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Have you ever wanted to have a group of friends over and not known what to do? Playing a movie feels antisocial, and a party might be too intense for what you have in mind. Well, I’ve definitely wondered how I could entice all my friends together without having to spend a bunch of money for us to do a craft or such. Below is a list of games that I’ve played with my friends over the years that keep us energized, are easy to learn, plus are lots of fun!
Mafia (or its themed counterpart Werewolf)
For Mafia, you’ll ideally want a minimum of five people. This game is a bit more of a main event game, as it can take closer to an hour to play. In both versions of the game, players are secretly assigned roles. In Mafia, they are mafia members, doctors, or detectives. In Werewolf, players are secretly assigned roles like werewolves, villagers, or seers. The goal for both is the same: the mafia/werewolves are trying to eliminate the villagers/townspeople and vice versa. The game takes place over imagined days and nights. Each day, the players discuss who among them is a Mafia member/Werewolf and vote out a player. Each night, the Mafia/Werewolves choose a player to eliminate. The game is over when either all the Townspeople/Villagers or all the Mafia members/Werewolves are eliminated. If you want to play this game, it retails for around $18.99, though prices vary by distributor.
Charades
If your first thought is that this game is boring or cheesy, then clearly you’re no fun. I’m kidding, but seriously, loosen up a bit. Charades is a great way to get yourself moving as you have to mime out actions to let your friends guess what you’re trying to get them to guess. If you want to make this more competitive, you can divide the group into teams and keep score to see who the winning team is. There are even apps nowadays that give you automated prompts, though if you want to play like I did as a kid, everyone decides on a theme, then privately writes down their ideas. For example, if the group decides on sports, you could write down basketball or snowboarding. Or, if the category is movies, you could write down Spy Kids, Jaws, or The Sound of Music. The perk of all versions of this game is that they are free (unless you purchase the paid-for packs on the app).
Additionally, you can level up with a new version I’ve recently tried, which is “Reverse Charades,” where someone gives you directions, and you have to guess what action they are trying to make you do. This one requires a bit more creativity from the crowd, but I swear it was a hoot, and we even levelled up to doing two or three then even four-person reverse charades, getting them to act out whole scenes. It’s really quite fun once you get the hang of it.
Anomia
Now, unfortunately, this one does require purchasing the game, Anomia, for $19.99, but it’s worth buying—especially for all you istory and English majors and the linguists out there. The playing time is about thirty minutes, though it can go a bit longer. This game requires paying attention at all times or you’ll be quick to lose. I am known for yelling, standing, and pointing during this game as I get so into it, though that might just be a me thing. To play this game, “Players flip cards in turn until the symbols on two players’ cards match. Matching players must race to give an example of the category on their opponent’s card. Whoever blurts out a correct answer first wins their opponent’s card, and drawing continues. Sounds easy, right? Think again! Wild cards create unexpected matches, and face-offs can cascade when you lose a card, revealing a new match.”
Uno
What’s wrong with a classic? I played this game so much as a kid, and I always look forward to playing it now. This game is better used as a side game, as it can get repetitive after a while, but a few rounds in between another activity it’s the perfect fit. The great thing about Uno is that you really only need two people, but obviously, more is better! The rules of this game are super straightforward. With the cards in your hand, you have to match it to the card face up, on top of the pile in the middle. This can be by number or card colour. There are also special cards that skip a turn, reverse the order, or the dreaded “pick up” cards. When you’ve discarded all of your cards, you must announce UNO to the group before properly getting rid of your final card and winning the game. For a larger group, I’d also suggest getting two packs of cards. This game is pretty cheap to buy, around $12.99, but most thrift stores will have a used version of this game you can snag!
Never Have I Ever
Looking for something dumbly simple to get the group going, then this game is for you. Basically, everyone starts with ten fingers up, and people go around in a circle saying things that they’ve never done. You can go as neutral with this or as spicy and targeted as you want. This game is also great because it doesn’t require any additional elements like cards or dice and can include as many people as you want. This is a great way to get to know other people in a group where you may not know everybody. Oh, and did I mention that it’s completely free?
Examples:
- Never have I ever had brown eyes
- Never had I ever kissed a guy named Michael
- Never have I ever smoked a cigarette
Poetry for Neanderthals
This game always cracks me up when playing. Now you definitely want to get consent before you start thwaking your friend’s heads. This game is a bit more pricey than the others on this list at $32.99. In this game, you are split into teams, and similar to charades, you will be given a card with what you need to get your team to guess. In this game, however, you can only use one-syllable words to make it neanderthal style. If you use longer words, you’ll get whacked on the head with an inflatable and lose points for your team! Each card has points associated with it, and each team is trying to get as many points in a timed round to secure the win. This game is hilarious to watch as your friends struggle to think of short words, and people’s frustrated faces also warrant a giggle or two. For example, if you are trying to say “broccoli,” you’d say something like “green thing you eat for live long and have good health.” This game doesn’t take too long to play, definitely under the 20-minute mark, and you can play with as little as two players, though larger groups definitely are the better option here.
And there you have it! Some classic and some new games to keep you and your friends off your phones for a night of silly fun! I hope I’ve inspired you to try playing one of these games!