Board games for grownups - help me have a harmonious Christmas!

[ThatLibraryMiss]

I've been invited to spend Christmas with Daughter and her partner, lovely bloke, all good and I'm delighted that we all get on really well. Also in attendance will be some or all of his dad, his sister and his brother, all adults and all of whom have their quirks (well, don't we all?). There will be no alcohol.

Please, oh wise Mumsnetters, recommend a board game or two that I can produce during that flat time after Christmas dinner, to head off The Airing of the Grievances. It needs to be suitable for 2 - 5 players, fun, quick to pick up, fairly fast to play, entertaining for adults and not too competitive, as I foresee tears before bedtime if certain players lose consistently.

One person is dyslexic, so word games like Scrabble and Lexicon won't work.

Dobble

I recommend a co-operative game rather than competitive game, one where you work together:
Pandemic
Thunderbirds
Forbidden Island

Otherwise....Cash and Guns!

I'm guessing that Cards against humanity, is a no go .....

Or, if no alcohol is being imbibed, you could try Escape From Aliens in Outer Space. It's v tense, and you sort of need even numbers, but up to 8 players.

Or Sheriff of Nottingham?

Tsuro is a lovely game, easy to pick up and fun.

In my house Dobble gets ridiculously competitive.

We play Perudo - liar dice, it’s simple and fun.

Frustration

Red apples green apples ... oddly lots of fun

Chameleon is also quite fun

Linkee is good fun and doesn't get too competitive

Exploding Kittens is good fun and a bit silly

Cards Against Humanity is hilarious if everyone is of suitable ages/temperaments

You absolutely have have have to get Articulate!!!! It’s the BEST board game ever! You go in groups of 2 or more and you have to describe for your partner something from a topic you’re given but you can’t use certain words. It’s a games night favourite here

Logo - good for mixed ages

I second exploding kittens! We have a lot of fun with that every year - even my eight year old loves it!

Zilch, you'll need 6 dice, pen and paper. It's a scoring game, easy to play, very addictive

zilch.playr.co.uk/rules.php

Azul

or

Century spice road/Unstable unicorns/Tsuro/Pandemic/Ticket to Ride (that last one may be too competitive....fun and easy to learn though!)

Apples to Apples (its the original clean version of Cards against humanity, and still very funny)
Carcassonne for up to 5 players
If you get a flip chart and marker pens, then just take it in turns to draw things, Pictionary is good - ignore the board.

Not a board game but Bop It can be hilarious. Bet you can get one on Facebook marketplace

Taboo
Exploding Kittens
Pandemic
Forbidden Desert
Bananagrams

Ticket to ride is great, have bought the Nordic edition for Christmas this year!

Thanks, all, I'm off to throw some money Amazon's way. Here's hoping for that unicorn, a peaceful family Christmas.

What about cards?

Actually after a few too many we bring out an old deck of Too Many Monkeys...

Another one recommending Pandemic- such a brilliant series.

I was looking for a strategic card game we like to play. but can't find it in english.