Deciding to host a chill bachelor party at home can be a great option when a lot of the guys attending are married or have have no interest in strip joints, bar hopping, etc. The opportunity to eat well and share some laughs.
If you want to make the event truly memorable, you need some entertainment. However, you can’t simply pull out twister or a deck of cards and expect to get anyone too excited. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a good game of cards now and then but a bachelor party for men needs mature, masculine, and more challenging games to engage your guests and provide real entertainment.
This list will provide you with some games to peak the interests of men who can’t be bothered with some of the more amateur games and activities of their youth. Plus, each of these games can easily be played at home.
Masculine Bachelor Party Games
Hammer and Nail
Using a hammer to effectively drive a nail into wood is one skill all men should have. Which makes Hammer & Nail An ideal challenge for a bachelor party. This game can be played in two large teams or split players up in one on one duels. The objective is to be the one that drives the nail all the way into the wood. Players alternate hitting the nail with the hammer.
There is a twist: brute strength is not going to win out in every case. You might hit the nail in 95% of the way in one hit, but if you do not get it completely in, you are setting your opponent up for an easy win.
I have seen this game occupy a large group of men for hours just watching pairs of competitors go back and forth trying to outsmart the other. Players do have to hit the nail hard enough to make it move each time. A judge or the group of spectators will need to rule on hits to ensure they are valid.
Oh Sh*t!
Sitting around a table playing pitch, spades, or even poker can be a bit stale. Oh Sh*t is a more lively card game that comes in many forms. this version offers a more social environment and each hand is different, keeping things interesting. The game can be modified to serve as a drinking game or even make friendly wagers.
Gameplay:
- Dealing: Each player starts with one card dealt face down. In each subsequent round, an additional card is dealt to each player, increasing the number of cards in each hand.
- Bidding: Before each round begins, players must bid on the number of tricks they think they will win in that round. A trick is earned by winning a hand. Hands are won by playing the highest value card of the selected suit or playing any existing trump card.
- First Round: The first round is played by every player placing their card on their head so that everyone else can see it but they cannot. Players then bid “1 or 0” based on if they think they have the highest card. 1 if they think they have the highest card.
- Remaining Rounds: Starting with the player who had the highest bid, each player must play one card from their hand during a trick. The first card played determines the suit to be followed. If a player doesn’t have a card of the leading suit, they can play any card.
- Winning Tricks: The player who plays the highest-ranked card of the leading suit wins the trick and collects all the cards played during that round.
- Scoring: After all the tricks have been played, players count the number of tricks they won against their predictions. Each player earns points equal to their bid if they meet or exceed it. However, if a player fails to reach their bid, they receive negative points.
- Advancing Rounds: The next round begins with an additional card dealt to each player. The game progresses until you get to a round where each player is dealt seven cards. Then the next round you start to decrease the number of cards dealt to each player. The final round is played just as the first round.
- Winning the Game: At the end of the game, the player with the highest cumulative score wins.
Note: The rules of “Oh Sh*t” can vary depending on the specific variant being played. The version described above is a common one, but players can introduce variations like using special cards or rule modifications to add strategy to the game.
Roping Contest
Grab your lasso pilgrim, and get ready for a contest that will have all of your guests thinking they are a cowboys. A roping contest is sure to be the most unique bachelor party game that any of the attendees have played.
The object is to lasso the fake steer with a rope. This takes some technique and practice, but it can be picked up with a little guidance at the start. All you need is a real lasso, you can see the type I mean here, a regular rope won’t work well. Then you need your fake steer. A number of things can serve this purpose, but if you want to keep things as realistic as possible, take a look at this one. You will need a bale of straw or something similar you can stick the head on.
Liar’s Dice
This game combines lying, gambling, and the feeling that you are a pirate. “Liar’s Dice” is a classic dice game that involves bluffing and strategic thinking. The game is played with a set of dice and a cup for each player. The goal of the game is to be the last player with a die left.
This game is fast paced and can be played easily at home as long as you collect enough dice ahead of time. You will need 4-5 dice per person to make things interesting. Liar’s dice can be easily made into a drinking game as well with drinks being taken when losing a dice.
Here are the full rules:
- Number of Players: The game is typically played with a minimum of three players, but larger groups work well also.
- Objective: The goal of “Liar’s Dice” is to guess and/or bluff the total number of a specific face value that all players have rolled, based on the concealed dice in their cups.
- Starting the Game: Each player begins by shaking their dice in their cups. Once the dice are shaken, players place their cups upside down on the table, keeping their dice hidden.
- Bidding: The first player starts the round by making a bid, which consists of a face value and a quantity. For example, a bid could be “Three 4s,” indicating that the player believes there are at least three dice showing the number 4 among all players.
- Increasing Bids: Each subsequent player must then either challenge the previous bid or make a higher bid. A higher bid can be either a greater quantity of the same face value or the same quantity of a higher face value. For example, if the previous bid was “Three 4s,” the next player could say “Three 5s” or “Four 3s.”
- Challenging: A player can challenge the previous bid if they believe it to be incorrect. When challenged, all players reveal their dice. If the bid was accurate (i.e., there are at least the specified quantity of the face value rolled), the challenger loses a die. If the bid was incorrect, the player who made the bid loses a die.
- Elimination: Once a player loses all their dice, they are eliminated from the game. The game continues with the remaining players until only one player remains.
Beer Naming
In the long history of manhood, knowing your beers is possibly one of the most important traits (along with being a dad, working hard, and being a loving husband, so you probably top five.). Plus, you should have no problem getting the bachelor party attendees to participate when you bring out a selection of beers!
The premise is simple, blind taste test of beers. Guest will get a flight of 4-5 small glasses of whatever beers you choose. Then you can provide a list of beers for them to choose from. The person who correctly identifies the most wins. You can provide as many types of beers as you want, and if your group thinks they really know their beer, don’t provide a list of possibilities to choose from. Cheers!
Viking Chess
Deep down, most men want to be Vikings. Maybe that’s just me? Regardless, Viking Chess is a strategic board game with simple and engaging gameplay. The classic “defender” and “attacker” roles provide a masculine tone to this very cool clash.
This game is made for just two players, but you can involve a larger group by instituting drinking rules for when a piece is captured or even allowing side betting.
Bridge Challenge
What could be a more fitting competition for a group of guys than see who can build a better bridge? This game will test the architectural skills and ingenuity of your players by having them build a bridge with limited materials. The goal is to construct a bridge spanning between two items that can support the weight of the Groom-to-be.
- Setup: The bridge will be relatively small and you won’t want it too high for safety reasons. You can have the bridge span between two small crates, chairs, or other items about a foot or two off the ground. The span can be as far apart as you choose. 2-3 feet would be adequate.
- Materials: You can provide whatever materials you think are appropriate, but it can work with just plenty of newspapers and duct tape.
- Safety: Don’t build the bridge to high and make sure you have two sturdy boxes, crates, etc. to build the bridge between.
Amateur Boxing
If your bachelor party crew is seeking an exhilarating and unique contest, boxing is sure to be an unforgettable experience. Not only does it provide an opportunity for physical activity and friendly competition, but it also brings a sense of camaraderie and bonding among the participants.
Boxing requires discipline, focus, and strategy. It also provides the perfect primer for handling married life. Ok just kidding. the opportunity to challenge oneself in a controlled setting makes amateur boxing an exciting and memorable choice for a bachelor party that the groom and his friends are likely to talk about for years to come.
We do not recommend bare fists, be sure to grab a set of gloves and head gear, as well as some mouth guards.
Knot Untying Contest
Untying knots might not be the first thing you think of when you think bachelor party. After all, the bachelor is going to be tying the knot soon. That being said, this rugged challenge is the perfect game for men to prove their strength, cunning, and toughness.
The basic objective is to untie a complex knot as fast as possible. There are a few different ways you can play this game. This can be done in teams or individuals depending on how many participants you have.
The simplest form of the contest is two split up into two separate teams. Each team is given a length of rope, about 5-6 ft. Give the teams 1-2 minutes to try and create the biggest most complex knot that they can with their length of rope. When the time is up. The teams swap their knots and try to undo the knot. The first team done wins.
Another version you as the host tie two objects together and let the teams compete to see who can untie their objects first. There are many ways to set this up and you can tie up prizes, beers, whatever you want. Just be sure to practice making knots with the ropes you choose ahead of time to make sure it works. A knot in a rope to small or large can be very difficult to undo.
