Four games to revive a lackluster party
You don’t need to play Cards Against Humanity if you don’t want to.
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Somebody once wrote on a chalkboard ad for a liquor store “a party without alcohol is just a meeting.” We’d like to argue that a party without any fun games is just drinking with people. A good party involves games, which provide an entertaining way to see how your friends think and act in a variety of situations. Here are our top party games to make sure your gathering is an unforgettable one.
Time-saver: Monopoly Deal Card Game
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Forget the hours needed, the board, and the loose pieces. You can ruin your relationships more quickly and easily with this cards-only take on Monopoly. It’s easy to play; the instructions give you a brief overview and then encourage you to just start playing to see how it works. It’s a high-speed, ruthless version of the classic: Players must collect three full property sets to win, but this game demands strategy and cunning as well. Take note that it can be played with up to five players.
Family-friendly: Cranium Game
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Cranium was developed by an ex-Microsoft employee, and has been popular for more than 20 years. It’s the jack-of-all-trades game, with four different categories that involve intelligence and trivia, sculpting and drawing, word skills, and performance.
Music-inspired: Spontuneous – The Song Game
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Play is fairly simple: a word is given, and then it’s up to the players to shout, sing, or speak any song that contains that word—the objective is to stump other players. This game has won a few awards from moms and music teachers alike, and is good for larger groups and kids. Some adults have turned it into a drinking game, which may or may not help with your singing ability (which isn’t necessary, anyway).
Most laid-back: The Hygge Game
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If you need a break from competition, consider this laid-back, ‘cozy conversation’ game perfect for stimulating deep conversations over a bottle of wine. Based on the Scandinavian concept of hygge (pronounced hue-guh), you can sit back and discuss personal history with questions like “Was there any period of your life that was difficult but that ultimately made you a stronger or better person?”