Christmas is often the only time of year when adults play games. LUCYA SZACHNOWSKI tries out alternatives to the old favourities of Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble

THERE are some great new games around this year which could keep the family entertained after the turkey and plum pudding and are more sociable than watching the EastEnders special.

My personal favourite is Apples to Apples, by Tactic.

It has a simple concept but seems to appeal to just about everyone I have played it with.

One player selects a card with a word on it and the rest have to pick a card from their hand which they think best describes that word. If the judge picks your card, you win the round.

In America, it has won the Toy Award for Toy of the Year and the Tiger Award for Best American Game. The English edition has just been launched.

*Four to 10 players, age 12 upwards, RRP £14.99.

Skribble, by Paul Lamond Games, is so simple you could probably work out the rules after several glasses of seasonal plonk but is also extreme fun.

Like Pictionary, it involves sketching items and trying to identify them but requires less drawing ability. One of the players instructs the others how to draw an object written on their card.

The rest have to guess what they are drawing. The only problem is, the player giving the instructions may not mention anything which describes the object-only shapes.

* Three or more players, age eight upwards, RRP £10.99.

A balancing game which both five-year-olds and adults can enjoy is The Last Straw, by Paul Lamond Games.

Players take it in turns to balance straws on a camel's back. The winner is the one who gets rid of their's first.

* Two to four players, age five upwards, RRP £7.99.

If that is too simple, in Visionary, by Kids International, you have to balance wooden blocks blindfold.

Played in teams, one builds while the rest give instructions.

* Four to eight players, age eight upwards, RRP £14.99.

Easiest for those with long memories, Chronology, by Gibson's games, makes players put 10 unconnected events in the right date order to win.

* Three to six players, age eight upwards, RRP £19.99.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, by Upstarts!, has won Game of the Year for the past two years and is still selling well.

The second edition was launched this year with 2,000 fresh questions. Based on the TV quiz series, each player takes it in turn to act as host while the others try to accrue money by answering questions using hand-held display modules.

* Two to five players, age 12 upwards, RRP £26.99.

Most family rows happen at Christmas, so you might be asking for trouble if you play You Are The Weakest Link, by Hasbro.

Another game based on a TV quiz show, in each round the contestants vote someone out as a loser.

But, if you fancy an excuse for being rude to aunt Ethel, this one could be for you.

* Playable with four but best with eight or nine players, age 12 upwards, RRP £19.99

With the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings movies in the news, unsurprisingly there are several new board games with fantasy themes.

Lord of the Rings board game, by Hasbro, is unusual because players work together as a team to reach Mount Doom and beat Sauron rather than competing against each other.

Aimed at Tolkien fans, the game closely follows the plot of the books, looks beautiful and is exciting to play although I would not recommended it to anyone unfamiliar with the world's most famous fantasy series.

* Two to five players, age 12 upwards, RRP £29.99.

A simpler, more traditional adventure game, The Hobbit Board Game, by Esdevium, has the players collecting gems, spells, weapons and companions in a race across a board representing Middle Earth to the lair of Smaug the dragon, who they must defeat to win.

* Two to six players, age 10 upwards, RRP £24.99.

Of the Harry Potter spin-off board games, Mystery at Hogwarts, by Mattel, is the most suitable for the whole family to play after the turkey and plum pud.

And you don't need an encyclopaedic knowledge of the JK Rowling books to play it. Similar to Cluedo, players ask questions to find out who cast what spell in which classroom. But there are added difficulties, such as the poltergeist who can send players back to the start.

* Three to six player, age eight upwards, RRP £19.99.

December 6, 2001 10:33