Quarantine can get you down, and as the weather gets better, we are dreaming of picnics in the park, pints down the pub and parties on the patio.

Since those things are off the table and we are stuck inside sitting around the table instead, here are some great group games for adults to raise morale. 

Our Favourite Group Games to Play with Friends

STRAIGHT FACE 

3-12 players

This game is pretty straight forward – everyone writes sentences on a slip of paper, folds them up and puts them in the middle. The idea is to write the most outrageous, hilarious or inappropriate sentence and whoever reads out what’s on the paper has to try to keep a straight face. If you smile, giggle or look shocked, you take a drink!

WHAT DO YOU MEME?

4-8 players

In the same vein as Cards Against Humanity, What Do You Meme? has a deck of picture cards and a deck of captions. You need to create the funniest meme using one of the caption cards from your hand and the picture card in play. Give your card to the judge (who changes every round) and they will pick the best or funniest combination. Got a dirty mind? You’ll do well at this one! 

HEADS UP!

2+ players

This downloadable app is buckets of fun. To play, you choose a category (such as ‘Act It Out’ or ‘Blockbuster Movies’) and hold the phone up to your forehead. The other players will then act out whatever is on the screen, be it an accent, an animal noise or something else. There are 60 seconds on the clock for you to guess as many as possible using the clues other players give (or shout at) you. The app also videos the game so you can watch or share the dreadful attempts at a Jamaican accent.

COME DINE WITH ME

3+ players

Food brings people together. Since you’re already all together under the same roof, why not turn dinner into a bit of a game? You could either do a few evenings consecutively or condense the competition by hosting a course each. Start the game by deciding on a prize for the winner – maybe a tenner or a box of chocolates. Prepare the items on your menu and get the other ‘contestants’ to give their snobby or enthusiastic opinions. You’re aiming to be the host(ess) with the most(est) with your dish - and don’t forget to provide some evening entertainment! At the end of your meal or course, hand out score cards and have the other diners judge you out of 10.  

PSYCH!

2+ players

Psych! is a downloadable app that makes a game out of convincing the other players that your answer is the right one - whether it’s true or not.

There are a range of decks like ‘Is That a Fact?’ where bizarre facts are mixed up with the players’ fake facts. All you have to do is put forward an answer in the hopes of psyching someone out and making them choose your entry over the correct one. Get points for guessing right and for tricking other players into thinking your answer is the correct one. All answers, real or not, are pretty bonkers and make for a hilarious game night. 

SHEET MIME

4-16 players

This party game goes by a few names but whatever you call it, it’s a great laugh. All you need are pens, paper and something to hold the paper (like a hat). If you are a smaller group, you can play individually and if there’s more you, it’s fun to team up and get competitive. 

You decide what category you are playing, like objects or fictional characters. Then each player writes down 5-10 options and puts them into the hat. For the first round, players must articulate what they pull out of the hat, without saying the word or name. For the second round, you have to act it out without speaking. In the third round, players use only one word and the fourth round sees players acting out what’s on the piece of paper while under a sheet. Very silly – what more could you want?  

JUST DANCE NOW

1+ players

Get off the sofa and get moving with the Just Dance Now app, where you mirror the animated dancers on screen. As you and your competitors follow the choreography, you are awarded for your accuracy and can earn bonus points if you strike the perfect pose. 

Your smartphone is your game controller and you dance with it in your right hand. Your friends can enter the game with their phones by using the dance room code displayed.

THUMPER

4–10 players

Drinking games are a fun way to replace your usual night out, so top up your drink and get ready to play Thumper! Large groups beware - the more people you play this with, the more drunk you’ll get in this memory game. 

Everyone sits around the table and decides on a personal signature hand motion. The game starts with everybody thumping the table, then you do your hand motion followed by someone else’s while the thumping continues. The person whose motion you did repeats these two actions and then someone else’s, and the game continues like that. Whoever makes a mistake or hesitates for too long drinks. 

Add sounds, speed it up and prepare to have a wild one. 

Happy Quarantining!

Now that you have a bunch of fun games to play with your housemates, get the party started at home! If you want some more great ideas for things to do while we wait for the lockdown to come to an end, check out other pieces on our blog!