You’re throwing a party and you’ve come to one of the most stressful things to plan; the entertainment. You’ve chosen a board game, but you haven’t gotten any further than that. It doesn’t help that there are so many board games out there, most of which wouldn’t work in most party scenarios. That’s okay though, we have you covered. We have a guide here that you can use to find the perfect board game to fit every situation. If you’re looking for a quick list of board games that are good for parties, we have a phenomenal list of our favorite party games on our resources page. You can get there by clicking here!
So what are the steps for choosing the perfect board game for any party?
- Determine the size of the party
- Determine the feel of the party
- Evaluate those attending the party
- Evaluate how much time is available
- Determine where the game will be played
- Determine how much participation is desired
Not all parties are created equally, which means getting the game right can make a big difference in how fun the party is for everyone. To get it right, let’s start with step one, which is determining the size of the party.
At the end of this article we have posted a table that describes a fairly large list of games and which types of gatherings they’re best for—which adjusts for all the steps mentioned in this article. Check it out after step six!
Step 1: Determine the size of the party
Everyone has hosted a party of some sort or another. Sometimes it’s hard to know how many people will show up, while other times it’s much more predictable. If we eliminate the times where hosts invite everyone they know and hope enough people show up, it should be fairly predictable to know how many people will be coming to the party.
Knowing how big the party is going to be will directly impact which game should be selected. Some games are designed for small groups that love strategic play; those games often require more time commitment by the player. Other games are designed for The middle ground, allowing parties of decent sizes to play—somewhere between five and ten. They often have a mix of complex strategy and simplicity to both engage the group and prevent the less-excited game players from being overwhelmed. Still other games are designed for much bigger parties, of a dozen or more players, to encourage social interaction and light entertainment. These latter games tend to be the opposite of their smaller counterparts (though they can still be strategic); they are usually shorter games that don’t require large amounts of thinking and planning.
Though these games may fit the party sizes specified, these games don’t necessarily fit every scenario. There are a few more things that should be evaluated before making a decision. The first of which is that you need to determine what the feel of the party is going to be. So in case we didn’t harp on it enough in the intro, check out the chart at the end that gives the optimal games for each scenario.
Step 2: Determine the feel of the party
After you’ve determined how many people you think are coming to the party you need to determine what it’s going to feel like. This is a bit less obvious, which makes it a bit harder to identify. What you’re looking for here is how comfortable guests are and what they will be doing. Some gatherings have lots of people in small groups chatting throughout the house. Other gatherings are centrally located and all guests are pretty much talking with each other.
Not only are location and dispersion a factor, party feel can vary on whether guests are lively and excited, quiet and reserved or somewhere in between. The feel of the party can make a big impact on what game is comfortable and fun for the guests. We’ve listed a few questions you can ask yourself to get a better idea for what the feel of your party is likely going to be.
- How close is everyone?
- Do attendees know one another?
- Where will guests be talking?
- Is there even space to play a game?
- How are the guests dressed?
- How much ambient noise is there?
Obviously, there isn’t always a way to predict how the party is going to turn out and how it’s going to feel. But at least having in mind the potential scenarios that could play out will 1) allow you to weed out the obvious “no’s” and 2) give you a better idea when you’re actually looking at games you potentially want to play.
Step 3: Evaluate those attending the party
Very closely related to what the feel of the party is going to be, is what are the personalities of those attending. It fact, it’s probably the thing that will impact on the feel of the party more than anything else. The first thing to think about after determining how well do the attendees know each other is how comfortable will they be to interact with each other. Some people are perfectly fine jumping into a board game with a group of people they’ve never met before. They enjoy the process of meeting everyone, and then getting to know them throughout the evening—even if it’s during a game the requires everyone to make fools of themselves. Most people, however, are much less comfortable when asked to do this.
Obviously, most people aren’t completely uncomfortable interacting with others in a game-playing setting. These people are not going to dislike playing anything at all; but there are certainly some games that are better suited for those that are less comfortable in this setting. This can be especially hard to diagnose when—like most realistic circumstances—there is a mix of those who are comfortable and those who aren’t. You will just have to guess if you don’t know your guests well—which may mean to err on the side of caution and choose more comfortable games. Most scenarios, though, you will know your guest mix and be able decipher which game is best.
TIP: Since there will likely be a mix of extroverted personalities and introverted personalities, you should split the extroverted people up. Some games won’t allow for this, but for most larger party games, there are often a few large teams—which gives you the ability to doctor the outcome.
Step 4: Evaluate how much time is available
Naturally, some games take much longer to play than others. Consequently, playing a game that fits the amount of time allotted is essential. If there are lots of attendees, finding a shorter game is the best bet. That way people can play the game and not feel like they’re committing to too much. These are the types of parties where guests are coming and going constantly anyway. So it makes much more sense to play a game that people can just get in on the next round if they’ve just arrived, or “play one more time” without worrying that it’ll be too long.
The other thing to think about is that if it’s a long game, guests might not participate. In larger groups there’s bound to be a few that don’t especially love games. Picking a longer, more complex game can deter these players from playing at all. The shorter the game the easier it is to get people to play.
Regardless of how much time is available, many parties would suffer from playing a game that is too long. Obviously for smaller, closer groups playing longer games is possible; but that’s mainly because small groups getting together often gather for a specific game. Or they are getting together because they all like games. Large parties tend to be different. These parties are often for people to get together to talk and socialize—and playing a game is a fun way to do that. So playing a long, complex game would definitely cause some to get bored and disengaged.
Step 5: Determine where the game will be played
One of the biggest determinants of which game to play at a party is where the game will actually be physically played. Many parties will be played in a living room setting, where all of the players are sitting around on couches, chairs or the floor. If that’s the case, games that don’t have a central gathering location—like a game board with moving pieces—are a better option. Large groups definitely need to avoid games that require everyone to sit around a game board at a table.
For smaller gatherings that can be played around a table, traditional-style board games are an option. Obviously, that doesn’t mean they need to be used, but it’s much easier to do it when you both have the space on the table and the correct number of players. This is where the feel of the party is important. For some groups, pulling out a full-fledged board game is the best option. For others, sticking with a less complicated game fits best. Whatever ends up being best, all options are available to you if you have a table (or living room floor) and a smaller group.
Step 6: Determine how much participation is desired
Another closely related point to some of the others we’ve already listed is the need to determine how much participation from your guests is desired. Some games require much more focus and thought than others. Those usually go hand in hand with strategic games that are great for small groups, but not always.
Most parties are best to use simple games where guests can basically only pay attention half the time and still manage to play the game well. It gives them the opportunity to talk and socialize while having the structure of the game as the main source of entertainment. An entire category of games has been created that fit this description. If this sounds like your kind of party, definitely choose one of these. We’ve played hundreds of these types of games and we have our full list of recommendations for you to check it here. If not, keep reading.
Board Game Charts
The chart below is a list of a few board games that are great for various party sizes. We break it down into three group sizes: five or fewer, six to ten and ten or more. For each game listed, we also describe the time commitment, whether or not it’s an outgoing-type game, whether or not a table is needed and what level of participation is required. As mentioned previously, if none of these games seem to fit, check out our full list of party games here.
For those looking for party games that have nothing to do with board games—in other words, games that can be played at a party but don’t come in a box—check out our list here.
Games for 5 or fewer attendees
| Game | Time (Minutes) | Outgoing Game? | Table Needed? | Participation Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheriff of Nottingham | 60 | Yes | Yes | High |
| Dutch Blitz | 30 | No | Yes | High |
| Dixit | 30 | No | Yes | High |
| Carcassonne | 30-45 | No | Yes | High |
| Kingdomino | 15-20 | No | Yes | High |
Games for 6-9 attendees
| Game | Time (Minutes) | Outgoing Game? | Table Needed? | Participation Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codenames | 20 | No | Yes | Low |
| Wits and Wagers | 20 | No | Yes | Low |
| Telestrations | 30 | No | Yes | Medium |
| Just One | 20 | No | Yes | Medium |
| The Chameleon | 10-15 | Yes | No | Medium |
| Pit | 30-60 | Yes | No | High |
| Deadwood 1876 | 20-30 | No | Yes | Medium |
Games for 10+ attendees
| Game | Time (Minutes) | Outgoing Game? | Table Needed? | Participation Level |
| Things | 30-45 | No | No | Medium |
| One Night: Ultimate Werewolf | 10 | Yes | Yes | High |
| Telestrations 12+ | 30 | Kinda.. | No | Medium |
| Double Ditto | 20-30 | No | No | Low |
| Concept | 40 | No | Yes | Medium |
| Bananagrams* | 20-30 | No | Yes | High |
| Wits and Wagers Party Edition** | 30 | No | Yes | Low |
*Must add another set of tiles to play with more than 8 players
**Simpler version better for large groups
Conclusion
There you have it! You have completed the guide to choosing a board game for any party. We hope that this has been informative and helpful to you. Now you should be able to pick the perfect game that will ensure your next party is non-stop fun. So get out there and try one of these games out. It’ll be easier than you think.