Solo puzzle games are useful when you need to keep one child occupied without a second player. The Genius Square and Genius Star are self-contained, so a child can roll, place and solve on a tray table or a picnic blanket without anyone else joining in. Card games such as Flip 7, available from The Happy Puzzle Company, come into their own when the whole family wants a quick round at a campsite or in a holiday cottage.

If you like the Genius Square, the same puzzle idea runs through a small family of games. Genius Star adds a bonus mechanic and a different set of pieces, Genius Gems and Genius Connection change the shapes and the goal, and Bee Genius is pitched at younger children who are new to shape puzzles. Each one keeps the roll-and-fill pattern while giving you a fresh challenge.

Fast games are the backbone of the evening. Card and tile games such as Flip 7 and Mobi play in a few minutes, so a child who loses a round is straight back in for the next one. Dexterity and throwing games like Tossit get everyone up and moving, which helps if the little ones have been sitting still for a while. These are all available from The Happy Puzzle Company alongside its own titles.

Brain teasers can help pass the time on a commute or wind down at the end of the day, and they make a good talking point left out on a table. They are also handy gifts because they do not need batteries, a screen or another player. A well-made puzzle in solid metal or wood also tends to last, so it can be handed round the family for years.

For a hand-picked selection of Christmas games and stocking-filler puzzles for every age, browse the seasonal range at [[http://Kepenk%20trsfcdhf.hfhjf.hdasgsdfhdshshfsh@forum.annecy-outdoor.com/suivi_forum/?a[]=%3Ca%20href=https://wiki.hcgov.uk/doku.php%3Fid=if_you_want_a_shortlist_of_games_tested_for_family_play_and%3Efamily%20games%20from%20Happy%20Puzzle%3C/a%3E%3Cmeta%20http-equiv=refresh%20content=0;url=https://wiki.hcgov.uk/doku.php%3Fid=if_you_want_a_shortlist_of_games_tested_for_family_play_and%20/%3E|brain games for adults]].

For a bigger group, party and bluffing games give teenagers and adults something to sink their teeth into. Titles such as The Traitors board game and card game, both available from The Happy Puzzle Company, lean on reading the room and second-guessing each other, which tends to spark the loudest laughs of the night. Keep one of these for when the whole family is together at Christmas or on a birthday.