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Friendsgiving party games

Friendsgiving is a long, slow evening with people who already know your worst habits. These free games keep the table talking and the couch arguing, with one phone and nothing to set up.

  1. Secret word, one liarImposterEveryone gets the same Thanksgiving word, like stuffing or parade balloon, except one bluffer who has to fake it. It takes 3 to 12 players and fits the wait while the turkey rests.In the deck: Turkey, Stuffing, Cranberry sauce, Pumpkin pie, Wishbone, Parade balloon…
  2. Most Likely ToMost Likely To Questions for FriendsWritten for friends who know each other a little too well: trips, odd habits, phone life and the group chat. Start it while people are still arriving, and everyone points on three.For example: Who’s most likely to plan the whole trip down to the minute? · Who’s most likely to turn a quick errand into an all-day adventure?
  3. Would You RatherThanksgiving Would You Rather QuestionsPie, leftovers, holiday travel and the relative who tells the same story every year. Pass it down the table between helpings and make everyone defend their answer.For example: Would you rather skip the turkey and eat only sides or skip the sides and eat only turkey? · Would you rather give up mashed potatoes forever or give up stuffing forever?
  4. Act it outCharadesCarving the turkey, fighting over the last dinner roll, falling asleep on the couch after dinner. Split the room into two teams and act it out on a full stomach.In the deck: Carving the turkey, Pulling the wishbone, Watching the parade on TV, Falling asleep on the couch after dinner, Sitting at the kids' table, Making a mashed potato volcano…
  5. Phone-on-your-forehead guessingForehead GuessForehead Guess with words everyone at the table knows, like food coma, stretchy pants and air mattress. Turn the brightness up and play in 2 to 4 teams.In the deck: Roast turkey, Cranberry sauce, Wishbone, Kids' table, Food coma, Parade balloon…
  6. Forbidden-words gameDon’t Say ItDescribe stretchy pants without saying elastic, waist, comfy, full or loose. Two teams and a watcher from the other side make it the loudest game of the night.In the deck: Turkey, Stuffing, Cranberry sauce, Wishbone, Leftovers, Food coma…
  7. Secret vote, loud debateRed Flag or Green FlagReplies to every text with just a thumbs-up: red flag or green flag? The Friends and Roommates decks were made for this crowd, and whoever lands in the minority has to explain.
  8. Secret location, one spyFind the SpyEveryone knows the location except the spy. Pick the Food spots pack, from food truck to all-you-can-eat buffet, for a night that's mostly about food anyway.
  9. Three rounds, one bowl of wordsFishbowlChoose Write your own and let everyone add inside jokes, old trips and things only this group would get. The same words come back for three rounds, and they get funnier every time.
  10. The phone is the narratorMafiaThe main event once the dishes are done. It takes 5 to 16 players, and the phone narrates every night, so the host gets to play too.

A Friendsgiving game plan

Friendsgiving has its own rhythm. People arrive at different times with a dish in each hand, dinner runs long, and the best part is usually the couch afterward. One game for each stage is plenty.

  1. 1As people arrive, read Most Likely To questions for friends out loud. Nobody has to put their dish down to point.
  2. 2While the turkey rests, play a round or two of Imposter with the Thanksgiving deck. A round takes a few minutes, so it's easy to stop when the food is ready.
  3. 3At the table, pass around the Thanksgiving would you rather questions between helpings.
  4. 4After dinner, split into teams for charades, Forehead Guess or Don't Say It. Twenty to thirty minutes is about right before someone goes looking for pie.
  5. 5Late in the night, with whoever's still there, play Mafia or a long game of Fishbowl.

Hosting family on the day itself? Our Thanksgiving games are set up for kids and grandparents too.

Games for a big table

A long table makes some games hard. The people at one end can't hear the other end, and nobody wants to get up in the middle of a meal. Pick games where everyone answers at once, or where the phone travels to the player.

  • Would You Rather and Most Likely To: read the card out loud, and everyone answers or points on three. It works with 20 people as well as with 5.
  • Red Flag or Green Flag: pass the phone down the table for a secret vote. Up to 12 can vote, and the rest of the table can weigh in on whoever is in the minority.
  • Imposter and Find the Spy: each player checks their card in private as the phone goes around. With more than 12 at the table, play one end at a time and let the other end watch and make their own guess.
  • Forehead Guess: the guesser holds the phone to their forehead without leaving their chair, and their team shouts clues across the plates.

For a crowd bigger than the table, see our party games for large groups.

Games for the couch after dinner

After the meal, people sink into the couch and stay there. That's the moment for team games where one person stands up and everyone else shouts.

Charades and Forehead Guess with the Thanksgiving deck are the easy start, since the words are things everyone just ate or did. Don't Say It is the step up: harder, louder and best with at least four players.

If the group is staying late, give the rest of the night to one long game. Fishbowl takes about 45 minutes and gets funnier every round. Mafia runs 30 to 40 minutes for 5 to 16 players, and since the phone does the narrating, nobody has to sit out to run it.

When the energy dips, switch to something you can play half asleep. Red Flag or Green Flag only asks for a tap and an opinion, and the Roommates deck always starts a debate about the right way to load a dishwasher.

House rules for Friendsgiving games

A few ground rules, said once before the first game, save a lot of arguing later.

  • One phone for the game. Everyone else's goes in a basket by the door until the game is over.
  • Count off into teams. Split up couples and roommates, so no team gets a head start on reading each other's minds.
  • The host picks the first game. After that, the winning team picks the next one.
  • Whoever cooked the turkey gets the first turn, and anyone who brought store-bought pie goes last.
  • Skips are free. Anyone can pass on a card or sit out a round, no questions asked.
  • Keep rounds short. Sixty seconds in charades and Forehead Guess keeps the phone moving and the people on the couch awake.

Questions

What games are good for Friendsgiving?

Imposter, charades and Forehead Guess with their Thanksgiving decks, plus Most Likely To for friends. If the group stays late, Mafia or Fishbowl can fill the rest of the night.

What can we play at the dinner table?

Would You Rather, Most Likely To, Imposter and Find the Spy all work sitting down. The phone goes around, and nobody has to leave their plate.

How many people can play?

Charades, Would You Rather and Most Likely To have no real limit, and Forehead Guess and Fishbowl take up to 20 in teams. Imposter, Find the Spy and Red Flag or Green Flag take 3 to 12, and Mafia takes 5 to 16.

Should every game be Thanksgiving themed?

No. The Thanksgiving decks are fun for the first game or two, and then the regular decks keep things fresh for the rest of the night.

Are the games clean?

Yes. Every deck and question is clean, so the games work whether the table is old friends, new coworkers or somebody's visiting parents.

Do we need to download anything?

No. Every game runs free in your browser on one phone and is supported by ads. There's no app and no sign-up.

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