The inevitable boredom. I can’t count how many times my friends and I will find ourselves sitting in complete silence, just staring at one another, waiting for something interesting to happen. With Halloween just around the corner and Christmas not far behind, colder weather means more time indoors, and unfortunately, more opportunities to hear someone say, “I’m bored.” But don’t worry! You don’t need expensive board games, a ton of supplies, or an elaborate plan to have a good time. Sometimes all it takes is a phone, a piece of paper, and a few friends. I’ve put together 10 fun unique games that you can play almost anywhere, with little to no preparation. My friends and I have tried these ourselves, and core memories have been made.
Grab your friends, pick a game, and enjoy!
1. Suspect is…
What you need:
- Something to write with
- Paper
Ever wondered if you’d make a good police sketch artist? Here’s your chance to find out.
- One friend is going to think of any character, celebrity, or object for the opposing person to draw. The describer can even use a reference photo if they want.
- The artist will have a pen and paper ready, unaware of the character being described.
- The describer will give clues of shapes, colors, and appearances.
- The drawer will try their best to draw the unknown person and then guess when they think they know who it is.
Personally, this always ends in hilarious drawings, like my favorite, Shrek drawn as a circle.
2. Guess What I’m Saying!
What you need:
- Headphones
Although it’s quite a simple game, it’s sure to always make people laugh.
- One friend will grab any pair of noise cancelling headphones and blast music as loud as possible.
- The other friends will think of words or phrases to say while the other person is unable to hear.
- The individual wearing the headphones will lip read and try to guess the desired word.
It’s harder than it seems! I couldn’t believe how much Zendaya sounded like “he’s a playa” while wearing headphones.
3. Minute Challenge.
What you need:
- Paper
- Timer
- Everyone grab a piece of paper, set a minute timer, and start drawing!
- Once the timer goes off, everyone passes off their paper to the next person, where they have another minute to add to the drawing.
- Keep going until the papers have gone around the group a few times and see what’s created! This can also work with paint and other art supplies.
4. Mute, Blind, and Deaf.
What you need:
- Headphones
- Some sort of Blindfold (Cloth, Scarf, Sleeping mask)
- At least three people
This game takes a little creativity!
- One individual will wear a blindfold, one will wear noise cancelling headphones, and the other will be unable to speak.
- The three of you now need to complete any sort of challenge you want to make up. This can include cooking a recipe, baking cookies, building legos, finishing a puzzle, or doing an obstacle course.
If you are able, don’t be afraid to record yourselves so you can watch everything unfold afterwards! This always ends in light-hearted banter, unexplainable laughter, and possibly the worst brownies you’ve ever tasted.
5. Secret Objective.
What you need:
- Just you!
- Select one person in the group to exit the room or get away from the area.
- Now, the rest of the friends will decide on one random task they want that person to complete when they come back. This can be anything between sitting down on a specific chair, turning on a light two times, sitting on someone’s lap, or dropping a random item on the floor.
- When the person returns, the group is only allowed to give the person clues to that task by cheering or booing. Any correct step towards the objective gets a cheer, and any wrong move gets a boo.
- Get louder the closer someone gets until finally they achieve the goal. Take turns and have fun with it!
The one time I played this, someone got stuck in a trashcan.
6. Guess That Song Karaoke.
What you need:
- Phone, TV, or Computer
Have you always been a fan of karaoke? What if you take it a step further?
- Get one friend to pull up any song on youtube without lyrics.
- The singer will either face away from the TV or not be able to see the phone screen.
- They will then have to try and sing the lyrics and guess the song being played without knowing what it is!
7. Photo Roulette.
What you need:
- Phone
- Open your photos app!
- Take turns scrolling through all your photos as the other person watches.
- At any moment the other person can shout stop! When they do, the photo your finger lands after scrolling is one you have to open and show.
- Take time explaining the backstory and why the photo was taken.
I always feel a little closer with my friends after visually seeing their stories!
8. Trifold Monster.
What you need:
- Something to write with
- Paper
Wanna form a beautiful and scary creation with your friends?
- Get as many pieces of paper as people in your group!
- Fold each paper three times, in a tri-fold accordion manner.
- Now, on the top of the paper, all of you will individually draw a head! It can be anything, a character, item, or inside joke.
- Set a timer or wait til you’re all finished.
- Once complete, fold the paper so the head is hidden and the next section connects properly. Pass all the papers in a circle so the next person draws the torso without knowing what the head looks like.
- Repeat the previous steps, but instead of a torso, draw legs and the feet. In the end, unfold the creation and see the beautiful masterpiece!
Some of these monsters are still hanging on my wall today.
9. Quote Quiz.
What you need:
- Phone, TV, or Computer
Ever made a notes app with your friend groups inside jokes or quotes?
- If you have, make it into a kahoot or quizlet.
- Make the players guess who originally said what thing!
This can also be played in jeopardy style or with whatever creative twist you want.
10. Deep Questions.
What you need:
- Just you!
I know it’s cheesy, but deep questions are a great pass time. This is probably the best and most played game with my friends.
- Take turns asking any type of questions you’d like to a group of friends and see where the conversation takes you!
It’s a fantastic way to become even closer and get good memories. Here’s some ideas for random questions:
- If you made a playlist for me, what 3 songs would be on it?
- What have you tolerated from people in the past that you no longer have space for?
- What’s your second favorite color?
- When did you realize you weren’t invincible?
- What TV character do I remind you of?
- What would your younger self not believe about your life today?
- What’s your favorite compliment you’ve ever received?
At the end of the day, having fun with your friends doesn’t mean spending money or scrolling endlessly on your phones. Sometimes, the best memories come from the simplest things, like laughing until your stomach hurts over a terrible drawing or learning something new about a friend through a random question. So the next time boredom strikes, put the phones down, grab your friends, and try something new. You never know which silly little game could turn into a core memory.