The best video games to play with your family at Christmas

If board games just won't do it this year, here are some alternatives guaranteed to get everyone dancing, racing, cooking or indeed fighting

At Christmas - as with any occasion where your whole extended family is crammed into one house amid an abundance of unresolved tensions and alcohol - Monopoly is not always the answer. Similarly, there are times in life when Trivial Pursuit is just going to make everything worse, and when people simply don't want to hear you explain the rules to Settlers of Catan for the 300th time. Sometimes, only video games will do.

So, if at any point during the festive season you find yourself desperate for shared entertainment options (that don't involve getting out in the fresh air, of course), here is a selection box of local multiplayer titles that will fit the bill. All of them are available for current machines, and most can be downloaded in a couple of hours. This Christmas, don't become a victim of charades.