21st Birthday Party Games for Girls

A 21st birthday isn’t like any old other birthday. It’s a big one. It’s the first time you can legally do everything, which means the party needs games that match that energy.

You want stuff that gets people laughing, helps make those crazy photo moments everyone will look back on in five years, and most importantly, something everyone enjoys without making them feel like they’re being forced to participate in corporate team building.

The biggest mistake people make with a 21st birthday party is overthinking. You don’t need a professionally planned event and fifteen backup activities.

What you need are a handful of games that will work with the guests energy, don’t need a huge amount of setting up and that can be played with six friends or twenty five. Some will want to go hard with drinking games whereas others will want something more relaxed.

So I’m going to give you some amazing 21st birthday party games for girls. From drinking games that are actually funny (with non alcoholic alternatives), social games that are great for getting some gree pics for Instagram, more low key options and even wilder options for when the night gets loose.

Game Ideas by Type

Drinking Games

Let’s address the obvious: yes, the birthday girl is finally 21 and that means drinking games are probably going to be a part of the party. But you shouldn’t be trying to get everyone obliterated by 9PM. You want everyone to have fun and that means games that get conversations started and not just mindless chugging.

Sip or Spill

Sip or Spill Party Drinking Game for Adults with 300 Cards

This one’s a great option for early in the night because there’s no pressure to it but gets people talking. Everyone pulls a card with a truth style question on it. You either answer honestly or take a drink to skip. Simple.

The questions can range from tame to totally unhinged depending on your group:

• “What’s your most recent text message?”
• “Who here would you kiss if you had to?”
• “What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?”
• “Show us your search history from this week”

Tip: Have someone make some custom cards before the party. Generic ones from Amazon are fine but personalized questions can be brilliant when they make reference to inside jokes or specific people in the group.

Drunk Jenga

Do or Drink Blackout Tower Drinking Game – Adult Party Game with 54 Blocks and Challenges

If you haven’t played Drunk Jenga you’re missing out. Get a normal Jenga set and write the rules on each block with a Sharpie.

When someone pulls a block they have to do whatever it says. Stack it on top. Repeat until someone knocks the whole thing over and has to finish their drink.

Some of my favorite rules:

• “Text your ex (or your mom if you’re on good terms with your ex)”
• “Swap seats with someone”
• “Speak in an accent until your next turn”
• “Everyone except you drinks”
• “Make a rule (e.g., no saying names, no pointing)”

It gets crazy quickly especially when the tower gets wobbly and people have had a few drink and are trying to keep their hands steady.

21 Sips

This one’s specifically for the birthday girl. She gets asked 21 very quick questions and every time she gets one wrong or refuses to answer she has to take a sip. It’s good for early in the night before things get too mad.

Questions should be a mix of easy and impossible. Like “What’s your middle name?” followed by “What’s your mom’s best friend’s dog’s name?” That’s what keeps it interesting.

Flip Cup: Glow Edition

Buzzed Flip Cup Frenzy Adult Drinking Game

Flip cup is a classic but this is how you make it right for a 21st birthday party: glow cups. Play it outside or turn off all the lights, turn up the music and let it get crazy.

Teams race to drink and flip their cups. The first team to finish wins.

It gets really competitive and it will make an amazing atmosphere if you’ve got the right playlist. Also it gives the chancel for some really good photos.

Never Have I Ever: Bold Edition

Everyone knows the basic version of this one. You say something you’ve never done and anyone who has done it takes a drink. But for a 21st birthday you need to use categories that are more interesting:

• Travel experiences
• Relationship disasters
• Job/internship horror stories
• Wild nights out
• Secret embarrassing moments

It has to stay fun without getting too cruel. You want people laughing at themselves not feeling attacked.

Non drink option: Swap alcohol for candy, soda or just score points. Losing a round means you owe someone a compliment or have to do a silly dare. It works just as well without the drinks.

Social and Photo Opportunity Games

Some people come to the party for the drinks. Some come for the atmosphere. And some come for the content. These games are meant to give you the perfect moments for Instagram stories and group photos.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Split everyone into teams and give them a list of photos to take throughout the night. Having everyone in teams makes it more fun because people get competitive but it also means the shy ones don’t feel pressured to do everything on their own.

Sample list items:

• “Group selfie in the bathroom mirror”
• “Photo with a stranger (if you’re at a bar/venue)”
• “Cheers moment with everyone’s drinks in frame”
• “Someone doing a terrible dance move”
• “Recreate a famous meme”

You can make posting optional but half the fun is scrolling through everyone’s attempts later on and seeing who really went for it.

Pass the Phone: TikTok Roulette

This game result in totally mayhem and that’s why I love it so much. Open TikTok (or YouTube Shorts) and every round you pass the phone to someone new. They have to scroll once and do whatever video challenge or trend it lands on. Sing a song, recreate a dance act out a scene, lip sync etc.

Some people will get lucky and land on something easy. Others will get a full choreographed dance. That’s the fun of it.

Who’s Most Likely To… (with Pointing)

You read a prompt, everyone points at who they think fits it best and the person with the most fingers aimed at them has to defend themselves or accept their fate. Do it very fast for it to be the most fun.

Prompts:

• “Most likely to get married first”
• “Most likely to cry during a commercial”
• “Most likely to show up two hours late to their own wedding”
• “Most likely to drunk text an ex tonight”
• “Most likely to become famous for something weird”

Hot Seat

One person sits in the “hot seat” for 60 seconds while everyone else asks them questions as quickly as possible. They have to answer as many as they can. No skipping allowed.

This one’s best for a close group of friends or later in the party when people are more loose and comfortable. Early on it can come across a bit too intense if people don’t know each other that well.

Glam and Chill

Not every moment of a 21st birthday needs to be full of energy. Sometimes you want to sit back, just sip on something and do an activity that’s more creative than full on.

DIY Mocktail / Cocktail Bar & Naming Contest

Set up a little drink station with mixers, garnishes, juices, syrups and whatever else you can find. Everyone makes their own signature drink and gives it a name. Then you vote on categories:

• “Best overall”
• “Most dramatic presentation”
• “Least drinkable”
• “Most likely to cause regret in the morning”

Boujee Bingo

Make custom bingo cards with things that usually happen at 21st birthday parties. As the evening goes on people mark off things on their cards. First to get bingo wins a prize (or just the chance to brag).

Sample squares:

• “Someone lost their shoe”
• “Birthday girl screamed ‘It’s my birthday!'”
• “Group selfie took 10+ attempts”
• “Someone sang into a bottle”
• “Cake smash photo fail”
• “At least three people crying (happy tears count)”

Photo Booth Challenge

Write themes on bits of paper and put them in a jar. Teams then draw a theme and have to recreate it in a group photo. Give them some props, accessories and whatever you have around.

Themes:

• “Celebrity red carpet”
• “Breakup energy”
• “Vegas bride and her crew”
• “Album cover recreation”
• “Awkward family portrait”

Vision Board Roulette

Magazines, scissors, glue sticks, a poster board. Give everyone 15 to 20 minutes and they have to make a vision board about what they think the birthday girl’s next year will look like.

It gets sentimental, as you’d expect, but also absolutely crazy depending on what magazines you have.

Loud and Wild (But Still Classy)

For when the energy is high and you need games that match it. These are the ones that come out later in the night when everyone’s comfortable and ready to be a bit ridiculous.

Truth or Dare (Grown Up Edition)

This is a childhood classic but it’s easy to make it more age appropriate. The dares should be funny, not humiliating. Truths should be juicy but not invasive.

Sample dares:

• “DM a celebrity on Instagram right now”
• “Recreate a scene from your favorite romcom”
• “Tell us a scandal from high school that no one here knows”
• “Do your best impression of someone at this party”
• “Show us your most embarrassing photo from this year”

Dance Off Wheel

Make a wheel (or just write styles on paper and draw them from a hat) with different dance styles. Spin it, perform that style for 30 seconds and let everyone vote on who did it best.

Styles:

• “Classical ballet”
• “Drunk aunt at a wedding”
• “TikTok baddie”
• “Invisible pole dancing”
• “2000s music video backup dancer”
• “Dance about your last breakup”

Nobody’s expecting anyone to be any good at this. That’s the point!

Lip Sync Showdown

Pick your favorite 2000s tune or Beyoncé anthem and perform it like your life depends on it. Guests can perform on their own or as a group/teams.

I watched someone perform “Since U Been Gone” with a hairbrush microphone and they fully went for it. It’s still one of my favorite party moments ever.

You can also give everyone props like scarves, sunglasses, feather boas, whatever makes them feel like a star.

Don’t Laugh Challenge

Two people face off. One person tries to make the other laugh using only their facial expressions, weird accents, a random prop etc. If you laugh, you lose. Switch over and repeat.

It sounds simple but it’s way harder than you think, especially after a couple drinks when everything is funnier than it should be.

Party Flow: Sample Schedule (3 Hours)

This is a timeline for how to structure your party games to make the party work:

Time	Activity
0:00 to 0:30	Arrival, photo booth, welcome drinks
0:30 to 1:00	Sip or Spill and Photo Scavenger Hunt
1:00 to 1:30	Mocktail Bar / Cocktail Contest
1:30 to 2:00	Group Game: Hot Seat or Who’s Most Likely
2:00 to 2:30	Dance Off or Lip Sync Showdown
2:30 to 3:00	Cake and Chill game (Boujee Bingo, etc.)
Late night extras	Never Have I Ever, Truth or Dare, Vision Boards

This doesn’t have to be set in stone. Read the room and if people are loving a certain game don’t worry about letting it run on for longer. If something’s not working then make sure you move on quickly. The worst thing you can do is force a game when people clearly aren’t in to it.