Six of the best gadgets and gizmos on a theme. This week: Six of the best board games guaranteed to banish Boxing Day boredom.

By Peter Jenkinson


Arguments over what to watch may seem unavoidable as friends and relatives gather around the TV on Boxing Day.

Thankfully, the humble board game can offer a welcome distraction for even the most hard-to-please guests.

Forget traditional property trading games - we've rounded up a collection of six modern-day titles which will be irresistible to all but the most hardcore Only Fools And Horses fans.


Guessing Game - Drumond Park What Am I Logo Game - £19.99 from www.amazon.co.uk

The classic Logo game has been a massive success since it hit the shelves last year, and here is the spin-off that's destined to be just as big. There are no questions to be found in the box - this version requires skills of a different kind. Drawing, guessing and describing what is on your card to the team provides plenty of frustrating fun.


Questions, Questions - AppQuiz - £29.99 from www.apptoyz.com

Owners of the iPad, rejoice. This is what the world's top tablet was made for - a gameshow cum trivia quiz combined. Your host Chuck Boldheart controls proceedings on screen as you pit your wits against each other, buzzing in to answer the many questions across more than 30 categories in up to 10 rounds of play. You can have your own images to represent your team on screen and even choose your own buzzer sounds. Perhaps you could even create a prize fund before you begin, just to up the ante a bit?


Steady On - Wobble Deck - £19.99 from www.smythstoys.com

With very few toys in this category, this solo entrant in the sector tests your balancing skills through four multi-level games - copy wobble, wobbly statues, memory wobble and musical wobble. The manufacturers tell us it can improve kids' balance, co-ordination and reflexes, but it'll also induce grins in adults as they discover that they really aren't very steady on their feet. Expect plenty of stumbling about!


Treasure Hunt - Ravensburger Labyrinth Game - £17.10 from www.amazon.co.uk

Your mission is to seek out the shortest route through the Labyrinth, which may appear far too straightforward at first glance, but many twists and turns await you. This superb family game leads you around the spaces to pick up the treasures and get back to the start, all while your opponents are changing the layout of the Labyrinth to help their own quest - or scupper yours.


Fruit Fun - Bananagrams Game - £11.97 from www.tesco.com/direct

This multi-award winning word game is fast-paced and loads of fun for all ages. It takes zero time to set up and can be played just about anywhere - within reason. Select your teams, share out the lettered tiles and start spelling out words, creating individual crosswords to get rid of your play pieces first. Shouting out banana-based phrases such as "Peel!" only adds to the addictive nature of this superb game.


Run Away - Temple Run Electronic Card Game - £14.99 from www.argos.co.uk

Based on the hugely successful app Temple Run, this card-based game creates a surprising amount of tension as you play. The talking idol at the centre tells each player which card to place down at an ever-quickening pace, but miss your turn and the demonic monkeys will show you no mercy...


App of the week - Meccano FX - Free on iTunes

Add Meccano models the size of skyscrapers to your own homemade videos using this latest app from the iconic construction toy. Using Augmented reality technology, you can transform your clips into spectacular scenes, making this a well worthy play.