Fun Ugly Sweater Party Games to Keep the Party Going
So you’ve got the playlist, the punch bowl, and a living room full of people dressed like their grandmother’s craft closet exploded. Now what? An ugly sweater party without games is just a regular party with itchier outfits, and we simply cannot allow that. The Festive Folks have rounded up 13 ugly sweater party games, ranked from gentle icebreakers all the way up to full chaos-tier mayhem, so you can dial the energy up (or down) as the night demands.
Each game comes with what you need, how to play, and two official ratings: a Difficulty score (how much prep and effort it takes) and a Cringe-o-Meter reading, certified by our Chief Festivity Officer, and no fog machine has ever been denied that seal of approval. If you’re still building the party itself, start with our complete guide on how to throw the best ugly sweater party ever, then come back here to load up your game plan.
Icebreaker Tier: Warm Up the Room (Games 1 to 4)
These are your first-hour games: low stakes, zero athletic ability required, perfect for guests still nursing their first cup of cocoa and pretending they’re not competitive.
1. Ugly Sweater Bingo
What you need: Printable bingo cards with sweater-themed squares (“light-up sweater,” “pom-poms,” “sweater with actual tinsel,” “cat wearing a Santa hat”). You can DIY them in ten minutes or grab adorable pre-made sets from Etsy.
How to play: Hand every guest a card at the door. As they mingle, they mark off squares by spotting sweaters that match. First to bingo yells it loud enough to startle the dog and wins a prize.
Difficulty: 1/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 3/10. “Delightfully tame. A palate cleanser,” says our Chief Festivity Officer.
2. Guess the Sweater Owner
What you need: Paper, pens, and guests who RSVP’d with a sweater description (or photos texted to the host beforehand).
How to play: Before guests arrive, list every sweater description on a big board. Everyone matches sweaters to owners without asking directly. Most correct matches wins. It’s shockingly hard when three people all committed to Grinch-core. Speaking of which, our roundup of ugly Grinch sweaters explains exactly why that green menace dominates every party.
Difficulty: 2/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 2/10.
3. Two Truths and a Holiday Lie
What you need: Nothing but nerve.
How to play: Each guest shares two true holiday stories and one lie (“I once wore this exact sweater to a job interview”). The group votes on the fib. Wrong guessers take a candy cane penalty: eat one whole before the next round.
Difficulty: 1/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 4/10; rises sharply depending on your uncle’s honesty.
4. Ugly Sweater Scavenger Hunt
What you need: A checklist of sweater features: jingle bells, a 3D element, something battery-powered, a beverage-themed design (the Miller Lite ugly sweater crowd always delivers here), and so on.
How to play: Guests race to photograph every item on the list using sweaters in the room. First complete camera roll wins. Bonus: you end the night with a ready-made photo album.
Difficulty: 2/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 3/10.
Mid-Tier Mischief: The Party Finds Its Groove (Games 5 to 9)
Blood sugar is up, inhibitions are down. Time to introduce light competition and mild embarrassment.
5. Christmas Carol Pictionary
What you need: A whiteboard or big sketchpad, markers, and a bowl of carol titles.
How to play: Teams take turns drawing carols while teammates guess. Sixty-second timer. Watching someone attempt “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” in stick figures is reason enough to host the party.
Difficulty: 2/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 5/10.
6. White Elephant, Ugly Edition
What you need: Every guest brings one wrapped “gift” under $15, the tackier the better. Think singing fish, questionable mugs, or a truly hideous accessory from Zazzle.
How to play: Classic rules: draw numbers, pick or steal, three steals max per gift. The twist: anyone who steals must first perform a five-second “sweater strut” runway walk.
Difficulty: 2/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 6/10. “The strut clause is where friendships are tested,” notes our CFO.
7. Human Christmas Tree
What you need: Tinsel, garland, shatterproof ornaments, bows. Raid the dollar store or grab a bulk decorating kit on Amazon.
How to play: Teams of three get five minutes to decorate one volunteer as a Christmas tree. Judges score on creativity, coverage, and commitment. The volunteer must then hold still for a group photo. They knew the risks.
Difficulty: 3/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 7/10.
8. Candy Cane Hook
What you need: A box of full-size candy canes.
How to play: Each player holds a candy cane in their mouth, hook out, hands behind their back, and tries to hook as many candy canes as possible off the table in one minute. Sounds easy. Is not easy. Especially after eggnog.
Difficulty: 2/5 candy canes (fittingly). Cringe-o-Meter: 5/10.
9. Jingle Bell Shake-Off
What you need: Empty tissue boxes, jingle bells, and belts or ribbon to strap the boxes to guests’ waists.
How to play: Fill each box with 10 bells, strap it to a player’s lower back, and give them 60 seconds to shake every bell out, no hands allowed. This is the game your party will still be quoting in July.
Difficulty: 3/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 8/10. “I have seen things,” our Chief Festivity Officer reports, rating it a must-play.
Chaos Tier: Abandon All Dignity (Games 10 to 13)
The final act. These games separate the casual attendees from the legends. Clear some floor space and hide anything fragile.
10. Musical Sweaters
What you need: One comically oversized ugly sweater (check the women’s plus size ugly Christmas sweater range or size up dramatically from UglyChristmasSweater.com) and a killer playlist.
How to play: Like musical chairs, but you pass the sweater around the circle while music plays. When it stops, whoever’s holding it must put it on over their existing sweater and stay in. Last person not wearing seventeen layers of acrylic wins.
Difficulty: 2/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 7/10.
11. The Saran Wrap Ball
What you need: A giant ball made of plastic wrap with prizes layered inside: gift cards, candy, ornaments, lottery tickets, and one truly cursed item at the center.
How to play: One player unwraps frantically while their neighbor rolls dice for doubles. Doubles means the ball passes on. Whatever falls out as you unwrap, you keep. Pure, unfiltered greed in a festive package.
Difficulty: 4/5 candy canes (the ball takes a while to build, and the payoff is huge). Cringe-o-Meter: 6/10.
12. Reindeer Antler Ring Toss
What you need: An inflatable antler headband and rings set, cheap and everywhere on Amazon.
How to play: One player wears the antlers, teammates toss rings from across the room. Most rings landed in 90 seconds wins. Antler-wearer may bob and weave to help, which is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds.
Difficulty: 1/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 8/10.
13. The Ugly Sweater Contest Finale
What you need: Award categories, ballots, and prizes. Categories we swear by: Ugliest Overall, Best DIY, Most Likely to Cause a Power Outage (light-up division; the folks at Tipsy Elves are repeat offenders here), and Most Festive Couple.
How to play: End the night with a full runway walk-off and secret-ballot vote for the ugliest Christmas sweater ever witnessed at your gathering. Homemade entries deserve their own category. Our top 10 DIY ugly sweater ideas guide has step-by-step builds that routinely sweep the awards. Crown the winners, take the photos, print the bragging rights.
Difficulty: 3/5 candy canes. Cringe-o-Meter: 9/10. “The single greatest moment in the festive calendar. I do not accept criticism,” says our Chief Festivity Officer.
Quick Tips for Running Ugly Sweater Christmas Party Games
- Stack the order. Icebreakers first, chaos last. Peaking too early with Jingle Bell Shake-Off is a rookie error.
- Prizes matter more than you think. A $5 trophy gets people unreasonably invested. Cheap and cheerful wins, the same philosophy behind our cheap ugly sweaters picks.
- Have a kids’ track ready. Bingo, ring toss, and candy cane hook are all family-safe. Get the little ones suited up first with our kids ugly sweaters roundup.
- Know your audience. Some crowds want wholesome; some crowds brought sweaters straight from our inappropriate ugly sweaters hall of fame. Match the game energy to the sweater energy.
FAQ: Ugly Sweater Party Games
What games do you play at an ugly sweater party?
The classics are an ugly sweater contest, White Elephant gift exchange, ugly sweater bingo, and Christmas carol Pictionary. For bigger laughs, add physical games like the Saran Wrap Ball, Musical Sweaters, or Jingle Bell Shake-Off. A good mix is two or three calm icebreakers plus two or three high-energy games, capped with a contest finale.
How do you judge an ugly sweater contest?
Use multiple categories (Ugliest Overall, Best DIY, Best Light-Up, Funniest) and a secret ballot so nobody has to boo their own spouse. Score on ugliness, creativity, effort, and commitment to the bit. If you’re wondering how to make an ugly sweater that wins, handmade chaos beats store-bought polish almost every time.
How many games should an ugly sweater party have?
Plan four to six games for a three-hour party, but read the room: some groups want back-to-back games, others just want two big moments. Always keep one bonus game (like Candy Cane Hook) in reserve for a mid-party lull.
What is a good prize for ugly sweater party games?
Small, funny, and photo-worthy: dollar-store trophies, novelty mugs, gift cards, candy, or a “traveling trophy” sweater the winner must wear to next year’s party. Prizes under $10 keep it fun rather than fierce.
When is Ugly Sweater Day?
National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day falls on the third Friday of December each year, which makes that weekend the single best time to schedule your party and these games.
The Festive Folks’ Verdict
Pick the right five for your crowd rather than running all 13. Our house formula: Bingo at the door, Guess the Sweater Owner during drinks, White Elephant after food, Jingle Bell Shake-Off when the energy peaks, and the contest finale to send everyone home victorious or vengeful. Nail the lineup and your ugly sweater Christmas party becomes the one every other host spends January trying to top. Now go forth, hide the breakables, and let the cringe flow freely. Our Chief Festivity Officer would want it that way.
