Not all party games are meant for little kids! Meet some of the greatest party games for adults of all time in this list – all of which only get better once you can legally drink.
The days of being an outcast just because you had geeky or nerdy interests are long gone, and nowadays these same hobbies are not only what makes us friends in the first place, but even themes for parties and get-togethers. The idea behind this list is to recommend some fun games for both guys and gals that can be played with their buddies and have a laugh together.
In this list you will see many popular card games that you might or not have heard of, board games, and even party video games because in this day and age, all of us have at least one console around the house. If you’re organizing an adult birthday party, adult Christmas or just an adult get together away from the kids, read on, and find something that fits your group!
Card Games for Adults
Disturbed Friends
Disturbed Friends is a sleeper hit amongst those who enjoy party games, and it is special for it might reveal a side of your friends you’re not familiar with. This game faces the players with horrible situations or unethical debates, some of them with overt sexual themes. The real fun comes from trying to guess what your friends will actually choose, and how much this will affect your friendship in the end. Hey, losing a friendship is not that bad if you get to laugh about it afterwards, right? Disturbed Friends and its expansions is almost guaranteed to cause a few laughs or break ups.
Cards Against Humanity
This card game almost doesn’t need an introduction – the slogan “a party game for horrible people” pretty much tells you all you need to know about one of the most beloved party games of the last couple years. The idea is to match the cards to create hilarious and unlikely answers to hard-hitting questions, and the opportunities to mix and match are almost endless. The base game can be bought for $25 USD, but its many expansions will ensure that the game stays fresh once you’ve started playing a while longer. It’s seriously the best possible game for an adult birthday party.
SUPERFIGHT
This game has an incredibly neat idea, but one that requires the player’s creativity to actually be fun. SUPERFIGHT is a deck of cards with several attributes that players will draw from in order to create a character, monster, figure, whatever – with strengths, weaknesses and other characteristics. Examples of this include the likes of a dinosaur on a jetpack or a pirate on a segway breathing fire – the more cards you draw, the more insane it gets. The idea is that after you’re happy with your creation, you get to argue with other players over which of these would win, and just exactly how each fight would go. We assign bonus points if there is a bit of acting involved in the discussion but that bit is your call.
We Didn’t Playtest This At All
We Didn’t Playtest This At All is different from most of the games on this list, for it is a freeform game where players get to make rules on the fly. The game is purposely precise and purposely vague in different cards (each one with its own set of rules) so players get to argue the meaning and come up with their own scoring systems. It also doesn’t hurt that this game likes to create random win conditions that toy with the players emotions and give opportunities for a comeback at just about any moment. The game is quite silly, and it totally embraces that aspect, so be ready to face some ridiculous situations. Also, once you’re done with the base game, be aware there are several expansions you can try out.
Personally Incorrect
Careful, for this game is not for everyone, and we truly mean it! Personally Incorrect is a game where you will get to roast your guests, call them names, and bring up horrible, embarrassing stuff. The idea is that players will pick a an attendee’s name and then an offensive answer card for them – roasting at its finest. The game is a huge hit with people who don’t mind offensive jokes, but it can get personal pretty quickly so having a thick skin is advised.
A Terrible Time
A Terrible Time is a fun game with challenges of all kinds. Players will draw cards and have to perform a particular task that will test their knowledge, a skill or whatever else not unlike other games like Cranium. Still, what makes A Terrible Time different from other party games with similar concepts is that when players fail a task, they will have to draw a card from a humiliation deck and get stuff written in their foreheads, scratch plates with a fork and knife, or other incredibly annoying or shameful displays. While we consider this game hilarious, it totally needs a trigger warning, for it’s not for everyone and might make you do or bring out things from your friends or yourself you don’t want to know.
Board Games for Adults
Taboo
There is nothing quite like a classic. Taboo, for those who don’t know it yet, is a fantastic guessing game where players have to guess phrases or words but can’t use certain others to hint the members of their team. The game has been around for many years, and is beloved by players of all ages and backgrounds for being a clever mix of mind games, mimic, and wit but also having a hilarious, very physical side. We spent so much time with it we can’t help but recommend it.
Cranium
In Cranium you get to show how much better than everyone else you are – for real. Players will have to move through a board by rolling a dice, and drawing cards that will have them perform, do or use different skills involving trivia and their own creativity. Players will have to figure out words, hound clues, perform songs or draw, and more – it’s sort of a jack of all trades, mixing elements from almost all of the other games in this list. We recommend Cranium for those who can’t figure out exactly which game they like the most, and want to dip their feet and do a bit of each thing. If you happen to really like Cranium, be aware that there are many expansions that can arrange the game more to your liking.
Monopoly
Here comes Monopoly, the ultimate friendship tester! We are not exactly sure what it is about this game that gets everyone’s most competitive side out, and won’t be able to put the game down until crushing the competition with over-priced hotels and well placed houses that will enrage whoever lands in them – and that is exactly the part that makes Monopoly so much fun. Be ready for the tears, the yelling and cursing that are inherent to the game, but in case this isn’t geeky enough for you there are special editions based off of Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Marvel, and so many, many more. We’re sure you will find your own.
RISK
Playing RISK with the right people can be one of the most intense experiences in the world. In this game, the world map is divided in “zones” which the players will attempt to conquer with their ever-growing armies, and clash against each other with the roll of a dice. Still, that’s only a superficial description of what is really going on: the alliances, the betrayals, the crushing defeats or grasping victory from the hands of our opponents, that is the real backbone of this game and the reason why we think this game is a must for any one game night. There are also several special editions such as Game of Thrones RISK, Star Wars RISK, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and many, many more.
Adult Loaded Questions
The classic Loaded Questions has released a hilarious, new revision entitled Adult Loaded Questions which dumps all pretense of clean fun for a way raunchier version. Players will use a spinner, draw a card, and ask a really awkward question to everyone currently participating (examples include “what is an instant mood killer” or “which should would you watch if it contained nudity”). Players then have to write down their answers and have whoever asked the question read them anonymously. For extra fun you can try and guess who answered what, but be aware this might lead to break-ups or divorces.
Settlers of Catan
Settlers of Catan is a game about building a civilization, conquering the land and improving life for everyone – or pissing your friends off because you refuse to trade with them for wool, which they clearly need. There will be a lot of yelling, name-calling, and telling your buddies how big of a jerk they are because they’re the only party with access to ore, and how they’re cheating, because you clearly know they are. Settlers of Catan can be played with other expansions and extra rules on top, and adding on top the fact that the tiles and placements get randomized each time ensures no two games are the same. This is pretty much the definition of an endless game.
Pictionary
The game of sketches and guesses makes an appearance on our list. In Pictionary you will have to draw something from a card drawn at random. It might be a movie title, a book, action, noun, or many other concepts. Other players will have to guess what the player did actually draw, and that is the best part, as not everyone is exactly a talented artist. The game is good for players all ages, as more adult versions of the games also exist. There are some other similar games that explore the concept but have focus on pop culture, or in acting instead of drawing too, with prominent examples being Win, Lose or Draw, Draw Something or Charades.
Party Video Games For Adults
Mario Party
We just can’t have these type of lists without mentioning the silly fun that the Mario Party series brings to the table. This title simulates a board players traverse and then jumps into a collection of minigames where players compete for stars, coins, and their pride. The fact that the Wii U comes with so many different control types makes the whole thing extra special as you never know exactly what type of thing you are going to have to do next. If you are among gamers, Super Mario Party is absolutely a must. By the way, we’re recommending Mario Party 10 for Wii U as it is the most recent one, but don’t be afraid to delve into some of the older titles that go back all the way to the Nintendo 64 – some gamers even tend to prefer those over the most recent, but that’s a matter of personal taste.
Mario Kart
Everything we said about how much fun Mario Party is also goes for Mario Kart. This is a racing game where players get to grab different weapons and use those to hinder the CPU opponents or their friends through beautiful, colorful courses. Using bananas to stop the enemies behind, different colored shells to shoot at your opponents, or even the dreaded blue shell that never misses whoever is in the first place all create hilarious situations that get funnier the more serious the players get about the whole competition. The good thing about Mario Kart is that each new entry is better than the previous one and you seriously can’t go wrong with the most recent one, Mario Kart 8, where you can even take control of Link from The Legend of Zelda and Isabelle from Animal Crossing via DLC.
Just Dance
Let yourself go and flow with the music in Ubisoft’s Just Dance, one of the heaviest hitting games at any party or social gathering. The game has players (up to 4 at the same time) follow a choreography on the screen to some of the biggest hits of each year – because yes, this game DOES come out yearly, it’s not like popular music doesn’t renew itself. Also, it’s not all recent hits and you will get to do some classics such as You Spin me Round (Like a Record) or Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, for those of you who like oldies. As of now, Just Dance 2015 is the most recent edition, but be aware that Just Dance 2016 is just around the corner. At least you can play it on pretty much any console. Some of them do not even need add ons like Kinect or PlayStation Camera!
Rock Band 4
The drought is over! After years and years without a release, rhythm games with a rocking edge are coming back, and they are coming back full force. For those who haven’t heard of the Rock Band / Guitar Hero series before, in these games players get to hold plastic instruments and “play along” with some of the most popular songs of all time, spanning from the late 60s to the last few years. You might find yourself rocking out to The Who, Metallica, Nirvana or Imagine Dragons. Furthermore, in the case of Rock Band, your old songs and DLC you paid for will still work with the newer versions, so if you’ve played the game before, now is the right time to come back as its better than ever.
Super Smash Bros
This is an actual fact that can not be disputed: when it comes to partying and videogames the Wii U is the greatest video game console out there. Super Smash Bros for Wii U is a fighting game that both newcomers and trained players can enjoy side to side as it features a really low entry barrier but a high skill ceiling: no matter how good you are, a newcomer might find a way to take you down, and the fact that you can use some of the most beloved Nintendo characters of all time in incredibly gorgeous stages created completely in high definition graphics, it makes for a hell of an experience. From Donkey Kong to Pikachu, from Mega Man to Sonic and from Mario to Marth or the Wii Fit Trainer, there are characters of all kinds for everyone. The only bad part of this game is that it might kick off an obsession with the amiibo figurines.
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