The holidays are a period for gathering the family and spending quality time together. Board games were once the go-to classic for the festive season, but over the years, it's rapidly become video games and new consoles that people excitedly unbox and gift to each other. And what better way to celebrate the lazy day downtime than gathering around a shared screen and play some great games in unison?

Video games have permeated people's social lives in a huge way, with distant friends able to catch up while playing something online or couples spending date nights settled on the couch, controllers in hand. Games are even more fun when everyone is home for the winter break and people are cheering or booing each other while battling it out or backseat gaming while puzzling through a tricky level.

But not every game makes for great communal play. Some can be boring for grandpa to watch, and others too tricky for every sibling to get. The right holiday game needs the perfect blend of accessibility and entertainment value to keep everyone enthralled -- or at least distracted until dinner is ready.