Balatro allows you to pick from one of several different decks, each with its own unique quirks; some may have additional slots, while others might house alternative effects. It’s a deckbuilder in the most classic sense, as your overall score is handed out via “chips,” which you can then add additional modifiers, like multipliers and Jokers.

The ultimate goal is to clear eight rounds, or “Antes”, which will become more difficult as your hand dwindles against a targeted score. Of course, picking one of several different “Blinds” can offer an extra layer of challenge.

Once beaten, you can then spend your points on further packs of cards or add additional perks. It’s devilishly simple, moreish, and is the perfect Holiday game to whip out whenever you have 15-20 minutes of downtime, which makes it perfect for playing in the middle of a food-induced coma over the holidays. It helps that you can play Balatro on pretty much anything, to boot.

4. Dragon Quest 3: HD-2D Remake

For those looking for something casual but a bit deeper to chew on, Dragon Quest 3 has just received a lavish HD-2D remake in the vein of previous Square Enix titles like Live A Live and Octopath Traveller. This classic, simple JRPG tells the tale of the legendary hero Erdrick in Dragon Quest. You don’t have to have played any games to understand the plot, and the simple mechanics make it accessible for all ages.

This easygoing turn-based RPG is packed full of gags, and light-hearted fantasy fun, thanks to illustrations by legendary Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. The best part? It can be played in shorter bursts, and the relatively simple story is full of heart and earnestness.

With a party to build and legend to forge, it’s an ideal palette cleanser from the ardor of life and offers escapism into a lighthearted fantasy land where you can get your puff puff on anywhere you want.

Dragon Quest 3 may as well be an interactive storybook, making it a great holiday game that doesn’t require too much commitment. While it’s more retro in style and aesthetic, it might be the nostalgia bullet you need to take you right back to your childhood. Equally, it’s simple enough to be a great game to play for kids, too.

3. Super Mario Party: Jamboree

Can’t deal with the unwanted awkwardness of having to talk to your family? Do you want to use underhanded techniques to finally get revenge for your sibling’s childhood wrongdoing via a bright pink Birdo avatar? Well, Super Mario Party: Jamboree might be the best way to get all that familial catharsis out in a fun and simple way for the entire family.

The Mario Party series is effectively a board game with the simple goal of collecting coins via minigames and spending them on Stars. The person who has accumulated the most Stars becomes the victor, with bonus Stars awarded at the end of every game.

What might seem like a simple concept becomes twisted as Super Mario Party: Jamboree introduces elements that allow you to rob other players by stealing coins and stars via several underhanded and nefarious ways.

With different boards to play on that range from simple to complex (like a low tide that makes you go around in circles if you roll a dice high enough on your turn), Super Mario Party: Jamboree is perfect for a night of controlled chaos in front of the TV.

With the best minigame selection and playboards of any Mario Party title, it’s not only one of the best multiplayer games released this year, but it’s also one of the best multiplayer games on the Nintendo Switch.

2. Pokémon TCG Pocket

Collecting Pokémon cards might be a nostalgic memory for many, but the card battler has endured through the decades. Its newest iteration comes in the form of Pokémon TCG Pocket, where you can open virtual packs of Pokémon, assemble decks, and battle other trainers.

One of the best things about Pokémon TCG Pocket is that you can play it all without spending a single penny, as long as you’re patient enough to wait 12 hours to open a new pack of cards. The game takes great care in making opening every booster a special experience, right from the selection of the pack itself, opening it, and swiping through the cards in the vain hope you might finally get that Charizard EX with the cool artwork that you can show off to your friends.

Everything is carefully considered, from assembling bespoke decks to share with others to showcasing your rare cards using items purchased from the in-game shop. Once you’ve assembled a deck, you can take it into battle in intense matches against other players. It’s a fantastic way to capture the essence of the TCG game, packaged up for casual users who don’t need to commit library shelves to collect real cards.

While you can speed up the game using paid elements to open packs, its frustration-free design makes it ideal for anyone wanting to kill time and take a journey back to the past right from your phone.

1. Thank Goodness You’re Here

Thank Goodness You’re Here is a three-hour comedic tale as you traverse through the fictional town of Barnsworth, located in Northern England. Your character is new to the town and, somehow, gets wrapped up in solving all the problems of the colorful townspeople.

A sketch portrays Big Ron’s Big Pies, while another hopeful pie vendor, aptly named Tiny Tom’s Tiny Pies, has a casual rivalry that escalates throughout the game’s runtime. While it’s, in essence, a prop hunt game, each of the carefully crafted NPC interactions makes the game a joy to play.

As a smaller experience, you won’t have to master any difficult mechanics, but you will have to contend with fairly simple puzzles and ensure you’re talking to every NPC to get the most out of this fun little indie title. It doesn’t outstay its welcome and is a great way to engage with a smaller-family-friendly game on the Sofa. It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, so watch out for any young children who might be watching while you play.

The Bottom Line

The best Holiday games to play in 2024 aren’t necessarily associated with the festive period. However, they will provide dozens (potentially hundreds) of hours of playtime across many different video game genres. Whether you’re into story-driven games, party titles, puzzlers, or something completely different, we’ve covered some excellent picks to spend time with.

FAQs