Parlor games
The all-around list
Parlor games are the catch-all: the games you run at a birthday, a reunion, a farewell party, a baptism, a fiesta or a Christmas party, usually improvised and usually with no equipment. This is the full list, filterable by the things that actually decide whether a game works — how many people, how much space, how long you have, and whether it suits the crowd in the room. Most need nothing but people and a bit of floor. Each entry includes the setup, the rules in order, variants for when you want it harder or sillier, and host tips covering the parts nobody writes down: when to stop, how to keep eliminated players involved, and how to make the last round worth double so the losing team does not check out early.
118 games
- Bring Me16–150 people · 15 min · HighThe host calls out an item; the first team to bring it to the front wins the round.
- Pinoy Henyo10–150 people · 15 min · MediumA word is held to your forehead. You guess it by asking only oo / hindi / pwede questions against the clock.
- Trip to Jerusalem10–60 people · 12 min · HighWalk around the chairs while the music plays; grab a seat when it stops. One chair fewer each round.
- Hep Hep Hooray10–150 people · 10 min · HighHost shouts “hep hep” and players raise their hands, or “hooray” and they clap — but only if the host's own hands match.
- Human Bingo15–100 people · 10 min · CalmEveryone gets a grid of traits and hunts for people who match them. First to complete a line shouts bingo.
- Newspaper Dance10–40 people · 12 min · HighPairs dance on a sheet of newspaper that gets folded in half every round. Step off and you are out.
- Junk in the Trunk2–20 people · 5 min · HighA tissue box of ping pong balls is strapped to your back. Shake them all out in one minute.
- Longest Line20–150 people · 10 min · MediumTeams build the longest possible line out of whatever they have on them. Shoes, belts, IDs, anything.
- Office Trivia10–80 people · 15 min · CalmTeams answer questions about the company and the people in the room. Collected in advance, revealed on the projector.
- Gift Wrapping Race8–40 people · 10 min · HighTeams wrap an awkward object against the clock. Judged on speed and on how presentable it ends up.
- Stop Dance10–80 people · 10 min · HighEveryone dances while the music plays; when it stops, the host shouts a command and the last person to obey is out.
- Pass the Message8–60 people · 10 min · CalmA phrase is whispered down a line of players; the last one says it out loud and everyone hears how wrong it went.
- Rock Paper Scissors Tournament10–300 people · 10 min · HighPairs play rock-paper-scissors; each loser becomes the winner's cheerleader until two players face off with the whole room screaming.
- Rock Paper Scissors Evolution12–150 people · 8 min · HighEveryone starts as an egg; win rock-paper-scissors against someone at your stage to evolve into a chicken, a dinosaur, then a human.
- Limbo6–40 people · 15 min · HighDance under a bar without touching it or the floor; the bar drops each round until one player is left.
- Two Truths and a Lie4–30 people · 20 min · CalmEach person shares three facts about themselves; the group guesses which one is made up.
- Charades6–40 people · 20 min · MediumOne player acts out a word or title without speaking while their team races to guess it.
- Taboo4–30 people · 20 min · MediumGet your team to guess a word without saying it or any of the five obvious clue words printed under it.
- Would You Rather4–200 people · 10 min · MediumThe host reads two choices and everyone walks to the side of the room that matches their answer.
- Common Ground6–100 people · 12 min · CalmSmall groups race to find as many things that all members share as they can — the more unusual, the better.
Common questions
What is the difference between parlor games and party games?
None, really. Parlor games is the older term, still common in the Philippines and parts of Asia; party games is what most places say now. They cover the same thing.
What are good parlor games with no materials?
Pinoy Henyo, Bring Me, Hep Hep Hooray and Longest Line all need nothing at all. Filter by no materials to see every one of them.