Aside from your menu, perfect table settings, and carefully-selected guest list, dinner table games are one of the most important ways you can make your next soiree a total success.
Dinner party games are great ice-breakers and can break up the evening in exciting ways. If you’re looking to host the next big dinner event, check out these fun easy-to-understand games.
Never Have I Ever
If you’ve been to college, there’s a good chance that you’ve played a game of Never Have I Ever. This classic game involves some strong drinks and a set of questions designed to get people talking.
Essentially, a designated person states something they have never done, and those who have done it have to take a sip of their drinks.
Although you can make the game as tame or exciting as you’d like, it’s a good idea to think about the group before planning the questions or setting ground rules.
Charades
Charades is easily one of the most amusing party games you can bring to the dinner table, and since everyone knows the rules, there’s not much of a learning curve. Everyone writes down a well-known person and tosses their paper into a bowl or hat. Then, the designated charader picks a name, and the fun begins.
You can get as creative as you’d like, but try not to go too obscure; otherwise, your dinner guests might not pick up on who you’re talking about. As with Never Have I Ever, it’s important to be mindful of your guests and keep things PG-13 if you have to.
Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity is a fantastic dinner table game for an intimate group of friends. It’s not necessarily the ideal pick for mixed age groups or families, as the combinations on the cards can get seriously raunchy. Cards Against Humanity is a type of matching game.
There are several white cards and black cards in each hand. The objective is to put them together in unexpected and hilarious combinations. Then, a designated person collects the cards anonymously and selects their favorite conversation. The person who chooses the winning cards gets a point.
I Would Rather
I Would Rather is another ice-breaker and is a fantastic way to get to know your friends better. As with many other dinner party games on our list, it’s a good idea to set ground rules in advance, especially if you’re dealing with a mixed group of people.
The name of this game sums it up. A designated person goes around the table asking guests if they would rather have, or do, one thing or another.
Many of the options are downright silly; most people opt to ask their guests things like if they’d rather have a cat’s eyesight or be able to swim like a blue whale. But you can go in any direction that you’d like.
Kiss, Marry, Kill
In this version of I Would Rather, people have to choose who they would kiss, marry, or kill out of three people. These people can be celebrities, politicians, or even fictional people. A less common but more explosive way to play the game is to use mutual friends.
If you’re having a dinner party with mixed company, it’s not a good idea to use people at the table or those who you’ve just met. Some more conservative guests might find Kiss, Marry, Kill slightly offensive, so it’s good to read the room. Plan a different game if Kiss, Marry, Kill might be too scandalous.
Spot The Lie
This game works best if you’re having a dinner party with people you know pretty well because the objective is to listen to three statements and determine which one of them is a lie. Each guest has the opportunity to make three statements, but only two of them are the truth.
Although guests can talk about anything they like, it’s best to make the lie harder to spot by making all three statements similar or equally scandalous. Like other games on our list, you’ll want to lay down some ground rules if you think specific topics might be offensive to some of your guests.
Follow The Rules
This game is one of the best dinner table games to get everyone active and engaged from the beginning. As guests come to your party, ask them to develop a specific rule that everyone has to follow. The rule should pertain to something that guests often do, but not something they can avoid doing, like breathing.
There are a few good examples of rules that fit these criteria. Use these as inspiration for your own game.
- Don’t use people’s first names
- Avoid saying yes
- Only drink with your left hand
Keep track of who abides by the most rules and award a prize at the end.
The Category Game
The Category Game is an enjoyable way to get everyone at the table engaged because not only do you need to participate when it’s your turn; you have to listen to other peoples’ answers. The Category Game is simple; one designated person comes up with a category, and everyone else has to name things in it.
For example, if the category is “marine animals,” everyone would go around the table naming creatures like “whale,” “dolphin,” and “shark” until the category was exhausted. If guests have a lot of expertise in a particular area, you can even get more specific, like “Blue Whale,” “Bottle-Nosed Dolphin,” and “Tiger Shark.”
Each guest has to name a unique thing in the category without repeating any other answers.
Story Roundtable
Story Roundtable is a fantastic way to get to know all of your guests, and it works incredibly well if your attendees are more creative.
The game is straightforward. Someone starts to tell a story and then stops at a critical point in the plot. The following person at the table picks up where they left off and continues the story.
You can leave the start and stop points up to your guests or use a stopwatch to make the game more random. If you have a mixed group, you might want to keep specific topics off-limit. Story Roundtable is an excellent way for your guests to stretch their creative muscles while enjoying a delicious meal.
Traditional Cards
Cards are a great way to break the ice and keep your guests as comfortable as possible. Better still, virtually everyone knows at least one or two card games. Smart hosts will want to stay away from one-on-one games or singular games like Solitare. Instead, opt for Poker, Rummy, or even something like Go Fish.
Try to choose card games that are inclusive and have simple rules. That way, if someone else comes in to join the game later, you can explain it to them. Plus, you don’t need any special boards or an expensive set-up to play traditional cards. All you need are a few inexpensive decks and a big group of people.
Jar of Conversation Starters
This game is perfect for people who might not know each other very well. Before the party, the host or hostess fills a jar with folded pieces of paper. These are your “conversation starters.”
As with many of the other games listed here, it’s good to think about what kind of people are attending your party before writing out the questions.
Everyone takes turns choosing a piece of paper and reading the conversation starter. Unless you’re entirely sure who your audience is, stay away from politics, religion, and anything else that could be divisive. The best conversation starters are creative and will bond your guests.
Who Am I?
This game is better for mingling rather than sitting at the dinner table. So if you’re hosting a cocktail event for a larger group of people, consider using it.
For this game, you’ll need some Post-It notes and a marker. As each guest arrives, place a Post-It note with a celebrity’s name written on it on their forehead. The guests aren’t allowed to check their own notes and have to guess who their mystery celebrity is by the way that people interact with them.
The idea is that you treat each guest like the celebrity on their note. So, for example, if a guest is labeled “Lady Gaga,” another participant could ask them what acting with Bradley Cooper was like.
Final Thoughts for Successful Dinner Party Games
These dinner table game ideas are a fantastic starting point for your next party, but you can also customize them to fit your specific needs. For example, if you’re hosting a literary party, the “Who Am I?” game might feature characters from books rather than celebrities.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should err on the side of conservativeness. If you’re not sure if a topic or game is too racy for your guests, omit it. This way, everyone will have a great time. Also, have a few backup games on hand in case you need them.
