Party games are

game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

s that are played at social gatherings to facilitate interaction and provide entertainment and

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...

. Categories include (explicit) icebreaker, parlour (indoor), picnic (outdoor), and large group games.Frankel, Lillian; Frankel, Godfrey; and Anderson, Doug (2007). ''Party Games for Adults'', p.7. Sterling. .Sheila Anne Barry (1987). ''The World's Best Party Games'', p.3. Sterling. . Other types include pairing off (partnered) games, and parlour races. Different games will generate different atmospheres so the party game may merely be intended as an icebreakers, or the sole purpose for or structure of the party. As such, party games aim to include players of various skill levels and player-elimination is rare. Party games are intended to be played socially, and are designed to be easy for new players to learn.McGonigal, Jane (2011). ''Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World'', unpaginated. Penguin. .

Characteristics

The characteristics of party games tend to include: * A game can support a relatively large or undefined number of players, compared to more traditional board games or card games that require a small, set number of players. Some games, especially commercial games, have a set limit based on available equipment; others are limited by other mechanics of the game like time for each turn, while still others have no practical limit, like Appyshot App. * Team-based play in party games is common, but not required. Games that divide players into two, three, or four roughly equal teams, such as ''

Cranium The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, the ...

'',

Charades Charades (, ). is a parlor game, parlor or party game, party word game, word guessing game. Originally, the game was a dramatic form of literary charades: a single person would act out each syllable of a word or phrase in order, followed by the w ...

or '' Pictionary'' tend to allow for larger total numbers of players. By contrast, other games such as Werewolf and '' How to Host a Murder'' are role-based, with each player being given a character or other role to play in the course of the game. The number of players is limited to the number of roles, but in many such games there are "generic" roles allowing for a high degree of flexibility. * Cooperation and interaction between players is encouraged. Both team and role-based play generally encourage this social aspect to the game; games that do not encourage this interaction generally make poor party games. * Multiple ways to play and contribute. For example, in '' Fictionary'' not everyone needs to create plausible dictionary definitions; humorous submissions are welcome. In Charades, players can actively participate in guessing without taking a turn at acting. Sports often make poor party games as limitations in a player's physical abilities may preclude participation though some party games, such as: relay racing and Red light/Green light, involve a significant physical aspect and are especially suitable for groups similar in age and ability. * Players participate in gameplay frequently, sometimes on an impromptu basis. Games in which each player has their own independent turn generally make poor party games, especially if a turn takes a long time. * A game should also have entertainment value for spectators. Many party games involve at least some level of humor, whether inherent in the game or introduced by players. In this way, players not taking a turn can still enjoy the gameplay, whilst party favors can embellish the party atmosphere. * Player elimination is rare. '' Monopoly'' makes a poor party game, because bankrupt players must sit out while the remaining players continue to the game's conclusion, which can take several hours. In contrast, no matter how far behind a team is in '' Pictionary'', all players can participate until the end. * The amount of specialized equipment needed is not dependent on the number of players. Games such as Liar's Dice make poor party games because each player needs a cup and five dice to start the game. By contrast, '' Yahtzee'' needs only one cup and set of dice regardless of the number of players (the basic Yahtzee game does have other practical limitations). * The game usually does not involve spending real money as a prerequisite or consequence of playing. Games that require each player to purchase consumable items or specialized equipment are usually poor party games. Casino games are a notable exception. Examples include "casino nights" with a token door charge or buy-in for charity or to defray costs and poker tournaments with a similar small buy-in.

Common party games

Musical chairs Lawn Jam Our Community Place Harrisonburg VA June 2008

1000 Blank White Cards 1000 Blank White Cards is a party game played with cards in which the deck is created as part of the game. Though it has been played by adults in organized groups worldwide, 1000 Blank White Cards is also described as well-suited for children in ...

30 Seconds 30 Seconds may refer to: * ''30 Seconds'' (game), a general-knowledge board game * ''30 Seconds'' (TV series), an Australian comedy series * "30 Seconds" (''Alias''), a television episode * "30 Seconds", a song by Tracy Bonham from ''The Burdens ...

* Apples to Apples * Appyshot App *

Articulate Articulate may refer to: * ''Articulate!'', a board game in which players describe words from different categories * Articulate brachiopods, brachiopods with toothed hinges and simple opening and closing muscles * Articulate sound, to move the ton ...

* Bat a rat * Balderdash * Bingo * Beer Pong *

Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), known as Sandro Botticelli (, ), was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century, when he was rediscovered ...

Buck buck Buck buck (also known as Johnny-on-a-Pony, or Johnny-on-the-Pony) is a children's game with several variants. One version of the game is played when "one player climbs another's back" and the climber guesses "the number of certain objects out of ...

Cards Against Humanity ''Cards Against Humanity'' is an adult party game in which players complete fill-in-the-blank statements, using words or phrases typically deemed offensive, risqué, or politically incorrect, printed on playing cards. It has been compared to th ...

* Catch Phrase * Celebrity *

* Chinese whispers * Consequences * Couch of Power * Dixit * Drinking games *

* Fictionary (related to the commercial Balderdash) *

Game For Fame ''Game for Fame'' is a party board game where 4-16 players work with and against their teammates in a number of physical challenges to earn money. The player with the largest amount of money at the end of the game is the winner. ''Game For Fame'' wa ...

* Gift Trap * Mafia (also known as Vampire or Werewolf) * Murder mystery games *

Musical statues Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

Nerf War A Nerf war is an activity involving Nerf toys or other toys. Nerf wars can be a wide range of combat, from informal shootouts in offices and basements to well-organized outdoor battles with high-powered modified blasters and toys. Since foam-fir ...

* Never have I ever *

Outburst (game) Parker Brothers (known by Parker outside of North America) was an American toy and game manufacturer which in 1991 became a brand of Hasbro. More than 1,800 games were published under the Parker Brothers name since 1883. Among its products wer ...

* Pictionary * Post Office (game) *

Psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

Scattergories ''Scattergories'' is a creative-thinking category-based party game originally published by Parker Brothers in 1988. Parker Brothers was purchased by Hasbro a few years later, which published the game internationally under its Milton Bradley bra ...

Scissors Scissors are hand-operated shearing tools. A pair of scissors consists of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles (bows) opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutti ...

Scruples Conscience is a cognitive process that elicits emotion and rational associations based on an individual's moral philosophy or value system. Conscience stands in contrast to elicited emotion or thought due to associations based on immediate sens ...

* Seven minutes in heaven * Shout about movies *

Song Saga A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

* Spin the bottle *

Strip game file:strip solitaire.jpg, alt= A man sits on a pillow facing away from the viewer, wearing only a belt and a bandanna. He holds a fanned hand of playing cards. An electric guitar and other objects frame the edges of the image., A man plays a strip ...

s *

Squeak piggy squeak Squeak piggy squeak is a parlour game that is sometimes called grunt piggy grunt, or oink piggy oink. It is a variation of blind man's buff and was popular in the Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire ...

* Taboo *

The priest of the parish The priest of the parish is a party game for 50-150 people and one chair for each person. The chairs are arranged in rows of equal numbers (for example, ten rows of five), half of them facing the other. Each row of chairs is given a number from o ...

* The Resistance *

Time's Up! (game) ''Time's Up'' is a charades-based party game designed by Peter Sarrett, and published by R&R Games, Inc., a Tampa, FL based manufacturer of tabletop games and party games. The first edition of the game was published in 1999, with the most recent ...

Treasure Hunt Treasure hunt generally refers to: * Treasure hunting, the physical search for treasure, typically by finding sunken shipwrecks or buried ancient cultural sites * Treasure hunt (game), a game simulating a hunt for treasure Treasure Hunt may refer ...

* Truth or Dare? and related games such as " Strip or Dare?" and "Drink or Dare?" *

Trip to Jerusalem Musical chairs, also known as Trip to Jerusalem, is a game of elimination involving players, chairs, and music. It is a staple of many parties worldwide. Gameplay A set of chairs is arranged with one fewer chair than the number of players ...

* Trivial Pursuit * Twenty questions *

Utter Nonsense! ''Utter Nonsense!'' is a comical card game played by a judge and players. History The game was created by Tim Swindle and Dave Mazurek. When they were classmates in college, they would at times play with their folks a game of reciting sentences i ...

* What? *

White Elephant Gift Exchange A white elephant gift exchange, Yankee swap or Dirty Santa is a party game where amusing and impractical gifts are exchanged during festivities. The goal of a white elephant gift exchange is to entertain party-goers rather than to gain a gen ...

Would you rather "Would you rather" is a conversation or party game that poses a dilemma in the form of a question beginning with "would you rather". The dilemma can be between two supposedly good options such as "Would you rather have the power of flight or the ...

Zip and bong Zip and bong (also known as zip bong, zip 'n' bong, or zip zip bong) is a car or party group-dynamic game which requires little skill and no accessories. Surfacing around the turn of the 21st century, it is widespread throughout the United States, w ...

Zip Zap Zop Zip, sometimes known as "Zip Zap Boing" or "Zip Zap Zop"PartyPlan Party Game
< ...

* Zoom Schwartz Profigliano

Children's party games

Traditional children's party games include: *

Forty forty Forty Forty (also known as 123 Home, Forty Forty In, Mob Mob, flicky 123 and other names) is a children's game combining elements of the games "It" and Hide and seek. One player is "on", or "It", and they must capture the other players by 'spying ...

* Blind man's bluff *

The Farmer in the Dell "The Farmer in the Dell" is a singing game, nursery rhyme, and children's song. It probably originated in Germany and was brought to America by immigrants.I. Opie and P. Opie, ''The Singing Game'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985), pp. 183� ...

* Hunt the Thimble (or slipper, or other object) * Hide and seek * Musical chairs *

* Oranges and Lemons * Pass the parcel * Pin the tail on the donkey * Sardines * Piñata *

Poor pussy {{Short description, Party game Poor pussy is an old party game played by children and adults often in drama classes or at parties. As it is described: :This game makes everybody laughter, laugh. Have the guests sit around the room. Choose one per ...

Wink murder Wink murder is a party game or parlour game in which a secretly selected player is able to "kill" others by winking at them, while the surviving players try to identify the killer. The game is also variously known as murder wink, killer, murder i ...

* Duck, duck, goose *

Sleeping lions Sleeping lions is a children's game. Rules All but one or two players are "lions", and lie down on the floor, eyes closed, as if they were sleeping. The remaining one or two players (" hunters") move about the room attempting to encourage the l ...

* Mother May I? * Rock paper scissors * Twister

Video games

Party video games are commonly designed as a collection of simple

minigames A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than th ...

, designed to be intuitive and easy to control, and allow for competition between many players. Some, like the '' Mario Party'' series and ''

Sonic Shuffle is a ''Sonic the Hedgehog''-themed party game developed and published by Sega for the Dreamcast in 2000. The game plays like a board game much in the same vein as Nintendo's ''Mario Party'' series, with up to four players moving their character ...

'', are played on simulated game boards. '' BYTE'' in 1981 called the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

sports game ''

Olympic Decathlon ''Olympic Decathlon'' is a sports video game written by Timothy W. Smith for the TRS-80 and published in 1980 by Microsoft. In the game, the player competes in ten track and field events. The gold medalist for decathlon in the Montreal 1976 Sum ...

'' (1980) "the first true party game for

microcomputer A microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer having a central processing unit (CPU) made out of a microprocessor. The computer also includes memory and input/output (I/O) circuitry together mounted on a printed circuit board (PC ...

s". Another early example is

Starpath Starpath was a U.S. company known for creating the Starpath Supercharger in August 1982. The company was founded under the name Arcadia Corporation in 1981 by Alan Bayley, Robert Brown, and Craig Nelson. It changed its name to Starpath shortly a ...

's '' Party Mix''.

Large group games

Large group games are played by many participants and are often used as planned activities in structured environments, especially as educational activities. They are similar to party games, except that large group games are typically planned for larger numbers (perhaps even hundreds) as part of an event. Large group games can take a variety of forms and formats. Some are physical games such as

. Some are modeled on the TV game show format, offering points for teams who can answer questions the fastest. Trivia-type games might have questions posed from the stage and each tabletop writing their answers to be collected and scored. Others may take on some of the qualities of Open Space environments and allow participants to wander in a less structured way. Some are modeled on TV reality shows such as ''

The Amazing Race ''The Amazing Race'' is an adventure reality game show franchise in which teams of two people race around the world in competition with other teams. The ''Race'' is split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselves in forei ...

'' or ''

Survivor Survivor(s) may refer to: Actual survivors * *Last survivors of historical events Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Found ...

''. Participants compete as individuals or in teams to complete challenges that move them towards victory in a competition spanning the entire party. The TV shows on which such parties are based are normally competitions involving elimination, so such events require significant planning to avoid exclusion or boredom. There is also now electronic party games such as Cards Against Humanity or Appyshot App, that can be played on the phone or computer. Group board games can take on the design of small groups of players, seated at tables of 4 to 6 people, who work together on a problem. There can be large numbers of people (and thus many tables). If properly designed, these scalable exercises can be used for small groups (12 to 20 people) as well as very large events (600 people or 100 tables). Generally, for these larger exercises, multimedia projectors, large screens and microphones are required for instructions and communications. A search for team building events can turn up millions of links to exercises, companies, and various offerings ranging from paintball competitions to fire walks to outdoor climbing or whitewater adventures. The impact on actual team building can vary widely - a golf outing for corporate executives does not generally accomplish much in the way of organizational improvement while a business simulation might be directly focused on linking the play of the game to issues for corporate improvement. Holiday groups use a gift exchange party game such as

white elephant gift exchange A white elephant gift exchange, Yankee swap or Dirty Santa is a party game where amusing and impractical gifts are exchanged during festivities. The goal of a white elephant gift exchange is to entertain party-goers rather than to gain a gen ...

for socializing and sharing gifts. New online party games, based on these holiday games, allow larger groups to gather on the internet to save travel expenses.

References