Guide to Picking Fun Games for Parties

Throwing a party is one of the best ways to bring people together, especially during special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Christmas, and more. There are also times when it just feels right to host a party even without anything to celebrate and just want to spend time with your friends or family. There are a lot of things that you can look forward to when it comes to parties, such as food, drinks, décor, and music. But in addition to that, something that can make the party more alive and fun are by playing party games. 

Party games are great icebreakers. They can keep your guests entertained throughout the event, and it is also among the best ways to bring people together. The majority of people undoubtedly consider traditional games, such as Pin the Tail on the Donkey and pinatas, when discussing party games. But aside from those, there are now lots of party games that you can play, and they are no longer exclusive to children’s parties.

If you are thinking of hosting a party soon and you’d like to incorporate some games into the program but don’t know what games to pick, we are here to help you. In this post, we are giving you a guide to picking fun games for parties.

Benefits of Party Games

people playing a fun guessing game at a party

Whether party games are played with a deck of cards or on an elaborate board with moveable pieces, all of them can offer a number of mental, physical, and social benefits in addition to keeping your party fun. Party games are very engaging, and they also encourage people to share information and mingle in ways that other forms of entertainment do not. These games help players form bonds, trade secrets, practice critical thinking, and strategy, as well as learn more about each other and themselves.[1] Below are some of the benefits that you can get from party games:

Benefits of Party Games

Stimulate Interpersonal Communication

When a lot of people get together to celebrate, having access to a lively party is not guaranteed. Sometimes, even the best parties can start slow if there isn’t the right mix of entertainment. But party games can be utilized to stimulate interpersonal communication, especially if the games are made to be humorous. These games can lighten the mood and open the door to different forms of conversation. In addition, people who are able to engage in stimulating interpersonal communication can also make new friends in new settings easier.[1] 

Reduce the Risk of Degenerative Brain Diseases

Did you know that playing party games with your friends or family members can also help in avoiding degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s? Playing board games and card games with other people can help create a stronger and higher-functioning brain and lessen the likelihood of cognitive impairment in old age. For younger kids, the level of engagement they can get from party games can also help foster better cognitive skills and memory formation.[1] 

Alleviate Stress

Playing party games can also relieve people of stress. This is due to the fact that they distract players from challenges that they are facing in their daily lives. The games allow them to focus on something other than their worries for extended periods. Aside from that, party games can also alleviate depression and create increased personal satisfaction by inciting laughter.[1] 

These are just a few benefits, and there are still other reasons to break out the cards or set up a game when getting together with friends and family. These activities stimulate thoughtful and engaging conversation, as well as promote lengthy bouts of laughter, which are great for both mental and physical health.

Fun Games for Children’s Parties

a colorful piñata hanging outside

For kids, attending parties is simply the best. It is truly enjoyable to spend the day with friends while laughing and running around. However, for parents, planning and hosting a children’s party can be an epic responsibility. In addition to the foods and drinks to serve, you also have to think of a fun program that will keep the kids entertained for hours. Some parents choose to hire clowns and magicians for the kids to watch. But a party will not be complete without any games.

If you need help in picking the best games for a children’s party, below are some ideas that might help you:

Musical Chairs

This is a classic game for kids that is very easy to play. Simply arrange the chairs such that there is one less than the number of children playing. Start the music after that, and everyone will circle the seats until they hear it stop. Everyone should grab a chair as fast as possible. The last person standing will be out, then another chair will be removed. The steps will be repeated until only one person is left standing.[2] 

Sack Race

For this game, what you need are hessian or burlap sacks or large pillowcases. To race, the guests need to stand with their feet inside the sack and hop to reach the finish line or to their teammate if you choose to play relay style. The first team that will have all members jump will be the winner.[2] 

Balloon Relay Race

To play this party game, you need to divide your visitors into four-player relay teams. Two should be on each side of the play space. There can be various ways to play balloon relay. For example, the inflated balloon can be placed between the knees of the participants and jump across the play space. Aside from that, players may choose their own travel strategy across the play space with the balloon, but they can’t use their hands. 

This game can be fun when played in pairs. Each pair needs to travel across the space with the balloon squashed between their heads, backs, or bellies. Another option is to provide each player an inflated balloon and send them sprinting to the opposite side of the yard, sit on a chair, pop the balloon, then run back and tag the following person. The first team that completes the race wins.[2] 

Egg and Spoon Race

For this game, players should line up, and each of them should have an egg balanced on a tablespoon. When the game starts, they should race to the predetermined finish line. If their egg drops, they need to stop and place it again on their spoon before proceeding. If you want to make it more challenging, they need to go back to start each time the egg drops. It is better to use hard-boiled eggs for this game for a cleaner finish.[2] 

Piñata

Before the day of the party, buy or create a piñata to match the theme and fill it with treats. Hang it at about head height. The guests should line up a few meters away. Traditionally, the players are blindfolded and spun gently around three times before attempting to hit the piñata using a wooden stick. If you don’t want to blindfold them, they can simply take turns hitting the piñata until it breaks open.[2] 

Fun Games for Adult Parties

adults playing charades

If you and your friends or adult family members are hanging out or celebrating together, playing party games is also a must to have more fun. Most part games for adults are very easy to set up and play. Below are some of the fun games and activities that might give you ideas if you find it difficult to choose what party games to play:

Charades

This is a classic game that is best for parties, and it can get everyone involved. It is also very simple to play. All you need to do is choose a word or phrase from a theme, such as movies, books, songs, etc. After that, split the participants into teams, and an individual from each team will act out the theme for the game. The team that can guess the theme in the shortest time wins.[3] 

Cards Against Humanity

This is a great game for an adult party, and it is not for the faint of heart. But it is really entertaining if everyone is in the right frame of mind. This is a fill-in-the-blank type of card game. Players will take turns in reading out questions from a black card. Others will have to choose the funniest answers from the white cards that they have. Sometimes, the answers are very funny and do not make any sense. But they surely will leave all of your guests cracking.[3] 

Truth or Dare

This party game can either be tons of fun or cringe-worthy, depending on the group of people playing. For this game, you can choose to play in clusters or have everyone break off into duos. The goal of the game is for each of you to take turns asking the other person a question or giving them a challenge. It is up to them whether they will choose to tell the truth or complete the dare.[3]

I’m Thinking Of …

This game is great for adult dinner parties as it gets everyone involved. To start the game, one person will say something like, “I’m thinking of a personality,” and then the following person needs to say something related when they hear the term. It can be anything related to the name, such as where they were born, the movies or shows they starred in, and more.[3]

Beer Pong

This is a classic drinking game for adults. It is very simple to play. All you need to do is set up some cups of beer on one end of the table. The players will then take turns trying to throw ping-pong balls into the cups. Whoever shoots a ball into the glass gets to drink. The player or team that will make their opponents drink all their beer wins.[3] 

Fun Party Games for the Holidays

people playing games while celebrating Christmas at home

There are surely a lot of things to celebrate in life, and these also include some of the most popular holidays. The holidays are the times when we are given a chance to spend time with our loved ones after spending so much time at work. Therefore, in addition to eating good food together, catching up, and drinking, playing some party games is also a good idea to create more bonds and have lots of fun. 

Below are some examples of the fun party games that you can play during the holidays:

Halloween Candy Guessing Game

If you are getting together during Halloween, why not play a game after you Trick or Treat in your neighborhood? This is a very simple party game that you can play with family and friends. All you need is to get a clear jar of Halloween candy. Then, have your guests take their best speculation at how many bits of candy are in the jar. The person who can guess or comes closest to the right answer will get to keep the candy jar. This game can occur all throughout the party. Before the night ends, you can reveal the right answer and award the winner.[4] 

Spin-The-Pie Game

This is a fun Thanksgiving party game. To play, you will let your guests spin to unveil six slices of life, such as Family, Friends, Travel, Home, Pets, and Work. Each of these is intended to conjure a memory for which they are grateful. To create it, you need to section the midpoint of a paper plate into six slices and write prompts in each. Then, cut a smaller circle from colorful craft paper. Remove one slice for the category window. Then, attach the wheel to the place with a gold peg and attach a jute rope to the rim with hot glue. After that, add stenciled letters. 

Blindfolded Christmas Tree Crafting

This is a fun game that everyone can play during a Christmas party. Hand out some green craft paper to your guests and see who among them can rip and create the best-looking Christmas tree while blindfolded. If you want to make it more challenging, provide them with different shades of paper and tell them to tear and place designs for their tree, too. To increase the difficulty of the game, even more, you can also set a time limit.[4] 

Christmas Song Scramble

For this game, you need to print out a list of short parts of lyrics from popular Christmas songs with the words jumbled up. Split your guests into teams or have them work individually. The person or team to correctly unscramble the most lyrics and name which song the lyrics are from will win a prize.[4] 

The Name Game

This is a New Year’s Eve party game that is perfect for a large group of adults who are looking for a fun but laid-back game to play. To play this game, each group needs to contribute some names, write them on small pieces of paper and place them inside a large bowl. They can be names of popular people, historical figures, fictional characters, and even people in the room. After that, guests should split up into teams and alternate, trying to guess the terms on each piece of paper by providing each other clues. You can keep track of points for correct guesses or simply enjoy the fun of the game.[4]  

Fun Party Games for Any Occasion and Age

friends playing together

There are also many party games that have flexible rules and little to no supplies needed. These games can be kept casual and make them work for any event, whether it is a birthday party, a holiday celebration, or a simple family gathering. These games can also work for both adults and kids, depending on what rules you play them by. Below are some examples of fun party games for any occasion and age to help you pick:

Most Likely To

This party game is perfect for a close group of friends or family members. You all need to gather in a circle. Start with one person asking, “Who’s most likely to (a specific situation, trait, action, etc.).” Then, after starting the countdown at three, have everyone point at the person they believe is most likely to commit the intended conduct. The person with the most accusing fingers is the one who is out. Repeat the steps until all but one person is out. If you want the game to last longer, you can also skip the eliminations and just have fun.[5]  

Sticker Stalker

For this game, you need to have a pack of stickers. Give everyone a sheet of five to ten pieces of stickers. It is a great game for a party where everyone is mingling. Each person needs to place all their stickers on other party guests discreetly. The first person who can use all of their stickers wins. However, if they are caught putting a sticker on someone, they must also accept a sticker. At the end of the party, you will see how sneaky some guests are and wonder how others end up with stickers all over them without noticing.[5]  

Straight Face

Get a pad of paper and some writing tools. Have your guests write an outrageous phrase on a small piece of paper and collect all of them in a hat. After that, gather everyone in a circle. Give one person the hat, and let him draw a piece of paper and read the statement aloud to the group. The goal is to keep a straight face after reading. Whoever laughs or smile loses. The hat must be passed around until everything has been read.[5]  

Other Fun Party Games That You Can Buy Today

friends playing cards at a party

There are indeed a lot of creative party games that you can play, depending on what the occasion is. However, if you do not have much time to conceptualize games, or if you are tired of playing the same party games over and over, you can also purchase ready-to-play games for your next party. There are lots of fun party games that you can buy today, which can make your event more fun for your guests. If you need some ideas on what these games are, below are some examples of fun party games that you can buy today:

Tell Me Without Telling Me

This is a card game that is intended for adults ages 18 and up. It is a perfect game for parties like happy hours and bachelorette parties. It will get the whole crowd laughing, acting, and speaking. There are three ways to “tell” what your card says in this game. These include show don’t tell, one syllable, and freestyle. The goal is to be the fastest team to guess the words on the cards. 

These Cards Will Get You Drunk

This is another adult card game that is great to play at parties. It includes a lot of games that you can play with your friends. It will let you compete, vote, and screw your friends over 100 dynamic cards, and no two games are the same. It is very easy to learn and play. It can be played by two to eight people ages 21 and up. It can be played with beer, wine, shots, water, and other beverages. 

Incohearent – The Party Game Where You Compete to Guess the Gibberish

This is a fun game that you can play with friends and family. What you are going to do is to contend with making sense out of gibberish from pop-culture categories. It can be played by more than two players. To play, a rotating judge will flip the timer and hold a card up so that only they can see the answer while everyone sees the gibberish or incohearent phrase. Everyone should read the front card aloud, and whoever decodes it the fastest wins. A box of this game contains 500 cards, a sand timer, and instructions. 

Who Can Do It?

This game contains 250 action cards to challenge your friends and see who can do it. These cards will make you compete against your friends to see who can take the worst selfie, pretend to ride a mechanical bull, and so much more. It is a perfect game for parties and for people ages 17 and up. 

Hasbro Gaming Taboo Party Board Game

This is a classic party game that is best for people ages 13 and up. The Taboo board game is a fast-paced, fun game for large and small groups. It includes 450 game cards, which include food and drinks category cards for even more unspeakable fun. It also comes with an electronic buzzer. If a player says a forbidden word on the card, they will get interrupted by the buzzer and lose a turn. This board game can truly liven up a party.

Minute of Fun Party Game

If you are looking for more active games to play at a party, this is a great choice. It includes 237 types of minute-to-win-it challenges for duels and teams, making it great to play with friends, family, classmates, and co-workers. It includes 9 categories of 1-minute challenges. The goal is to complete a series of physical challenges that will test your aim, luck, concentration, and more. It is surely fun to play on game nights, parties, events, and even while you’re on vacation with your family.

Twister Ultimate

This is a classic game of Twister that comes with a spinner and a plastic floor mat that is twice the size of the original game. It also has more and bigger colored spots. This game can liven up a party for all ages, whether for kids, teens, and tweens. It is a good game for family gatherings, birthday parties, and other events. 

BLANK SLATE

This game is where great minds think alike. It is a family-friendly word association party game that will give you lots of fun. To play, you need to pick a word cue card. Then, write the word that you think best completes the phrase and try to match it to another player’s word without providing a single clue. It comes with a scoreboard, 8 pieces of dry-erase slates, 250 double-sided word cue cards, and the rules. It can be played by 3 to 8 people, ages 8 and up. 

Throw Throw Burrito by Exploding Kittens

This is the world’s first dodgeball card game. The goal of the game is to collect matching sets of cards faster than your opponent while simultaneously dodging and throwing squishy burritos. It is a hilarious and truly entertaining game that kids, teens, and adults will enjoy. It is an easy game for everyone and is perfect for parties. The cards you will collect will give you points. However, getting hit by the burritos will make you lose points.

Conclusion

There are indeed a lot of fun and entertaining games that you can play at different types of parties. No matter what your age is, you can surely have fun playing games at a party. These games not only keep everyone entertained, but they also help you get to know your guests and yourself more. Attending a party is not just for catching up, eating, and drinking. Playing party games is among the things that will make your party very memorable for your guests. Whether you choose to conceptualize your own party game or purchase a party card game or board game, your main goal is to have fun with your friends and family. We hope this post helped you learn more about picking fun games for parties. 

References

[1] Giles, M. (2018, September 25). The surprising mental and social benefits of party games. Faith Health and Home. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://faithhealthandhome.com/mental-benefits-party-games/

[2] Burnett, C. (2022, April 4). 12 party games for Kids: Kid Approved Classics for ages 5-12 years. Childhood101. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://childhood101.com/classic-kids-party-games/

[3] Chandel, S. (2022, September 16). 21 entertaining and fun adult party games to try. STYLECRAZE. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/adult-party-games/#21-best-adult-party-games-and-activities

[4] Fisher, S. (2022, August 11). 19 party games for adults. The Spruce. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.thespruce.com/affordable-party-games-for-adults-4154485

[5] Phillips, L. (2022, May 21). 28 fantastic party games to make your next gathering a blast. Real Simple. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/entertaining/party-games-ideas#toc-party-games-for-adults