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Party games for large groups

Fifteen people, one phone, and nobody wants to sit on the couch and watch. These free group games keep a big crowd playing, from a whole room pointing at once to a town full of suspects.

  1. The phone is the narratorMafiaTakes 5 to 16 players, and the phone narrates every night, so nobody gets stuck running the game. The bigger the group, the more Mafia and the more suspects.
  2. Secret word, one liarImposterPlays up to 12 at a time, with two imposters once you hit 7. With a bigger crowd, rotate players in each round and let the audience make their own guess.
  3. Three rounds, one bowl of wordsFishbowlUp to 20 players in 2 to 4 teams, all on one phone. Three rounds with the same words means the inside jokes build all night.
  4. Phone-on-your-forehead guessingForehead GuessTakes up to 20 players in 2 to 4 teams, and the scoreboard keeps the totals. Turn the brightness all the way up so the whole room can read the word.
  5. Secret location, one spyFind the SpyUp to 12 players, with a second spy from 7. Everyone else at the party will want to watch the questioning, so let them vote too.
  6. Answer, pass, don’t get caughtHot PotatoTakes up to 20 in a circle. The hidden timer keeps the phone moving, and the whole room screams when it goes off.
  7. Act it outCharadesThere's no player limit, and up to four teams can play. Each team sends up one actor per round while the rest guess, so even the quiet ones end up shouting answers.
  8. Point on threeMost Likely ToEvery person votes on every card, so nobody waits for a turn. The bigger the group, the funnier the results.
  9. Draw on the phoneDraw & GuessUp to 20 players in 2 to 4 teams. Hand the phone to the drawer and let their team shout guesses, while the other teams enjoy the terrible drawings.
  10. Secret vote, loud debateRed Flag or Green FlagUp to 12 vote in secret, then the minority has to defend themselves in front of everyone. In a bigger crowd, let the rest of the room cheer or boo the explanation.

How to split a big group into teams

Big groups play best in teams. A team turns waiting into watching, and watching your own team struggle is half the fun. Most of our team games take 2 to 4 teams, so twenty people become four teams of five.

  • Count off by number instead of letting people pick. It breaks up friend groups and spreads the loud ones around.
  • Put different ages on every team. Kids are fearless actors, and the grown-ups know every old movie.
  • Pick a captain per team who holds the phone and calls the turn order.
  • Settle the turn order before round one, so the same show-off doesn't grab the phone every time.

Keep everyone in the game

The risk with a big group is the person at the edge of the room who hasn't had a turn in half an hour. A few small habits fix that.

  • Mix in games where everyone plays at once. In Most Likely To, every person votes on every card, and in Mafia everyone has a role from the first minute.
  • Keep rounds short. A 60-second round of charades, Fishbowl or Forehead Guess keeps the phone moving.
  • Give waiting players a job. In Fishbowl, the other team watches for anyone who says the word. In charades, someone can call out the time left.
  • Games with a 12-player cap, like Imposter, Find the Spy and Red Flag or Green Flag, still work: play a round, then swap in the people who were watching.
  • Make room. Push the coffee table back and stand the actor where the whole group can see.

What to play first, and for how long

Start with something the whole group does together, like Most Likely To or a round of Hot Potato. It warms up the room in five minutes, and nobody has to perform alone.

Then switch to a team game. Fishbowl, charades and Forehead Guess can each fill 20 to 40 minutes with a big crowd. Change games while people are still laughing, not after they've started checking their phones.

Later in the night, when people are settled in, Mafia is the main event. Give it 30 to 40 minutes. If a smaller circle of up to 12 is left at the table after that, Imposter or Find the Spy will keep them arguing for a good while.

Questions

What are good games for a group of 20 or more?

Charades and Most Likely To have no real player limit. Forehead Guess, Fishbowl, Draw & Guess and Hot Potato take up to 20, and Mafia up to 16. Past that, play in teams and rotate who holds the phone.

Does everyone need their own phone?

No. Every game here runs on one phone. One person holds it or passes it around, and everyone else plays out loud.

How many teams should we make?

Between two and four. With fewer than ten people, two teams is plenty. With more, three or four smaller teams mean everyone gets a word in when it's time to guess.

Are these games OK for a crowd with kids?

Yes. Every deck is clean. Charades, Forehead Guess, Fishbowl and Draw & Guess all have a Kids category, and Mafia never describes anything scary: players are simply out.

Can a big group play over video?

Some games, yes. Charades, Forehead Guess and card games like Most Likely To work on a call. Mafia, Imposter, Find the Spy, Hot Potato and Fishbowl need everyone in the same room, since the phone gets passed around or shared.

What group games work when people don't know each other?

Start with charades or Fishbowl in mixed teams, which gets strangers laughing together within a couple of rounds. Save Most Likely To and Red Flag or Green Flag for once people know each other a little.

Are the games free?

Yes. They run in your phone's browser and are supported by ads. There's no app to download and no sign-up.

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