If you want to spice up a gathering, party games for adults are a simple way to add some devilish fun. There’s no need to keep things PG – down your drinks, divulge dirty secrets, and make your friends laugh with the crudest jokes you know. We’ve done all the hard work of suggesting fun party games for adults, so you don’t have to. Simply pick a title from our list, and get playing.
Inspired by our love of board games for adults, each of these picks is aimed at players aged 18 or above. That means you’ll see plenty of popular drinking games, as well as card games with an expletive edge.
If you want a more sober gathering or games that’ll appeal to a wider age group, then stop by our guides to party board games and party card games. And if you’re after more quality tabletop titles, our best board games guide can point you in the right direction.
These are the best party games for adults:
- Cards Against Humanity – Best for dark comedy
- Never Have I Ever – Best social game
- Beer Pong – A classic drinking game
- King’s Cup – A fast-paced drinking game
- Truth or Dare – Simple and spicy
1. Cards Against Humanity
The best party game for adults with a dark sense of humour.
Pros:
- Easy to learn and play
- Great for laughs
- Can be played with or without alcohol
Cons:
- Can feel repetitive after several games
- You’ll need to spend a bit of money
Ah, Cards Against Humanity. This is the funny card game that launched a thousand ships, with imitators trying to recapture its novel concept and gallows humor. It’s incredibly easy to play, which is perfect for late-night parties, where your friends may or may not be inebriated.
At the beginning of a round, one member of your group becomes the Card Czar, and they read out a black prompt card. This will be a sentence with some empty spaces in, for example: “[BLANK]. That’s how I want to die.”
Everyone at the table will have a hand of white cards, and they must pick a card to fill in each blank space in the prompt sentence. These can get pretty dark, toeing the line of offensive comedy like a ballerina with a potty mouth. The Card Czar will read each completed sentence out, and they get to decide whose version of the prompt was the funniest.
The aim of the game is to score the most points by making the funniest sentences. But, truth be told, most players stop counting after a few rounds. The real joy of the game is shocking and titillating your friends with your X-rated ideas.
Unfortunately, the main issue with shock humor is that it’s hard to repeat. There are only so many times that “A sad handjob” will be funny, and once you’ve crossed the threshold, Cards Against Humanity starts to feel stale. At this point, you’ll need to fork out some cash for a fresh expansion or find a different party game to play.
2. Never Have I Ever
The best adult party game for getting to know your buddies.
Pros:
- Free and easy to play
- Great for non-gamers who prefer chatting
- A good ice-breaker
Cons:
- Coming up with prompts can be tricky
- Things could get awkward!
- Not much fun for non-drinkers
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Never Have I Ever. The concept is deliciously simple: simply say an outrageous or ordinary thing that you’ve never done, preceded by the phrase ‘Never Have I Ever’. Anyone around you who has done that thing must take a swig of their drink. There’s no points scoring, no board or cards, and no real way to win – other than emptying your glass, that is.
Perhaps you’re on a tight budget. Or maybe you hang out with the kind of people that can’t stand playing board games. Both of these are great reasons to kickstart a game of Never Have I Ever.
The main downside of this particular party game is that you’ll have to think up a lot of Never Have I Ever questions. If inspiration runs dry, you could find yourself at a very sober (or very boring) party. We’ve put together a guide to help keep this game afloat, and you can also buy a pack of prompt cards for just such an occasion.
3. Beer Pong
The classic party game for adults, featuring table tennis balls.
Pros:
- Apart from the booze, it’s a cheap game to play
- Easy to play, and doesn’t take much skill
Cons:
- Not much fun for non-drinkers
- Doesn’t encourage players to socialize
Beer Pong is the favored party game of frat parties in all sorts of movies. If you want to play it in real life, you’ll need a small army of cups filled with alcohol, as well as a table tennis ball. Two teams will take turns bouncing the ball to the other end of the table, and if it lands in one of the cups placed there, they must down that drink.
It’s an incredibly simple game and – depending on what you drink – it can be inexpensive, too. Judging where your table tennis ball will land is a near-impossible feat, so everyone can enjoy the highs and lows of a great or terrible throw.
Beer Pong isn’t without its problems, though. If nobody manages to land their ball for some time, you’ve got a lot of sober people standing around with nothing to do. It’s not got a lot of appeal for your sober friends, and its simplicity can be a limitation at times.
4. King’s Cup
A quick-fire party game for adults that’s bound to get you drunk.
Pros:
- Cheap to play and easy to learn
- Fast-paced gameplay
Cons:
- Not much fun for non-drinkers
Another classic drinking game is King’s Cup. We’ve written an entire guide to the King’s Cup rules, but if you’re new to this adult party game, here’s a snapshot of how it plays.
Stick a cup in the middle of the table, and fan out a deck of cards in a circle around it, face-down. Players take turns flipping a card face-up, and depending on what they reveal, they’ll have to perform an activity. They might need to begin a word game, or they might need to select another player. Whatever the instructions, all cards lead to someone drinking their beverage of choice.
The game’s name comes from that cup in the center, which gets filled with a little booze every time a King gets flipped. When all four are revealed, the last person to pull a king must down the dirty pint. The game could end here, or you could keep going ‘til every card has been revealed. The rules are flexible, and it’s your party.
5. Truth or Dare
A simple party game for adults that can get spicy very quickly.
Pros:
- Free to play and easy to learn
- No need to drink if you don’t want to
- Creative dares can really spice up a night
Cons:
- Coming up with prompts can be tricky
- Things could get awkward!
Truth or Dare may be a popular game in the schoolyard, but it’s also a worthy party game for adults. All you need to do is age up the truths and dares. Force your friends to reveal their filthiest secrets, or dare them to eat, drink, or reveal something outlandish with a naughty dare.
Of course, coming up with some suitable Truth or Dare questions can be a lot of work. We’ve put together a guide to help you get started, if you’re worried. And since we’re giving that info away, you can easily play this party game without spending a penny.
For more grown-up activities, here are the best card games for adults you should try. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, why not check out the best family board games and kids’ board games?
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