Adult birthday parties usually start awkward, stay awkward for about 45 minutes and then either completely die or somehow turn into the best night ever. The big difference? The Games.
I’ve been to way too many adult birthdays where everyone just stands around with their drinks making small talk about work or the weather, waiting for someone to do something interesting. And I’ve thrown a few that have been total disasters.
There was the time I tried to get everyone to play Pictionary at 10pm when half of them had already had three cocktails and the other half wanted to leave. Nobody won that night.
But when you get the games right, and when I say right I mean when you pick ones that fit your crowd, take the time to ease people in and don’t follow a rulebook, the party comes alive.
The problem is most “adult party game” lists are either the same old ideas from years ago or sound like they were written by someone who’s never actually been to a party. Beer pong? Yeah, maybe if you’re 22. Charades? If your guests are theatre majors then why not.
So I’m giving you games I’ve actually played, seen work or heard rave reviews about from friends who know how to throw a party. They’ve worked in real living rooms with real people who left talking about how fun the party was.
I’m going to give you indoor and outdoor game ideas, games for when you’ve got a tight budget, ones that suit smaller groups and much more. I’ll also talk about what games to avoid, how to pace your night and why you shouldn’t be the one running games at your own birthday.
Birthday Party Game Ideas for Adults
Indoor Party Games
When you’re stuck inside – whether it’s because it’s freezing, raining or you just have a tiny apartment – you need games that work in smaller spaces. These games fit that criteria.
Murder Mystery Party
Everyone gets given a character with a backstory. Someone is the murderer and everyone else is trying to figure out who. You spend the night in character finding clues and accusing each.
You can find cheap printable versions online for around $15 and the fancy boxed sets for $50+. The boxed ones usually have better production value but the printable ones work fine if you’re happy to do some prep beforehand.
This works great indoors because you’re mostly sitting around talking and drinking but occasionally wandering to different rooms to “investigate.” It takes up the whole party though – 2 to 3 hours minimum – so you can’t really do any other games with it.
So it’s best for groups of 6 to 10 who don’t mind doing something theatrical.
Reverse Charades
This is normal charades but backwards – one person guesses while everyone else acts out the word or phrase together. Having 5+ people all trying to mime “washing an elephant” at the same time is ridiculous and also very funny.
It works indoors because you’re not moving around too much. And all you need is space for people to stand and act like idiots. Maybe something to write prompts on as well.
Games are quick (60 seconds per round) so no one gets bored and the energy stays high. I saw this played at a friend’s apartment party and it worked great as well as being very noisy. Something to keep in mind if you have thin walls.
Drunk Jenga
Get a regular Jenga set and write rules or dares on each block with a sharpie. “Take 2 drinks”, “tell an embarrassing story,” “do an impression of someone in the room” etc. Pull a block, do what it says, stack it back on top.
The game gets harder as the tower gets taller and people get more drunk. Eventually someone knocks it over and has to finish their drink or do a penalty.
You just need a Jenga set ($15), a marker and a flat surface to play it on. This is perfect for small apartments because all you need is a table. I’ve played this on a coffee table while people sat on the floor around it.
Escape Room in a Box
There are escape room board games you can buy – basically a box full of puzzles, clues and locks that you work through as a team. It takes about an hour to solve if you’re good at puzzles, longer if you’re not.
I haven’t personally done one at a party but my coworker swears by them. She said it gave her friends something to focus on together when the conversation was dying and people were getting bored with small talk.
You need a table and people who like puzzles. It’s not for everyone – if your friends are more in to dancing rather than solving riddles then it’s probably best to skip this one. But for the right crowd it’s going to be a big hit.
Categories (The Game)
Sit in a circle. Pick a category (types of pasta, things you’d find in a bathroom, celebrities named Chris, you get the idea). Go around the circle and everyone has to name something in that category without repeating. First person who can’t think of one or repeats is out.
It sounds easy but it gets competitive fast. Also you learn weird things about people’s knowledge – like who knew Sarah could name 47 types of cheese?
This works great indoors because you’re just sitting there. It doesn’t need any string up or anything to play it. It’s just people thinking fast.
A good choice for winding down and you need something where people don’t have to stand or move around much.
Outdoor and Backyard Party Games
If you’ve got a yard or access to a park you’d be stupid not to use it. Outdoor games aren’t necessarily more fun or better but they’re different and give your guests a chance to maybe be a bit louder and get more physical. And you don’t have to worry about breaking stuff or annoying the neighbors!
Cornhole
Two boards with holes, you toss bean bags trying to get them in. You can’t really have a backyard party in America without playing cornhole.
You can play it while drinking and talking, it doesn’t take any real skill and you can set up mini tournaments if people get into it. Also you can keep playing even as it gets dark – just stick some LED bags or put a light near the boards.
Boards cost anywhere from $50 for a cheap set to $300 for custom ones. I remember a party where we borrowed a set and people ended up playing it well into the night. Even the people who said they didn’t want to play were up late tossing a few bags while walking by.
Kan Jam
You have two teams of two and you’ve got two things that look like trash cans at opposite ends. The aim is to try and throw a frisbee at them. Your teammate can deflect the frisbee to help direct it in or onto the can. First to 21 wins.
Games go fast – 10 to 15 minutes – so you can run little tournaments. It’s a lot of fun but isn’t super intense so that guests are exhausted after one game.
You need the actual Kan Jam set (around $40) and enough space that people aren’t going to hit the guests who aren’t playing. I’ve seen this go wrong at a cramped party where someone took a disc to the back of the head.
Giant Jenga (Outdoor Version)
Just like regular Jenga but the blocks are about 2 feet long and you stack them to make a tower that’s taller than a person. Pull blocks from the bottom and stack them on top until someone makes it crash.
It’s obviously a lot more dramatic than the regular Jenga and when it falls it really FALLS. The blocks fly everywhere, people have to jump out of the way, everyone’s screaming.
You can buy giant Jenga sets for something like $60-100 or DIY it by cutting 2x4s if you’re handy. Set it up on grass in case it crashes near someone’s feet. Also people will almost certainly want to take photos with the tower so make sure there’s good lighting.
Kubb (Viking Chess)
You set up some wooden blocks at opposite ends of a yard. Teams then take turns throwing wooden batons trying to knock over the other team’s blocks. Once you knock them all down you go for the king in the middle.
If it sounds a bit medieval that’s because it literally is – it’s an old Scandinavian lawn game.
You need the Kubb set ($40ish) and a flat yard. Games take 20 to 30 minutes. You can also call it “Viking chess” which sounds quite fancy!
Spikeball
Outdoors is where Spikeball really works. Inside you’re always going to be worried about hitting walls or knocking stuff over. Outside you can dive for balls, spike them as hard as you want and have more than one sets going at once.
If you’ve got the yard space set up two Spikeball nets and run a tournament. The winner of each game moves on and the loser comes out for someone new. Make sure everyone gets a chance to play.
You need to buy the Spikeball set (around $60), but it’s reusable forever and turns any party/gathering into a mini tournament.
Budget Party Games
You don’t need to spend $200 on games to have a good party. Some of the best games I’ve played cost nothing except whatever drinks were already at the party.
Drunk Waiter
Fill a cup with beer (or water, soda etc.). Hold it on a tray or book above your head with one hand. Spin around 10 times. Try to walk in a straight line to the finish point without spilling anything.
It costs nothing (you already have cups and drinks). It’s ends up being really entertaining because it’s crazy and lots of people will spill stuff. And most people will stop being self-conscious.
Superlatives
Everyone writes their name on a piece of paper and puts it in a bowl. You then draw names and gives each person superlatives – “most likely to become a millionaire”, “best dressed”, “worst driver” etc.
Go around and read them out loud. People can argue about whether they deserve their superlative or not. It’s sort of like roasting each other but in a sweet way. So no hurt feelings.
Medusa
Everyone stands in a circle looking down. Someone counts to three and then everyone looks up at another person. If two people are looking at each other they both scream and are out. Keep going until one person is left.
There’s variations on this where people drink when they’re out or where you add other rules but the basic version doesn’t cost anything and only takes about 5 minutes. It’s works as a good way of warming people up.
I’ve played this at every type of party – birthdays, housewarmings etc. It always works because it’s quick and gets people laughing.
Never Have I Ever
A classic drinking game that costs nothing. Everyone holds up ten fingers. Someone says “never have I ever [something]” and anyone who HAS done that thing puts a finger down. First to put all fingers down loses.
You have to get people to say interesting things for this to work well. Skip the boring stuff like “never have I ever been to Europe” and go for weird stories – “never have I ever cried at a commercial”, “never have I ever gotten kicked out of somewhere”, “never have I ever lied on a resume”.
Celebrity (or Fishbowl)
Everyone writes famous people’s names on slips of paper (3 to 5 names per person) and puts them in a bowl. Then split everyone into teams.
Round 1: describe the celebrity without saying their name. Round 2: same names but you can only use one word as a clue. Round 3: the same names but you can only act it out.
All you need is paper and a bowl or hat. It’s free, works for big groups and the three rounds keep it interesting instead of getting too repetitive.
At Home Party Games
These are for when you’re hosting at your house or apartment – not a rented venue, or a backyard space you don’t know – but your home with all your stuff and the limits on space.
With at home games you need to think about the noise (because of any neighbors you have), space (probably more limited) and the fact that you can’t destroy your own furniture.
Mafia
Mafia is great for home parties because you can play it anywhere you can turn the lights off. The living room, basement, even your kitchen if you have to.
Everyone sits in a circle, the lights go off for “night” phases and the moderator walks around tapping people for their secret actions. Lights come back on for “day” where everyone argues about who to eliminate.
It doesn’t cost anything and you don’t need any equipment apart from maybe a deck of cards to give people roles. It works great at home because you control the lights and can make the space feel dramatic. Also its ways to keep snacks and drinks nearby which is harder with games like this.
Sing Song Ping Pong
This is so stupid but it works. Someone starts singing a song. At a random point someone else yells “STOP!” and whoever stopped has to start singing a different song that includes the last word that was sung.
That sounds hard but here’s an example of how it works: someone’s singing “Don’t Stop Believin'” and stops at “boulevard” – next person has to start a song with boulevard in it. Can’t think of one? You’re out (or you drink, or you do a dare etc.)
It doesn’t costs anything and works in any room. It will get loud but in a fun “everyone’s singing” way that’s less annoying than some screaming games. Also you find out who has a weird deep catalog of music knowledge.
Cup Stack Speed Racing
Get around 20 to 30 plastic cups per person. Have people grace to stack them in a pyramid, break that down, stack them in a line, break that down again, stack them however – you’re just racing against other people to do cup formations.
You need to buy cups but they should be very cheap. And it’s easy to set up on your kitchen table or counters as long as you have a flat surface.
It’s a really good choice for playing at home because it doesn’t messy and you can play it in small spaces. Also you can reuse the cups for drinks after you’re finished.
Scattergories DIY Version
You choose a letter. Then set a timer for 60 seconds. Everyone has to write down as many items as they can in categories you’ve chosen – types of food, celebrities, things in a bathroom, cities etc.
When the time’s up everyone shares their answers. You get a point for each answer but only if nobody else has written the same thing. So “pizza” for foods that start with P probably won’t count but “pupusas” might.
You just need paper and pens which you probably already have. Make up your own categories basing it on what your group is interested in.
The Voting Game
There’s a card game called this but you can DIY it. Make question cards like “who would survive a zombie apocalypse” or “who’s most likely to ghost someone” and then everyone votes.
What makes it different is the votes are anonymous (write the names on paper, fold them up and then someone reads them) so people can be more honest without it becoming awkward. Then you reveal who got voted for what and let people react.
At home this works great because everyone can spread out on couches and chairs in your living room and stays it casual. The anonymous voting makes it feel safer for people to be honest without there being any threat of any confrontation.
You can prepare the questions beforehand on cards or just make them up as you go. Either way it’s free and gets some good conversations going.
Party Games for Small Groups
Small groups – around 4 to 8 people – are probably the best best number for games but most game lists assume you have 15+ people at the party. With smaller groups you can do things that are more interesting and where everyone gets to take part instead of waiting around for their turn.
Coup
This is a bluffing card game where everyone has secret roles and you’re trying to eliminate other players by calling out their lies or using your character powers. The game only lasts around 15 minutes max.
The whole game is about lying, calling people’s bluffs and losing when you’re wrong. With a small group you’re constantly involved because each decision affects you directly.
You need the Coup card game (around $15) but it’s small and you’ll play it a hundred times so it’s worth getting. It’s hear for small groups because with too many people you lose track of who’s bluffing about what.
I played this at a dinner party with six people and we ended up playing for two hours straight because rounds go so fast you want revenge as fast as possible.
Wavelength
One person is the “psychic” and knows where a target is on a spectrum. They give a clue and their team has to guess where on the spectrum the target is.
For example the spectrum might be “too cold to too hot” and the target is 75% toward hot. The psychic might say “Texas in August” and the team guesses based on that clue.
It costs about $40 for the game but for small groups it’s ideal because you’re working together and having debates about whether “Texas in August” is THAT hot or just moderately hot. The discussions are half the fun.
Anomia
It’s a card game where cards have categories on them (breakfast cereals, cartoon characters, car brands). You flip cards one at a time and if two people’s cards have matching symbols they face off – first person to shout a correct answer for the OTHER person’s category wins their card.
It’s fast and can get crazy. Your brain scrambles trying to remember breakfast cereals while someone’s screaming at you. With small groups it becomes pretty intense because you’re constantly in the game not waiting around.
The card game is about $15 and it lasts maybe 20 minutes. I’ve played this with four people and with eight and both worked great – any bigger and you’re sitting around too much between your turns.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Like regular Werewolf but compressed into a single round that lasts about 10 minutes. Everyone gets a secret role, stuff happens at night while eyes are closed then you have 5 to 10 minutes of discussion to figure out who’s the werewolf before voting.
The app runs the night phase and tells people when to wake up and what to do. Then you argue and vote. It’s quick and great for small groups because you need everyone taking part in the discussion.
The app is free although the physical cards are $20 if you want them (you don’t need them though). With 5 to 8 people this is ideal because the discussion doesn’t get too much and everyone’s voice matters in the vote.
Decrypto
You have twi teams of 2 to 4 people. Your team has four secret words. Each round you give clues to help your team figure out which secret words match certain numbers. But the other team is listening and trying to crack your code.
It’s about giving clues that are obvious enough for your team but vague enough that your opponents don’t figure it out. It gets very tense.
You need the game ($20ish) but for small groups it’s fun and clever without being exhausting. Every person on your team matters so nobody zones out.
I played this with six people split into two teams of three and we played for about 90 minutes because we kept wanting one more round.
Chill and Low Key Party Games
Not every party needs to full of energy and have tons going on. Sometimes you just want games where people hang out, talk and laugh without needing them to jump around or get fired up.
These games are suited to birthdays where you’re having a dinner party or you’ve got friends who aren’t into the crazy stuff or you’re just past the age where you want to be screaming all night.
We’re Not Really Strangers (Card Game)
It’s a card game with thought provoking questions that should make people connect on a deeper level. Three levels of questions from lighter stuff to really vulnerable prompts.
This isn’t a “game” in the usual sense – there’s no winner. You just go around answering questions and learning about each other. Great for small, intimate gatherings where everyone’s comfortable with each other.
The card set is about $25 but you could DIY it by writing your own deep questions on paper. It works best with people who already know each other a bit and want to go deeper or with people meeting for the first time who want to skip the small talk.
I’ve never played this at a birthday specifically but I’ve seen it work at dinner parties where it all felt more reflective and cozy.
Story Cubes
You roll dice that have pictures on them instead of numbers. Use the pictures to create a story on the spot. Pass it around and each person adds to the story on the basis of the next roll.
The stories get weird and funny. It’s inventive but not a lot of pressure because you’re creating something together and there’s no wrong answers.
You can buy the Story Cubes ($10ish) or DIY with some dice and giving meanings to each number. This works for quieter parties because you’re sitting, thinking and laughing at the ridiculous stories that come out.
Loaded Questions
One person reads a question from the card – “what’s the worst thing to say on a first date” or “what would you do if you won the lottery” – and everyone writes down an answer anonymously.
The reader collects all the answers, reads them out loud and tries to guess who wrote what. You get points for guessing right.
It’s laid back because you’re mostly sitting and writing and talking. The game itself isn’t all that exciting but the conversations that come from people’s answers are what make it fun. Also you learn surprising things about your friends sense of humor or secret dreams etc.
The actual game is about $20 but with most of these types of games you can DIY with your own questions.
Contact (The Word Guessing Game)
One person thinks of a word and tells everyone the first letter. Everyone else tries to get them to reveal more letters by giving clues to words that start with those letters.
Example: the secret word is “dolphin.” First letter is D. Someone says “you use this to open a locked…” and if another person knows they say “CONTACT!” and they both count to three and say their guess. If they match (both said “door”), the person with the secret word has to reveal the next letter. Now it’s “do.”
It’s fun and gets everyone’s brains working but in a lowkey way. You’re sitting around thinking and occasionally shouting “contact!” when you figure out what someone’s hinting at.
It doesn’t cost anything, you don’t need any equipment and works great for people who like word games but don’t want anything too competitive.
DIY Party Games
DIY games are great because you can make them fit your group’s sense of humor, how much space you have and your budget.
DIY Photo Scavenger Hunt
Before the party make a list of things people need to take photos of – “someone doing a handstand”, “the group making a pyramid”, “everyone’s shoes in a pile”, “recreate a famous movie scene” etc.
Split everyone into teams or you can have them do it on their own. Give people 20 to 30 minutes to get all the photos. Whoever get the most items wins or you can vote on best/funniest photos.
All you need is phones and everyone already has them.
I did this at a backyard birthday last year and people got SO into it. We ended up with about 200 photos of ridiculous poses and people doing stupid stuff.
Customized Bingo Cards
Make bingo cards but instead of numbers fill them with things that are likely to happen at your party – “someone spills a drink”, “someone brings up their ex”, “John tells his Vegas story again”, “someone suggests ordering pizza” etc.
As things happen throughout the night people mark them off. First to get bingo wins a prize, doesn’t have to help clean up, gets to pick the next song or whatever you decide on.
You can make the cards free online with bingo card generators or just do them by hand. It works because it’s running in the background of the party – people aren’t actually playing it the way they are with most games but instead they’re just checking off as stuff happens.
Truth or Dare Jenga
I mentioned Drunk Jenga earlier but this is the PG version. Write truths and dares on Jenga blocks – personal questions, silly challenges, “call your mom and tell her you love her”, “show us the last photo in your camera roll” and so on.
All you need is a Jenga set and a sharpie. You can make the truths as deep or as shallow as you want and the dares as embarrassing or as tame as you want.
You can also play this over and over and you can keep adding new prompts. Also if you’re playing with the same people multiple times you can reference previous games – “remember when you had to do the worm across the living room? That was this block”.
DIY Minute to Win It Challenges
Set up a series of 60 second challenges using household items. Stack pennies, move some cookies from your forehead to your mouth without using your hands, stack cups in a pyramid with one hand, bounce ping pong balls into cups, keep three balloons in the air etc.
Look up minute to win it challenges online and pick the ones you can do with stuff from your kitchen or closet. Set up stations or do them one at a time with everyone watching.
It’s free as you’re using stuff you have. People can compete on their own or in teams.
Custom Trivia About the Birthday Person
Write trivia questions about the birthday person – where they grew up, their first job, embarrassing stories from college, their favorite movie etc. Split people into teams or play alone.
This is a nice way to celebrate the birthday boy/girl and let them be the center of attention (which is the point of a birthday party but somehow gets lost sometimes). Also it’s funny when people realize they don’t know the most basic things about their friend.
You just need to write the questions beforehand. You could make it fancy with printed cards or just read them off your phone. Either way it costs nothing except time to prepare.
Drinking (or Not) Games
Most Likely To
This one’s a classic for a reason. Someone reads a “most likely to” prompt – “most likely to accidentally start a cult”, “most likely to cry at a dog food commercial” etc. and on the count of three everyone points to who they think it fits.
The person with the most fingers pointing at them drinks (or does a dare, or just takes the heat). What makes this work is it’s low stakes but lets people roast each other in a way that’s funny instead of mean.
You don’t need anything except drinks and everyone to be honest. But it needs to have good prompts. Skip the boring ones like “most likely to be late” and go for weird, specific stuff that tells stories.
Flip Cup
If you want chaos then you won’t go wrong with flip cup. Split into two teams, line up on opposite sides of a table, each person has a cup with a bit of beer (or juice, or whatever).
First person drinks, puts the empty cup on the table edge and tries to flip it upside down by flicking the rim. Once you land it the next person goes. First team to finish wins.
It’s fast and it gets loud as well as competitive. The best part is it’s physical enough that people stop being self conscious because they’re too focused on flipping a stupid cup.
You need a long table, plastic cups and people who don’t mind getting a little messy.
Kings (or Ring of Fire)
Spread a deck of cards face down in a circle around an empty cup in the middle. Players take turns drawing cards and each card has a rule – like “7 is heaven” (everyone points up, last person drinks), “8 is mate” (pick someone to drink with you), “Jack is make a rule.”
The person who draws the fourth King has to drink whatever’s been poured into the center cup throughout the game, which is usually an awful and disgusting mix. This game is good because it runs itself and you can play for as long or short as you want.
The chaos comes from people forgetting rules and from whatever horrible creation ends up in the center cup. Just make sure someone actually knows all the card rules before you start or you’ll spend 20 minutes googling them.
Icebreaker / Warm-Up Games
Two Truths and a Lie
Everyone shares three statements about themselves – two true, one false – and the group guesses which is the lie. This works because it’s simple, everyone gets a turn to talk and you learn interesting things about people.
You just have to encourage people to make their truths weird and their lies believable. “I’ve been to Japan” is boring. “I once accidentally joined a mariachi band in Tijuana for a whole weekend” is interesting.
This game only needs people and maybe drinks to loosen everyone up. I’ve seen this turn a room of strangers into friends in about 30 minutes. Just don’t let it drag – give people a time limit to decide or it loses momentum.
5. Who’s Most Likely To (Question Version)
Similar to the drinking game version but more laid back. Go around and each person gets to ask a “who in this room” question – “who would survive longest on a deserted island,” “who’s most likely to become famous,” “who would you want on your trivia team.” Everyone discusses and then decides together.
It’s less about drinking and more about getting conversations and debates going. This is perfect early in the night when the energy isn’t quite there yet and you want people talking without forcing anything too intense. You don’t need anything except a group who don’t mind being honest and a little bit playful.
The Name Game
Everyone writes down a celebrity, character or famous person on a sticky note and puts it on the forehead of the person next to them (but don’t let that person see it). Then you go around asking yes or no questions to figure out who you are. “Am I alive?” “Am I an actor?” “Am I from a reality show?”
It’s goofy and silly (everyone looks ridiculous with names on their heads) and easy to jump in and out of. You just have to keep the names recognizable – no obscure indie film directors unless your guests are pretentious film people.
This works great because even quiet people get involved asking questions and there’s something hilarious about watching your friend slowly realize they’re Shrek.
Loud & Rowdy Games
Musical Chairs (Adult Version)
Yeah, I know, it sounds like a kids’ game. But hear me out – add alcohol, adult music and up the stakes (loser has to tell an embarrassing story, winner gets to make a rule for the night) and it’s suddenly chaotic and tons of fun.
Set up chairs in a circle (one fewer than the number of players), turn on the l music, everyone walks around, when it stops they fight for a seat. The person left standing is out. Remove a chair, repeat.
It’s stupidly simple but gets competitive fast and surprisingly good at getting people more comfortable and loose. You need chairs, music and space. I saw this played at a 32 year-old’s birthday last year and grown adults were shoving each other out of the way. It was hilarious.
Sit Down or Table Games
Cards Against Humanity
You probably know this one. Black card has a prompt with a blank, everyone plays a white card from their hand to fill it in and the funniest combo wins. It’s crass, it’s easy and it works every time for a certain crowd.
The downside is if you’ve played it a bunch cards start feeling repetitive. But for a group that hasn’t played together it’s a guaranteed way to get people laughing.
You need the actual card set (or one of the many knockoff versions). This works best after dinner when people are settled in and not trying to be too polite anymore.
Extra tip: house rule where you can trade in a point to make someone reread their card in a specific accent.
Telestrations
It’s like telephone but with drawing. Everyone writes a phrase, passes their book to the left, the next person draws it, passes it, the next person guesses what the drawing is, passes it and so on. By the end you reveal how much the original phrase got mangled.
“Riding a bike through Paris” somehow becomes “man fighting a baguette monster” or something like that. It’s works because people collaborate and get to know each other and it doesn’t need any actual drawing skill – in fact it’s funnier when people are bad at drawing.
You need the Telestrations game ($25ish) or just DIY with paper and markers. This is great because it’s inclusive for people who don’t want to be loud or competitive but still want to participate.
Codenames
You have two teams, each has a “spymaster” who gives one word clues to get their team to guess which words on a grid belong to them without guessing the assassin word.
It will get people’s brains working in a fun way. The games last like 15 minutes so you can play multiple rounds.
You need the Codenames set ($20) but it’s worth it because you can play it over and over forever and it works for big groups. It’s perfect in the middle of the party when you want something that keeps everyone’s attention but isn’t exhausting.
Warning: people will argue about clues and whether something like “animal, 3” was a fair hint.
Group Phone Games (No downloads needed)
Psych!
One person pulls up the Psych! app (free, no download needed for most players). It gives a prompt, everyone texts in a fake answer then all answers (including the real one) show up and you vote for which you think is real.
You get points for guessing right and for tricking others with your fake answer. It’s all very quick, funny and works great because everyone is holding their phone anyway.
Categories include movie titles, bizarre history facts and weird definitions. This is great for when the energy is dropping and you need something that doesn’t need much effort but will still get people laughing.
I’ve played this at something like 1am when everyone was too tired to stand but didn’t want the party to end.
Heads Up!
One person holds their phone to their forehead with the screen facing out. A word appears and everyone else shouts clues to get them to guess it.
They tilt the phone down for correct, up to skip. It’s fast, silly and you can pick categories (animals, movies, accents). The Ellen version is free and works perfectly.
This game is great because it gets people shouting and laughing and you can rotate through people quickly so no one’s left out. Also it’s one of the few phone games that still feels social because everyone’s yelling at the person with the phone instead of staring at their own screen.
Evil Apples
It’s basically Cards Against Humanity but on your phone. One person picks a prompt, everyone submits their funniest card, the person who played the prompt picks the winner.
It’s free, no physical cards are needed and you can play with people remotely too if someone couldn’t make it to the party. It’s also easier to set up than actual Cards Against Humanity.
The downside is it’s less social because everyone’s looking at their phone instead of the table. Use this if you want that style of game but don’t have the physical set or if you’re trying to include someone on video chat.
Tips for Running Birthday Party Games
Don’t over plan – leave space for natural mayhem. I’ve been to parties where the host had a minute by minute schedule and it felt like a corporate retreat. Games should flow naturally based on the energy not happen because it’s “8:47pm and that’s when we planned charades”.
Sometimes the best moments happen when someone randomly suggests something and it goes from there. Have a few games ready but don’t force it.
Choose games that match the group. If your friends are introverts or quieter don’t open with a loud screaming game. And if they’re extroverts don’t start with a quiet card game – they’ll get bored.
Think about drinking vs. not drinking too. Not everyone wants alcohol games and it’s annoying when that’s the only option. Have alternatives ready or pick games that work either way.
Rotate between loud and calm games. You can’t go for real intense games for four hours straight. People need breaks.
A good flow is: icebreaker (medium energy) → loud rowdy game (high energy) → sit down game (low energy) → another high energy game → quieter phone game. This should keep things interesting without exhausting everyone or letting the energy die off.
Use music to set the pace. Upbeat music before and during high energy games, something mellower during sit down stuff. Music fills awkward silence and subconsciously tells people what kind of energy to bring. Also if a game is dragging sometimes just changing the music snaps people back into it.
Have someone else “game host” if you’re the birthday person. This is something that nobody really talks about. You shouldn’t be the one explaining rules, keeping score or making sure everyone’s participating at your own birthday.
It’s exhausting and you miss out on actually playing. Recruit a friend beforehand to be the “game master” for the night. They’ll keep things moving and you get to just enjoy your party.
Games to Avoid
Cringe couple games. The “how well do you know your partner” quiz, couples’ trivia, the “newlywed game” stuff – it’s all bad unless it’s specifically an anniversary or engagement party. At a birthday it just makes single people feel awkward and couples feel pressured to perform. Skip it.
Overcomplicated trivia. Trivia is only fun when questions are general knowledge or niche enough that your group would know them. If you’re reading questions from a random trivia app and nobody knows any answers, it’s just painful. Also trivia often highlights knowledge gaps in a way that feels bad instead of fun and someone usually gets too competitive about it.
Anything that takes 30 minutes to explain. If you’re spending more time explaining rules than actually playing, the game sucks. People zone out during long explanations, forget the rules immediately and then you have to re explain in the middle of the game. Stick to games where you can explain it in under two minutes and learn by doing.
Sally Gibson is the founder of Someone Sent you a Greeting, a holiday/celebration website. Sally’s writing work has been mentioned in Woman’s World, Yahoo, Women’s Health, MSN and more. If you have any questions get in contact with one of the team via the about page.