Some families go in for the really complicated, crunchy games, but the best family games are generally a little lighter so everyone can get on board.

Regardless of the holidays being celebrated, the end of the year is a popular time to come together with family and share food & good times. Board games are a fantastic way to pass the time and something everyone can enjoy together.

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Some families go in for the really complicated, crunchy games, but the best family games are generally a little lighter so everyone can get on board. Hunker down the family with a mix of party games and strategy games, team and solo games, and everything in between.

Betrayal, as it is commonly called, is a great game for a dark night, so long as there is plenty of time to spare. Players start as allies, exploring a haunted house, evading traps and spirits, until one eventually stumbles into the role of the Betrayer, who then becomes an antagonistic force against the others. Betrayal's biggest weakness is that scenarios vary wildly, with some humorous and quick, while others are excessively dark and very complicated. The game should only be attempted with groups where questions can be comfortably answered by anyone at the table.

Each player in this train-themed favorite is trying to build certain rail routes across the gameboard, using colorful cards to purchase sections of rail connecting various cities. One of Ticket to Ride's greatest strengths is that every player is limited to only one action on their turn, meaning the game always keeps going along at a nice clip.

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The original board, covering the continental United States, is pretty fun, but the Europe version adds a couple of sorely-needed features and has slightly more interesting geography.

Players in Sushi Go draft hands of cards to build a great sushi spread, scoring points depending on which food items they end up with. The drafting mechanic can confuse players who aren't familiar with that kind of play, and it's important that everyone understands how all the different sushi items work before the game begins. Sushi Go has a fun art style, and has the added benefit of making everyone hungry for the next family meal.

The award-winning Evolution: The Beginning replicates the complex process of animal evolution in an elegant and easy-to-learn system. The full version is a bit more complicated and perfect for people looking for a bit more crunch, but Evolution: The Beginning is a nice way to ease into the format of the game. Players use various traits to build species, obtain food, and defend themselves from other players' predatory species.

Another award winner, Splendor has players buying up precious gems to attract the attention of wealthy Renaissance-era nobles and socialites. The game's strategy takes a long time to master, but is pretty to get started on. After just one or two games, players will have picked up several ideas of how to win.

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Splendor's solidly built gem tokens make it a really fun game to get out on the table, and it's pretty easy to fit a few games into an evening of family fun.

Coup has players shifting allegiances in the upper-crusts of a politically unstable sci-fi dystopia. Gameplay is played with a very small deck, small enough that players will begin to count cards and deduce whether others are lying based on revealed information. Coup's basic edition is very easy to learn, with only a handful of roles to keep track of. Players who want a little more can seek out the expansions, which add enough variety that each new combination is like a new game.

Codenames involves two teams of players racing to get their teammates to guess words from a grid by giving clues that relate to two or more of the words. The game invites players to think creatively about the words, and gets everyone playing around with references and definitions to see who's going to get one. Codenames even includes a cooperative mode for families who would rather work together to guess words instead of competing.

The bonds between players are tested in Wavelength. Players have to guess how intensely their partners feel about a wide variety of topics, from deep questions of morality, to the originality of certain musical groups and the sexiness of Pokémon.

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The active player randomly places a needle on a gauge from low to high, then gives a clue that matches that position in regards to the current category. Wavelength is a game sure to inspire lively discussion, and often ends with some good-natured teasing.

L.L.A.M.A. stands for (don't) Let Llamas And Markers Accumulate, as that is the biggest goal of the game. Players take turns playing cards onto a shared pile, similar to Uno or Crazy 8s, trying not to be left with any Llama cards in their hand when someone else plays their last card. L.L.A.M.A. sets itself apart from similar games by allowing players to essentially fold, cutting their losses instead of drawing more cards in the hopes of discarding them later. L.L.A.M.A. has enough strategy to be fun, but is also simple enough that just about anyone can pick it up in minutes.

Dixit is one of the most accessible board games ever made. Players take turns giving hints about beautiful and abstract paintings from their hands. The active player gets points not for being very descriptive or very deceptive, but for landing somewhere in the middle. The rules ensure that there is no single winning strategy, so nobody ever feels left in the dust. Dixit has many different versions and expansions, so big fans will always be able to find something new.

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Declan is a writer for Comic Book Resources and an independent game designer. They've been playing video and tabletop games since childhood and continue that love today. With a background in the performing arts, Declan is interested in how games approach their audiences as both passive consumers and active participants. Digital preservation and gaming history also occupy probably too much of their thoughts. Check them out on Twitter here