House Party Game Ideas: Easy Games for Groups

Here’s a detailed list of requirements and step-by-step instructions for various house party games:

1. Charades

Requirements:

• A group of players (5-15 people is ideal)
• A timer or stopwatch
• A list of phrases, movie titles, book titles, famous people, or actions (pre-written on slips of paper or on a digital device)

How to Play:

1. Set Up Teams: Divide the group into two teams.
2. Choose a Player: One player from the first team draws a slip of paper with a word or phrase and has 60 seconds to act it out without speaking or using props.
3. Guessing: The other team tries to guess the word or phrase being acted out.
4. Score: If the team guesses correctly within the time limit, they earn a point.
5. Alternate Teams: Alternate turns between the two teams. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

2. Pictionary

Requirements:

• A whiteboard, easel, or large sheet of paper
• Markers or pens
• A timer (usually 60 seconds)
• Pre-written words or phrases (on paper or digital app)

How to Play:

1. Divide Players into Teams: Divide the group into two teams.
2. Choose a Player to Draw: One player from the team will draw, while the others will guess.
3. Drawing Round: The player draws the word/phrase on the board or paper. They cannot use letters, numbers, or verbal clues.
4. Guessing: The other team members guess what is being drawn.
5. Time Limit: The drawing player has 60 seconds to convey the word/phrase. If the team guesses correctly within that time, they score a point.
6. Alternating Turns: Alternate turns between the teams. The team with the most points wins.

3. Mafia

Requirements:

• A group of at least 6-8 people
• Cards to determine roles (e.g., mafia, detective, civilian)
• A moderator (optional)

How to Play:

1. Assign Roles: Shuffle cards that designate players as “Mafia,” “Detective,” and “Civilians.” One player can be the moderator.
2. Night Phase: The moderator announces the “night phase” where the Mafia secretly chooses someone to eliminate. The Detective may investigate a player’s role.
3. Day Phase: The moderator announces the end of the night phase, and all players discuss who they believe is in the Mafia. Players then vote to “lynch” someone.
4. Elimination: The player with the most votes is eliminated.
5. Repeat: The game continues alternating between day and night phases until either all Mafia members are eliminated, or the Mafia outnumbers the civilians.

4. Beer Pong

Requirements:

• Ping pong balls
• Plastic cups (usually 10 per team)
• A long table (such as a ping pong or folding table)
• Beer or beverage of choice
• Water for rinsing balls

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Arrange 10 cups in a triangle at both ends of the table. Fill the cups with a small amount of beer (or water for non-alcoholic games).
2. Teams: Divide the group into two teams of two players each.
3. Throwing: Players take turns throwing ping pong balls into the opponent’s cups.
4. Scoring: If a ball lands in a cup, the opponent must drink the contents of the cup. Remove the cup from the table.
5. Winning: The first team to eliminate all of the opponent’s cups wins.

5. Flip Cup

Requirements:

• Plastic cups
• Beer or beverage of choice
• A long table
• A group of at least 4 people

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Divide into two teams and line up on opposite sides of the table. Each player gets a cup filled with beer (or a beverage).
2. Flipping: The first player on each team drinks from their cup, then places it upside down on the edge of the table. They must flip it so the cup lands upside down on the table.
3. Team Play: The next person on each team continues in the same fashion.
4. Winning: The first team to finish flipping all their cups wins the game.

6. Kings Cup

Requirements:

• A deck of playing cards
• A large cup (usually in the center of the table)
• Alcoholic beverages or drinks of choice

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Spread the deck of cards face down in a circle around a large cup.
2. Taking Turns: Players take turns drawing cards. Each card has a corresponding rule (e.g., 2 means the player can choose someone to drink, 3 means the player drinks, etc.).
3. Special Cards: The King card means the player must pour some of their drink into the large cup in the center. The last person to draw a King has to drink the contents of the center cup.
4. Winning: The game ends when all cards have been drawn, and the final person to drink from the Kings Cup often loses.

7. Spin the Bottle

Requirements:

• A bottle or any object that can spin
• A group of people (preferably at least 4)

How to Play:

1. Setup: Players sit in a circle, and one person places a bottle in the center.
2. Spinning: The first player spins the bottle. When it stops, the person the bottle points to must kiss the player who spun it (or do a different pre-agreed activity, like truth or dare).
3. Continue: The next player spins the bottle, and the game continues until everyone has had a turn.

8. Truth or Dare

Requirements:

• A group of people (at least 4)
• No special equipment needed

How to Play:

1. Turn-taking: Players sit in a circle, and one person starts by asking another player, “Truth or dare?”
2. Truth: If the player chooses “truth,” they must answer a question truthfully.
3. Dare: If they choose “dare,” they must complete a dare given by the asker.
4. Continue: The game continues with each player taking a turn asking someone else, “Truth or dare?”
5. End: The game can end when everyone has had enough, or players can set a limit on how long to play.

9. Sardines

Requirements:

• A large space to hide (like a house with multiple rooms)
• A group of players (usually 5-15)

How to Play:

1. One Player Hides: One player hides while the rest count down in a designated spot.
2. Finding the Hider: After counting, the others search for the hidden player. When someone finds them, they squeeze into the hiding spot.
3. Sardine Effect: As more players find the spot, it becomes more cramped, just like sardines in a can.
4. End: The last person to find the hidden group is the winner and hides next.

10. Liar’s Dice

Requirements:

• A set of five dice per player
• A cup for each player
• A flat surface for rolling the dice

How to Play:

1. Setup: Each player receives a cup and five dice.
2. Roll Dice: Players secretly roll their dice and keep the results hidden under their cups.
3. Making Bids: The first player makes a bid, stating how many of a certain number (e.g., “There are three 4s”) they believe are present among all players.
4. Challenging the Bid: The next player can either raise the bid or challenge it. If they challenge, all players reveal their dice.
5. Winning: If the bid was correct, the challenger loses a die. If the bid was wrong, the bidder loses a die.
6. Continue: The game continues until only one player has dice left.

11. Tug of War

Requirements:

• A long rope (about 20-30 feet)
• A large outdoor space
• At least 4 players (2 teams of 2 or more)

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Mark a center point on the ground, and place a flag or object at the center of the rope.
2. Divide Teams: Split players into two equal teams. Teams stand at opposite ends of the rope.
3. Game Start: On the signal, both teams pull on the rope in opposite directions. The goal is to pull the other team across the center line.
4. Winning: The first team to get the flag (or the center mark) past the line wins the game.
5. Continue: You can play multiple rounds or switch teams.

12. Musical Chairs

Requirements:

• Chairs (one less than the number of players)
• Music source (like a speaker or playlist)

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Place the chairs in a circle, with one fewer chair than the number of players.
2. Start the Music: When the music plays, players walk around the chairs in a circle.
3. Stop the Music: When the music stops, players must quickly find a chair to sit in.
4. Eliminate: The player left standing without a chair is eliminated.
5. Repeat: Continue until there is one player remaining, who is the winner.

13. Hot Potato

Requirements:

• A small object (ball, stuffed animal, or any object you can pass around)
• A music source

How to Play:

1. Sit in a Circle: Players sit in a circle and pass the “hot potato” around while the music plays.
2. Stop the Music: When the music stops, the player holding the hot potato is out.
3. Continue: The game continues with players passing the hot potato until only one player remains.
4. Winner: The last person remaining wins.

14. Human Knot

Requirements:

• A group of at least 6 players
• No props needed

How to Play:

1. Form a Circle: Players stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder.
2. Grab Hands: Everyone reaches across the circle and grabs hands with two different people (not the ones standing next to them).
3. Untangle: The group must now work together to untangle themselves without letting go of hands. Players can twist, turn, and step over each other to untangle the knot.
4. Winning: The game ends when the group is untangled and forms a complete circle.

15. Spoon Race

Requirements:

• Spoons (one per player)
• Small object to balance on the spoon (like a ping pong ball or potato)
• A starting line and finish line

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Players each get a spoon and a small object to balance.
2. Race: On “go,” players must race from the start line to the finish line while balancing the object on the spoon.
3. Eliminate: If a player drops the object, they must return to the start and try again.
4. Winner: The first player to cross the finish line without dropping their object wins.

16. Limbo

Requirements:

• A pole or broomstick (or any object to use as the limbo bar)
• Music source
• A group of players

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Players line up in front of the limbo bar. The bar is held at a certain height (starting high).
2. Limbo: Players take turns leaning backward and attempting to pass under the bar without touching it or falling.
3. Lower the Bar: After each round, lower the bar slightly.
4. Continue: The last person remaining who can pass under the bar without touching or falling is the winner.

17. Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Requirements:

• A picture of a donkey (or any animal or object) on the wall
• A tail (usually a paper cutout or cloth) with a pin or tape
• A blindfold

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Pin or tape the picture of the donkey to the wall, and place the tail nearby.
2. Blindfold: Blindfold the first player and spin them lightly to disorient them.
3. Pinning the Tail: The player must attempt to pin the tail onto the donkey’s rear while blindfolded.
4. Turn-taking: Each player takes a turn, and the closest tail placement wins.

18. Balloon Pop

Requirements:

• Balloons (one per player)
• A small piece of paper with a challenge written on it (optional)

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Write a challenge on a piece of paper (e.g., “Do a silly dance,” “Answer a trivia question”) and place it inside each balloon before inflating.
2. Pop the Balloons: Players must pop their balloon and complete the challenge inside.
3. Winning: The first player to pop their balloon and complete the challenge wins.

19. The Name Game

Requirements:

• A group of players
• No special equipment needed

How to Play:

1. Form a Circle: Players sit in a circle.
2. Start the Game: The first player says a name (real or fictional). The next player must say a name that starts with the last letter of the previous name.
3. Continue: The game continues with each player following the rule of starting with the last letter of the previous name.
4. Eliminate: If a player takes too long to come up with a name or repeats a name, they’re out.
5. Winner: The last player remaining wins.

20. Whisper Down the Lane (Chinese Whispers)

Requirements:

• A group of players (at least 5)
• No equipment needed

How to Play:

1. Start the Game: The first player whispers a sentence or phrase into the ear of the person next to them.
2. Passing the Message: That person whispers the message to the next person, and so on.
3. Final Player: The last person says the phrase out loud.
4. Compare: The group compares the final phrase with the original one, usually resulting in a funny or distorted version of the original message.
5. Winning: There’s no real winner, but it’s all about the fun and laughter.

21. Obstacle Course

Requirements:

• A space to create the course (indoors or outdoors)
• Various household items (chairs, ropes, cones, cushions, etc.)
• A stopwatch or timer

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Create an obstacle course using household items (crawling under chairs, jumping over cushions, balancing on a rope, etc.).
2. Race: Players take turns completing the course as quickly as possible.
3. Time: The time is recorded for each player. If they touch an obstacle or make a mistake, add a penalty.
4. Winner: The player with the fastest time (or fewest penalties) wins.

22. Pinata

Requirements:

• A pinata (filled with candy or small toys)
• A bat or stick
• Blindfold (optional)
• A group of players

How to Play:

1. Hang the Pinata: Hang the pinata from a sturdy structure, such as a tree branch or doorframe.
2. Blindfold Players: One player at a time is blindfolded and handed a bat or stick.
3. Take Turns: The player spins around a few times to disorient them and then attempts to hit the pinata.
4. Break the Pinata: The game continues until the pinata is broken open, spilling its contents.
5. Collect the Treats: Players scramble to collect the goodies that fall out.

These additional party games provide even more options for fun and engagement at your house party.