The 33 Best Party Games for Adults to Upgrade Your Next Hangout
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Still ending your dinner parties with a round of charades? Yawn. Kick things up a notch with our pick of the best party games for adults, from the laugh-out-loud to the seriously strategic. And, since we know not all parties are created equal, we’ve included a mix of traditional, unique and interactive games that’ll ensure your get-together isn’t a snooze-fest. We’re talking games that include drinks and dares for people who are looking to get this party started, as well as icebreakers and cozy conversation starters that are perfect for more low-key dinner parties. Indeed, there’s something for everyone in our roundup (but, you know, maybe don’t play some of the filthier ones with your mom). So, bring out the wine, gather around and get ready to have some fun.
26 Adult Card Games That’ll Make Your Next Party 10 Times More Fun
Best Board Games at a Glance
1. Codenames
"Codenames somehow manages to come out every time I’m at my in-laws," says PureWow Senior Food Editor Katherine Gillen. "It is a good balance of not too difficult and not so easy it’s boring—and I appreciate that it’s 'family friendly' because the idea of playing an explicit or even slightly topical game with my in-laws makes me cringe." It works like this: Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents, but their teammates know the agents only by their codenames. Using one-word clues, spymasters must try to get their teammates to guess all the words in a table that correspond to their color on a tiny grid that only they can see. Get it right, and your team could unlock a handful of related words all at once. Otherwise, your team might guess something for the other team—or worse, guess the assassin, thereby ending the round.
2. Stellar Factory Werewolf Game
Subtitled "a party game for devious people," this game is a sneaky-fun way to psych out your fellow players. "Werewolf is like playing the reality show Traitors IRL, however instead of 'faithfuls' and 'traitors,' you have 'Villagers' who try to detect a single 'Werewolf' in the group," says PureWow director of Affiliate Strategy Pamela Masin. "It’s a great interactive game for groups, doesn’t require people to reach a board or card pile and no two rounds are the same." The game includes 50 cards, so there are endless ways to fool and be fooled by your fellow partygoers.
3. Monopoly Deal
"For my family of four (2 adults and a 7- and 9 year-old), this is hands-down our favorite game," says PureWow Editor-in-Chief Jillian Quint. "It takes a little while to learn (I recommend a lesson from a seasoned player), but once you know it, you can play a full game in about 15 minutes and it's so fun and strategic." A great option to get the kids away from video games, the object of the game is to make sets of Monopoly properties, while your opponents try to steal your properties and rob you of cash. "All you need is the deck itself," Quint says. "I own multiple decks which I stash in my purse for restaurants, airports and any time when kids are threatening boredom."
4. Telestrations After Dark
"I have yet to play this game where the room wasn't left in tears laughing when the final results were revealed," says PureWow VP, News and Entertainment Philip Mutz. "And you don't have to be good at art—in fact, the worse you are at drawing, the more fun it is." Imagine a game of Telephone but instead of whispering (and misconstruing) different phrases, players draw them instead. Confused? We’ll explain. Each player has their own wipe-off sketchbook and a secret word that they have to draw. Once they’ve done their best doodle, they pass their sketchbook along to get the next person’s pictorial guess. This continues until the image has made it full circle and you can see just how wrong and weird things have gone along the way. This game is especially great when you’ve got dinner waiting in the oven since each round only takes 15 minutes. For this “after-dark” version, expect adult humor, so don’t accidentally play it with your younger cousins.
5. These Cards Will Get You Drunk
"We played 'these cards will get you drunk' on New Year's Eve, and it was hilarious. You can think of it like truth or dare but with all dares and you're kinda bound to get lit because you can pick cards that make you drink or other people can pick cards and make you drink. I was drinking Pedialyte while playing this game, so be ready!" says PureWow Assistant Sales and Deals Editor Destinee Scott. This game is basically the adult version of flip cup, so you may want to gather your old college pals around for this one. With cards like "Everyone shorter than you drinks!" and "Everyone votes on who is the most likely to own ten cats. Everyone else drinks for that person," this game does what it says on the tin. If you aren't a drinker, this game can easily be played with non-alcoholic beverages as well. Drink responsibly!
6. What Do You Meme?
Are you that person who always floods the group chat with memes? Is your dream to one day go viral? (Hey, no judgment.) This is the game for you. "It's really easy for a large group with a lot of generations to learn quickly and play for either a long or short amount of time," says Quint. "For each round, there's a meme-y photo (say, a gorilla scratching his chin) and everybody has to choose one of the caption cards in their hand to make the funniest corresponding caption. The judge rotates and the LOLs come hard and fast." The idea is to compete with your friends and family over who can create the funniest memes.
7. Midnight Taboo
You’re probably familiar with the traditional game of Taboo where players draw cards and have to describe what’s written on them without using common descriptors. In this late-night version, players use tongue-in-cheek guess words with even raunchier results. "Midnight Taboo is a go-to at my mom's during any occasion that brings family and friends together. It's just like Taboo, but racy, so definitely don't want the kids around!" says Scott. "We usually play it in teams, and the losers drink, but it's so fun you might not even keep score. It's definitely interesting to hear how people describe things, you would think it's easy but of course there's words you're not allowed to use so you gotta get creative but that makes it all the more fun!" For example, try to describe “body shot” without using the words “booze,” “belly,” “lick,” “skin” or “suck.” Not so easy, right? Don't forget to check out with your AAA batteries, as they're not included with the game.
8. The Confessions Game
"This game was a surprise hit with my parents over the holidays," syas PureWow Senior Editor Dana Dickey. "We each drew cards and went around in a circle to answer questions in career, money, relationships and family categories. We all had to take turns listening to one another—great practice for us—and also I learned a lot about how my parents with them thoughtfully answering questions such as 'What do you hate about your job?' and 'What do you unfairly blame your partner for?' Also, I was careful to separate out the red cards before we started, because no way was I answer questions like 'Who is the most unlikely person you've every masturbated to?' in front of my parents?"
9. We’re Not Really Strangers Friendship Edition
Perfect for learning new things about your closest of friends, this card game aims to strengthen connections, organically. It’s meant for two to six players and includes 150 question cards, along with wild cards to help you dig to a deeper level. There are three levels that players take on, and you can even opt for a combo pack that includes the breakup edition and can be used alone or with friends to reflect and heal after a heartbreak.
10. Drawing Without Dignity
Pictionary meets Cards Against Humanity in this game that isn’t just dirty—it’s downright debaucherous. Pick a card and have your friends guess some very NSFW words and phrases based on your artwork (in 60 seconds or less). If your teammates are able to guess what your wonderful masterpiece is before time runs out, you earn the point. But maybe don’t play this one at the dinner party with your boss.
11. That's What She Said: The Twisted Party Game
If you’ve ever played Cards Against Humanity (or if you haven’t, see number one on this list), you’ll have no trouble getting into the swing of this one. The game follows the same rules; for each round, one player will ask a fill-in-the-blank question, and the other players answer with one of their funniest cards. However, this one is way dirtier than Cards Against Humanity, and it’s full of twisted innuendos that’ll have everyone at the table belly laughing. Just make sure to keep it away from the kids’ game chest.
12. Anthropologie Scrabble Game
This one's for all our girlies out there. If you and your besties are OG scrabble lovers, readers, or a Wordle enthusiasts, and you're hosting a girl's night or bachelorette, this adorable number is for you. This special-edition of Scrabble features a beautiful garden bistro design, a raised letter grid, and a foil-stamped scorepad. This is bound to be a piece you might just want keep out because it's so darn pretty.
13. Who Can Do It… Party Game
Everyone loves to watch their friends make a fool out of themselves, and this game goes out to the “doers” of the party. Rather than simply getting people talking, the game has over 250 action cards to see who in the group can: pretend to ride a mechanical bull, take the worst selfie or freestyle a rap. The prompts range from super goofy to super creative, and the rules are pretty straightforward: one player picks a card, reads it aloud, and then they become the judge. Everyone does what the card says and afterward, the judge decides who did it the best and that person wins the round.
14. The Voting Game
How well do you really know your friends? In this risqué pick, players are asked to vote on the “most likely” candidates for a number of hilarious scenarios. For example: Who would you ask for help if you needed to leave the country? Who could win a drag show? Who snoops through their significant other’s phone on a regular basis? Consider this the ultimate party game test of your friendship.
15. Cards Against Humanity
We know her, we love her. This raunchy card game will have you rolling on the floor with laughter as participants try to outdo each other with inappropriateness (add on the 90's Nostalgia Pack if you're feeling, well, nostalgic). Each round, one player asks a fill-in-the-blank question from a black card (think: “What’s making things awkward in the sauna?” or “What is Batman’s guilty pleasure?”) and then the other players answer with their funniest white card. The player then acts as a judge and picks their favorite answer. Dubbed “the party game for horrible people,” this cult game is guaranteed to garner a lot of laughs.
16. Watch Ya’ Mouth Adult Expansion Pack
Maybe you’ve watched celebrities play this game on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Or you saw those bizarre pics on social media with people wearing giant mouthpieces and trying not to laugh? Introducing the hilarious Watch Ya’ Mouth party game that’s even more entertaining with the NSFW adult expansion pack. To play, one person wears a clear cheek retractor and then attempts to say a series of naughty words that their teammates have to guess. It’s simple yet sidesplittingly funny. (And don’t worry, the mouth guards are completely dishwasher-friendly.)
17. Brass Monkey Irrelevant Celebrity Trivia
Are you dying for a TikToker to approach you on the street and test your trivia skills—or do you love spewing random facts at people? If so, this game will be right up your alley. Covering a wide range of random celebrity facts, such as “You’ve Got Mail,” which are questions about celebrities who still use an AOL email account. You'll never lose an Uber trivia iPad game again.
18. Pantone: The Game
Calling all our artsy folk. This game is simple and competitive, that allows you to get creative and put together of characters from pop culture using only abstract arrangements of color swatches, inspired by Pantone (of course). So if you're looking to get inspired, get those creative juices flowing, and you want something lowkey—this is perfect for you and your crew.
19. Wolfum Wooden Travel Backgammon
This game set comes with dominos and backgammon, made in a beautiful natural birch wood and with hand-painted patterns that’ll have you leaving them out for all to see. The best part is they're made to be folded up so you can take them to your next picnic, friend's house, and beyond. Plus, who doesn't love a two-in-one deal?
20. The Hygge Conversation Game
If you didn’t already know, Hygge is the Danish concept that promotes seeking joy in whatever situation you find yourself in. It doesn’t quite translate to English, but most people like to think about it in terms of coziness (think: curling up with a book next to a warm fire and feeling that sensation of being totally comfortable at home). So if you’re planning on throwing an intimate dinner party by candlelight, this game is a must-have. It’s meant to bring you closer to the people you’re with by including 330 thought-provoking questions that will ensure there’s never a lull of conversation at the table. Prepare the red wine and the cozy sweaters because we’re definitely breaking this one out when the temperature starts to drop.
21. Never Have I Ever
You probably remember playing this game in your teenage bedroom. Now you can continue the hilarity (and embarrassment) well into adulthood. Which one of your friends has spent a night in jail? Or angrily thrown a drink in someone’s face? Find out things you never knew about your friends in this game where you use cards to discover your crew’s deepest, darkest secrets. Hanging out with your mom's friends? Shake things up with the “parenting pack.”
22. Quickwits
We love card games, but sometimes they can be hard to play with a group because there are just too many rules to keep track of. Enter this easy-to-understand and fast-paced game where all players have to do is shout out the first thing that comes to mind in each given category. Here’s how it works: Three or more players take turns drawing cards and flipping them over. When two cards match, players have to shout out an example of someone or something in that particular category (like “rhymes with booze”). No repeats allowed.
23. New Phone, Who Dis?
Similar to Cards Against Humanity, this game has the same goal but with text messages, of course. Players rotate drawing a sent (or “inbox”) card while the rest of the group competes to play the funniest reply card. Once everyone in the group has played their reply card, the judge decides which combo is the funniest. The person whose card is chosen gets a point, and at the end of the game, the player with the most points wins.
24. Galison Jonathan Adler Helinski Domino Set
Dominos with a little extra oomph. This set not only can double as decor on your coffee table, but it gives your favorite game of dominos a little flare. This is perfect if you're throwing a shindig with a specific theme or vibe. Not to mention, they're made out of lightweight wood, making them easy to carry over to your friend's house for emergency fun.
25. Exploding Kittens
The family-friendly edition of this game was the most-backed project in Kickstarter history, but this version is definitely not suitable for playing with your grandma. It’s basically a strategic take on Russian roulette where the goal is to avoid drawing the Exploding Kitten card, thereby ending the game. So, how do you do that, you ask? By using Defuse Cards (like laser pointers and kitten yoga) to distract the kittens or other game-shifting cards (like skipping your turn).
26. Bad People
Similar to The Voting Game, this party activity will reveal what your friends actually think about you. Players take turns reading a question card aloud and then vote on who fits the descriptor. With question cards like, “Who gets paid too much for what they do?" and “Most likely to become a drug mule at some point in their life?” this is a game for close friends, only.
27. Jumbo Jenga Giant
Having friends over for an outdoor BBQ? Keep the party going while the burgers are cooking with this giant Jenga-style game. Each block is about the size of your forearm, which means that the entire stack can reach more than five feet high. Just like the mini version, the idea is to stack the blocks in rows of three, alternating layers horizontally and vertically. Each player has to remove a block from the stack and place it on top, without causing the whole thing to topple over.
28. The Hot Seat
Ever wanted to be on a TV game show? Well, here’s the next best thing. Find out which one of your friends knows you the best in this fun game. To play, one person sits in the “the hot seat” each round and has to answer questions about themselves (like What will my gravestone say? or What has the power to make me instantly horny?). The other players also have to answer the same question as if they were the person in the hot seat, and then try to guess the correct response. Note: This game is not recommended for those who have something to hide.
$15 at amazon
29. Unstable Unicorns
Dubbed as “a strategic card game that will destroy your friendships...but in a good way,” this one’s recommended for ages 14 and up and can accommodate up to eight players. The first person to build an army of seven unicorns wins but you might have to betray your friends and family to get there. Want to take things up a notch? Check out the NSFW expansion pack.
30. Don't Get Got
Calling all pranksters. This party game tests your sneaky skills by giving you six tasks to complete without the other players knowing they're part of the game. In order to win the game, finish three of the six listed on the card without getting caught. The best part? You can attempt these small challenges (like getting another player to high-five you twice in one day or get a player to read out a sentence from a book) even after the party is over. It's one of those games that can continue on forever.
31. Death by Captions
Calling all Instagram fans! In this game, a card is pulled to reveal a photo with no context, and the players must choose a caption from their set of cards that best fits the image and then anonymously submit it. The players take turns to pick which caption they find the funniest/best fitting for the photo, and whoever's suggestions gets picked the most by the end, wins! This is definitely a game where it helps to know the players' personalities so choose your participants wisely.
32. Intelligent Change Let's Get Closer Game
Need a little change of pace? This game is meant to put a positive spin on any event and bring whom ever is playing closer together. Although that may seem intimidating, this game is actually made to be great for both chatty and reserved people, no matter how little or how well you know them. The cards feature 100 questions to stimulate inclusive and entertaining talks with your guests, relatives, or friend groups.
33. Hedbanz No Limits
The allure of this game just got even better: the dry erase cards let you come up with your own uncensored answers.We're taking Charades to the next level. One person places a card on their head (with a snazzy headband of course) as their team tries to describe the clue in under 90 seconds. From pop culture to professions, choose between seven categories to test your knowledge. Can you describe an influencer, food coma or esports before time runs out?
What Are Good Party Games?
A good party game is, first and foremost, engaging. Also, you want to make sure the barrier to entry is low—meaning it has a simple setup and straightforward instructions that are easy for everyone in your group to grasp. Simple acts like acting, guessing, drawing, and betting typically work great in a party setting. Games like Cards Against Humanity and What Do You Meme have become so popular over the last decade because they check all the boxes: easy setup, get's people laughing almost instantly, and can be played with a large or small group.
Where to Buy Party Games
Amazon is a great place to shop board games for adults. They have everything from Throw Throw Burrito to the physical version of Wordle to meet all your board game needs. Target also has a noteworthy game section, ranging from Fancy Wooden Monopoly to Trivial Pursuit, while Food52 has some visually stunning games that will make for beautiful decor in your living space when they're not being played.
How We Chose the Best Party Games
Choosing the best party game can make or break your next shindig—and that is not something we take lightly. We made sure to pick a range of games for different group sizes, different price ranges, ages, interests, and with the best ratings.
8 Virtual Happy Hour Games to Play (Because That’s What We Do Now)
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PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.
