When it comes to birthday parties, whether you’re hosting at home or planning a big gathering, choosing the right games can make all the difference. As a lifelong lover of games, I’ve learned through trial and error which ones are guaranteed to keep kids entertained without breaking the bank or causing unnecessary stress. It doesn’t matter the age, from toddlers to adults, the right birthday party games can turn an ordinary event into something truly special. And while I’ve thrown a lot of parties for my kids, there’s always a new challenge when trying to find something fresh and exciting that everyone will enjoy. From classic party favorites to more interactive challenges, there’s no shortage of options to keep everyone engaged.
Planning a fun-filled birthday party for preteens or adults? It’s not as hard as it seems. The key is to brainstorm the best indoor games and party games that have stood the test of time. I’ve often borrowed ideas from other birthday parties or simply reinvented the wheel. Whether you’re looking for team-based games, drinking challenges, or mind-bending puzzles, there’s always something that will ensure your event is a hit. After all, the goal is to create an unforgettable celebration that everyone will remember fondly, and it’s not about going overboard with the budget. Sometimes, the simplest games are the most fun, and that’s something I’ve learned from countless party experiences. There are tons of ideas that work well for all ages, from preteens to adults.
Best Birthday Party Games:
These games guarantee a hit at any party, turning the ordinary into something exciting and unforgettable. Below are some of the best games that I’ve personally tested and found to be a guaranteed hit for any occasion, especially at a birthday party.
Indoor Treasure Hunt
The Indoor treasure hunt is a great way to get everyone moving. Could you create a list of clues hidden around your house, leading participants from one to the next? The first person or team to find the treasure wins! It’s a great indoor game that keeps kids entertained and helps develop teamwork skills.
Saran Wrap Ball
For this game, wrap small toys, candies, or even coins in Saran Wrap and form them into a large ball. Players take turns unwrapping the ball while wearing mittens or gloves, trying to get as much as they can before the next player’s turn. It’s fast-paced and will keep the party full of laughter and excitement!
Piñata
A classic birthday party game, the piñata involves hanging a colorful, filled piñata and letting guests take turns hitting it with a stick while blindfolded. The goal is to break the piñata open and collect the goodies inside. It’s a fun, exciting way to get everyone involved, especially when you have a mix of kids and adults.
Giant Bubbles
Giant Bubbles are sure to delight both kids and adults alike. All you need is bubble solution and a large bubble wand. Take turns trying to create the biggest bubble. It’s a perfect way to enjoy the outdoors and get everyone involved in an easy and enjoyable activity.
Musical Hats
This game is similar to musical chairs but with a fun twist. Players wear a hat and walk in a circle while music plays. When the music stops, everyone must find a seat. The catch? You can only sit if your hat is on your head! It’s a team-based game that will keep the party full of laughs.
Pass the Parcel
Pass the parcel is a crowd-pleaser that works for any age. Wrap a small prize in layers of wrapping paper. Players sit in a circle and pass the parcel around while music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the parcel gets to unwrap one layer. The last person to unwrap the final layer wins the prize!
Pin the Tail on the Donkey
A traditional game that never gets old, Pin the Tail on the Donkey is simple yet full of fun. Blindfold the players and have them try to pin a tail onto a picture of a donkey. It’s a hilarious game that will get everyone in the party laughing and having a good time.
Zombie Tags
Zombie tags is a high-energy game that’s perfect for older kids or adults. One player is the zombie and must “tag” others to turn them into zombies. The last non-zombie standing wins the game! It’s a team-based game that gets everyone running and laughing.
Marshmallow Gun War
A Marshmallow Gun War can quickly become the most memorable game of the party. Armed with homemade marshmallow guns, players shoot mini marshmallows at each other. It’s a fun, active way to get everyone moving and laughing, making it a perfect indoor activity for rainy days.
Minute to Win It
Minute to Win It games are short, quick, and full of energy. Players have 60 seconds to complete a series of challenges, from stacking cups to balancing objects. The key is to be fast and creative. These fast-paced challenges will keep your guests on their toes!
Photo Scavenger Hunt
For a fun twist on the classic treasure hunt, set up a photo scavenger hunt. Players get a list of items they need to find and photograph. The first team to snap pictures of everything wins! This game gets everyone moving and thinking creatively, and it works great for both kids and adults.
Water Balloon Game
On a hot day, nothing beats a water balloon game. Split your guests into teams, and each team must toss a water balloon back and forth, trying not to pop it. Each time it’s caught successfully, the players take a step back. The team that makes it the farthest without breaking the balloon wins! It’s a fun way to stay cool and active.
Candy Bar Game
In the candy bar game, you’ll need a variety of candy bars. Players take turns feeling the candy bars through a closed bag and trying to guess what each one is. The person with the most correct guesses wins a prize. It’s a sweet and simple game that adds a bit of fun to the celebration.
Donut on a String
Hang donuts from a string, and challenge guests to eat the donut without using their hands. It’s a hilarious game that gets everyone involved, whether they’re trying to take a bite without laughing or competing to see who can finish first. It’s especially fun for kids, but adults love it too!
Food Fight
If you’re looking for something a little wilder, try a food fight. Set up a designated area with soft, throw able food items (like whipped cream, marshmallows, or small fruits), and let the fun begin! Just make sure everyone is ready for a bit of a mess. This game will definitely create some unforgettable moments.
Glow in the Dark Balloon Stomp
For an exciting twist to a traditional balloon pop, play a glow in the dark balloon stomp. Blow up balloons with glow sticks inside, and let players stomp to pop them in the dark. The glowing balloons create an exciting, high-energy atmosphere that’s perfect for evening parties.
Odd Even
Odd Even is a guessing game where players guess whether a hidden object or number is odd or even. Players can take turns or work in teams, and the player or team with the most correct guesses wins. It’s simple, but the excitement builds as the guessing gets faster.
Pin the Tail
A pin the tail game is a classic that never gets old. Blindfolded players try to pin a tail onto a picture of a donkey or other animals. The person who gets the closest to the correct spot wins. It’s fun for kids but also provides plenty of laughs for adults.
Musical Chair
This popular game is a must-have at any birthday party. Place chairs in a circle, and when the music plays, everyone walks around the chairs. When the music stops, everyone must scramble to sit down. The last person standing wins! It’s fast, competitive, and loads of fun.
Freeze Dance
Put on some music and let everyone dance. When the music stops, everyone must freeze in place. Anyone caught moving is out! It’s a fun, active game that works for all ages and is great for a birthday party.
Treasure Hunt
A treasure hunt is a fun and exciting birthday party game. Create a map or write clues leading to different hidden treasures. Participants work together to solve the clues and find the treasure. It’s a great game that can be played indoors or outdoors and gets everyone involved.
Simon Says
A simple but fun game for younger children, Simon says involves one person (Simon) giving commands. If Simon says “Simon says touch your nose,” everyone must touch their nose. If Simon doesn’t say “Simon says,” anyone who follows the command is out. It’s a great way to keep kids engaged and laughing.
Story Time Freeze
In this game, everyone takes turns telling a short story. At random moments, the leader will yell “freeze,” and the person telling the story must stop and hold their position. It’s a fun way to get creative and silly, especially when you add funny gestures or accents.
Guess The Candy Count
For this easy-to-play game, fill a jar with candy and have guests guess how many pieces are inside. The person who guesses the closest wins the jar of candy! This game is perfect for any birthday party and works great as a simple party game for kids and adults alike.
Obstacle Course
Set up an obstacle course using furniture, cushions, and any other household items. The goal is for players to complete the course as quickly as possible without knocking anything over. It’s an excellent game for kids and even adults looking for some fun competition.
Balloon Pop Relay
This high-energy game involves teams of players who race to pop balloons using only their bodies. Each player must pass a balloon to their teammate by sitting on it or stomping it. The first team to pop all their balloons wins! It’s a silly and active way to get everyone involved.
Cup Stack
In this game, players are given a stack of cups and must race to stack them in a pyramid shape and then unstack them again. The person who completes the task the fastest wins! It sounds easy, but the pressure of a race makes it exciting.
Birthday Trivia
Test your guests’ knowledge with birthday trivia! Ask questions related to the birthday person, such as favorite foods, places, or funny memories. Players write down answers, and the person with the most correct guesses wins a prize. It’s a great way to learn fun facts and bond over shared memories.
Memory Game
The memory game is simple and fun. Lay out several objects or cards and allow everyone a few seconds to look at them. Then cover them up and ask players to recall as many items as they can. The person with the most accurate memory wins. It’s a fantastic game for developing focus and memory.
Balloon Balance Challenge
In this game, each player must balance a balloon on their head or hands for as long as possible. The last person standing with their balloon still in place wins. It’s a test of both focus and balance, making it fun and challenging for all ages.
Wrap Up
Give everyone a role in the wrap up game! Players stand in a circle and hold onto a roll of wrapping paper. As music plays, they pass the paper around. When the music stops, the person holding the roll must wrap up a present or their team member. It’s an interactive and hilarious way to end the party.
Party Quirks
This is a fun game where players must act out certain party quirks that the group randomly assigns. For example, one person could pretend to be a celebrity, while another could act like a DJ. It gets everyone laughing and brings out everyone’s creativity.
What Are the Odds?
In What Are the Odds? players take turns asking each other outrageous questions, such as “What are the odds you can jump over the couch?” The person has to guess a number, and then they roll a die to see if they can do it. If they succeed, they win. It’s a fast-paced and daring party game that keeps the energy up.
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies
This is a fun, dramatic game where everyone gets a role to play, such as a detective or a suspect. One person is the “victim,” and players must try to figure out who the “murderer” is. The game is full of suspense and laughter, making it a hit at birthday parties for all ages.
Comedian
In this game, one player is the comedian, and they must tell jokes or act out funny scenarios for the group. The goal is to make everyone laugh, and the other players get to rate the comedian’s performance. This is a simple and hilarious game that encourages creativity and keeps the party in high spirits.
Wikipedia Race
In the Wikipedia Race, players are given a random topic, and they have to navigate through Wikipedia to find specific information as quickly as possible. The first player to find the correct answer wins! It’s a fun and educational game, perfect for those who love quick thinking and a little competition.
Hot Seat
In Hot Seat, one person sits in the “hot seat,” and the rest of the players ask them rapid-fire questions. The goal is for the person in the hot seat to answer as many questions as possible in a set amount of time. It’s a great way to get to know the birthday person or anyone else at the party!
Ruin A Movie by Changing One Letter in The Title
This hilarious game involves taking a popular movie title and changing just one letter to create something completely different. For example, “The Lion King” becomes “The Loin King.” The players then have to guess what movie it is. It’s a perfect party game to get everyone laughing.
Chubby Bunny
The Chubby Bunny game is a classic. Players stuff as many marshmallows in their mouths as they can and try to say “Chubby Bunny.” The person who can say it the most times without spitting out the marshmallows wins. It’s a silly game, but it always gets a lot of laughs!
Bottle Up
In Bottle Up, players have to sit in a circle and balance a plastic bottle on their head. The objective is to keep the bottle from falling while performing tasks like answering trivia or passing the bottle to others. It’s simple, fun, and always full of surprises.
Paranoia
The Paranoia game is perfect for large groups. Players sit in a circle, and one person whispers a question to the person next to them. The person must then answer it out loud, and the group has to guess what the question was. It can get funny and a little awkward, but that’s what makes it so fun!
Drink While You Think
This game is great for adults and adds a challenge to the regular party. Players must answer questions or complete a task while trying to drink from a cup. The catch is that they must keep drinking without spilling any of it while answering tricky questions or doing a task. It’s a fun way to test coordination and quick thinking!
Mirror Charades
In Mirror Charades, one person acts out an activity or phrase, and another person must mimic their movements in a mirror. It’s a hilarious twist on traditional charades, and it works great with any age group. Players need to be fast and creative, which keeps everyone entertained.
What’s That Strange Thing?
In this guessing game, players are blindfolded and asked to touch various objects placed in mystery boxes. They must guess what the object is based on its texture alone. It’s a fun way to challenge the senses and add a little suspense to the party.
Camera Hot Potato
In Camera Hot Potato, pass around a camera or phone while music plays. When the music stops, whoever is holding the camera must take a silly photo. The game continues until everyone has had their turn, and the funniest photo wins!
Crossed
In Crossed, everyone stands in a circle and takes turns saying a word or phrase. The twist? If someone says a word or phrase that “crosses” another player’s turn (like a rhyming word or a related term), the person has to step out of the game. It’s a simple game that gets funnier as the rounds go on!
Uncrossed
This game is similar to Crossed, but with a different rule. Players must create a chain of words where each word starts with the last letter of the previous word. If someone can’t think of a word or says the wrong one, they’re out. It’s a fun way to test your quick thinking skills!
In a Perfect World
In in a Perfect World, players take turns saying what their perfect world would look like, but they must follow specific guidelines. For example, “In a perfect world, there would be no homework!” It’s a fun, lighthearted way to dream big while making everyone laugh.
Thumper
Thumper is a fast-paced game that involves players repeating a simple hand gesture. The leader does a specific hand gesture, and others follow. The twist is that the leader can change the gesture at any time, and players must stay quick on their feet. The last person standing wins!
Straight Face
In Straight Face, players must try to make others laugh without showing any emotions themselves. One player will tell a funny joke or do something ridiculous, and the others have to stay serious. The person who can keep the straightest face wins.
Medusa
Medusa is a fun game where everyone closes their eyes and counts to three. On “three,” they open their eyes and try to make eye contact with someone else. If two people make eye contact, they both shout “Medusa!” and freeze. The last person remaining moves on to the next round.
Mr. Freeze
In Mr. Freeze, one player is chosen as Mr. Freeze, and the others must dance around. When Mr. Freeze yells “Freeze!” everyone has to stop moving. Anyone caught moving is out! It’s a hilarious game that gets everyone up and moving.
Keep Count
In Keep Count, players must perform a task or action (like jumping jacks or clapping) while keeping track of the number of repetitions. The trick is, the leader adds distractions like saying random words to confuse the players. The person who can keep the most accurate count wins.
Name That Song
Name That Song is a game where players listen to a short snippet of a song and try to guess the name of the song. The first person to guess correctly wins the round. It’s a great game for music lovers and always brings out a lot of energy.
Charades
In Charades, players act out a word or phrase without speaking while others try to guess what it is. It can be anything from movies to animals, and it’s guaranteed to get everyone laughing and shouting out guesses.
Flip Cup
Flip Cup is a fun drinking game where players try to drink from a cup and then flip it upside down by flicking the rim. It sounds easy, but when you’re racing against others, it’s a lot harder than it seems!
Mafia
In Mafia, players are assigned roles as either part of the mafia or innocent villagers. The mafia tries to eliminate the villagers, while the villagers try to figure out who the mafia members are. It’s a game of deception, strategy, and lots of fun.
Kings
Kings is a card game where players take turns drawing cards, and each card has a specific rule. The rules could be anything from taking a drink to performing a fun challenge. It’s a great way to keep things interactive and exciting.
I Spy
In I Spy, one player picks an object in the room and says, “I spy with my little eye, something that is…” and describes the color or shape. The others then guess what the object is. It’s an easy game that works well for any age group.
Connection!
In Connection! players take turns saying two words that are somehow connected, like “cat” and “dog.” The other players have to guess what the connection is. It’s a simple game that challenges your creativity and knowledge.
Limbo
In Limbo, players take turns leaning backward and trying to pass under a stick or rope without touching it or falling. After each round, the stick is lowered a bit, making it more challenging. The last player to make it under without falling wins!
Press Conference
In Press Conference, one player is the “celebrity” and the others are reporters. The reporters ask funny or outrageous questions, and the “celebrity” must answer them in a serious manner. The fun comes from how ridiculous the answers can be while trying to stay in character.
Ostrich Dance
For Ostrich Dance, players have to act like ostriches, hopping around with their arms out in front of them, mimicking the bird’s movements. This game is sure to bring laughter, as it’s fun to see everyone trying to do their best impression of an ostrich.
Murder Wink ‘Em
In Murder Wink ‘Em, one player is secretly the “murderer.” When the murderer winks at someone, that person must fall to the ground dramatically as if they were “killed.” The rest of the group has to guess who the murderer is before too many people are “killed.”
Post It Note Game
In the Post It Note Game, players write something on a sticky note and stick it on another person’s forehead without them seeing it. Then, the player has to guess what it says by asking yes or no questions. It’s a hilarious way to see what people guess!
Never Have I Ever
This classic game, Never Have I Ever, involves players taking turns saying something they’ve never done. Anyone who has done that thing must take a drink or perform a silly action. It’s a great way to learn fun secrets about your friends!
Heads Up!
In Heads Up! one player holds a phone or card with a word on it, and the others give clues to help them guess the word. The catch is, you only have a limited amount of time to guess as many words as possible before the timer runs out.
Two Truths and a Lie
In Two Truths and a Lie, each player says three statements two are true, and one is a lie. The other players have to guess which one is the lie. It’s a great way to get to know each other better and laugh at the outrageous things people come up with!
Sticker Stalker
In Sticker Stalker, one person gets a sticker and has to secretly place it on someone else’s back. The rest of the group tries to figure out who has the sticker, while the person with the sticker tries to stay unaware. It’s a simple but fun game!
Mail Call
Mail Call is a guessing game where the host writes names or things on cards and hides them around the party area. Players must find the cards and try to guess the hidden messages. It’s a fun scavenger hunt mixed with mystery!
Spoons
In Spoons, players sit in a circle with a set of spoons in the middle. Players pass cards around, trying to get four of a kind. When someone gets four, they grab a spoon, and everyone else must do the same. The person left without a spoon is out!
Balloon Duel
In Balloon Duel, each player gets a balloon and must pop their opponent’s balloon while protecting their own. It’s a fast-paced game, requiring quick thinking and reflexes. The last person with an un popped balloon wins!
Cookie Pocket
This game involves players trying to place a cookie in their mouth without using their hands. The catch is, they can only use their face muscles to keep the cookie from falling. It’s a hilarious challenge that gets everyone laughing.
Charade Whispers
A mix of charades and telephone, this game has players acting out a phrase silently, while the next person in line whispers what they saw. The last person announces their guess, and everyone laughs at how far the phrase has changed from the original!
Sardines
A twist on hide and seek, Sardines is where one player hides and everyone else searches for them. As each person finds the hider, they hide together in the same spot. The last person to find the group is the loser, but the last one hiding is the winner.
Dictionary
In Dictionary, players take turns making up fake definitions for obscure words, while others guess which one is the correct definition. It’s a clever game that encourages creativity and knowledge, while also being very funny.
The Voting Game
In The Voting Game, players take turns asking questions like, “Who is most likely to eat an entire pizza?” and everyone secretly votes on who they think fits the description. It’s a great way to learn funny things about your friends.
Wiki Top List Trivia
In Wiki Top List Trivia, players are quizzed on various categories, and the goal is to be the first to answer correctly. The catch is that all answers are based on Wikipedia articles, so expect some surprising facts!
Telephone Pictionary
A mix of drawing and guessing, Telephone Pictionary has players draw a phrase, then pass their drawing to the next player, who must guess what it is. The result is often hilarious as each drawing gets farther from the original phrase.
Fishbowl/Monikers/Salad Bowl/Names in a Hat
In this game, everyone writes down names of famous people or characters, and players have to guess who it is based on clues. The twist is that each round has a different way of giving clues—like miming, describing, or acting. It’s a perfect game for big groups!
Before and After
This word game involves taking two phrases, one that leads into the next, to create a “before and after” puzzle. For example, “Chicken Soup” and “Soup Kitchen” would become “Chicken Kitchen.” It’s a fun brain teaser that will get everyone talking and thinking.
This or That
A simple yet fun game, This or That has players choose between two options, like “Pizza or Burgers?” or “Beach or Mountains?” The fun part is hearing everyone’s choices and realizing how different your preferences might be from the others.