Party games: the other social lubricant.
1. The Hot Seat, where you can live out your dream of being a guest on a late-night show (more or less).
2. Codenames is a word association game where teams give clues to guess words while avoiding the opponent's words and the assassin.
How to play: Two teams compete to figure out the assigned codenames of everyone on their teams, while avoiding guessing the names of the other team's agents.
Number of players: 2–8+
Promising review: "Played this at a friend’s house and as a word game lover, I had to have it for my own family! I was excited to see that this one includes instructions for 2 players because I debated on whether to buy the 2 player version. Fun and so variable!" —Wendy
Get it from Amazon for $19.94.
3. What Do You Meme: Because let's be honest, you'd probably rather be scrolling through memes than actually socializing at this hypothetical party.
4. Joking Hazard lets you create your own wildly dysfunctional comics with a mix of random cards.
How to play: Players create funny (and often inappropriate) three-panel comics using set-up, punchline, and random cards. The judge picks the best one, and the player with the most wins the game.
Number of players: 3–10
Promising review: "No one likes the awkward holiday arguments over politics and "when are you getting married?" I avoided those conversations completely this Christmas by gifting Joking Hazard. My whole family (the grown ups, anyway) had a great time and laughed our asses off. Easy to learn and play, and no knowledge of the comic is required. " —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $23.89.
5. The Game of Things mixes creativity with a bit of friend-pigeonholing, as players come up with funny responses to quirky prompts.
How to play: Everybody writes down their answers to questions ("Things you shouldn't do naked," for one), and then the group guesses who wrote what.
Number of players: 4+
Promising review: "Fun game for all ages. I have played it with a group of girlfriends and with family. We laughed until we cried. Good for all ages. You can control the content based on your answers. I'm very happy with this purchase." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $14.49+ (available in two versions).
6. Drunk Stoned or Stupid is the game that's bound to call you and your friends out on your nonsense.
How to play: The judge selects a card (with descriptions like "shames people for going to bed" or "sings but shouldn't"—not exactly glowing traits) and passes it to the person on their left, who then hands it to the player they believe best fits the characteristic. The player with the fewest cards at the end wins the game (and maybe life, too). Note: despite the name, the game has nothing to do with being drunk or stoned.
Number of players: The more, the better!
Promising review: "We played this at our department Christmas party and had a blast! We all laughed so hard and it was hours of fun. But, it is best when you play with a large group, who know each other very well, and aren't afraid to call each other out. I bought the expansion pack so that we have even more cards for next time." —Jennifer Lubbers
Get it from Amazon for $18.
7. CatchPhrase is a fast-paced, handheld game that favors the quick-witted (and quick to shout) players.
How to play: Players split into two teams, with one player at a time trying to get their team to guess the word or phrase displayed on the screen—without saying it directly, of course.
Number of players: 4+
Promising review: "Perfect game for all ages. Fun with friends and family. Nice that many people can play" —Gmom
Get it from Amazon for $23.99.
8. One-Night Ultimate Werewolf pits humans against mythical creatures—and friends against each other—in a battle of deception and strategy.
How to play: Each player is secretly assigned a role (like Werewolf, Seer, or Troublemaker), and everyone belongs to either the Villager or Werewolf team. A free app guides the "night phase" (when the Werewolf hunts), after which players try to identify who the Werewolf is.
Number of players: 3–10
Promising review: "This is one of the best party games in existence. Sure, you have to download an app on your phone to make it work, but the level of interaction between members and the varied differences in play make this a game to play over, and over, and over again. If you forced me to get rid of my board games collection and save only one game, this might be the one!" —fermat200pg
Get it from Amazon for $21.98.
9. Spontuneous is a game that involves singing (or shouting), but musical talent is not required.
How to play: Each round, players have to blurt out a song containing a given word. The fastest blurter wins.
Number of players: 4–10
Promising review: "This game has excellent, clear directions and is easy to play. We played last night with 8 family members and it was an easy party game with everyone staying actively involved. The description was great. I was expecting to have a list of words included but was surprised to find players make their own word list - I think that allows a LOT more flexibility in playing and the owner won't get bored playing the same word list over and over again! I'd recommend it!"
Get it from Amazon for $18.95.
10. Double Ditto is a game that sparks synchronized thinking among players.
How to play: In each round, the Ditto Master (yep, that's the title) reads a card (like "dog breeds," "candy bars," or "things you see at the beach"), and players write down two responses. The goal is to predict what answers other players will choose.
Number of players: 4–10+
Promising review: "Creative game :) It's really fun to play with family and friends as shows how different your thinking can change according to your age/ background and stuff. It was really good! I'm not a native English speaker and I find this game easy to understand and play." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $19.95.
RELATED: The Complete Gift Guide for Kids Ages 5 to 10: Fun Toys, Games, Books, and More!
11.Cards Against Humanity is the ultimate in hilarious, edgy party games.
How to play: Players hold a hand of white cards to fill in blanks or respond to questions from black cards. The funniest answer wins. Expect things to get pretty weird.
Number of players: 4+
Promising review: "This game has got to be the funniest game I've played in a while. I played it with friends at a BBQ and it was a huge hit. WOULD DEFINITELY not recommend playing around children though, the cards are funny, but not intended for little ones..."
Get it from Amazon for $29.
12. LCR: Left Center Right will keep your game night moving. Players roll dice to determine where to place their chips, and the last player with chips remaining wins.
The game comes with three specially marked cubes, 24 chips, and instructions. It's suitable for players aged 5 and up.
Promising review: "This game is so much fun! The more people the better. I was introduced to it in a hospitality suite at a professional conference. Needless to say, it sure was an icebreaker! We made things a little more interesting and each person played with $3 (rather than the enclosed chips), and the pot was substantial. I also lent it to a friend to take on vacation with her young nieces and nephews. It was a hit for a rainy day at the beach."
Get it from Amazon for $8.67.
13. HedBanz is the family-friendly version of that "Diversity Day" episode from The Office. You wear a card on your head and ask yes-or-no questions to figure out whether you're an animal, food, or man-made object.
The concept is straightforward, but it's a lot of fun for families. You have one minute to guess, and it's recommended for ages 5 and up, with 2 to 6 players.
Promising review: "This game is so much fun! I played with friends and their kids once before. I opted to buy the adult version for my spouse, and it was nowhere near as fun as this one. The kid game is perfect for all ages. It’s a great ice breaker game and gets people talking. I often bring this to parties and everyone quickly becomes friends. :D"
Get it from Amazon for $28.41 (also available in two other versions).
14. Jenga challenges your concentration and dexterity. Be careful, or the entire tower could collapse!
Promising reviews: "This is a great game that can be played by all ages and either alone, with someone else, or with a group. There are so many possibilities. This is definitely a great game for game night. This game builds on your critical thinking skills, as each move has to be well thought out or you can lose in a blink of an eye. So, it is challenging, fun, and competitive all at the same time. Basically, each player builds upon another player's move until the blocks come crashing down. The person who makes that last move loses." —QT
"Great fun game for family and friends. Blocks are durable, thick and easy to use. The game is easy enough to be enjoyed by youth and would make a great gift." —harrietthehanky
Get it from Amazon for $7.49.
15. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is a fun card game perfect for family nights or even beach days. Get ready for non-stop giggles, especially with the little ones!
In this game for 2–4 players, cards are dealt out evenly, and everyone keeps their mini-deck face down. Players take turns placing a card in the center and saying "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," or "pizza" in order. If the card's picture matches the word spoken, everyone races to slap the pile. The last player to slap adds the stack to their deck. The first player to run out of cards wins!
Promising review: "OMG!! This is fun with lots of laughter! My granddaughter is 10 and my mom is 92 and we all play and have a great time! I have given it as a gift to several different couples and families that love to play games. Everyone says it is so fun. Going to gift it again at Christmas. The Christmas version. Their are others versions as well." —Linda
Get it from Amazon for $9.84.
16. Throw Throw Burrito is a mix of dodgeball and card game fun, perfect for those who enjoy collecting themed sets and occasionally tossing things at others—gently, of course!
No need to worry—the burritos are made of soft foam and won’t hurt. If burritos aren't your group's style, there's also Throw Throw Avocado, which plays similarly but features avocado-shaped foam missiles instead. Toast sold separately!
Promising review: “So FUN! This is such a fun game! Just make sure you have space to play and move breakable things – you will be running all over the house! It’s hilarious for adults AND children – we played with five adults and my seven-year-old nephew and we were all laughing and having a blast!”
Get it from Target for $24.99.
17. Analphabet soup-themed crossword game packaged in a charming Campbell’s soup can—perfect for word game enthusiasts!
Designed for 2–6 players, ages 8 and up, this game splits dice among players, who then roll and use the top letters to build a crossword. When players get stuck, they roll again. The first to run out of dice wins!
Promising review: "Absolutely love this game! Great game for three family generations to play together. Goes quick, and keeps you thinking. Easy to take on a trip (put dice in a plastic bag) This is our second game as we wore the letters off the first set. We normally play with four people, but if you put two games together and each take nine dice, we have played with more." —GrandmaB
Get it from Amazon for $15.99.
18. Donner Dinner Party is a mystery game with a deliciously dark twist, perfect for fans of whodunit-style fun.
Promising review: "Donner Dinner Party is similar in style to well-known games like Mafia, Werewolf, and Bang! You are given secret roles at the start: most of the party are pioneers and some of them are cannibals. The goal is to survive seven nights by hunting for enough food to appease the party. If not enough food is found, or if someone poisons all the food, your party will have to vote to eat someone for that night. The pioneers will need to eliminate all of the cannibals in the vote, or continue to hunt for enough food in the next round to prevent all the pioneers from being eaten.
We like playing Donner Dinner Party more than Mafia now because it allows the entire group to continue playing, even after they are voted off. That is one gripe I have always had with games life Mafia, Werewolf, and Bang!: if you die you have to sit out, and that's no fun. With Donner Dinner Party, you can continue playing the game as a ghost which can lead to some really fun times. We highly recommend trying the game out." —Nathan L.
Get it from Amazon for $13.96.
19. A board game that challenges everyone's knowledge of song lyrics! Perfect for music enthusiasts of all ages.
The objective of this game is to sing a line from a song containing the word on the drawn card. The round goes on until one team can't think of a song (which could take a while if the word is common, like "love"). Designed for 2+ players and recommended for ages 8+!
Promising review: "My favorite board game. This is such a fun generational bridge. The house rules can be easily edited to whatever group of people you have. It takes a bit to get the brain for it, but once you get going it's super fun." —Libby
Get it from Amazon for $14.30.
*If you're after some laughs, a bit of friendly competition, or a chance to test your quick thinking, these 19 card games are just what you need to bring family and friends together. With everything from lighthearted challenges to more strategic games, there's something for everyone. So, gather your group and let the fun begin!*