Charades
Split up into two teams for a game of Charades! Players take turns acting out various prompts without using words or sounds. Set a time limit (usually 2-3 minutes) and that player’s teammates have to guess what they’re acting out. You can write up your own prompts, or buy a game yourself for this classic party game. As always, make sure to read up on the detailed rules if it’s been a while or you’re new to the game!
“I Went to the Market…”
This game is basically a variation of I Spy. One player thinks of something they would find in a market, and the other players all take turns trying to guess what that player is thinking of. You can always add variety by changing the location – the zoo, a different city/state, a school, the movies, etc. For a more adult spin, you could call this game “I Went to the Bar”.
Name That Song
Similar to the popular TV show, ‘Beat Shazam’, Name That Song is a fun family party game that can last long into the night! Decide who, or what team if you split into two groups, is going to guess first, and then someone will either play a song of their choice on a device or hum a tune. Players then have 30 seconds (or less) to guess what the title of the song is and score points for themselves or their team. Can’t think of any good songs for people to guess? You’re in luck – we put together a 2021 Summer BBQ playlist on our Spotify.
The Telephone Game
The Telephone Game is a classic childhood game to be played with at least 3 players (the more you have, the more fun it can be!) The first player whispers a short phrase into the ear of the player next to them – and they’re not allowed to repeat it. The second player whispers the phrase they think they heard to the person next to them, and so on. The last person in the circle says out loud what they think the phrase was. Make the game a little more difficult by adding ear plugs or ear muffs!
The Winking Assassin
A party game that goes by many names, The Winking Assassin is best played with at least 6 people, or up to about 30 players. The general idea is that one player is the assassin, and their goal is to secretly “kill off” as many players as possible before the other players guess who they are. The Spruce Crafts have instructions for several variations on the game. You might want to skip the handshake variation for your 2021 parties, though.
20 Questions
Want to pass the time with friends and family while waiting for your s’mores to get gooey and toasted? 20 Questions is the perfect game! Have players take turns thinking of a person, place, or thing that most people in the rest of the group will be able to guess. If a player thinks of a person, they can be alive, deceased, or even a fictional character. The rest of the group will then have to ask ‘yes’, or ‘no’ questions to guess what that person is thinking of. The group can ask a maximum of 20 questions. The group wins the game if they are able to successfully guess who, or what, the person is thinking of before the 20 questions have all been asked. But, if the group cannot guess in 20 questions or less, the person answering questions wins!
