Cheap and cheerful mobile entertainment for the festive season
Who doesn’t love a party game at Christmas? Once the turkey’s been eaten, the crackers pulled and the Eastenders omnibus digested, it’s always good to rouse everyone back into semi-consciousness with some quick and easy entertainment. And though your shelves are doubtless groaning with boxes filled with Pictionary, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit and the like, a bit of technology can also lend a hand with your festive games this Christmas. This collection of entertaining apps are suitable for the whole family – and a whole lot cheaper than a new board game, to boot.
Bounden
{youtube}Gete61IxkPo{/youtube}Shall we dance? Even if you’ve got two left feet, Bounden is a game that can make a graceful ballerina of you – to the general amusement of the rest of the family, of course. It’s a game you must play with a partner – you both grab one end of your phone or tablet and tilt and turn it around a virtual sphere following a path of rings. The result is that you and your companion end up making effortlessly graceful moves that you never knew you had in you. That the game is choreographed by the Dutch National Ballet gives you a clue of how smooth-flowing the gameplay can be.
Heads Up
{youtube}PO_ezpX7DwY{/youtube}Here’s a classic party game brought into the app arena by, of all people, Ellen DeGeneres. The American talk show host launched this on her TV show and the simple yet fun gameplay has ensured it’s been a great hit. To play, you tilt your phone to draw a new card. You then hold your phone up to your head so everyone can see what’s written there, except you. Now, try to guess what’s written on your card by asking questions of your friends and family, before the timer runs out.
Reverse Charades
Another game that up to four people can play simultaneously, King of Opera scores for its winning combination of silliness and replayability. There are five games modes to this, but the central concept is straightforward: knock the other tenors out of the ring. A healthy dose of competition that’s sure to wake everyone up.
