37 Entertaining Party Games to Energize Your Event in 2024
Having the best party games can be the highlight of any great event. Whether you’re throwing a dinner party or a kid’s birthday party, there are tons of fun activities to bring energy to your special event. From deciding what food to serve to sending out fun invitations, there are plenty of decisions to make when planning your party.
In an article on Apartment Therapy, party experts stressed the importance of creating an excellent guest experience at your event. Rather than figure out the finer details — especially when you're figuring out how to host your first dinner party — enjoy the party with your guests and play exciting party games and activities. Party games are one of the best ways to entertain and energize every guest at your next big event!
Jump to Section
- Dinner Party Games for Adults
- Best Party Games for Large Groups
- Online Party Games
- Fun Party Games for Family
- Popular Party Games for Teens
- Cute Party Games for Kids
- Outdoor Party Games
Dinner Party Games for Adults
1. Cooking Classes
If you’re looking for fun dinner party ideas, entertain your guests with hands-on cooking classes. Professional chefs will guide your crew through a delicious recipe using classic cooking methods and fresh ingredients.
Learn how to create pasta from scratch or prepare mouthwatering sushi rolls. Work together to make a meal or invite your guests to cooking competitions for a thrilling party game for your guests.
Discover cooking classes in Philadelphia, cooking classes in Boston or cooking classes in Chicago for a fun party activity. Wherever you’re located, there are tons of fun cooking classes near you.
2. Murder Mystery Dinners
How do you keep adults entertained at a party? Find the best murder mystery games for a memorable event. Discover the Masters of Murder Mystery murder mystery game kit to entertain your guests with fun party games.
Whether you play in-person or virtually with your guests, there are tons of unique themes, including the 1920s and the Wild West. This activity will make your party one event your guests will never forget!
3. Saran Wrap Game
The saran wrap game is one of the most rewarding party games for adults. Invite your guests to bring prizes for the game, such as candy bars, cash or gift cards. Wrap the items in a large ball with saran wrap.
Gather two dice and two oven mitts. One of the players will roll the dice continuously until they roll doubles. Another player will wear the oven mitts and attempt to unwrap the saran wrap until the doubles are rolled. The game ends when all of the contents fall out of the saran wrap.
4. Pictionary
What are some fun indoor games for adults? Gather your guests into two teams at your dinner party to play Pictionary. Whether or not you own the board game, this game is easy to create at home. First, prepare some notecards ahead of the event with topics the guests will draw, like objects, animals or movies.
Grab something to draw on, such as a notepad, whiteboard or iPad. Challenge your guests by having them determine the drawings on their team. If you’re looking for indoor party games for adults for a rainy or cold day, this activity is sure to keep the party entertained!
5. Ring of Fire
Play a drinking game for one of the best indoor party games for adults. Give your guests a drink they’ll use for the game. Grab a deck of cards and print out the rules based on each corresponding number or identity of the card.
Place the cards face down in a circle around a giant cup. Each player will pull a card and follow the instructions for the game.
6. Cards Against Humanity
Create a night to remember with one of the best bachelorette party games. Invite the bridal party to grab a cocktail and gather together to play Cards Against Humanity.
Shuffle the deck of cards and dish out cards to each player. Everyone will take turns selecting the category card and choosing the best fit for an entertaining bachelorette party activity.
Best Party Games for Large Groups
7. Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is excellent for ice breaker games to get to know your coworkers, family or friends better. Invite everyone in the party to think up two truths and one lie about themselves.
Have the other guests guess which facts are true or false. This game is a fun way to learn something you didn’t know about one of your party guests.
8. Never Have I Ever
What is an adult party game that doesn’t require anything? Play Never Have I Ever for one of the best bachelorette party games. If you’re tasked with planning the perfect bachelorette party ideas, you’ll want to include games that will make the event even more memorable.
Invite the bridal crew to sit in a circle and mention experiences they’ve never had. If someone in the group has had that experience, they’ll take a shot. You can also play this game without alcohol and have the guests put down a finger for each experience they’ve had.
9. Spoons
If you’re looking for party games for large groups, Spoons is a classic game that will entertain every guest. This card game is perfect for six to 13 people.
Grab a deck of cards and serve each player four cards and one spoon, leaving one spoon out. Invite the players to sit in a circle and place the spoons in the center.
Pass around the cards and as soon as one player gets four of a kind, they pick up a spoon. The other players follow suit and whoever doesn’t get a spoon is eliminated from the game. This fast-paced game will have every guest laughing!
10. Heads Up 7 Up
What is a game for a party with a lot of people? Play Heads Up 7 Up for an old-school favorite! Gather seven players to start the game. Next, ask the remaining players to place their heads down on a table or in their lap and stick up their thumbs.
The seven players will walk around the room and push some of the thumbs down. Then, the guests will guess which of the seven players pressed down their thumbs.
11. Mafia
Play Mafia for fun house party games. This game can be played with or without a deck of cards. Select the mayor, doctor, detective, mafia and civilians in the group.
Print out the game rules to determine each player’s roles and powers within the game. The mafia will begin by eliminating players which the detective can guess and the doctor can try to save. The game is over when all of the civilians are eliminated.
Online Party Games
12. Virtual Escape Room
Gather your friends for a virtual escape room for one of the best party games online. A fun host will guide your crew through an exciting virtual setting with engaging clues and riddles.
Beat the clock and make your great escape through themes like a supervillain's lair or an enchanted forest. This party game might just become a monthly tradition for you and your friends!
13. Virtual Games Nights
Invite your crew over for virtual game nights for one of the best party games. An entertaining host will lead your guests through fun activities, such as bingo or virtual game shows.
Challenge your friends to online trivia games about The Office or pop culture. Whether you engage with your friends at home or online, this party game will create great memories in no time!
14. Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Book a virtual scavenger hunt for one of the best games to play with friends. Whether you’re hosting a virtual or in-person event, this activity is an excellent way to bring everyone together.
An engaging host will provide clues and a checklist as you work to find each item in the game. Complete tasks as you race against the clock for one of the best party games for team building or hangouts with your friends.
15. Online Bingo
Invite your friends to an exciting bingo night for one of the best party games online. Play for free and win cash and cool prizes to brag about.
Whether you invite your crew over to play together online or meet them in the virtual bingo room, you’ll have a blast playing this party game together.
16. Heads Up
Download the Heads Up app for one of the most popular and fun games to play with friends. Select a category and place the phone on your forehead with the screen facing out.
Ask friends to describe the topic as you guess the word on the phone. With timed rounds, this game will bring nothing but laughter and fun memories among you and your friends.
Fun Party Games for Family
17. Charades
Play charades with your family for one of the best house party games. Split up into two teams and select a timekeeper and scorekeeper for each round.
Create phrases for teams to act out and pull them from a hat or box. Have each team guess the phrase before the time runs out for a thrilling and entertaining game with your family.
18. Who Am I?
Similar to charades, invite your guests to guess who the players are impersonating for a fun game. Write the name of a famous person, such as a celebrity or athlete, on a sticky note.
Place the note on one of the players' foreheads and have them ask yes or no questions to discover which well-known person they are. This is a great option for tailgate games, where you can make the guesses football-specific.
19. Freeze Dance
Gather your family for a freeze dance for an energetic party game. Play classic 90s music for a fun 90s theme party. Play a song and invite the family to boogie along.
Pause the music and have the players freeze. If one of the players moves, they’re eliminated from the game.
20. I Spy
Entertain the whole family with a game of I Spy. Whether you’re looking for a fun activity for a party or a road trip, I Spy is a creative game everyone can enjoy.
Take turns spotting an item in your immediate surroundings and have the other players ask questions to guess what the item is.
21. Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek is the perfect indoor game for a rainy or cold day. Select one player to start as the “seeker” and count to a specific number.
While they’re counting, have the rest of the players hide around the house. After the counting is up, have the “seeker” search for everyone hiding.
22. Who’s Most Likely
Invite your family to play Who's Most Likely for one of the most fun party games. Grab the deck of cards or think up a list of questions for who in the family is the most likely to go skydiving or lock themselves out of the house. This entertaining game will have everyone laughing.
Popular Party Games for Teens
23. 20 Questions
Whether teens are looking for a fun party game or activity to kill some time, 20 Questions is a fun game that only requires a little bit of creativity.
In any size group, select a category, such as celebrities or food. Have one player think up a topic in that category and the rest of the group asks up to 20 yes or no questions to figure out the topic.
24. Would You Rather
Get to know another side of your best friends with a funny game of Would You Rather for the best party games. As a perfect icebreaker, determine two options to ask your friends to decide between.
The options can be silly, gross, insightful or just plain ridiculous as you discover a little bit more about your friends.
25. Selfie Scavenger Hunt
Through a thrilling scavenger hunt for one of the best birthday party activities. Split the attendees into two groups and invite them to take a selfie with each object on their hunt to win the game. Set a timer and whichever team completes the challenge first wins!
26. Truth or Dare
Play truth or dare with your friends for one of the best slumber party games. A classic game for teenagers, take turns asking for insightful truths or hilarious dares. There’s no better game to play to create fun memories and deepen your friendships!
27. Name That Tune
If your crew loves music, what better game to play than Name That Tune? Sit in a circle and take turns humming the chorus of a song. Invite your friends to guess the name and artist of each tune. This game can be a creative activity for birthday party ideas for teens.
Cute Party Games for Kids
28. Musical Chairs
Gather the kids for an energetic and exciting game of musical chairs. Arrange the chairs facing out and select an upbeat song. Remove one chair and then pause the music.
The kids will race to sit in a chair until there is one child left standing. Remove an additional chair and continue the game until there is one chair left.
29. Telephone
Create laughter with a game of Telephone for one of the best party games for kids. Sit in a line and have the person on the end whisper a phrase to the person on their left.
Each kid will move up the line and repeat the phrase to see if it’s the same as what the first kid mentioned.
30. Duck, Duck, Goose
Invite the kids to play duck, duck, goose for one of the most entertaining party games. Gather the kids into a large circle and select one kid to be the runner.
The kid will walk around the circle saying “duck” and tap each child’s head until they select a “goose”. The “goose” will then chase the runner around the circle, either tagging them or taking their place as the runner around the circle.
31. Pin the Tail on the Donkey
Play one of the most classic kids games at your event. Place a picture of a donkey on a wall. Create cute donkey tails from cloth or construction paper that will stick to the picture.
Blindfold the child and have them try to place the tail on the donkey picture. Whether you stick with the donkey theme or find a different character for this game, this can also be a fun activity for your Halloween party ideas.
32. Twister
Twister is the perfect game to play with a small group of kids. Select a referee to spin the spinner until it lands on a color and body part. The player will place themselves on the mat to match the spinner.
Play until each kid stretches, flexes and eventually tumbles to declare a winner of Twister!
Outdoor Party Games
33. Tug of War
Split your party up into two teams. Place a marker on the ground that neither team can cross. Hand each group a long rope and challenge them to pull the other team across the marker. Whichever team stays on their side of the marker wins!
34. Red Light, Green Light
Gather your guests for one of the most fun pool party games. Ask one guest to stand at the opposite side of the pool and call out the commands.
The rest of the players will swim to the other side of the pool when the guest calls out “green light” and freeze when they call out “red light”. If the players move during a red light, they’re eliminated. The rest of the players will try to get to the other side of the pool.
35. Spoons and Eggs
Play a fun party game involving balance and skill. Hand each player a spoon with an egg. On the count of three, each player will place one hand behind their back and the other hand will balance the egg on the spoon as they dash to the finish line.
Warning: this game could get messy, but it’s bound to make each player smile.
36. Freeze Tag
This fast-paced party game is perfect for an outdoor event. Select a leader who will choose if the guests will run, skip or slow walk throughout the game.
Then, have several players be the chasers to tag the other players. If a player is tagged, they freeze. The remainder of the players can untag frozen players throughout the game. The game ends when all the players are frozen.
37. Limbo
Gather your crew to play an exciting party game to test your guests’ flexibility. Find a long stick and have two guests hold it at shoulder height.
Invite the rest of the guests to stroll or dance under the stick, without touching it or falling to the ground. Lower the stick each round until one player remains.
From playing thrilling freeze tag to engaging in cooking classes, there are tons of fun party games to energize your event. Whether you’re hosting a party for adults, teens or kids, finding the right party games will make the day more memorable and entertaining for all your guests.
For even more fun party ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
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