You have invited some people to a party of approximately 50-100 people, the music is playing, and snacks are being served, yet some groups of people are just busy on their phones. Sounds familiar?
What do you do to reach out to everybody at the same time? What is it that you do to make those fantastic moments when a room of people, including introverts and extroverts, teenagers and grandparents, old friends and total strangers, are all having a true laugh and bonding with each other?
I have an idea; GAMES…
Whether you need an event that will put the heart rate up or just a smart icebreaker that will get people talking, this article contains a list of games that will suit every kind of event and every kind of audience. These activities will help generate true fun and keep your guests talking about your event long after it’s over. Let’s dive in.
1. Scavenger Hunt
This is a game that works better in a group of 20 to 100 or more. It’s simple and creative. To play this game;
- Split guests into teams of 6 to 10.
- Give every team a set of the same list of items to find, photos to take, and tasks to finish, which requires movement and discovery.
- Establish boundaries and a time frame (usually 30-60 minutes).
- Teams come back and report on their findings.
- The group that finishes the list first or the group with the highest number of items wins.
- Give reward points on items done, extra bonus points on innovation or speed.
Note: Add some simple, medium and challenging questions to enable the success of teams with diverse abilities. Give bonus challenges that will attract additional points to give a comeback. In events that are location-specific, use venue landmarks or inside jokes.
2. Charades
In a large group, it is possible to play the Classic Charades game, where every team takes turns in acting out words or phrases to guess on behalf of your team or attempt to Reverse Charades, where the entire group acts out a word that one person will guess. To play this game;
- The larger group can be divided into various teams.
- Use a sheet of paper and write words or phrases (such as a TV show, movie, or object).
- Next, teams are given turns, with one of the members acting and asking the team to guess.
- Provide a time constraint (e.g., one minute) during which the players will have to provide time to his or her team to guess the word.
- The first team that gives the correct guess wins the card.
Note: Change players on every round. Play until 10 points or the time limit. Assign themes that fit your crowd, film names to film fans, business slang to business meetings, family in-jokes to family reunions.
3. Human Bingo
Human bingo is an amazing game of icebreakers at any party where the people may not know one another very well. The human bingo helps human beings to socialize with each other, and by the time the game concludes, you will know a lot about each other. To play this game;
- Prepare the bingo card using a typical 5 x 5 square grid. Prepare one card per individual who is coming to the gathering, and make sure that there are pens or pencils that are near the cards.
- Label each square on the card, and each square must contain written inside it a curious human trait, personality trait, ability, life fact or experience of some sort. Human bingo is aimed at having players attempt to find people who fit the prompts in those boxes.
- Divide cards and pens or pencils amongst each player: this may be at the time they come to the party, or at any moment when you feel like playing. You can also make sure that the room that you will be playing in is arranged so that it can accommodate much mingling and movement, since people will be walking around a lot.
- Give out the rules of the game: Instruct the players to have to interview each other and, circularly, have the other people verify another box on the bingo card that applies to them. The whole game is centered upon getting to know people, thus prompting us to chat and learn about each other.
- Prepare the game and start movement among the guests: It is time to get the guests talking and questioning each other (and, of course, you need to do the same, supposing you are playing as well). In essence, when you are the host, the only thing to do is to ensure that everyone is having a good time.
- Announce the winner of the game: Ask players to announce themselves when they have met the winning condition of the game, which can be a full and completely signed card or a full row or column (more like traditional bingo). Only see that everybody knows what to do to win when you set to it–so that then whoever first ever gets up and says bingo will be the winner.
4. Big Musical Chairs Variation
Music Chairs are not new, but what every person does not know is that when required to conduct the game with a lot of people, it needs strategic adjustments. The traditional event with huge crowds could turn uncontrollable, so the following should be taken into consideration.
- Divide players into teams of 4-5.
- Arrange chairs in a circle (not one per individual, one per team).
- As soon as the music ceases to play, all the teams need to connect with their respective chair.
- Teams become innovative, throwing out food, and sitting on each other to ensure nobody is left behind.
- The last team remaining wins.
5. Alphabet Challenge
The Alphabet Challenge can be done in large groups in various forms of competitive team organizational games or relaxed group discussion. The best versions take place when teams are playing points against one another in a time slot to ensure that the game does not extend.
- Divide the group into teams.
- Select a category: A host or a team takes turns to select a category, e.g. animals, foods, things in the house, etc.
- Go through the alphabet: The first team starts enumerating an item under that category, which starts with the letter A.
- Teams take turns to name the next items in the alphabet.
- In case the group does not come up with a word to represent their letter, or uses a word ten seconds later, they can make it; they are only eliminated that round, or are given a penalty.
- Each team that survives earns a point, and the team with the highest points becomes the winner.
6. Two Truths and a Lie
The time-tested breakfast game gets a competitive remodel. Rather than exploring a circle, poker can be played in a tournament bracket, proceeding in a head-to-head format.
- Pair up players randomly.
- Every individual states three (two true, one false) messages as his or her opponent attempts to select a false one.
- The individual who is right in proving that his or her opponent is lying (or loses his or her opponent with another lie) goes to the next round.
- Go on as a tournament of liars till you crown a champion liar.
Note: Grant people a period of 5 minutes to prepare their three statements. Make them say believable things as well as accept another- that is the obstacle. As a change, themes such as travel edition or childhood edition are good.
7. The Name Game
This game is the energy-producing, laugh-inducing, fast-paced game when you need something immediately, with no setup.
- Everyone stands in a circle.
- A group (Disney movies, pizza toppings, countries, and so on) is called by the host.
- Moving round the circle at a fast pace, one by one, is required to say something in that category which he/she has not said before.
- Delay too long or do the same, and you are gone.
- The last person standing wins.
- Add a fresh round with a fresh category.
Note: Prepare a list of categories and make the activity more or less challenging depending on your reader. Begin general (colours, animals) and get narrower as the game continues (things you keep in a junk drawer, bands that have had one hit).
8. Freeze Dance Evolution: The child of yesteryear is modified with adult-friendly features that would make it interesting to every age group.
- Music is taken out and everybody dances.
- Upon the cessation of music, everybody becomes frozen.
- Any individual found on the move is removed.
- In progression till there is only one dancer.
Note: Select music of different tempos and levels of energy. When entering into multigenerational groups, it is better to combine traditional hits with new ones, to make sure that everyone will hear something they know well.
Tips for a Perfect Game
- Plan Ahead
- Be Descriptive
- Be Flexible
- Involve everyone
- Know when to quit
Final Thoughts
The most successful party planners know that games are not a pointless addition to parties, but are in fact a purposely designed mechanism to help create a mood and facilitate connectivity, as well as make everyone feel a part of the party. Play any of the games at your event and make people happy, laugh, and bond together when they cross the door.