5 best games to play with your family this holiday season

It’s the season to be jolly, and what better way than to spend time with one’s family playing video games in the holiday season.

Even since the early days of Pong, families have been having a great time playing video games with one another. With time that has evolved from split-screen multiplayer in Halo to playing Mario Tennis on the Wii to seeing who can have the best score in Beat Saber.

Family-friendly games have been a strong genre of video games that have evolved over the years and are more prominent now more than ever. Be it backset gaming, co-operating on a mission, or competing against one another, here's a look at some of the best games to spend family time with this holiday season.

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Best family-friendly games for this holiday season

From the ever-popular Minecraft to the Game Awards for Best Family-Friendly Game Winners, It Takes Two, here are some of the best video games one can enjoy with their family this holiday season.

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Minecraft

Developer / Publisher: Mojang Studios, Xbox

Platforms: Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, iPadOS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, New Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Raspberry Pi, Windows Phone, Apple TV, tvOS, Fire OS.

Minecraft is one of the best games to enjoy with family. The game puts the player in a world where they have to gather resources by mining and eventually make their way to the Nether world to defeat the Ender Dragon. From building a house to a complicated ecosystem, the only limitation is the player's creativity.

Playing Minecraft together with family, gathering resources, building farms, taking on mob bosses, is one of the best ways to spend time together this holiday season. The relaxing sandbox title is perfect for working together and building a thriving ecosystem.

The game has two editions, Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. Players can pick it up this holiday season on all systems and it is also available on Xbox Game Pass.

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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Developer / Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Mario Kart can make players competitive very fast and very quickly. The players select different Mario characters and race across diverse race tracks set in the different kingdoms of Mario. From iconic characters to a fun and colorful world to insane mechanics, Mario Kart 8 is best enjoyed with close ones.

Playing with family increases the fun, as no one knows when one might throw a blue shell or a banana peel. From Bowser's Castle to Rainbow Road, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition is perfect for racing loved ones.

Players can pick up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition this holiday season on Nintendo eShop.

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Rocket League

Developer / Publisher: Psyonix

Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch

Football with cars, that’s it, that’s the best way to describe what Rocket League is. Players take on the form of different cars and are dropped in a massive football field with a gigantic football. With the physics dialed up to 11, players are tasked to score on the opposite team's goal.

Be it 1v1 or 2v2 or 3v3, boosting across the stadium wall and jumping to hit the ball towards the goal is always fun, and the fun elevates more when it’s with or against one’s family during the holiday season in warm sweaters.

Players can jump right into Rocket League this holiday season for free on all storefronts.

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Overcooked 2

Developer/ Publisher: Team 17

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox One, PlayStation, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna

Well, Thanksgiving might have come and gone, but there's no stopping a massive turkey dinner being cooked. Players are tasked with gathering, chopping, and cooking ingredients, combining them on plates, serving dishes, and washing dishes in absurd restaurants.

Cooking with family is always fun, especially in the holiday season, be it virtually or in real life, and Overcooked 2 brings that rush and excitement without the hassle of cleanup afterward, and the cooking simulator allows teams of up to four players to work together to make it through the piled up orders.

Overcooked 2 is available to be purchased on all of the respective storefronts. It was also given as a free game over on the Epic Games Store.

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It Takes Two

Developer / Publisher: Hazelight Studios, Electronic Arts

Platforms: Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

Developed by Hazelight Studios, It Takes Two is an award-winning title that tells the heartwarming story of a couple, Cody and May, who are going through a rough patch and must work together after they get turned into their daughter's dolls. They must escape the dream and rekindle their affection for one another.

It’s the perfect title to enjoy with one’s significant other on a quiet holiday season night.

Players can jump right into It Takes Two this holiday season over on Xbox Game Pass as well as EA Play. It is also available on all storefronts for purchase.

Note: The article reflects the writer's views.