20 Games To Play In The House With Your Adult Friends
Why should kids have all the fun? As someone who loves to host, I’m always looking for new ways to entertain my guests. One of my favorite ways to spice up a gathering is with games!
Of course, gone are the days of hide-and-seek and cops and robbers. That said, there are still plenty of games you can play at home with your adult friends for a super fun and memorable night.
20+ Games To Play In The House With Your Adult Friends
One of the best reasons to play fun indoor games with your friends is how affordable, accessible, and low-effort it really is. Yes, you can always play board games or video games, too—but this experience is truly unique!
Most of these games only require paper and pens to play, yet your friends will be talking about the night for years to come. It’s a budget-friendly, engaging way to spend meaningful time with great company.
And while the fun is a big part of it, it’s not the only reason to play games with your adult friends. Here are a few more huge benefits of play for adults:
What Are The Benefits Of Playing Games At Home With Friends?
- Make Hosting Easy and Accessible
- Fit Within Everyone’s Budget
- Keep Things Fun and Low Pressure
- Welcome All Personalities and Ages
- Encourage Real Conversation and Presence
- Offer Screen-Free Fun
- Support Healthy Mental Stimulation
- Spark Laughter and Relieve Stress
- Build Stronger Connections
- Create Meaningful Traditions and Memories
What Are Some Fun Games In The House To Play With Adult Friends?
Charades
Here’s a classic that never gets old. If it’s been a while since you’ve played, here’s a rundown: one person silently acts out a prompt, and the person who guesses correctly wins. You can break into teams, theme the prompts, allow props—whatever you want! Make it your own and perfectly curated for your guests.
Heads Up!
This one technically involves a phone or board game, but you could DIY it, so I’m including it on this list. One person holds the phone or a card to their forehead where a word or phrase is displayed. The rest of the partygoers yell out clues until the player guesses the content correctly. They keep going until time runs out!
Living Room Pictionary
For Living Room Pictionary, you’ll need a whiteboard or a large pad of paper. Break everyone into teams, then have a player from each team take turns drawing a picture. As they draw, each team tries to guess what they’re creating. The first team to guess correctly gets the point.
Caption This
This one will take a little prep work (and a somewhat thick-skinned friend group), but it’s a lot of fun. Before the gathering, print out a few dozen photos from your friends’ social media pages. For the game, display a photo and allow everyone to write a caption for the image. Then, vote on the best ones!
Sip or Spill
Here’s a simple game that could be a drinking game, but would be just as enjoyable with mocktails. To play, take turns asking lighthearted or spicy questions (depending on your group’s vibe). The person being questioned can either spill (answer honestly) or sip (take a drink). Either way, their response is telling!
Most Likely To
For a super casual activity that works around a dinner table or while lounging on the couch, play “Most Likely To.” Beforehand, write or print prompts that say “Most Likely To [Thing].” Each person reads a prompt while everyone points and votes on who fits it best.
For example: “Most Likely To Forget Their Own Birthday” or “Most Likely To Mess Up Boxed Mac and Cheese.” This one always brings laughs.
Scavenger Hunt
Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? Doing it indoors adds an extra challenge, but you can make it work with a bit of creativity. Here’s how to make it fun:
- Use challenging rhymes or riddles
- Make guests do trivia or physical challenges to get the next clue
- Have each clue reference a specific memory
- Utilize the whole house (even the yard, if possible)
- Build momentum for a big reveal or prize
20 Questions
20 Questions is a classic party game, similar to some of the other activities I’ve already described. One person who is “it” thinks of a word. The rest of the group asks yes-or-no questions in an attempt to guess what the player is thinking of. The catch? They have to guess correctly in 20 questions or fewer.
Finish the Lyric
There are lots of ways to play this game. If you’re up for a little prep, take song lyrics and cut them off mid-chorus or mid-verse, letting players finish the lyric.
For a simpler version, have someone start singing a song and stop suddenly. The rest of the group jumps in to finish it.
Or, play it Jimmy Fallon–style. Pick a song everyone knows and sit in a circle. One person says the first word of the lyrics, then each person adds the next word until someone messes up.
Murder Mystery Night
Murder Mystery Nights are perfect for creative friend groups. Use a pre-made template and follow the included directions.
Each guest receives a character to dress up and roleplay as for the entire night. You then work through the storyline, clues, and timed prompts—uncovering secrets, interrogating other players, and slowly piecing together what really happened.
As the night unfolds, new information emerges. Suspicions shift until everyone makes their final guess, and the murderer is revealed at the end.
Emoji Translation
Create or find a string of emojis that represents a movie, song, phrase, or saying on your phone’s notes app, or on a laptop or iPad. Show it to the group and have everyone guess what it means. It’s harder than it sounds.
You can prep emoji clues in advance or take turns creating them on the spot. Phones might be involved, but the game stays fast-paced and interactive.
Minute to Win It Games
Everyone loves a Minute to Win It game. The premise is simple: challenge guests to complete ridiculous tasks in under a minute. You can keep score or play purely for laughs. Either way, it’s always a hit.
Here are some example challenges:
- Move marshmallows from one plate to another using a straw
- Shake ping-pong balls out of a tissue box attached to your waist
- Balance a balloon in the air using only your elbows, knees, or head
- Move a cookie from your forehead to your mouth using only facial muscles
- Build and break down a pyramid using empty plastic cups as many times as you can
Escape Room
Escape Rooms are so much fun for people of all ages. They challenge you while also encouraging collaboration and inspiring tons of laughter. You’re probably familiar with escape room venues, but did you know you can actually do it in your own house? It has a similar charm to the DIY murder mystery games!
To do it, buy an escape room game kit like these from Masters of Mystery. Theme your party around the edition you chose (like time travel or haunted houses). And before the party starts, send out my Tips For Solving Escape Rooms And Games.
Mafia/Werewolf
Mafia or Werewolf is a social deduction game where players secretly receive roles. Most players act as villagers or civilians, while a small number secretly play as the mafia or werewolves. It’s essentially like the popular online multiplayer game, Among Us, minus the screens.
Each round, players debate who they think the villain is. Everyone then votes to eliminate one person, who reveals their role. If the group eliminates the wrong person, the game continues! The game ends when the villagers eliminate all the villains or when the villains outnumber the group. See if you and your friends survive!
House Olympics
Remember the Office Olympics episode of The Office? It’s one of my favorites. You could easily use that same idea in your house for a ridiculously funny and memorable evening with your friends. Just make your list of events, break into teams, and have gold medals ready!
Here are some ideas for house Olympic events:
- Sock Match Sprint: Match as many pairs as possible in 60 seconds
- Paper Towel Tear Test: Tear exactly one square with one hand
- Tupperware Lid Match: Find matching lids under pressure
- Cushion Construction: Build a fort using cushions, pillows, etc.
- Find It First: First person to find specific household item
Survivor
Okay, this one is a little more intense and requires a lot of prep, but it’s so worth it! Your friends will be talking about it for years. Here’s how people play Survivor at home:
Start by putting everyone into one group (or two small teams if you have more people). Each round begins with a quick challenge—this can be anything from a memory game to a short physical or logic task.
The winner earns immunity, meaning they can’t be voted out that round. After the challenge, give the group a few minutes to talk privately, form alliances, and quietly decide how they want to vote.
Next comes Tribal Council. Everyone sits together, discusses what happened that round, and then secretly writes down one name. The host collects and reads the votes, and the person with the most votes is eliminated.
You repeat this cycle—challenge, strategy time, and vote—until only a few players remain. At the end, either the eliminated players vote for the winner or the final players compete in one last challenge. It works so well for adults because it’s less about athletic ability and more about social awareness, persuasion, and knowing when to trust (or betray) your friends.
Gamified Karaoke
Everyone knows karaoke—but gamify it. Choose songs in advance, hand two friends microphones, and surprise them with a song. Whoever performs the best or knows the most lyrics wins!
Price is Right
You can play The Price Is Right in real life at home! Here’s how it works:
One person acts as the host and assigns real or made-up prices to everyday household items. Players guess the price, and whoever gets closest without going over wins the round or earns a point.
To keep it fun, mix in quick rounds like bidding on the same item, guessing whether a price is higher or lower, or doing a final “showcase” where players guess the total value of several items combined. It works well because it’s fast, low-pressure, and everyone thinks they’re better at guessing prices than they actually are—which is half the fun.
Talent Show
When you’re a kid, there are plenty of opportunities to show off your talents. As an adult, not so much. In light of this, host a talent show that lets your friends share their hidden skills! It’s entertaining and helps everyone connect on a deeper level.
Trivia
For the final game, go with an oldie but a goodie—trivia. If your friends have played trivia before, spice it up with a theme or niche topic. For a full breakdown, check out my post on How To Host A Trivia Night.
Guess the Wiki Top List
You’ll need your phone or a laptop. Select a random list on Wikipedia and using the top 10 or top 20 (go with a larger size if your group is bigger) and each person gets 1-3 guesses for what’s on the list.
Don’t share whether anyone is correct until everyone has their guesses in. Then share the list and give everyone points based on their guesses (if they guessed the number 1 spot, they get 10 or 20 points and if they get the 20th spot they get1 point.)
Go through 5 lists or so and whoever has the most points wins. You can find lists like, highest grossing movies, most populated states, etc.
Spoons
All you need for this game is a pack of cards and some spoons. You’ll sit around a table and lay the spoons in the middle with one less spoon than the total number of players. You deal out all the cards in the deck to the players.
On “Go” you pass one card from your hand to the person on your left, moving quickly, until someone gets four of the same cards, like having all the 7s. At this point, whoever has found of the same cards you can grab a spoon in the middle. As soon as someone makes a grab, every other player can too. At the end one person will be without a spoon and will be out of the game. Keep playing until only one person remains and they are the winner.
Press Conference
This is similar to the game Celebrity, but instead of you asking people questions to figure out which character you are, instead just one person is the “Celebrity” and the other players (who know your character) shout questions at you. You have to try and answer the questions despite not knowing who you are and use those questions to guess your character.
Try these fun indoor games with your adult friends!
At the end of the day, the games are just an excuse. What really makes these nights special is the laughter, the inside jokes, and the memories you end up talking about long after everyone goes home.
You don’t need a big budget or elaborate plans. Instead, you just need the right mix of people, a little creativity, and a willingness to lean into the fun. So clear some space in your living room, pick a few games from this list, and turn an ordinary night at home into one your friends won’t forget.
For more hosting tips and activity ideas, subscribe to my newsletter check out my blog! Also, don’t forget to follow my Instagram, @caseyandthecity, to see what I’m up to in real time. Looking for ways to spice up an average night? Head to these posts next:
