Best board games to play this Christmas – including £20 music quiz and another that combines three classics

IT’S that time to kick off the family feuds and crack open some board games.

Research shows regular sessions of board gaming can improve your memory and reduce depression.

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Here, Toyologist Peter Jenkinson gives his guide to the ones on the market for the Christmas break, with scores – on the dice – out of six.

BLOCK PARTY, £25, Argos

THINK Pictionary, Minecraft and Tetris combined – this game is the collaboration of all three.

With loads of coloured bricks inside, all you have to bring is your imagination and building skills.

Create what is on the game card as best you can or build the tallest structure, the one with the most colours or just the one that everyone will agree is the best on show.

Score: 5/6

DODO, £29.99, Waterstones

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A DECENT display for the shelf when not in play, and a pretty fun family game for up to four players.

Set in the world of Mangalopanesia, the Dodo atop the mountain has laid her precious egg (wobbly ball) which will make its way down the mountain to the boat.

As a team, you must build bridges by rolling dice to prevent the egg from taking a tumble before it reaches the sailing craft.

Score: 5/6

HITSTER, £19.99, Smyths Toys

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WITH 300 questions from the past century, get set for musical merriment.

Choose your card, scan the code on the app and your song will play on Spotify.

You are tasked to guess when the song was released then place your card in the right place in your music timeline.

Score: 5/6

TELESTRATIONS, £24.99, John Lewis

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EVERY player grabs an erasable sketchbook, a marker and word card, then a roll of the die gives each one their secret word.

Each player has a few seconds to guess what has been drawn before passing it along.

When it is time for the reveal, miscommunication via bad drawings offers some great grin-inducing results.

Score: 6/6

GULLIBLE, £24.99, Amazon

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A TRIVIA game but with a twist, created by you and other players.

Do you have a decent bit of bluff to outwit the others?

Your task is to create fake answers that are in fact more believable than the truth in an attempt to deceive the opposition.

Score: 5/6

MEEPLE CIRCUS, £49.60, Amazon

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ONE of the more costly on the list but a cracking game that is a real smile-maker.

You play to entertain and create a show that will dazzle ­others by proposing acrobatic acts and horse displays and using the other included accessories to become the ringmaster to watch out for.

Yet another superb shelf-worthy game.

Score: 4/6

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk