The game library

Party Games Library: 18 Free Games With Full Rules

Every game in the library, with honest group sizes, play time, preparation and materials. Pick one, read the quick rules, and you can be playing in five minutes.

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Charades

Act out a word or phrase without speaking so your team can guess it before the timer runs out.

4–20 players
20–45 min
3 min prep
No materials
Standing and moving
Seated variation

Conversation Ladder

Climb a three-step ladder of questions on one theme — from an easy opener to a more thoughtful one — so that a table of guests ends up in a real conversation.

3–10 players
15–30 min
No prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Describe and Draw

Describe a simple picture using words alone so that a partner, who cannot see it, can draw it as accurately as possible.

2–16 players
10–25 min
5 min prep
Paper and pen
Seated
Works seated

Guess the Rule

One player questions the group and tries to discover the secret rule that everyone else is following when they answer.

4–12 players
15–30 min
No prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Odd One Out

Hear four things, decide which one does not belong, and convince the table that your reason is the best one.

3–12 players
10–25 min
No prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

One-Word Story

Tell a story together, one word per person, and try to bring it to an ending that makes sense.

3–12 players
5–20 min
No prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Reverse Charades

The whole team acts out a prompt together while a single teammate tries to guess it.

6–24 players
15–35 min
3 min prep
No materials
Standing and moving
Seated variation

Secret Word Detective

Slip your secret word into ordinary conversation without being caught — and catch other players slipping in theirs.

4–12 players
20–60 min
3 min prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Shared Connections

In a small group, find three things you all have in common that nobody could tell just by looking at you.

4–40 players
10–20 min
1 min prep
No materials
Standing optional
Seated variation

Story Remix

Retell a simple, everyday story in a surprising style — as a weather forecast, a sports commentary, a bedtime story — and let the group guess the style.

3–10 players
15–30 min
1 min prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Team Object Pitch

As a team, take an ordinary object from the room and pitch it to the party as a brilliant new invention with a completely different purpose.

4–30 players
20–40 min
2 min prep
No materials
Standing optional
Seated variation

Twenty Questions

Work out a secret person, place or thing by asking no more than twenty yes-or-no questions.

2–10 players
10–25 min
No prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Two Truths and a Lie

Share three statements about yourself — two true, one invented — and see whether the group can spot the lie.

3–12 players
10–30 min
No prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Two-Word Clues

Help your team guess a secret word by giving clues that are exactly two words long — no more, no fewer.

4–16 players
15–30 min
2 min prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Word Association

Keep a chain of connected words moving round the circle — say the first word the last one brings to mind, and be ready to explain the link.

3–12 players
5–20 min
No prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Would You Rather

Choose between two alternatives, defend your choice, and find out who at the table thinks the way you do.

2–30 players
10–30 min
No prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Yes-And Story

Build one story as a group, a sentence at a time, with every sentence accepting what came before and adding something new.

3–10 players
10–20 min
No prep
No materials
Seated
Works seated

Each game page follows the same order, so you always know where to look: four-line quick rules at the top, an at-a-glance summary, set-up, numbered instructions, one complete example round, how the game ends, and two variations.

Group sizes are honest. Every game states a minimum, a practical maximum and the size at which it is at its best — and explains exactly how to split a larger group into teams or tables. A game written for six does not automatically work for thirty.

Compare all games

Sort out the practical questions first — how many people, how long, what you need — and then read the rules for the two or three that fit.

Compare all games
Game	Players	Play time	Prep	Materials	Movement	Seated option	Energy
Categories	3–12	10–25 min	No prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Lively
Charades	4–20	20–45 min	3 min prep	No materials	Standing and moving	Yes	High energy
Conversation Ladder	3–10	15–30 min	No prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Calm
Describe and Draw	2–16	10–25 min	5 min prep	Paper and pen	Seated	Yes	Calm
Guess the Rule	4–12	15–30 min	No prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Calm
Odd One Out	3–12	10–25 min	No prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Calm
One-Word Story	3–12	5–20 min	No prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Lively
Reverse Charades	6–24	15–35 min	3 min prep	No materials	Standing and moving	Yes	High energy
Secret Word Detective	4–12	20–60 min	3 min prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Calm
Shared Connections	4–40	10–20 min	1 min prep	No materials	Standing optional	Yes	Lively
Story Remix	3–10	15–30 min	1 min prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Lively
Team Object Pitch	4–30	20–40 min	2 min prep	No materials	Standing optional	Yes	High energy
Twenty Questions	2–10	10–25 min	No prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Calm
Two Truths and a Lie	3–12	10–30 min	No prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Calm
Two-Word Clues	4–16	15–30 min	2 min prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Lively
Word Association	3–12	5–20 min	No prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Lively
Would You Rather	2–30	10–30 min	No prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Calm
Yes-And Story	3–10	10–20 min	No prep	No materials	Seated	Yes	Calm

Times are editorial estimates, not test results.