30 Adult Party Games that can be played inside and outside

Are you thinking of attending or hosting an outdoor event, perhaps a get-together with your friends? That’s super cool! Then you should come up with something that can spice up the event and lighten everyone’s mood. If you’re thinking of games, that’s a great idea. Although some people believe it’s only for children, everyone, regardless of their age, loves to have fun.

Gaming activities date back to 177 BC in ancient Mesopotamia, where the people played the Royal Game of Ur. Others include the gladiatorial games in ancient Rome and modern ones like chess. In this article, I will highlight 35 games, both outdoors and indoors, that adults can engage in to help them have a fun-filled day and events. But first, let’s discuss why playing games is important.

Importance of Playing Games

Games help to relax tense nerves, assist in building closer relationships with other people, and also create new friendships and relationships. Further, because it is an activity where everyone sometimes participates in pairs, it fosters teamwork. Finally, playing some games increases our response to stimuli and boosts problem-solving skills. Now that we have identified the benefits of playing games, let’s delve into the games adults can play to have fun.

30 Adult Party Games

Two Truths And A Lie

Just like the name implies, participants in this game will take turns telling two truthful things about themselves and adding one lie. The other teammates have to guess which one is the lie. This game helps people learn deep things about themselves and can spice up the mood at your party.

As a group-based game, two truths and a lie do not require any special preparation on the part of the participants. Except if you’re playing for a prize, you may need to have a pencil and a piece of paper. This way, you can keep track of your progress as the game goes on. The procedure is simple. As everyone sits or stands, one person from the group says three things about himself or herself, one of which is a lie. The other members are left to figure out which is the truth and which is a lie.

Never Have I Ever

In this group game, each participant takes turns saying things they have never done, and participants who have done them will signify by saying they have done them. Sometimes, those who have done any of those things have to drink alcohol. This is a fun game because it elicits a kind of excitement. Besides, it is a way that people bond and get to know each other’s pasts and what they can and cannot do.

Historically, the game is based on a popular American TV series. This comedy-drama is a reminiscence of the childhood of the major character, Kaling.

Truth Or Dare

Do you like to know your friends better? The Truth and Dare is an exciting game you should try your hands on. This party game reveals a lot about your friends. How is it played? Individuals can play this fantastic game in groups or pairs, and it involves each teammate taking turns to ask the other a question. They can either answer the question or tell the truth by answering a question. Alternatively, a group or person also have the choice to perform a ‘dare.’

George Howard Monks founded the ancient Greek board game Basinlinda, which has been around for centuries and is historically linked to it.

Would You Rather

To sharpen your decision-making skills, Would You Rather? is a fun game to try. “Would You Rather?” is a game that helps to gain insight into how the other teammates think by presenting a dilemma and asking them to decide. For example, you could ask, “Would you rather be a lion or a parrot? However, the questions are subjective to the setting of the group. But it will help people get to know each other well.

This journey of self-discovery allows participants to select between putting on a pickle suit or eating a plate of pickles. With this game, you can self-discover.

Musical Chairs

Nearly all of us, if not all, have played this game as kids, but it is also a very fun game to play at an adult house party. The game rules involve keeping some chairs in a circle, with one less chair for all the players. Then turn on the music and let them dance around the chairs for a few minutes, then abruptly stop it. The player who fails to get a seat when the music stops leaves. A chair will then be removed after a player leaves. This will continue until there are only two players and one chair.

Twenty Questions

This game is excellent for a dinner party held indoors. Participants will take turns asking a selected person to pick something in their mind. And they will, in turn, try to guess that thing by asking 20 yes or no questions. If they fail to get it, then that person has won.

Freeze Dance

Freeze dancing is perfect for a house party, as each participant will take a tequila shot, and then the music will start. Every few seconds, the music will stop abruptly, and everyone has to freeze. Anyone who fails to freeze or make any move or noise loses the game, and the rest continue.

React And Act

This game is comedy mixed with a bit of drama. A person must select a sheet with a list of random occurrences. Now, the icebreaker here is that they will have to figure out how they will react when such a thing happens. For example, how will a person react if they meet their favorite celebrity out of the blue? When they act out their reaction, the other guests will react to that reaction. This game is perfect for an in-house gathering or party.

Cards Against Humanity

The two important things to know about this game are the rules and playing it with the right people. First, it is a fill-in-the-blank game, where each participant takes turns reading questions from a black card. In turn, other participants will pick a funny answer from a white card. Sometimes, the answers may not make complete sense, but surely they will make you laugh. Second, playing the game with the right people is essential because some people consider the terms used in the game offensive.

Soda Pong

Like beer pong, you get to throw ping pong balls into cups filled with beverages, but instead of beer, you fill them with soda. Doing this is an effective way to enjoy this game with a crowd that can’t handle their liquor. Just like beer pong, whoever gets all their opponents to drink their cups wins the game. Also, you can choose to use any other non-alcoholic beverage instead of soda.

Saran Wrap Game

This game is a way to tap into the joy of sharing gifts and having fun. You need plastic wrap, small, flexible gifts, two dice, and an oven mitt to play it. After wrapping the gifts, the first person to start will put on the oven mitts and try to unwrap the gifts. Then, the player to their left will roll the dice; once they roll double, they collect the wrap put on the mitts, and the process starts over again. Note, though, that any gifts that fall out are theirs during the process of unwrapping. And the game continues till all the gifts fall out.

Guess Who

In this fun group game, you will write the names of famous people on pieces of paper, and all the participants will pick one. Then, they will stick the note to their foreheads without looking at the word on it. Now, they will take turns asking yes-or-no questions to determine the person on the paper. You can keep playing till everyone guesses who is on the paper on their forehead. Or you can give a prize to those who get the correct answer.

Most Likely To

As the game’s name implies, it involves asking questions about the people in the group. To play, first sit in a circle, and then one of you will start by asking who is most likely to, for example, win the lottery. The rest will point to the person they feel will do so. The person with the most fingers pointed at is out of that round, and the process continues till only one person is left. An interesting way to make the game fun is to skip elimination but keep playing.

Straight Face

This game shows who can keep a straight face even in a hilarious moment:

Each player will write funny phrases on paper, and everyone will sit in a circle.
Each player will throw the papers into a hat and mix them.
One player will pick one of the papers and read it aloud.

Now, everyone needs to keep a straight face no matter how funny; the person who giggles or bursts into laughter loses that round. Keep repeating the process until there are no more papers.

What’s in the bag?

This game is an exciting way to brighten the mood at an adult party. First, you must get a bag and put some things inside it. Next, pass it around for all participants to guess what is inside the bag without looking inside. But note that the objects you will put inside the bag must be interesting and random.

Name That Tune

Name that Tune is one of the best group games for a fun-filled event at an adult party. In a group, one person starts by humming the tune to a song, and the next person has to correctly guess the artist and title of the song. If they get it wrong, they must hum a tune or sing a few notes for the next person.

What’s your story?

This game is perfect for an outdoor or indoor adult party because it helps people get to know each other. To start, a person can tell a story about how they flew on a plane for the first time. Next, another person will continue the story with what followed. In a short time, everyone will have revealed something personal about themselves. Fun fact: the more stories, the more fun.

Don’t Say Yes

In this game, players can’t say the word yes; they can’t wink or use body language that looks like a yes. When players mistakenly say yes, they get decorated with a sticker or hairpin. By the end of the game, each player will compare who has the most stickers. This game, though, is much more appropriate for a very large crowd; the more, the merrier.

Pool

As its name implies, the pool involves a pool of water, adult party supplies like plastic animals, ping pong balls, and cheap sunglasses. Next, toss the adult party materials into the pool with water. Each participant will take turns diving into the pool and claiming whatever item they find. This game is very efficient on a very hot day. First, the people get to cool their heads in the water. And they can also pick up materials to make it more exciting.

DIY Twisters

This game is an awesome way to keep a party entertained. First, you need a large piece of fabric, plastic cups, paint or markers, and a bottle. Next, spread the fabric, draw a large twister board, and fill the cups with different paint colors. Now, each player will take turns spinning the bottle, whichever color it lands on. They will have to put their hands or feet into a cup the same color as the paint.

Water Balloon Volleyball

On a hot day, this game can make all the difference because all the participants will get to have fun and cool their bodies in the pool. All that is needed is an adult pool, balloons, and water. Then, split the group into two teams; now, each player turns tossing water balloons at the other team. Once the balloon hits any player, they are out, and the process continues till one team eliminates the other.

Ring Toss

Almost everyone, if not everyone, has played this game since childhood. But now you get to toss the rings into a bottleneck, which is very fun and competitive. The player with more rings in the bottleneck wins. To spice it up, you can include a rule that makes the player who wins drink the beverage in the bottle, which could be beer or another drink.

Rock, Paper, and Scissors

Rock, paper, scissors is a popular game that everyone enjoys playing, but this time, enter the extreme to make it more fierce, competitive, and fun. Split the group into teams, and divide the team into pairs. As a rule, all teams will play three rock-and-scissors games. Now, the winners of each team will continue to compete against each other until there is only one group left. This game is very interesting if there are many people around to play.

Drunk Waiter

This outdoor game is for the bold and daring because it involves drinking, navigation, and recreation. A participant must hold a tray filled to the brim with drinks and navigate rough terrain without spilling the drink. An interesting thing is that if any of the drinks spill, the player needs to bottom up before walking again. It sure looks challenging, but it’s an exciting way to have fun.

Charades

This game is perfect for indoor and outdoor parties because it involves every participant. To play, select a theme, which can be a movie, book, or song. Next, divide the group into teams, and one person from each team will have to act out the theme on behalf of their team. To make the game more interesting, you can make the theme something or someone you all know or who is quite popular.

Taboo

It’s a stimulating card game that gets everyone excited. First, you need to split into teams, then get your team to guess a phrase without using the words on the taboo cards or any variations.

How is yours?

To play this game, you must select a person to leave the room, and then the rest of you pick a common quality or characteristic. Then the person comes back into the room and asks, “How is yours?” Everyone will then take turns giving a one-word reply describing that word, after which the person will guess which word matches the single-word answer closest to the characteristics. For example, they could say thick, black, or short for hair. The overall goal is to guess the shared characteristics.

Telephone

Telephone is an adult party game that suits all sizes of crowds in attendance. First, everyone needs to sit in a circle, then choose a phrase and whisper it to the person next to you. That person will whisper it to the next until it goes around. But the fun part is that once you whisper the word, you can’t repeat it, and the next person will have to whisper what they heard to the next until it reaches you. The aim is to notice how much the initial word has changed before it gets to you.

I’m Thinking Of

In this game, one person starts by saying, “I am thinking of… for example, they could name a celebrity or an object. Then, the next person immediately says what comes to mind after hearing that word. The fun part is that it can be anything, but it should be related to them. Perhaps the word was “ball.” They have to say something related to them about the “ball,” like the last time they played ball or the first ball they bought.

Conclusion

Games are a very important way to build friendships, boost teamwork, and enhance concentration. While many believe only children should play games, adults too can hop in on the fun. In this article, I have discussed ten games adults can participate in to have fun and spice up their social gatherings.

FAQs

Should only children play games?

No, adults too can play fun-giving and stimulating games to boost their events. Apart from the the fun they create, games also have a way of stimulating the brain and improving skills

What games can adults play?

Adults can play games like beer pong, Never Have I Ever, and musical chairs. In addition, all the games mentioned on this list are great picks for adults

What are the benefits of playing games?

Benefits include building new friendships and strengthening old ones, boosting motor skills, and responding to stimuli.

What are some games that can be very competitive?

Games like Ring Toss, Drunk Waiter, Rock Paper, and Scissors are competitive but fun. You can research some more games that provide that competitiveness. The advantage of this is that competition promotes a sense of collaboration.

Key Takeaways

Some games require a more careful approach, like selecting the right audience and the right number of crowds.
Adult games are a fun way to lighten the mood at a boring event; they can also help us form a lifelong bond of friendships.
While some games require props or a set of rules, some are straightforward.
Some games are designed for certain ages. If one is not suitable for you, you can switch to another.
Finally, the purpose of games is to have fun, so ensure a comfortable atmosphere before any game begins.

Enjoy these games with your adult friends 😉