You can't beat a good game for a great family gift

Some pretty darn good family and party games have kept coming in time for Christmas 2013 consideration.

That's the finding of the Tribune's Head Elf in this 25th annual Tribune Holiday Game Survey. Twenty-five years? Yes, 25 years.

Grab your traditional red (for Christmas) pencil. As always, it's the Head Elf's strong suggestion: Include one game (or two) for family gifting. It's a wise and usually economical choice.

The Head Elf's 10 suggestions for 2013, starting with six suitable for families, including children, in alphabetical order:

• Bejeweled Blitz, an electronic game (which the Head Elf usually doesn't cater to, $24.99, Hasbro, 8 and older, two or more players). It's an interesting match-and-stack game, with the challenge of matching and stacking before time is up. Music and lights are part of it, along with 36 gem tiles. Three AA batteries are required.
• Heads Up, a party game ($17.96 to $18.99, Spin Master, 8 and older, groups to six). Guess the word that you're wearing (but can't see). The word will be on one of six provided headbands. In the Act It Out category, for example, it's time to mime and act out the word without talking. Other categories are Superstars, Hey Mr. DJ and Dynamic Duos.
• Jenga Boom ($17.99 to $18.99, 6 and older, one or more players), this year's new version of Jenga, always a Head Elf fav. It's an explosive Jenga tower, so to speak. Set the "fuse." Build the tower of blocks. Take turns racing the clock. Finish before the platform "blows."
• Jenga Tetris ($11.86 to $12.99, Hasbro, 8 and older, one or more players). You were warned. Jenga is always a favorite of the Head Elf. It's a new angle on Jenga stacking and building with 47 Tetris blocks. Fun.
• Monopoly Empire ($18 to $23.99, Hasbro, 8 and older, two to four players). Would it really be Christmas if there were not a new Monopoly for us? The answer: Of course not. The goal is to own the world's top brands, ranging from McDonald's to Coca-Cola. You build your personal empire by buying the world's top brands in this version of a property trading game. It's capitalism at its finest.
• The Game of Life, Fame Edition, a new model of the classic Life ($19.99 to $21.99, Hasbro, 8 and older, two to four players). You choose your path to be a star. Collect five stars and you're a winner. Want to be a movie star? A pro athlete? A pop singer? This board game comes in five pieces and is double-sided.

Perhaps you have interest in a mid-teen to adult suggestion? Try these four, also with the recommendation of the Head Elf:

• Awkward Family Photos ($19.99 to $24.99, All Things Equal, teen to adult, four to six players). It's a family or party game featuring funny photographs, clever questions and potentially ridiculous answers, based on a hit website of the same name. Classic photos feature uncomfortable moments, such as weddings and holidays, and you fit open-ended questions with answers.
• Catch Phrase, another electronic game ($18 to $22, Hasbro, 13 and older, four or more players). It's a say it, play it theme. Do you think you can make your friends guess the words "no brainer" without saying "no" or "yes?" Use gestures. Say anything else. Don't get caught holding the electronic unit when time is up or the other team wins a point. The game includes thousands of phrases across five categories. It requires three AAA batteries.
• Funny or Die ($11.86, Hasbro, 13 and older, three to six players) is a caption game. You match captions and photos to make what can be hilarious combinations. (Trust me.) All players then vote on which is the funniest caption, and which "dies." The best joke wins.
• Hollywood Fact or Crap ($18, Spin Master, adult, three to eight players) is a celebrity trivia game with attitude. They've dug up the dirt on Hollywood. What Hollywood celebrity is afraid of house plants? What hunk hasn't worn deodorant for 20 years? Before making it big, what famous actor had a job dressed as a chicken?

It may be that the new 2013 releases aren't what you have in mind? That you'd rather bring back a classic?

If so, some of the Head Elf's favorites - along with current pricing - are: Classic Jenga, $12.97 and up; Scrabble, $15.94 and up; Monopoly, $7.77 and up, and Battleship, $11.86 and up.

With that, the elves rest.

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Alford is president of Tribune Publishing, the parent company of the Lewiston Tribune. He may be contacted at alajr@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2250.