We are all familiar with the ins and outs of a child’s birthday party. There’s the obligatory game of pin the tail on the donkey. Most kids revel in a few good rounds of tag. A clown even might show up and make balloon animals for an audience of delighted children. But when it comes to planning birthday party games for adults, our culture tends to be a little less certain of protocol.
If all the guests at a party are at least 21 years old, adding a responsible drink or two to the party game mix can mix up a bucket of fun. For example, a card game called kings is perfect for those adults who are inclined to have a celebratory drink. To play this game, you need between three and 10 people. First, get a full deck of cards. Lay all the cards face down on the table. They don’t have to be in a neat pile. At this point, each player should have a drink of their choice. Each card stands for a different command, which you can make up. (For example, you could decide that if a player draws a queen, that player must take five sips of his or her drink.) To begin, choose a player to go first. That person picks a card and flips it over so that the card is visible to everyone. The player must complete the action associated with that card. The order of players then simply moves clockwise, and continues until the final king card has been drawn. There are no winners or losers in kings; everybody gets to have a fun time enjoying the company of friends.
However, some of the best party games for adults don’t have to involve drinking. If your guests don’t know one another very well yet, you can help create camaraderie among the group by suggesting a game that requires team effort. Charades fits this bill. To play, divide your party into two teams. One player from each team is secretly given a word or phrase. It can be absolutely anything, from the London Bridge to corned beef. The player then gets up in front of their team and, without the use of words, attempts to get their team members to guess the word or phrase that they are conveying. In lieu of speech, the player is allowed to use facial expressions and all manners of bodily movement. The player only has a brief time to convey their message. If they fail, the other team gets a turn. After each player on each team has had a turn in front of the group, the team with the most successes in guessing wins.
Society dictates that birthday or dinner party games for adults ought to be refined. Sure, you can play a formal board game, but if you want to host a memorable party, remember that what matters most is that guests are having fun. Don’t be afraid to let loose and try new games!