Having to worry about the food arrangements and decorations or getting the invites ready when planning a party or get-together can get stressful fast. Sometimes, when everything is finally taken care of you realize you forgot the activities! For parties that are at home, what is there to do? Here are some ideas from a fellow party planner!
Mafia
Mafia is an amazing party game where you and your group play detective to find out who the mafia is. I recommend playing this with groups of at least 12 people to really make things interesting. WikiHow has the best instructions on how to play in their video, “How to Play Mafia.”I recommend checking it out on YouTube here!
To summarize, one person in your group will be the designated narrator and control the game. The rest of the players will be assigned roles (mafia, nurse, and detective) once the cards are passed out. The narrator explains the roles to the players before the first night begins. The mafia (joker) will be the killer, so if you get this card, stay silent to seem as innocent as possible.. If someone suspects you lie, deny and deflect to someone else so you can win the game. The mafia wins when there are only two people left. The mafia loses when the other players vote them out. The nurse also needs to keep their roles hidden, as they are a target to the mafia. Each night, the nurse gets to pick someone to save from death. They can choose to save themself but not twice in a row. The detective can choose to accuse someone, and if their accusation is correct then the player will be thrown in jail. This game is a great way to get everyone involved and create unforgettable memories.
JackBox Party
Do you want an interactive game where your remote is your phone? Jackbox has just that, having five different games in each of their ten packs. You can buy these packs using Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Fire Stick, or Apple TV. With ten different packs, you can choose which pack best suits your group. These packs typically go on sale regularly, and can get as low as $12! I would recommend buying “Jackbox Party Pack 3” as it has many fun guessing games and really requires group participation. Some of my favorite games include:
Fibbage
The game where everyone is given a wacky prompt to their phone. Here’s an example from the game, “Anatidaephobia is the fear that somewhere in the world a ____ is watching you.” It is the player’s job to figure out a response that sounds believable to be the answer. After everyone is finished, all the players’ answers, including the real ones, are put on the screen. Now it is time to choose the truth, but if you choose another player’s lie then they get points. Whoever gets the most points in the end wins the game!
Murder Trivia Party
Everyone is put into a room and the only way to escape is by answering trivia! Players score points by answering correctly and those who don’t are on the chopping block for elimination. This means everyone on the chopping block gets to play a minigame to determine who gets a second chance and who ends up eliminated. Don’t worry if you get eliminated, as you’ll have a chance to come back towards the end of the game. The game ends in a race between the lone winner and the ghosts of the eliminated. You’ll have to answer trivia questions correctly in order to reach the finish line. The ghosts can catch up to the living to take their life and come to life once again. The first to make it to the finish wins!
UNO
Gather your friends to play unforgettable rounds of UNO! UNO is known as the game that “destroys friendships,” but I like to think of it as a friendly, innocent card game. Everyone starts out with seven cards, putting the rest in a pile to draw from. To start, one person pulls a card from the “draw” pile and places it down starting a new pile. The first player needs to play the same color or number card. When a player can’t place a card, they draw one card from the pile, and the next player continues. Within your hands, you may find some cards that have symbols on them. The card with two arrows, called a “reverse” card, switches the direction of the next play. The card with a circle and diagonal line through it, which is known as a “skip” card, skips the next player’s turn to move on to the next player. If you play a card with “+2” on it, you can make the player next to you draw two from the draw pile. The last symbol card has an oval with all four colors on it, known as the “wild” card. Use this card to change the color of the discard pile of your choice. Some wild cards contain a “+4” at the top, meaning the color gets changed and the next person has to draw four. The next player loses their turn after drawing their four cards. Many people have different house rules when it comes to UNO. My personal favorite, called “stacking,” can create a lot of tension when a drawing card is placed. Stacking occurs when a player puts down a draw two and the next player stacks their own draw two on top, so the next person would have to draw four instead of the previous player drawing two. This rule is also applicable with draw fours. Whether you choose to have a chaotic game or a friendly game, you and your party will have a good time.
Cards Against Humanity
Do you feel like adding a little comedy to your party? Try out Cards Against Humanity! Each player is dealt white cards with various topics while the pile in the middle has black cards containing questions for each player to answer. One player picks a black card and reads it out to the group, while the group chooses the funniest card they have. The player who asked the question gets to choose the winner! You can find Cards Against Humanity in the board game section in many stores. Be mindful that the regular edition has suggestive themes. If you’re looking for a family-friendly game, they also have a family edition to the game. They also have expansion packs to add to the base game. Want to add pictures to the game? They have a pack for that! Customize the game for you and your audience!
Just Dance
Wanna test out your dancing skills? Try Just Dance, the game where you mirror a virtual dance instructor’s moves. The more accurate your moves, the more points you’ll score. Compete against your friends to find out who the best dancer is. I know what you may be thinking, “Why would I play this at a party?”. Trust me, as someone who has played this at many different gatherings, many people enjoyed playing or watching everyone else play. Especially when playing with someone who doesn’t dance often. To play the latest versions you’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch, as well as enough controllers for everyone to play. The most recent versions allow you to use your phone as a controller! Each year, a new Just Dance is released with different songs for everyone to enjoy. You’ll have many popular genres for all ages! From “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston to “Kill Bill” by SZA. There’s even a kid’s version which has easier moves for people who aren’t so coordinated like me! Bringing Just Dance to your next party will bring laughter and smiles to your guests.
With these party games, you can worry less about what you’ll be doing and more on your guests! These party games are fun for friends and family of all ages. From children’s games to adult parties you’ll find something for your group. To all my fellow party planners, good luck and happy planning!