There’s no better time than Christmas for games, and adults having the time to sit down and play them is one of my best and fondest childhood memories. But as wonderful as board games are, they are not for everyone; and for those who really can’t face the trial of a full-blown, Monopoly-related family row, I highly commend to you: The Chocolate Game.

You may have played it before, or heard of it under a different name. Either way, here’s an explanation for the uninitiated – it is such a huge amount of simple fun.

In brief, it’s a game which sees all players – any number, but minimum two, or it’s not much of a competition – sitting in a circle on the floor (or table if you like), with a bar of chocolate, knife and fork, and hat, gloves and scarf in the middle. Roll a dice in turn, and if you get a six, put on the outdoor garments, pick up the cutlery, and set about the chocolate with them – the aim being to eat as much as possible before the next lucky person gets a six, and launches their own chocolate-hacking attack.

What you’ll need:

A bar of chocolate

Any brand – but pay attention to packaging. If you use one with traditional foil and paper, you’ll add an extra layer of challenge. Use one wrapped in plastic, the way Cadbury do now, and the game could go on for some time if you don’t unwrap it before gameplay begins first.

A knife and fork

If you’ve got some with fairly chunky handles, all to the good. You’ll be using them with large gloves on.

A Hat, Gloves and Scarf

Large, ideally – to cater for all players. It’s also much funnier if they don’t fit properly.

A decent-sized tray

Cutting chocolate up with a knife and fork is hard enough, but at this level of tension and excitement, accidents can happen. Putting the whole thing on a tray rather than a small plate is advisable.

A dice / die / six-sided thing that you throw

The bigger the better really, because it will inevitably get thrown too far / be too hard to read for those members of the party that need glasses  / get sat on by a child / go missing while the most competent chomper devours that chocolatey goodness. 

A serious competitive streak

People you never knew were competitive will get invested in this game. There’s nothing more exciting than rolling a six, ripping the hat, scarf and gloves off your loved one, and snatching the fork so you can stuff a piece of their hard-won gains into your mouth before someone else gets to it. Seriously, you’ll surprise yourself.

And you’re good to go! The whole thing is hilarious, and I defy anyone not to yell “SIX!!” at the top of their voice as soon as someone rolls one, to put a stop a fellow player’s scoffing – or fall about laughing at least once when seeing an excited child rip the hat and scarf of an unfortunate relative when it’s their turn.

The real beauty of The Chocolate Game is that it’s so simple, it involves chocolate, and anyone of any age can join in. There’s so much of the Christmas spirit about it – lots and lots of shared fun, shared laughter, and plenty chocolate. It’s one of my dearest memories from childhood, and I’m going to make sure it’s a firm fixture for our boys too. Have a go – and let me know what you think!

Merry Christmas 🙂