It is no secret that parties are more fun when you have games to play. It brings people together and makes the evening more fun. But what if you are the host and have no idea what games to select for your party night? It can dampen the spirits of everyone and make the evening dull.
However, you can choose from a broad range of fun party games for people of all ages and interests, ensuring they have a fantastic time. These can range from simple games to complex ones that require more creativity and skill, depending on the people’s interests.
Here are a few suggestions you can consider beginning with.
Charades
Although playing charades is simple, it requires a lot of energy and enthusiasm from the players. It is a game wherein you act out a word or phrase, such as a TV show, movie book title, etc., while your team guesses the answer correctly. There are usually two teams competing against each other, or three or more if there are more people.
The player acting out the word or phrase must do so without using words, conveying the message solely through pantomime and gestures. You can include points to make the game more fun.
Jenga
Jenga is a classic game that people of all ages can enjoy. You will need a Jenga set which typically consists of fifty-four wooden blocks that need to be stacked into a tower in alternating directions (e.g., vertically and then horizontally), with each row being staggered across the top of the previous one.
Players take turns carefully removing one block from the tower, which cannot be removed from the top. Once you remove a block, place it at the top by following the original building pattern. The player who knocks over the tower loses. Throwing out challenges like drunken Jenga, wherein each piece has an instruction or rule attached, makes things even more fun for adults, e.g., three drinks or more.
Beer Die
This is among the most fun party games for groups of friends, whether you are hanging out at home or partying at a bar.
Here’s what you will need:
- two teams (each with two players)
- a large table
- Four glasses containing beer or another preferred drink
Each team stands on the same board side, facing the other. They have one die and four cups containing their respective drinks, and the objective is to toss the die into the opponent’s cup and reach eleven points first. Each player from each team gets one chance; the toss must be underhand and higher than the tallest player – if not, the toss isn’t counted, and the player who threw it must take a drink.
Pictionary
Pictionary is a game that requires creativity and is fun for family time or parties with friends. The rules are simple: one player from each team is chosen to draw a word or phrase, and the rest of the team members must guess correctly; each correct guess earns the team one point, and the team with the most points in the end wins.
You can set a time limit for each drawing round so that players are forced to be creative in their pictures rather than taking as much time as they want. You can also change the scoring to make it more competitive. Finally, you can refer to an online gaming resource for more details on rules, game variations, and additional game ideas.
Saran Wrap Game
You will need a box of plastic wrap and a bag of sweets, or a collection of small, sturdy treats, for this one. Choose one thing to insert in the middle of your saran wrap ball (packs of gum, dollar notes, lottery tickets, etc. all work). As your wrapped ball grows, add more objects, and wrap them up tightly in additional layers of plastic wrap. As you proceed, cut the wrap into smaller sheets to make the game more difficult. Once you have used up a whole roll of wrap (or more, if you like), you are ready to play.
Assemble around a table or in a circle. Give one person the wrapped present and a set of dice to the person next to them. The person carrying the saran wrap package must unwind as much of the ball as they can before the dice-roller rolls doubles. Once the person rolling the dice rolls twice, they pass the dice down and take the bundle (any rewards that fall out during your turn are yours to keep). Continue until the ball has been entirely unraveled.
Alternative variations include having the player carrying the plastic wrap ball wear oven mitts or using a timer in place of dice for each turn.
Never Have I Ever
Circle your chairs. Start out by having one person remark, “Never have I ever…” and end with them doing something they have never done. If anybody in the group has done it, they must raise one finger; if no one has, the person stating “Never have I ever…” must raise one finger. Continue going around the circle until one person has three fingers up and is no longer there. If you are playing with sensitive grandparents, young children, or conservative guests, play cautiously and establish ground rules in advance.
Post It Note Game
A pen and a stack of sticky notes are required. Put the name of a well-known person or fictional figure on each note. Then distribute the notes so that each person has one. Each participant should place their message on their forehead or back without peeking. Have everyone mingle or sit in a circle, then take turns asking yes-or-no questions to discover your given identity. Play until everyone has identified their identity correctly or provide rewards to those who do (“Am I living?” is a fantastic place to start).
How’s Yours?
Select one individual to be “It,” and then expel them from the room. Choose a trait that all of the people who are still present share, hair, items of clothing, or bodily parts all work. The person will ask someone, “How’s yours?” when they return, and that person should answer with an adjective that can be used to describe their own in one word. Repeat until the person asking correctly identifies the quality being addressed (for shirts, for instance, itchy, thick, and stretchy all apply).
Most Likely To
This party game works best with smaller groups of friends or family members. Create a circle. Start by asking, “Who’s most likely to trip over their own feet?” (Or another scenario, quality, action, etc.). Count down from three (playing a drum roll with your hands is advised), and then ask each individual to point to the person they believe would be most likely to do the act in question. The one with the most accusing fingers is the one who is out. When just one is left, ask “Who’s most likely to…” to each person in the circle. You can omit the elimination rounds to lengthen the duration of the game.
Would You Rather?
Create a circle. Would You Rather… The person sitting next to you should be questioned and given two challenging situations. After they respond, it is their time to question the person next to them (“Would you rather not shower for a year or not brush your teeth for a year?” for example). Keep on until you run out of circumstances to take into account.
Two Truths and a Lie
Choose three facts about yourself, such as “I have two siblings, I’ve visited three continents, and I love cats,” as an example. One should be a falsehood and two should be true. Next, the next person goes, and the rest of the group must determine which is a lie. This is a great icebreaker game; for additional excitement, have family or friends play together while providing each other with confusing information.
Sticker Stalker
Buy a package of stickers. Give each participant a sheet of five to ten stickers (this is a fun Christmas party game or Halloween party game, so try to locate stickers that fit the event). This game may be simply included in any happy hour or neighborhood event because it functions best at a gathering when everyone is socializing. The winner is the first individual to use up all of their stickers. Each participant must covertly apply all of their stickers to other partygoers. If they are discovered stickering someone, they must accept a sticker. You may chuckle at how cunning some individuals are after the event and ponder how you wound up with stickers all over your back.
Spoons
Find a set of spoons and a deck of cards. Have enough (candy pieces also work) for each player, minus one. Give each player four cards to start the game. The dealer will draw one card at a time while keeping the remaining deck nearby. They will examine the card and either exchange it for one in their possession or give it to the person sitting next to them, who will then do the same. The objective is to gather four of the same card; when you do, grab a spoon. Whoever is left without a gift at the end is out. Anybody can steal a spoon if they see one missing. Play after removing one more spoon.
Alternatively, when you have four of a type, play by putting out your tongue. Whoever notices first loses; if others observe, they may also stick out their tongues.
Camera Hot Potato
Choose a phone to distribute among the group. Use standard photo mode, not selfie mode, and set the self-timer to a maximum of 10 seconds. Pass the phone around, asking each individual to pose for the camera for a brief minute while holding the phone up. Continue till the picture is taken.
Medusa
Make sure everyone is seated at a table. After counting down from three and having everyone sit up and gaze at someone in the circle, everyone will put their heads down. You are out if you look someone else in the eye. You are safe if the person you are staring at is staring at someone else. Continue until everyone has left.
In a Perfect World
Have everyone sit in a circle, similar to I’m Hosting a Party and Crossed, Uncrossed. If you were to say, “In my perfect world, there are doors but no windows,” ask the next person to speculate as to what would be present in your ideal setting. Only things with double letters exist in your ideal world, such as schools but not universities or apples but not bananas. Say, “Yes, that would be in my perfect world,” if someone gets it right. If not, say so. Circulate once more until everyone understands.
Thumper
Invite everyone to stand or sit in a circle. Each individual should choose a hand (or leg, if you’re standing) motion. Everyone shows their movements as you go around the circle. Note them down. Choose one person to lead by clapping or stomping at a steady pace. They will do their motion first, followed by the motion of someone else in the circle. The subsequent individual will move in their own manner, followed by a third person who will move in a similar manner. Both pass backs and hesitations are absent. Continue endlessly; whoever makes a mistake first is gone.
Beer Pong
Yet another timeless piece. Beer Pong entails trying to knock the contents of your opponent’s cup into their cup using a ping pong ball. Place six cups in a triangular form at the ends of a kitchen table, counter, or ping pong table. Teams can alternately try tossing the ball into the cups of their rivals from their end, but make sure your regulations are clear from the start. Is it okay for the ball to bounce? Can you make contact with the rim? The team that puts the ball in every opponent’s cup before they do the same to you is the winner.
Human Cluedo
Take Mystery Word one step further with Human Cluedo, which is a great game to play over the course of a weekend. Everybody involved writes their own name down and puts it into one pot, and then a household item to put into another pot. Finally, you write as many locations as there are people down (i.e. kitchen, bathroom, garden).
Everyone chooses a person, thing, and place. Each participant has the weekend assignment of delivering their chosen recipient to the specified spot. If someone, does it to you, you are out of the game and dead, therefore you are unable to attempt to “do it” to someone else. For instance, if someone is able to get the balcony pepper grinder for you. The victor is the last person remaining.
Name the tune
This game is simple to play and has a consistent winner. All you need is a singing voice that is somewhat in tune. A song must be chosen and hummed in order to play. The first person to correctly identify the music among the other participants wins. The subsequent song will be chosen by the victor, and so on.
You can make it into a drinking game to take it to the next level and make it more of an “adult” version. Therefore, the winner is exempt from having to drink, but the losers must. It may rapidly become highly competitive!
Chocolate Game
Isn’t this a timeless party game? Without a bar of chocolate and some oven mitts being pulled out, you have not been to a soirée. Players sit in a circle with a bar of chocolate, a hat, a scarf, a knife and fork, and a pair of oven mitts if they have never played the game before. Players take turns rolling a single die while going around the circle and aiming to get a six. When a player receives a six, they don the hat, scarf, and oven mitts and attempt to cut the chocolate, which is supposed to start out covered, with the knife and fork. When the next person rolls a six, they lose their opportunity and must hand the hat to the new player.
Truth or Dare
Nothing beats truth or dare if you are seeking the ultimate throwback to your adolescent house party days. You only need a bunch of your friends and a sense of humor; there are no props, cards, or game-related accessories required.
We will not go into detail about how to play the classic game because we know you already know how it works, but we recently added some really amazing new items to our list of truth or dare. Get ready to miss a lot of shots (responsibly, of course).
Cup stack
Place several stacking cups in the center of the table, each with a few inches of alcohol inside, with the exception of two cups. Two ping pong balls are evenly spaced apart and are placed on the table while everyone stands around it (so if there are ten of you, player one and player five have a ping pong ball).
Take turns bouncing the ping pong ball on the table and into the cup (one bounce and it needs to go into the cup), starting with player one and player five (who also have the empty cups), before passing the cup and ball clockwise to the following person to perform the same thing. If one cup catches up to another, the person who got the ball in must stack their cup inside the other cup before passing it on. As a result, the person who was too slow to get the ball in must drink from the center, which adds another cup to the chain of distribution. Continue until there are no more cups in the center, and the cup piles around.