Best Hanukkah Board Games
Also named the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah always promises to bring joy and prosperity into Jewish homes during the holiday season. Whether you are lighting candles and singing with family or relaxing watching your favorite shows, you are likely to want to indulge in some board games to connect everyone together again.
It’s been a long year, so get ready to hide your phones for a few hours and get stuck into some of these choices in our list of the best Hanukkah board games!
🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Hanukkah Board Games
Dreidel
Players: 2-6
Playing time: 10 min
Dreidel is a fast and fun family game focused on bluffing and betting. The meaning of Dreidel is to turn/ spin so it is no surprise that the main focus of play is a spinning top. The letters on each of its four sides are initials and all represent an action that the player must obey.
At the start of the game, all players put items into a pot, typically candy or other treats, and following this, the Dreidel may tell you to take all, nothing, half, or add to the pot. Each letter is the first of “Nes Gadol Hayah Po”, meaning “A great miracle happened there”.
What we liked
Dreidel is a wonderful Jewish family game. The extra fun part is choosing what to put in the pot.
What could be better
Adding more rules and twists would spice things up and make the game last longer.
Maccabees
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 30 min
When playing Maccabees, you will use a Dreidel and the objective of play is to be the first player to fill a Menorah with 8 candles. As in the traditional game of Dreidel, every spin has significance, however, the rules are slightly more complex and candles can be taken from opponents, and cards can be used to modify movements.
What we liked:
Maccabees is a traditional game with a good amount of playing time and it is popular with all ages.
What could be better:
The rules may seem overly complicated for young players so leave time to explain certain features, if necessary.
The Chosen One
Players: 4-10
Playing time: 30-45 min
Let me introduce the adults-only comedy card game. It could be described as the Jewish version of Cards Against Humanity so take care if kids are around!
In each round, a player picks a question card and all opponents must share an answer with the goal to be the most amusing and of course, the winner of that round. The more you play the wilder the answers may become. Let the humor flow!
What we liked:
A perfect game for college students. The makers of The Chosen One donate 10% of their profits to Jewish charities. Nice touch!
What could be better:
A family-friendly version could be a great idea as it would be a fabulous game for children to enjoy during the holiday season.
The Holigame: A Celebration of Jewish Holidays
Players: 2-6
Playing time: 30 min
How well do you know your Jewish values and faith? The Holigame is designed to test your knowledge of Jewish customs and traditions and see how much you remember of your School History lessons.
A cool board game to be enjoyed by all the family with simple rules. The winner is the one who answers the most questions correctly. An awesome memory test and light-hearted competition.
What we liked:
If you’re not going to play this on Hanukkah then when will you play? As with any trivia quiz, if you don’t know the answers, you will soon learn them and be better prepared for next year’s match!
What could be better:
If you’re not much of a history-buff, you may find yourself stumbling on a couple of difficult questions.
Hanukards
Players: 2-5
Playing time: 30 min
Similar to UNO, Hanukards is a Hanukkah-themed card game with all the usual rules of Wild cards and Skip a turn. This game is visually quite appealing, decorated in menorahs and stars, and is appropriate to play with all the family.
What we liked:
Hanukards can move at a different pace if you feel like adding your own rules or twists. Perfect for a relaxing evening with friends or family.
What could be better:
Like UNO, the concept of the game is quite-dated. It would be good to see a version with more fun actions involved, but there is always space to add your own side rules.
Check it out on Etsy!
Taboo: Jewish Edition
Players: 4-10
Playing time: 30-45 min
Just like in the original game of Taboo, you must be disciplined enough to not say those tempting words on the tip of your tongue. Players are split into teams and try to describe examples like “Festival of Lights” to their team members while they are prohibited from using words like Hanukkah, Candle, or Menorah! Not easy!
The objective is to be the best guessers, but after a few rounds, you’ll find it a breeze! A cool icebreaker with new friends too!
What we liked:
A perfect stocking stuffer and a fabulous game for all ages. Whether you’re playing with kids or your Saba, no one feels left out.
What could be better:
More cards would see the game last longer for the sake of replayability.
Candle Quest
Players: 2-5
Playing time: 30 min
Time to put your money where your mouth is! Candle Quest allows players to auction, buy, sell, and bid in a race to proudly light the Menorah with a full set of candles. A game of skill over luck, you strategically decide when to trade your cards in order to gain colored candles.
The concept of Candle Quest may seem familiar and has been re-themed from “It’s Alive!” which was previously “The Menorah Game.”
What we liked:
There is a junior variant for young players (aged 5 and 6) which removes bidding to make it more child-friendly.
What could be better:
Other than the Menorah, there are no other religious aspects in Candle Quest, relating to Hannukah. They could add more holiday themes to encourage more play at this special time of year.
Apples to Apples: Jewish Edition
Players: 4-10
Playing time: 30 min
Apples to Apples have created several versions of this game and this one doesn’t fall short of its rivals. Based on interpersonal strategy and an element of creativity, players will choose an object best fitting the description given. The Jewish version is just as good as the others and perfect for young kids learning new vocabulary and families enjoying the break.
What we liked:
It doesn’t matter how many times you play, you are still amused by some of the answers.
What could be better:
Children will most likely find a lot of enjoyment in this game, adults may find it repetitive eventually.
The 8 Drinking Games of Chanukah
Players: 2-8
Playing time: 30-45 min
You have a chip, a spinner, 2 dice, and 12 playing cards… but you have 8 Drinking Games! Well, just make sure you give yourself time to recover.
“I’m starting to slur” and “Drinks Tonight” are just a couple of the challenges on the list. Another perfect stocking stuffer, just make sure you are sober enough to place it in the correct one!
What we liked:
Excellent value for money and has a ton of variety all around. However, you may need the extra shekel for the booze.
What could be better:
A lot of fun for the holidays but if you’re celebrating with family you might not want to play this one every day!
Yiddishe Kop
Players: 1-6
Playing time: 30 min
They call it A game of Jewish brain benders. In Yiddishe Kop the Puzzle Master deals Query cards to opposing players and the only possible answers are “yes,” “no,” “irrelevant,” or “partially correct.”
The objective of Yiddishe Kop is to solve the puzzle through story-telling, and the dangers to watch out for are the repetition of questions so everyone is required to place close attention.
What we liked:
There is a one-player version where you’re able to read 3 clues and solve the equation this way.
What could be better:
Essentially it’s a game of deduction, so young players may have more difficulties, but it is an excellent game for teaching logical- thinking.
Wrap-Up
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best Hanukkah board games to play during the holidays! Have you tried any of the games on this list? Did we miss any of your favorites? Drop a comment below and let us know what you think! We’d love to hear from you.
Chanukah sameach!
