Best Party Games

These 7 games will bring tons of fun to your next party

By Sierra Baumgartner Illustrations by Sierra Baumgartner

Edited by Madison Moeller Layout by Shaelyn Thomas

Photography by Jane Cole

What’s a party without games? If you’re looking for fun activities for a group of people, you’re in the right place. From outdoor entertainment to getting to know one another, these seven enjoyable games will make your party memorable and fun. Check it out!

Cornhole

Required materials: Cornhole boards, eight beanbags

Players: Four people

Cornhole is the perfect game for a backyard barbecue, and arguably one of the most popular summer activities. Usually played outside, this game involves two teams of two tossing beanbags onto the cornhole board opposite them. The first team to twenty-one points wins. This game is for the more competitive people in your group. If you have enough people, a fun way to involve everyone in a game of cornhole is to make a bracket for a cornhole tournament.

Spikeball

Required materials: Spikeball net and ball

Players: Works best with four people, but can be played with an even number of people

Another exciting game for the competitive ones at your function is Spikeball. Usually played with four, teams of two serve the ball onto the circular net to their opponents, who have three “touches” to return the ball by spiking it on the net. The game sounds simple enough, but can quickly turn into a heated match. Spikeball is not for the faint of heart, but is must-have party game. This is also another opportunity to set up a tournament for all players.

Around the world ping pong

Required materials: Ping pong table, two paddles, and a ping pong ball

Players: Three to fifteen people

This game may require you to move some furniture around so there is enough space, but it’s worth it in the end! This fast-paced game begins by having everyone stand around the ping pong table with one person on either end of the table. One person serves the ball, and everyone immediately shifts around the table clockwise so that there is a new player every hit. If a player misses the ball they are eliminated, the group becomes smaller, and the game becomes more challenging. The last player standing is the champion.

Mafia

Required materials: Nothing!

Players: Eight or more

This murder mystery game is for larger groups—the more people, the better! In this game, everyone is assigned a role: townsperson or mafia. If you are the mafia, you try to eliminate all of the townspeople to win. If you are a townsperson, you are trying to figure out who the mafia is before they wipe out all of the townspeople. This game tests your ability to decipher a truth from a lie, and is an excellent party game.

Fishbowl

Required materials: paper, writing utensils, bowl

Players: Six or more

Fish bowl is a sure-fire way to get some laughs out of your guests. To prepare for this game, cut up some pieces of paper so that every player can have five small pieces. Everyone will write a noun (however specific or vague they may be) on each piece of paper and place it into the “fish bowl.” Each player will get a turn to have one minute to describe the words they draw out of the fish bowl. Once the fish bowl is empty, a new round begins with the same words, but this time the player will use one word to describe the nouns they draw. The last round (in true charades fashion) requires each player to act out the nouns. Keep track of how many words your team answers correctly each round, and the team with the most at the end of the three rounds wins.

Two Truths and a lie

Required materials: Nothing!

Players: Any number

See how much you really know about your friends or get to know them better with this fun icebreaker. The title of this game essentially explains itself—everyone in the group thinks of two truths and lie about themselves. As each person shares, everyone else in the group tries to guess which statement is a lie. This game is great because it can be played anywhere, with any group of people.

The Name Game

Required materials: Paper, writing utensils

Players: Eight or more

Last but most definitely not least is the name game, and it’s sure to be a crowd favorite. This is another game that is more fun with more people. Every person will write a name on a piece of paper. It does not have to be an actual name—in fact, it can be any word at all. Be creative! One person will read all of the names. A player will start by trying to guess who wrote one of the names. If they guess correctly, that person becomes their teammate. If they guess incorrectly, then the next person will guess a name. Play this game with anyone in any setting, and you and your friends will have fun for hours.