These games are guaranteed to make you “L.O.L.” Toy Insider Senior Editor Marissa DiBartolo stopped by Good Morning Arizona in Phoenix to show off the best games the whole family can play during the holidays. For more on the items featured in this segment, check out the product notes below, and for our complete rundown of the best gifts for the holidays, check out our complete holiday gift guide.
- No Thumbs Challenge is the hilarious game that calls for fast-moving teamwork, creative thinking, and maximum dexterity as you and your team members try to execute simple tasks without the use of your thumbs!
- Using thumb straps, players “attach” their thumbs to their palms and then try to perform tasks like opening a water bottle, applying lip balm, or tying a tie. You still have four fingers, so this should be easy, right? Just wait.
- Divide into two teams and get ready to see who can do the most with the digits they have left. You’ll need a few household items to complete some challenges, and the game includes some colorful plastic thumbs just for laughs.
- Game includes 112 tasks on 56 Challenge cards, but you also have the option to create challenges of your own. Can you tie a shoe or peel a banana without using your thumbs? With this delightful game, you’ll find out!
- Age: 13+
- MSRP: $19.99
- Available: Kohl’s, Target, Toys “R” Us, Walmart
- Break Free is a new, challenging action skill game full of urgency, suspense and tons of fun. The objective: players must race to pick the lock on their handcuff as quickly as possible and before everyone else.
- Players are handcuffed together and insert one of three mazes into each handcuff (each with a different difficulty level).
- Using a pick lock, players have to pick the lock as quickly as possible.
- The player with the most points at the end of three rounds wins the game.
- Age: 6+
- MSRP: $19.99
- Available: Target
- Inspired by the online viral whisper challenge sensation, Hearing Things is all about the challenge of reading lips while laughing hysterically.
- To begin, players are divided into two teams. One player places the speech-cancelling headphones over their ears and does their best to guess the phrase on the cards by reading their teammate’s lips. Once the player guesses the phrase correctly, the teammate draws another card and keeps going until the timer runs out.
- The active team tries to earn as many cards as possible, but if a player passes on a card, the opposing team automatically earns that card – the team with the most cards at the end of the game wins!
- Age: 12+
- MSRP: $19.99
- Available: Amazon, HasbroToyShop.com, Target, Toys “R” Us, Walmart
HOUSE OF BOING (UNIVERSITY GAMES)
- House of Boing is the game that mixes speed, dexterity, and fast thinking. The first player to empty his or her room of balls wins.
- House of Boing features 10 games, including House of Boing, Top Boing, Team Boing, Long Boing, and more.
- With its elegant design, House of Boing may be enjoyed as a work of art or played as a challenging addition to any game room.
- Age: 12+
- MSRP: $24.99
- Available: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Toys “R” Us
WHO’S THE DUDE? (IDENTITY GAMES USA)
- Players can play charades with “The Dude,” a life size inflatable man-doll, while the other players try to guess within the time limit what you and the Dude are doing.
- Using the charade cards, player act out scenes from a movie, a sport, or a profession.
- The game includes 440 charade cards, 50 score sheets and different ways to play.
- Age: 16+
- MSRP: $24.99
- Available: Target
