From game night with your closest friends to icebreakers with new friends, these games are perfect for everyone! This list of game night ideas ranges from classic card games to creative twists on nostalgic children’s games to trendy new games on Tic Tok. The hardest part of game night can be choosing a game that everyone will like and understand quickly. All these games are perfect for most ages and group sizes, so next weekend’s game night will be a hit with one of these great choices!
Red Flags: The Game of Terrible Dates
This game is perfect for friends who have just met or known each other for a long time. Similarly to the classic children’s play, Apples to Apples, Red Flags allows players to sabotage their friends with hilarious and terrible dates. In short, each player picks one card from their “Red Flag” pile and two from their “Green Flag” pile. The player who is designated as “it” for that round must choose a hypothetical date to go on based on the dates made by the other players. The game’s premise parallels the popular TikTok trend, “He’s Ten But…” This game creates so many laughs and giggles because of how ridiculous the dates can be.
Code Names
Code Names are all about teamwork, communication, and creativity. It is perfect for all ages and group sizes. The game aims to get your team members to say all your designated words, but you can only say one-word clues each time. In this game, there are two teams that go back and forth, giving single-word clues that hint at their given words, hopefully allowing their team to guess their words correctly. The team that guesses all their words correctly wins first. It is straightforward to learn but still extremely fun. It can be played multiple times since each round is quick. I always have an exciting time playing Code Names, especially hearing the creative clues given by each player.
Telestrations
Telestrations are perfect for artists and non-artists alike! The worse the drawings are, the funnier the game is! To play, each player starts by picking their word from a deck and drawing the word on the first page of a notebook. You then pass it to your left and have the next person guess your word by writing their guess on the next page. The cycle of drawing and guessing continues until the notebook returns to you. After everyone is ready, you show off everyone’s drawings and see how far off the last drawing is from the first word. Typically, the drawings and guesses have veered drastically off course, and the final guess is entirely ridiculous but hilarious at the same time. My family and friends have played this game many times, and we always have many good laughs throughout the night! This game is also perfect for close friends, families, and new friends!
Mind the Gap
This game is perfect for groups of people that span multiple generations. I played this with my extended family over winter break, and we had so much fun! Often, games are geared to one specific age group, but this game is perfect for anyone from Baby Boomers to Generation Z. In this game, you must answer questions about the other generations except the one you are most familiar with. So, in my case, as a member of Gen Z, I needed to answer questions about the Beatles, Casset Players, Disco, Flip Phones, and much more. This game brings out the competitive side of everyone and challenges your knowledge of other generations. Mind the Gap is perfect for all ages and group sizes, with guaranteed laughter.
5 Crowns
The last game on this list is a fun card game that involves some skill but mostly luck. It is tricky for younger players but perfect for groups of any size, families, and close or new friends. 5 Crowns is a bit longer to finish than most card games but easy to pick up and learn in a few minutes. Since the game is primarily based on luck, the leaders can quickly change, which keeps everyone on edge. The game is a mix of Rummy and Spoons because the winner must get a run or set of cards to be the first person to use all their cards. I have played 5 Crowns with my family many times and have always left with a smile! While it is not supposed to be funny, there are usually many laughs associated with the winner and loser of each round.