Best Group Party Games 2026: Top 8 Must-Try Picks
Looking for the best group party games? We’ve rounded up the top picks that guarantee laughs, chaos, and memories with friends.
Best Group Party Games: The Top 8 Board Games for Big Laughs and Fun Nights
We’ve all been there—staring at a shelf packed with group party games and having no clue what will actually make people laugh instead of fight. When picking our top eight group party games, we focused on easy rules, crazy fun, and enough chaos to keep everyone guessing. We looked for games that work with bigger groups and don’t make anyone sit bored on the sidelines. Whether you’re chasing clues, doing silly drawings, or bluffing your friends, our picks are tried and tested at real parties by real, snack-fueled humans.
On this list:
8 Codenames
We always love Codenames because it mixes wordplay with pure chaos. When we played, our team spectacularly confused ‘Pyramid’ with ‘Ice Cream’ and nearly lost in record time. It’s a classic for group party games, since everyone can join in, and even the most silent friend becomes a strategic mastermind (or at least tries to). It’s quick to set up, explains in under two minutes, and supports big groups. We recommend it for new players because there’s not much pressure—everyone’s a bit bad at it, and that’s half the fun.
7 Just One
Just One is the perfect group party game when you have friends who love to overthink things. We had a hilarious round where every clue was ‘unique’, so unique that nobody guessed the word. It’s cooperative, so you all win (or lose) together, and it somehow manages to make us feel brilliant and very silly at the same time. It’s very simple: write clues, guess the word, and watch as duplicates get wiped out. It works for almost any group, even those who hate being put on the spot.
6 Wavelength
Wavelength had us debating if ‘Soup’ is closer to ‘Liquid’ or ‘Meal’ much longer than we care to admit. This group party game is basically a mind-meld with your friends, and sometimes, the results are epic—often for totally the wrong reasons. There’s lots of banter as everyone tries to read the psychic’s mind, which is impossible unless you share a brain. The big wheel is fun to spin, and it’s fast enough for several rounds in a night.
5 Decrypto
If you want to feel like a genius and a fool in the same hour, Decrypto is your group party game. We enjoyed scrambling to make up clever clues—only to realize we were confusing our own team more than the enemy. It’s all about communicating codes without giving them away, and things get heated fast. Great for folks who love words but don’t want something too serious. Plus, we love the little decoder screens, even though they make us look more like kids playing spy than real agents.
4 Telestrations
Telestrations turns group party games into a laugh riot every single time. Think of it as a game of telephone meets bad drawing skills. Our group never gets tired of how innocent words turn into utter nonsense. If you can hold a marker, you can play—and trust us, bad drawing is a plus. It’s fast, uproarious, and you can fit big groups easily. We had tears streaming down our faces after one ‘banana’ ended up as ‘spaceship with legs’.
3 Time’s Up! Title Recall
Time’s Up! Title Recall is our top pick for a group party game if your squad is fast-talking and loves movie trivia. It’s all about giving clever clues for famous titles with each round getting harder. We always end up with inside jokes from the weird ways people try to act out movies. It’s easy to teach and gets everyone moving and guessing. Be ready to laugh till your belly hurts, and for someone to always forget the rules in the final round.
2 Monikers
Monikers has taken over our group party game nights more than once. It’s like Charades with upgrades, and it gets wild by the last round where anything goes. We love that it’s easy to learn, and even your shyest friend ends up miming a giraffe in front of everyone. It’s packed with pop culture, and you’ll never play the same way twice. Every session ends with everyone gasping for air (usually from laughter, not actual physical exertion, don’t worry).
1 Werewolf
We choose Werewolf as the best group party game simply because it can handle any size group and never gets old. We’ve hosted games with five people and with thirty, and somehow, it always ends up in epic accusations and wild betrayals. Everyone gets a role, and it’s fun watching your friends try to lie with a straight face (and fail). It’s perfect for new players—no fancy components, just pure social fun. Plus, every round brings out stories you’ll retell for years. That blend of suspense, drama, and laughter is why Werewolf sits on top of the group party games pile.
