Planning games for a teenager’s birthday party is like trying to impress the toughest of critics. There’s very few people who are hard to win over as teenagers.
And after years of organizing teen parties it’s fair to say that the wrong game can kill the party off faster than a parent walking in and asking if everyone’s having fun.
Teens are at a weird point where they’re obviously too old for pin the tail on the donkey but might secretly enjoy something silly if it doesn’t feel too babyish. But you’ve got to get it right, and if need be have a backup option because what works for one group might be a total disaster for another.
So I’m going to take you through a mix of high energy games, quieter options that get laughs without much effort, indoor alternatives when the weather is poor, games for phones because that’s how teens actually socialize and more.
We’ll also look at how to stop things from getting awkward, which games to skip and how to move fast when something isn’t working.
Birthday Party Game Ideas for Teens
High Energy Games
Capture the Flag: Glow in the Dark Edition
Capture the Flag is a classic but playing it at dusk or night with flow sticks is a great way to make it even more exciting. It still works the same way – split everyone into two teams, give each team a glowing flag (or just attach glow sticks to a piece of fabric) and mark jail zones with more glow sticks.
Why it’s better is playing it in the dark adds a whole different dimension to it. Everyone has the opportunity to play a lot more stealthily and hide using the darkness. The games becomes far more intense because of this.
And it’s that strategy aspect that makes it work for teens. They’re not just running around mindlessly. They have to plan things through, coordinate with one another and properly compete.
The Original Glow in The Dark Capture The Flag Game
To make it work you’ll need a good area of space outdoors as well as glow sticks for everyone (it should be about $15 for a pack of 100). Set a time limit of 20 to 30 minutes per round or it drags on.
Whoever’s birthday it is should be a team captain as it will make them feel special without being singled out awkwardly. And if someone’s not into running around they can play defense and still participate.
Murder in the Dark
This one may have been around forever but it still holds up well. Everyone draws cards or picks from a hat and one person gets the murderer card, one gets to be the detective and the rest are civilians.
Turn off most of the lights and the murderer sneaks around killing people by tapping their shoulder. When someone dies they silently count to five then scream and drop to the floor. Everyone freezes, lights come on and the detective has to figure out who did it based on where everyone was standing.
Why this appeals to teens is because there’s drama, suspense and if you’re the murderer you get that power trip too. You need a house or somewhere that everyone can move around safely in the dark. Although it shouldn’t be pitch black or someone’s going to go right through a glass door.
Rounds are quick, maybe 10 minutes each, and you can play multiple times with different people as the murderer. A Warning though – it can get loud with all the screaming so maybe not the best choice if you’re in an apartment that has thin walls.
Sardines (Reverse Hide and Seek)
One person hides while everyone else seeks. But it has a twist – when whoever it is that is hiding gets found you squeeze in and hide with them. And then the last person searching loses.
You end up with twelve teenagers all crammed into a closet trying not to laugh and give away where they’re hiding.
It works for teenagers because it’s silly but not childish and the awkwardness of being squished together actually becomes funny instead of weird.
You’ll need a house with some good places to hide and it works best over more than one floor. Set boundaries about which rooms are off limits (the parent’s bedroom, for example). Each round will take around 15 to 20 minutes depending on how much space you have.
Budget Games
Paper Plate Awards
As the party goes by pay attention to any funny moments or some of the guests quirks. At the end of the night give out paper plate “awards” that you write on with a Sharpie. Things like “Most Likely to Start a Fire Making Toast”, “Best Dramatic Death in Murder Wink”, “Most Competitive About Water Balloons” etc. Make them specific to things that happened at the party or the guests personalities.
This costs pretty much nothing (just paper plates and a marker) but it’s a nice ending to the party. Teens love getting roasted in a friendly way and it gives everyone something to take home.
So try to make the awards funny but not mean. You want people laughing not having their feelings hurt.
Write them as you go during the party or if you have enough time then do them all at the end. I’ve been to parties where people kept their paper plate awards for months. It’s a small thing but it makes the party feel more memorable.
Flour Face
Pack flour into a bowl or cup, flip it upside down on a plate to make a flour mound. Put a piece of candy or a marshmallow on top.
Everyone then takes turns cutting out slices of flour with a knife. Whoever makes the candy fall has to get it out using only their mouth (no hands). They’ll end up with flour all over their face.
All you need is flour, a plate, a knife and candy. That’s it. Maybe five dollars total.
But it’s hilarious every single time because watching someone’s face covered in flour while they’re trying to get a gummy bear is brilliant. It’s quick too with each round taking maybe five minutes at the most, so you can play over a few times or just use it as a one off funny moment.
Make sure you play it outside or somewhere you can clean up easily though as flour goes everywhere. And maybe have wet wipes ready.
Balloon Pop Relay
Blow up some balloons. Then split everyone into teams. Each person has to pop a balloon by sitting on it, then run to a line and back before the next person goes.
The first team to pop all their balloons wins.
Have people pop balloons between their knees or by stepping on them or whatever you want to make it more difficult.
Balloons are cheap and this game is loud and funny. Everyone will find watching people struggle to pop a balloon by sitting on it funny. And while it is competitive it’s also silly enough that people don’t take it too seriously.
You can set it up in five minutes and it works indoors or outdoors. Just buy more balloons than you need because some will pop while you’re blowing them up and you’ll want a few backups. This works for basically any number of people too.
At Home Games
Minute to Win It Challenges
Set up a series of one minute challenges using stuff you already have at home. Stack 36 cups into a pyramid and back down into a single stack in under a minute. Move Oreos from your forehead to your mouth without using your hands. Bounce ping pong balls into cups. There are hundreds of these challenges online and most use the sort household items everyone has.
This is great for at home because you probably already own everything you need – cups, cookies, ping pong balls etc. Set up different stations or do them one at a time with everyone watching.
Teens will like it because the challenges look easy but are a lot harder than you would first think and everyone fails in funny ways. You can make it a competition where people get points for finishing the challenges or just do it for fun.
The challenges should only take a minute each (hence the name) so it keeps moving and people don’t get bored. The variety means even if someone’s terrible at one challenge they might be good at another.
DIY Escape Room
Make a simple escape room using one room in your house. Hide clues around the room that lead to other clues or unlock locks.
Use combination locks with the codes hidden in riddles or puzzles. The guests have to “escape” (or find a final hidden object) within a time limit, usually around 30 to 45 minutes.
It sounds complicated but you can make it as simple or tricky as you want. Start with a basic version – hide some clues that lead to each other, maybe use a lockbox from Amazon with a combination lock and the code is revealed when they’ve solved some puzzles.
It will feel like something different to the teens but it’s all stuff you set up at home for cheap. You need locks (combination locks are about $8), paper for clues, maybe some boxes to hide things in and then just a bit of clever thinking.
The internet has tons of templates and ideas. It takes some setup time but then the game runs itself and you get 30 to 45 minutes of entertainment. Works great for smaller groups where everyone can work together.
TikTok Challenge Tournament
Pick a some of the trending TikTok challenges or dances and have the guest compete to see who can do them best. Film them and have the birthday boy or girl (or a panel of judges) picks winners for each of the challenges.
Things like learning a specific dance, doing an impression or trying a trend that’s going around. You can even make up your own challenges inspired by any TikTok stuff you find.
The teens will be familiar with a lot of the TikTok challenges and it lets them be silly and perform. You don’t need to buy anything, just a phone to film it and maybe a speaker for music.
Having it as a competition makes it more interesting than just watching TikToks together. People can work on their own or in teams depending on the challenge.
And they’ll probably be on their phones anyway so you might as well make it a party activity. Just make sure the challenges you pick are possible to do and not something thats AI or needs video editing and special effects.
Games for a Small Group
Two Truths and a Lie (Speed Version)
Everyone says three statements about themselves – two true, one lie. The group has 30 seconds to decide which is the lie.
If they guess right the person has to tell the story behind one of the truths. If they guess wrong the person reveals the lie and gets a point. Most points at the end wins.
This is great for smaller groups (4 to 8 people) because everyone gets lots of goes and you have some time to hear the stories. The 30 second limit keeps it going quickly and stops people from over thinking it.
Teens like it because they get to share weird facts about themselves and learn surprising things about their friends. You don’t need anything except people willing to be honest and creative with their lies.
Try to encouraging people to make their truths interesting and their lies believable. It will work as a really good icebreaker if people don’t know each other well or as a deeper game if they do because they’ll try to trick each other on the basis of what they think they know.
Build a Story
One person starts a story with a single sentence. The next person adds a sentence. You then keep this going around the circle with each person adding to the story.
But every third person has to include a random word or phrase that someone else shouts out. Or you can make a rule like every sentence has to include the word “and” or every sentence has to end with a rhyme.
It gets silly and messy. Wet fast and works great for small groups where everyone can pay attention and contribute. The stories end up completely ridiculous and it’s more about laughing at where things go than creating anything coherent. You can record it on someone’s phone and play it back at the end which is always funny.
Small groups are better for this because with too many people it takes too long to come back to your turn and people lose track of the story. You can play quite a few rounds with different rules each time too. You don’t need any materials either.
Psychiatrist
One person leaves the room. Everyone else decides on a pattern they’ll follow when answering questions (everyone lies, everyone answers as if they’re the person to their left, everyone’s answers have to rhyme and so on). The person comes back in and asks yes or no questions trying to figure out what the pattern is. They only get three guesses.
This is great for small groups because it needs everyone to pay attention to each other’s answers and stick to the pattern. It’s part a logic puzzle, part comedy as people try to follow weird patterns.
The person asking questions has to properly think instead of just guessing at random. Small groups work better because the questioner can track patterns with fewer people.
You can play lots if rounds with different patterns and different people asking questions. The patterns can be simple at first and get harder as people get the hang of it.
Again you don’t need any materials and it’s quieter than other games which is nice if you want something a bit more sedate.
DIY Games
Sock Toss
Take some old socks, ball them up and put some tape or rubber band around them. Set up buckets, bowls or boxes at different distances and give them different point values.
Everyone gets five sock balls and tries to throw them into the targets. The highest score wins.
Make it more interesting by getting people to throw backwards or with their non dominant hand or from between their legs.
This costs absolutely nothing if you have old socks and containers . It can be set up in ten minutes and played indoors or outdoors.
It’s simple enough that anyone can play but hard enough that it’s not boring. Teens like it because it’s low pressure but still fun.
You can play with people as individuals or in teams and do lots of rounds. The DIY part of means you can change it however you like – make targets move, change the point values, add obstacles etc.
It’s not the most exciting game ever but it’s a decent filler and gives people something to do without needing much effort or energy.
DIY Photo Booth Challenges
Set up a corner with a phone on a tripod or propped up. You can also use a ring light if you have one.
Create a list of photo or video challenges – recreate a famous meme, do your best model pose, take a photo that looks like an album cover, make the weirdest face possible, act out an emotion without using your face etc. People go through the list and take photos or videos of themselves doing the challenges.
All you need is a phone, a list of challenges and maybe some props if you want (sunglasses, hats, random objects). Teens are used to using cameras and this gives them creative control over what they’re doing.
You can make it a competition where people vote for the best or just have everyone take the photos for fun. At the end of the party everyone has some ridiculous photos to remember it.
As it’s very DIY you can match the challenges to the teens sense of humor. This is also good because people can do it whenever during the party, not all at once, so it’s not a proper scheduled activity.
Homemade Obstacle Course
Use furniture, household items and whatever you have to make an obstacle course. Get the teens to army crawl under a table, jump over pillows, spin around five times, stack cups and whatever else you can think of. Time everyone going through and the fastest time wins.
It’s active and competitive but also silly because you’re using random household objects in weird ways. You can do it indoors or outdoors depending on how much space you have and how the weather is. Film people going through it so you can watch back how everyone did later.
Teens like this because it’s different every time and it’s more interesting than just racing. Getting creative while designing the course is also fun – you can get input from everyone on what obstacles to include. Just make sure nothing’s dangerous and you’re not using anything valuable that could break.
Quieter and Funny Games
Snort Challenge
Everyone takes turns playing short funny videos on their phone – TikToks, YouTube clips, whatever. But what makes this so fun is that everyone else has water in their mouth and you’re trying to make them laugh and spray that water everywhere. If they laugh, they’re out. Last person standing wins.
It so simple and teens already know what’s funny to their group. You just need cups of water and phones. Maybe some towels to mop up the inevitable.
It should take about 20 minutes and doesn’t need any setup or explanation. The fact that you can make a sort of competition out of it will keep people invested. And the messiness becomes part of the fun.
Just do this one outside or in a kitchen where you don’t have to worry about damage from the water.
Extreme Spoons
You know the card game Spoons? This is that but bedlam. Put spoons in the center (one less than the number of players), deal four cards to everyone and pass cards around the circle trying to get four of a kind.
When someone does get four of a kind they grab a spoon and then everyone else dives for the other spoons. Last person without a spoon gets a letter.
How this becomes “extreme” is playing it with ridiculous spoons – so serving spoons, wooden spoons, those tiny espresso spoons – all different sizes and scattered so they’re not next to each other. Maybe one spoon is hanging on the wall, another’s in the next room etc.
Guests will love the mad scramble to get them and it gets really competitive in a fun way. All you need is a deck of cards and various spoons from your kitchen.
Each games is fast, usually about 15-20 minutes in total. Be warned though, someone usually ends up with a minor injury (nothing serious, just like a bumped elbow), which somehow makes it more fun.
Balloon Pop Challenges
Write random challenges on bit of paper, stuff them inside the balloons and blow them up. Everyone picks a balloon and has to pop it (sitting on it usually works best) then do whatever challenge is inside.
Challenges can be things like “speak in an accent for the next 10 minutes”, “let the group check your last five texts”, “do 20 pushups,” “tell your most embarrassing story” etc. Just go with things that fits with the group’s comfort level.
This works because it’s random – nobody knows what they’re getting. You can make it more or less intense based on your crowd.
All you need is about 20 to 30 balloons, paper and a marker. It only takes 30 to 40 minutes if everyone’s doing their challenges. Make sure the challenges are funny but not humiliating. You can go for more embarrassing ones if you think no one will find it too much but if you’re not sure it’s best to err on the side of caution.
Games for Indoors / Bad Weather
Mafia / Werewolf
If you’ve got a decent amount of people to play then this one is hard to beat. Everyone sits in a circle and gets given roles – mafia members, villagers, a detective, a doctor etc.
At “night” everyone closes their eyes, mafia “kills” someone, doctor can save them, detective investigates someone. During the “day” everyone debates who they think the mafia is and votes someone out. The mafia wins if they outnumber villagers; villagers win if they get rid of all the mafia.
Teens love this because there’s lying, strategy and social dynamics. You don’t need anything except people sitting down and someone to moderate (which can rotate).
Games take 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the group. The debates get intense and you learn who’s a good liar in your friend group. You can also download a Mafia app if you want to help with moderating it but you probably won’t need it.
The Movie Drinking Game (With Soda)
Pick a movie everyone knows well – Mean Girls, any Marvel movie, High School Musical, whatever fits. Make a list of things to watch for like “every time someone says the main character’s name” or “every time there’s a change of scene” and when that comes up everyone takes a sip of their drink. Use soda, juice or water obviously.
This game works especially well if the energy has dropped or the weather’s terrible and you just need people entertained. There’s no setup, all you need is a TV and drinks.
It takes however long the movie is and lets people relax and watch something while still having a game element. You can make your own rules or find lists online for popular movies. Just don’t make the rules something that crops up too often or guests will be drowned by how much they’re having to drink!
Categories
Someone picks a category – types of pizza, words that start with B, names of celebrities etc. Everyone takes turns going around the circle naming something in that category. Give everyone about three seconds to answer. Repeat an answer or hesitate too long and you’re out. Last person standing wins.
It needs nothing except brains and people sitting in a circle. The games move fast, maybe 5 minutes per round, so you can play many rounds with different categories.
Teens will like it because it feels casual but gets competitive in a fun way. You can decide how difficult questions are based on your crowd – “types of fruit” is obviously easier than “philosophers from the 18th century”.
Phone or Social Games
Heads Up
This app is only $1 and worth every penny. One person holds the phone on their forehead, a word appears annd everyone else gives clues while the person guesses who/what it is. You tilt the phone up when they get it right and tilt it down to skip on to the next one. Category options go from animals to celebrities to accents.
This works because it uses tech teens are comfortable with (their phones), it’s fast paced and everyone can get involved – even quiet kids can give clues. All you need is the app and that’s it.
Each round is 60 seconds so you can get through tons of people quickly. The videos the app records of people’s faces while they’re guessing are usually hilarious too.
Among Us: IRL Version
Teens will already know this game from playing it online. Assign imposters and crewmates.
Crewmates have to complete simple real world tasks (like “bring me three red items” or “stack ten cups”) while imposters are secretly trying to “eliminate” them by tagging them privately. When someone gets eliminated they’re out. You can have meetings to discuss and vote people out.
This will need space to move around, some simple task items and everyone needs to know the basic Among Us premise. So you’ll need to explain it for anyone who doesn’t before starting.
In all it takes about 30 to 45 minutes per round. Why it work is because it takes a game they already love and move it into real life. You need to be organized though – have clear tasks written out and a way to call meetings (like a bell or airhorn).
TikTok Challenge Olympics
Make teams and have them compete in various TikTok challenges – the tortilla slap challenge, trying to learn a dance in 5 minutes, the cereal challenge, whatever’s trending and appropriate etc. Then judge what they do on how entertaining it is and how well they’ve completed the challenge.
Teens are all over TikTok and so consuming this type of content. You need to research the current challenges beforehand though have props ready for any physical challenges as well as being ready to show example videos.
It should take about 45 minutes for 5 to 6 challenges. The trying and failing is often more fun than getting it right. Just make sure your pre screen the challenges so you don’t end up doing something dangerous or inappropriate because TikTok trends can be a bit crazy.
Circle or Sit Down Games
Never Have I Ever
Everyone sits in a circle with ten fingers up. Someone says “never have I ever…” and anyone who has done that thing puts a finger down. First person with all fingers down is out. Keep going until only one person is left and they’re the winner.
It’s a classic game and works because teens learn surprising things about their friends and it gets some interesting conversations going. Keep it light though – “never have I ever been to another country” not “never have I ever…” anything that makes people uncomfortable.
All you need is people sitting down. Only take 20 to 30 minutes for the entire game. It’s a low energy game which is perfect for late in a party when everyone’s tired. Some groups naturally go deeper, others keep it silly – let them decide between themselves.
Two Truths and a Lie
Everyone takes turns saying three statements about themselves – two true, one false. The group has to guess which one’s the lie. After everyone guesses!the person reveals the answer and tells the story behind one of the truths.
It’s a fun game because you learn stuff about people and get conversation building. Its easy because it doesn’t need anything and should only take about 30 to 40 minutes depending on group size.
Teens often surprise each other with their stories. Try to encourage weird or interesting facts not things like “I have a dog” which are boring and dull. It’s a good choice for mixed friend groups because it helps people get to know each other better.
Paranoia
Everyone sits in a circle. Person A whispers a question to Person B (like “who here would survive longest in a zombie apocalypse?”). Person B answers out loud with someone’s name. Then you flip a coin – heads means Person B has to reveal the question, tails means everyone just knows someone got picked for something but not why.
This makes a lot of hilarious tension and people getting very curious. It only needs some people and a coin.
The game moves quickly and will only take about 20 to 30 minutes in total. Questions can be funny, random or slightly embarrassing but keep it friendly. The not knowing is what makes it fun. Some groups will make up wild theories about what the questions were.
How to Plan Party Games for Teens
Budget and Time
This matters more than you might think. If you’ve got three hours and a backyard, that’s different from an all nighter in a basement.
Some games need props you’ll have to buy or make. Others just need phones that everyone already has.
The Vibe
Is this a smaller group of friends who already knows each other or are you mixing different social circles? A party with the drama club and the soccer team will need different games than eight close friends.
Are these teens naturally outgoing or more reserved? Forcing shy kids into charades is going to make for unhappy teens. But give them a phone game where they can take part from the side and they’ll warm up.
Think about whether you want it to be playful and silly, more intense, cozy and conversational or an active sort of party. Whoever’s birthday it is will probably have an opinion here – so ask them instead of guessing.
Surprise Party
This will have an influence on everything. If it’s a surprise party you can’t exactly ask what games they want.
You’ll need to rely on what you know about their friend group and have a bigger set of options ready. For planned parties involve them in choosing a few games but keep one or two surprises up your sleeve.
Also think about timing. Games at the start of a party need to be easier while later in the night you can do stuff that needs some more trust or silliness once everyone’s got a bit more comfortable.
Tips for Keeping the Energy Right
Don’t force anything. The fastest way to kill a party is insisting everyone plays something they’re obvioisly not into. If you suggest a game and people don’t seem all that keen then just move on. Have more than one option ready so you can switch to it fast. I once watched a parent force fifteen teenagers to play charades and the party never got back on track after.
Let them organize themselves. Teens hate feeling like they’re being managed. Set up the game, explain the rules and then take a step back. They’ll figure out teams and strategy themselves. If you’re hovering and directing every move it stops being fun and starts being like homework.
Icebreakers matter early on. Start with something easy that doesn’t isn’t too silly or exposing. Save the weird stuff for later when everyone’s comfortable. If you open with something too intense when people are still getting their bearings they’re far more likely to stay in their shells all night.
Keep it moving. If a game doesn’t work – and sometimes it happens – acknowledge it and move on quickly. “Okay this one isn’t working, let’s try something else” is a much better way to deal with it than forcing people through something they’re not enjoying. Try to have around 5 to 7 game options planned even if you only use three.
Music is your friend. Have a playlist running in the background when you’re between games or during the games that allow for it. Silence is awkward. Music fills dead air and keeps the energy up. Let whoever’s birthday it is help pick songs beforehand.
Prizes and bragging rights work. You don’t need expensive prizes. Winners get first pick of pizza, control of the music for thirty minutes, something simple like that. Teens are competitive enough that just winning is often a good enough prize but small rewards can take it to another level.
Games to Skip
Musical Chairs. This is for eight year olds. Teens will do it if forced but inside they’re dying of embarrassment. It’s too childish and they know it.
Anything with blindfolds. Trust me on this one. The vulnerability is too much and it never works the way you think it will. Plus it often feels uncomfortable in a way that can mess up the mood of the party.
Pin the Tail variants. Even with a cool theme it’s still a kids game. There’s no amount of rebranding that makes this work for teenagers.
Overly structured craft activities. Unless your specific friend group is really into crafts, making friendship bracelets or decorating picture frames feels forced and babyish.
Games that require too much explanation. If you’re spending ten minutes explaining the rules you’ve already lost them. Their eyes will be glazing over and they’ll be on their phones. Keep the rules simple or pick games they already know.
Anything that singles people out negatively. Games where losers get embarrassed or have to do something humiliating should be avoided. Competition is fine; humiliation isn’t.
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.