When you and a group of friends finally get together it can be hard to figure out what you want to do to make the time pass. While party games have slowly died down it’s a great way for groups of people to hang out together and not doom scroll on their phones.
Monikers
Monikers is a team-based game played in three rounds. Players choose cards with names or titles and combine them into one deck. On each turn, one player gives clues while their teammates try to guess the name on the card. Each turn is timed, and the round continues until all cards are guessed.
In the first round, players can say anything except the name on the card or parts of it. In the second round, players can only say one word for each card. In the third round, players cannot speak and must act out the card. The same cards are used in all three rounds. After the final round, teams count how many cards they guessed correctly. The team with the highest total wins.
Wavelength
Wavelength is a team game where players try to guess a hidden point on a scale. One player from the team is the clue-giver. They see the correct location on a scale between two opposite concepts, like “hot–cold” or “cheap–expensive.” The clue-giver then gives a word or idea that they think matches that position on the scale.
The rest of the team discusses and moves a dial to where they believe the clue fits on the scale. Once they lock in their guess, the correct answer is revealed. The closer the team is to the target, the more points they earn. Teams take turns, and the game continues until one team reaches the winning score.
Telestrations
Telestrations is a fun party game that combines Telephone and Pictionary. Each player gets a sketchbook and a secret word based on a dice roll. You write your word on the first page, then draw it on the next within 60 seconds. After that, you pass your sketchbook to the left, and the next player guesses what your drawing is and writes it down. The book keeps going around, alternating between drawing and guessing, until it returns to the original player.
Once everyone gets their book back, players reveal the transformations by flipping through each page. The fun comes from seeing how far off the final guess is from the original word. Scoring is optional, but you can give points for correct final guesses or favorite drawings.
Codenames
Codenames is a word-based party game where players split into two teams, each with a Spymaster and field operatives. A 5×5 grid of word cards is laid out on the table. The Spymasters know which words belong to their team, which belong to the opposing team, which are neutral, and which one is the deadly assassin. They give one-word clues followed by a number, hinting at multiple related words on the grid.
Operatives then try to guess the correct words based on the clue, aiming to find all their team’s words before the other team does. They must avoid picking the other team’s words, neutrals, and especially the assassin, which ends the game immediately. The first team to correctly guess all their words wins, but it takes clever thinking, word association, and teamwork to pull it off.
Whether you want a competitive quick thinking game, or a funny and slow paced one, these four games bring out the best in everyone. Art and critical thinking are two of the best ways to make a group hangout a little bit more active.
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