While we are halfway through the end of the year, it is also the time when the youngest are on vacation. An ideal opportunity to have time to play as a family between young and old. Therefore, the JV editorial team offers you a selection of the best games that you can play with the family during the Christmas holidays.
2023 releases
Disney Illusion Island
Disney Illusion Island is a platform game featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy in graphics reminiscent of the Disney animated series. In this adventure, our four heroes must find three mythical books and save the mysterious island of Monoth. As you progress, you unlock special abilities after completing platforming challenges, solving puzzles, and defeating bosses. Of course, with each protagonist’s personality revealed through their own animations, the adventure can be shared with multiple players, from one to four players. This promotes mutual aid to make life easier for those who have the greatest difficulties. It involves various functionalities such as unlocking ropes so everyone can join together, playing leapfrog to cover long distances, or even restoring life through a hug. An experience that promotes teamwork.
- Number of players: From 1 to 4 players.
- Available on: Nintendo Switch.
Buy Disney Illusion Island on Amazon
Pikmin 4
Long announced, Pikmin 4 was finally released this year. This episode is the latest installment in a saga that began on Gamecube and was named Best Strategy Game at the Game Awards ceremony. It must be said that this Nintendo game series shines through its adventure, which offers both exploration and the management of a group of Pikmins, small characters who all have special abilities depending on their color. In Pikmin 4 it is possible to complete story mode cooperatively, but unfortunately not both players have the role. If the former plays normally, the latter takes on a supporting role like in Super Mario Odyssey or Super Mario Galaxy. However, Pikmin 4 offers game modes dedicated to collaboration, and if you really want to make a story mode for two, we recommend checking out the previous episode, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, also available for Nintendo Switch.
- Number of players: From 1 to 2.
- Available on: Nintendo Switch.
Suika game
Suika Game was a real hit at the end of the year with more than 4 million sales and is part of this game with a simple principle but terribly addictive. The player stands in front of a basket that he has to fill with fruit. However, when two fruits of the same species collide, they fuse to form another, larger fruit. The goal is to grab as many large fruits as possible, especially watermelons, which score more points, before the basket ends up overflowing. The whole experience forces you to restart a game to try to get your best score each time. When played alone, the game is usually a pass-around-the-controller title. And considering that it only costs 3 dollars on the Nintendo Switch eShop, the only console on which it is available, it’s hard to resist.
- Number of players: 1.
- Available on: Nintendo Switch.
Super Mario Bros Wonder
It’s impossible to talk about titles to play with the family without mentioning Super Mario Bros. Wonder. This episode is a new platform game in the Mario universe and can of course be played entirely by four players in local or online multiplayer modes. Wonder is perfect for playing with children because players can help each other and some characters are created specifically for those who have difficulty using a controller. So Yoshi and Carottin can’t fall into holes, but they can’t turn into stock exchanges. And then in the event of a fall, all players have 5 seconds to save their friend, which leaves some leeway. Apart from these accessibility features, the price for all its joyful ideas per level, its musical side and all the ingenuity that goes into it.
- Number of players: 1 to 4.
- Available on: Nintendo Switch.
Buy Super Mario Bros. Wonder on Nintendo Switch at Amazon
The timeless
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the ideal cooperative game that everyone can agree on. As the name suggests, players compete in kart races with twelve participants on tracks, each crazier than the last. Of course, the whole charm of each race lies in the items that we collect on the tracks and that are crucial to the final result. The advantage of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the holiday season is that you can play it with four people on the same screen. And for those who would have more difficulty with a controller, there are plenty of accessibility features included. Power steering, automatic acceleration or even gyroscope, everything is there to make life easier so everyone can have fun. And for those who already know the game by heart, the expansion pass made it possible to double the number of races available in the game.
- Number of players: 1 to 4 on a console, 2 to 8 in local wireless mode, 1 to 12 online.
- Available on: Nintendo Switch.
Buy Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch on Amazon
Minecraft
Minecraft is the ideal game to encourage children’s creativity. In a world made entirely of blocks and pixels, the player can do whatever he wants. All constructions are possible and everyone can play the way they want: focus on survival, mining or creating a unique experience. And since it’s one of the best-selling games of all time, it can be found on absolutely every platform imaginable. For those who don’t want to worry about the survival aspect, a creative mode is also available that allows you to create anything you want. And then there’s a multiplayer dimension that allows everyone to create unique memories together.
- Number of players: 1 to 4 on a single console, 2 to 8 in local wireless mode and 2 to 8 online depending on the platform.
- Available on: All platforms.
Overcooked: All you can eat
Overcooked! All You Can Eat is a compilation that includes the first two Overcooked! united. This is a party game where players have to work together to prepare dishes requested by customers. What makes the experience more difficult is that all levels have peculiarities that make your task more difficult. In addition to the difficult environmental conditions, you have to regularly chop vegetables, cook meat, and make sure the soup doesn’t burn while washing dishes in order to have dishes to serve. Obviously overcooked! can quickly become a source of tension for the most impatient. But in reality it requires good synchronicity and team spirit to pull through. Perfect for Christmas parties.
- Number of players: 1 to 4 on a single console, 2 to 4 in local wireless mode, and 2 to 4 online.
- Available on: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series and Nintendo Switch.
Buy Overcooked: All You Can Eat on Amazon
Portal 2
Portal 2 is the ideal game for developing synchronization, team spirit and logic in young people. In this first-person puzzle game, each of the two players has a portal gun, a tool that allows you to create two connected portals. Basically you go in on one side and out the other. Based on this simple principle, in addition to the single-player story mode, Portal 2 offers a two-player cooperative campaign that will test your brain. We play as Atlas and P-Body, two bipedal robots that both have to go through five test chambers. Clearly, Portal 2’s co-op campaign is one of the best multiplayer experiences of the last fifteen years, and it recently returned to Nintendo Switch.
- Number of players: 1 to 2.
- Available on: PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Switch.
Rocket League
Rocket League is a game that could be roughly summarized as soccer with cars. The goal, of course, is to score more goals than your opponent in order to win the game. The games can be played by 1 to 3 players and are short but of rare intensity as the action goes in all directions. Not only can cars use their turbo, but they can also jump and even somersault in the air to boost their shot. If you take a little time to get used to the experience, it really builds team spirit as there is no clearly defined role of attacker, defender or goalkeeper. And then the youngest can discover the original game from the creators of the Fortnite mode “Rocket Racing”.
- Number of players: 1 on a single console, 1 to 7 in local wireless mode, 1 to 8 online.
- Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS and Android.
TowerFall
TowerFall Ascension is a small game that doesn’t look like much at first glance. And yet its principle is devilishly effective. On a fixed screen, players compete with a bow but a limited number of arrows that must constantly be collected. Therefore, you need to be more aware of your shot before shooting. With its beautiful pixel style, the title “Maddy Makes Games (Celeste)” looks effective and colorful. While TowerFall Ascencion offers a solo mode with a whole host of bosses, in multiplayer mode the experience takes on its full meaning for short and intense games. In addition, the title offers a wide range of cards to vary the situations. An ideal game for on the go between turkey and Christmas logs.
- Number of players: 1 to 6 on a single console.
- Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita.
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