We love games. We own lots of games and our stash continues to multiply with each birthday and Christmas season.
Here’s a list of our 15 favorite PARTY GAMES. Our definition of a party game includes simple instructions (basically open and go) and interactive play that invites discussion and laughter. We hope you enjoy some of our favorites!
Anomia is for people who claim to “know stuff”. It will test your quick-thinking skills and your knowledge in a huge range of categories. Anomia is listed as a 10+ age for 3-6 players, but you can add more players by using multiple decks of cards. (There are 6 decks in the box.) We’ve played with up to ten people. We like the excitement of the constantly changing face-off with other players, the interactive elements of this game, and also the challenge. It’s tough to be smart and fast!
It will take a few minutes for your group to figure out the rules of Bang!, but not too long. It’s a Western shootout game with secret identities and bad blood between the Sheriff and outlaws. Classic. You can play with 4-7 Players around the table. Our extended family gets a big kick out of this one. It usually runs about 25 minutes, but we’ve had games go on for two hours. Be sure to que up Bob Marley singing “I Shot the Sheriff” as your shootout begins.
Bye, Felicia! is a great party game for 3-8 players ages 10+. It’s fast and furious! You hear a category and then have to quickly list what you think other players are thinking. It’s fun and fast and a wrong guess can lead you to hearing, Bye, Felicia! It’s a keeper!
Catch Phrase has been around for a long time because it’s a great game. This image is the old style that we have, but you can get a sleek new electronic version for $20. Your group sits in a circle and passes the game, in a grab it-guess it-pass it frenzy as you try to get rid of it before the buzzer sounds. You can play with 4-16 people. It works best with an even number of players.
We really like Codenames. It requires you to be clever and thoughtful. Players give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the table. Their teammates try to guess the correct words based on the clues. It’s very tricky and super satisfying when you succeed. It’s best for people over ten years old. You can play with 4-8 players and it only takes about 15 minutes per game.
We hesitated to add Colt Express to this list because it isn’t an open-and-go game. It will take some time to set up and understand the game your first time. Once understood, it’s actually quite simple. We love the artwork and the fun western theme. Kids ages 8+ can play and it’s a challenge for everyone. We couldn’t leave it off the list because it’s definitely one of our favorites and is a fun party game.
Just One is super simple and fun for any size group. It’s a cooperative game where you each write down one word to help your teammate guess a clue. You have to be unique because any repeated words get thrown out and then your teammate will have less words to help him figure out the answer. This was a fun game to play during the Covid Pandemic as we could play it over Zoom or FaceTime with our friends and family.
Bananagrams is a great game to have in your purse or your car… and in your house. It’s Scrabble in a convenient carrying case, with simplified rules. When everyone is sitting around saying things like, “What should we do?”, just toss out the banana and the game begins. It’s good for anyone who can spell. You can probably play with up to six people, but you could add more if you have a second banana.
Nertz is fun, frenzied, card stacking at its best. It’s a table game where everyone is stacking cards in the center and working the opposite direction, Solitaire style, on another personal stack in front of them. It’s card throwing, screaming, party madness. You need a stack of cards for each player. You can play with as many people as can fit around your table with a two-foot space in front of them for stacking. We love it!
Scattergories has been around for a long time. It’s another classic. You have to come up with answers that fit the categories on your card. The trick is that they all have to start with the letter rolled on a 20-sided die. The goal is to be creative because you only get points if no one else has the same answer. We like that you can play this game as individuals or teams. You can play it in the car or over Facetime with a friend far away. Anyone who can read and write can play and you can play with a big or small group.
You already know that we like pretending to be in the Wild West, but we like pirates just as much. Skull King is a card game where your goal is to get as many tricks as you bid. The bidding wars and what follows can turn nice little grandmothers into scurvy dogs. It’s for 2-6 players ages 8+.
Balderdash is an oldy, but a goodie. It tests your creativity as you try to make up definitions, movie plots, strange laws, and brief biographies that sound plausible. We’ve had a lot of good laughs playing this game. It’s crazy how the real answers are often far more strange than our imagined answers. This game is listed for 12 years and up but we have some bright 10 year-olds who are able to enjoy it. It seems like you can play with up to 8 people with no problems.
This is one of the cutest games on the market. Sushi Go Party is a card passing game where you try to pick winning sushi combos that will earn you points. You can play with 2-8 players over the age of 7. Every game is different because you can customize the board with all kinds of tasty a la carte items.
Taboo is a great game for a big group. You can play with 4-30 people. Really. Players try to get their teammates to guess the word on their card without using the word itself or five additional words listed on the card. It’s simple, challenging, and great for any size group.
Busytown is our favorite board game for little people. It’s great for 2-9 year old children. It’s a cooperative game where all the Richard Scarry creatures are trying to get to a picnic before the naughty pigs eat all their food. It has search-and-find element with tiny magnifying glasses that increases the fun. Our kids have loved this game and I will keep it forever. It’s delightful. (2-6 Players)
Here’s another great game for little kids. Our bigger kids like to play it too. It’s basically a scavenger hunt. The cards tell you what to look for and everyone races off to be the first to find an item that matches the card. For example, if the card says “Shiny”, someone might come back with a ring or a bell. The cards are simple phrases or single words like “Dirty” or “Used to Measure”. They can be read out loud so pre-schoolers can play. It’s a winner!