Whether you’re planning a house party, a holiday gathering, or a casual hangout with friends, great games are what make good nights unforgettable. The best party games break the ice, get people laughing, and make everyone feel like part of the action. Below are 14 of the best party games — half are popular games you can buy, and half are clever, original ideas you can play with items you already have at home.
🎯 1. Codenames
Best for: Groups who love clever clues and a little competition.
In Codenames, two rival teams compete to identify their secret agents using just one-word hints. The Spymaster gives a clue related to multiple words on the board, and teammates must guess which belong to their team — without accidentally picking the other side’s or the deadly assassin. It’s smart, funny, and endlessly replayable. Perfect for families or groups who like strategy mixed with silliness.
🧻 2. Wrap Battle
Best for: Kids, families, or anyone who loves chaos.
In Wrap Battle, give each team a roll of toilet paper and one “mummy.” On “go,” the wrapper must cover their partner from head to toe as fast as possible. The first team to use up the roll (or make the neatest mummy) wins. It’s hilarious, quick to set up, and surprisingly competitive — especially if you play tournament-style.
😂 3. What Do You Meme?
Best for: Adults and social groups who love humor.
What Do You Meme? is a hilarious party game based on our beloved internet meme culture. Players match caption cards to viral meme images, competing for the funniest combo. A rotating judge picks the winner each round. Think of it as a modern, internet-age version of “Apples to Apples.” The game is easy to learn, plays fast, and guarantees belly laughs — especially after a drink or two.
🕵️ 4. Secret Celebrity
Best for: Mixed-age groups or icebreakers.
Secret Celebrity is a perfect party icebreaker because it gets everyone talking, laughing, and guessing right away. To set it up, you’ll need sticky notes and a pen. Each player secretly writes down the name of a celebrity, fictional character, or historical figure—someone most people in the room would recognize. Without looking, players stick their note to another person’s forehead (or clip it to their shirt if you’d rather keep hair and makeup safe).
Once everyone is “tagged,” the mingling begins. Players circulate and ask other guests yes-or-no questions to figure out who they are. For example:
- “Am I real or fictional?”
- “Am I known for music?”
- “Do I have superpowers?”
- “Am I still alive?”
The goal is to narrow down your identity through logic and clever questioning. The first player to guess correctly wins that round, but honestly, the real fun comes from the wild guesses and laughter along the way.
🎮 5. Jackbox Party Pack
Best for: Digital parties and large groups.
Jackbox games are party staples for a reason. Each pack includes several hilarious mini-games like Fibbage (bluffing trivia), Quiplash (comedy word battles), and Drawful (ridiculous sketch guessing). Players join from their phones, so it’s easy for big or remote groups to play together. Perfect for holidays, work parties, or game nights where tech is welcome.
🍋 6. Sour Truth
Best for: Teen or adult parties with adventurous players.
This is a new twist on Truth or Dare — minus the awkward dares. Each player must answer a personal, funny, or revealing question. If they refuse, they take a bite of something sour — lemon wedges, vinegar shots, or sour candy. The mix of honesty and pucker faces keeps things lighthearted and hilarious.
🧩 7. Telestrations
Best for: Family gatherings and mixed ages.
Telestrations is like the childhood game of Telephone — only instead of whispering a phrase, you’re passing around drawings. Each player starts with a secret word or phrase, like “snowball fight” or “dancing banana,” and sketches it on their dry-erase pad or paper. When the timer runs out, everyone passes their pad to the next player, who must guess what the drawing shows — writing down their answer before passing it along again.
The next person draws that guess, the next guesses that drawing, and the cycle continues until the pads make it all the way around. When everyone reveals their final results, it’s pure comedy — what started as “baking cookies” might end up as “a man fighting bees with a rolling pin.” The fun is in watching how interpretations twist and break down along the way.
What makes Telestrations great is that you don’t need to be an artist — in fact, the worse the drawing, the better. It’s fast-paced, lighthearted, and easy to explain, so it works well for multi-generational gatherings, office parties, or game nights with mixed ages.
You can buy the original Telestrations game set, which comes with erasable notebooks and prompt cards, or just DIY your own version with paper, pens, and a timer. Either way, it’s guaranteed laughter every single time.
🎧 8. The Playlist Game
Best for: Music lovers and casual get-togethers.
Pick a theme (“Songs you’d play at your wedding,” “Best guilty pleasures,” or “High school throwbacks”) and have everyone queue one track. Play a short snippet and vote anonymously for the best pick. The winner chooses the next theme. It’s a fun way to discover new music — and maybe roast your friends’ questionable taste.
🐱 9. Exploding Kittens
Best for: Fast-paced, light-hearted fun.
This simple card game mixes luck, strategy, and humor. Players draw cards, trying to avoid the deadly “Exploding Kitten.” Special cards let you skip, attack, or defuse explosions. It’s chaotic, hilarious, and plays quickly — ideal for groups that want a game with a learning curve under five minutes.
🥤 10. The Straw Tower Challenge
Best for: Team-building, kids, or mixed-age events.
The Straw Tower Challenge is one of those simple, no-mess games that brings out everyone’s inner engineer — and it’s just as fun for adults as it is for kids. All you need are a handful of plastic or paper straws, a few feet of tape, and a timer. Divide your guests into small teams and give each the same supplies. Their mission: build the tallest freestanding tower possible before time runs out — usually five minutes or less.
As the timer ticks down, teams will strategize, laugh, and occasionally panic as their masterpieces wobble and collapse. When time’s up, everyone steps back and measures their structures to see whose tower stands tallest. For an added challenge, require the tower to support an object at the top — like a ping-pong ball, marshmallow, or even a small toy figure. This forces players to think about balance and design instead of just height.
🃏 11. Cards Against Humanity (Adults Only)
Best for: Adults with a dark sense of humor.
Cards Against Humanity is a fill-in-the-blank card game that is outrageous, politically incorrect, and wildly popular. Players match the funniest answers to prompts like “During sex, I like to think about ___.” It’s not for everyone — but if your group can handle edgy humor, it’s an instant hit. There are also family-friendly spin-offs and themed packs for more specific audiences.
Check out other party games for adults in this fun list.
🎭 12. Balloon Pop Charades
Best for: Active crowds and parties with energy to burn.
Balloon Pop Charades takes the classic guessing game to a whole new level — literally bursting with excitement. It’s easy to set up and perfect for any party that needs a burst of laughter and movement. To play, write down a bunch of phrases, movie titles, animals, or funny actions on small slips of paper. Think prompts like “walking a tightrope,” “Jurassic Park,” or “singing in the shower.” Roll up each slip, tuck it inside a balloon, and inflate it. A mix of easy, hard, and downright silly prompts keeps the game unpredictable and hilarious.
Once your balloons are ready, pile them in the center of the room. Players take turns racing up to pop one (you can use their hands, feet, or even sit on it), then act out whatever prompt they find inside — no words allowed! Everyone else tries to guess before the timer runs out. The player who guesses correctly earns a point or becomes the next performer.
🧠 13. Scattergories
Best for: Creative thinkers and trivia lovers.
Scattergories is an easy to learn game that is a real crowd pleaser. Players roll a letter die and race to come up with unique answers for a list of categories before the timer runs out. (“Things in a fridge” that start with “B”? Bacon!) The key is to think outside the box — no points for duplicates! Scattergories works well for any group size and always leads to a few ridiculous answers.
Final Thoughts
The best party games are the ones that match your group’s energy — whether you’re after competition, creativity, or pure chaos. Mix a few of these classics and DIY ideas for your next event, and you’ll have guests talking (and laughing) long after the night ends.
For more help deciding on games for your group, check out this guide.
