Hosting a teen party in any capacity can be daunting. To host the perfect teen’s party, you’re going to need to curate a playlist, choose a theme, and, of course, organize some games. When organizing games for a teen party, you want to find the perfect balance between fun and age-appropriate without going the corny route. This can be challenging! But don’t worry, this is where we come in with our list of the top 50 awesome party games for teens.
We’ve organized the 50 games into classic party games for teens, minute to win it party games for teens, large group party games for teens, small group party games for teens, and unique party games for teens.
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CLASSIC PARTY GAMES FOR TEENS
Here are the classic party games for teens that you simply cannot go wrong with!
1. TRUTH OR DARE
One of the best games teens love to play with their friends is truth or dare. This is a very simple game in which players take turns picking either truth or dare. Then, everybody else must give them a question they must answer or a dare they must do! Here are 250+ truth or dare questions to get you started.
2. CHARADES
A classic parlor game that’s a winner in any setting is charades. Charades can be a team game or individual game. But no matter how you play, the premise remains the same. One player goes in front of the group to mime a word or phrase that everybody else must try to guess! The first player to guess correctly wins a point and is next to mime.
3. TWISTER
Twister is one of our favorite indoor games for teens and kids. In this physical game, players must place their hands and feet in specific circles on the Twister mat, according to what is called out! Whoever falls is out, and the last player remaining standing wins.
You’ll need this to play:
- WHO’S GOT THE MOVES: Classic Twister gameplay challenges players to place...
- GIVE THE SPINNER A WHIRL: See where it lands and make a move. Right foot red,...
- INDOOR ACTIVITY FOR KIDS: Stuck inside. The Classic Twister game is an...
4. TUG OF WAR
On the flip side, tug of war is one of our favorite outdoor games for kids and teens. In this classic game, you’ll need to divide everyone into two teams. The two teams then battle it out on the field, tugging on a rope, trying to get the other team onto their side! The stronger team wins the game. Just make sure to divide the teams as best as you can by strength.
5. MAFIA
We’re huge fans of hidden role games like Mafia! In this game, players are secretly given roles, either as a part of the Mafia or as Villagers. The goal of the game? The Mafia must try to outnumber the Villagers, and the Villagers must try to eliminate all of the Mafia. This happens through group debates and votes, so this game can get pretty heated!
6. WEREWOLF
Werewolf is a similar hidden role or social deduction game that is just as fun as Mafia. But instead of playing Mafia vs. Villagers, each player gets a role between the Werewolves vs. Villagers. Just like Mafia, the Werewolves try to kill all the Villagers before they are found out. And Villagers must find all the Werewolves before it’s too late!
You’ll need this to play:
- Engaging and Deceptive: Immerse yourself in the strategic world of hidden...
- App-Guided Gameplay: Enjoy a free app that seamlessly guides each game, ensuring...
- Thrilling and Inclusive: Play with 3-10 players, as you unravel the mystery of...
7. SCAVENGER HUNT
Whether you play this on Labor Day or on a birthday, a scavenger hunt is one of those games that is a huge hit for any party, including a teen party. To prepare for this game, you’ll need to hide a bunch of objects and clues around a designated playing area. Then, to get the game started, give each team or player a clue to get them started on the chase! The first player or team to find all objects wins the game.
8. PAPER TELEPHONE
Paper Telephone is one of the best funny games to play for teens at a teen party. Before you begin the game, give everyone a piece of paper and a pen. Then, everyone must write down a random sentence or phrase at the top of the paper. When that’s written down, everyone must pass down their piece of paper to the next player, who must draw the phrase. They must fold down the phrase so that all that can be seen is the drawing. The next players must then write a phrase for the drawing before folding the drawing away and passing the paper to the next player. Keep playing until all papers return to their original owner, and then read them out loud to see how warped the phrases get!
If you don’t have any pens or paper, don’t worry; you can also play this game online, as Gartic Phone.
9. CELEBRITY
Celebrity is a fun parlor game to play that is a step up from your standard charades. In this game, players must write down the names of 5 celebrities of their choice on slips of paper, fold them, and put them in a bowl. Then, it’s time to divide everybody into two teams.
Celebrity is divided into three rounds. One player from each team must try to get their teammates to guess as many celebrities as possible within a minute, with the rounds looking like this:
- Round 1: The player can use as many words as possible to describe the celebrity.
- Round 2: The player can use only one word to describe the celebrity.
- Round 3: The player can only mime.
The team to guess the most correct answers throughout the three rounds wins!
10. RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT
Red light, green light is one of those kids’ games that have made a resurgence amongst even older kids thanks to Netflix’s Squid Game. This is a super simple game that involves one player acting as the traffic light on one end of the playing field, and everybody else trying to creep up to the traffic light, moving only when it’s a green light, and freezing when it’s a red light.
MINUTE TO WIN IT PARTY GAMES FOR TEENS
Minute to win it games can be plenty of fun. These games can get the energy rising as all the teens work hard to compete against each other in these super-quick games that only last a minute!
11. COOKIE FACE
In this party game for teens, players put a cookie on their forehead that they must move to their mouth by only using their facial muscles — no hands allowed!
12. PENNY STACK
In one minute, players must stack 25 pennies on top of each other using just one hand! This game is a lot more difficult than it looks.
13. PENCIL FLIP
Players must try to flip a pencil in the air and have it land in a glass before the minute is up in this minute to win it game!
14. PASTA PICK-UP
This is a super fast minute to win it game in which players must put an uncooked spaghetti in their mouth that they must use to transfer uncooked penne pasta onto a plate.
15. DEFYING GRAVITY
This is another really simple game that is more fun than you think it will be! In this game, players must try to keep three or four balloons in the air.
16. EGG ROLL
Starting from one side of the designated playing area, players must roll an egg to the other side of the area using just a broom or other long object. But make sure not to break the egg!
17. BUBBLE BLOW
In this game, give every player a stick of bubble gum. When the minute starts, everyone must put the gum in their mouths and chew quickly. The goal? Make a bubble that is at least a specific size.
18. THREAD THE NEEDLE
Want to test your skills in handling small objects? In this minute to win it game for teens, players must thread as many needles as possible (or a designated number of needles).
19. KISS UNWRAP
Grab a huge bag of Hershey’s Kisses, and have the players race to unwrap as many Kisses as possible. The best part? You can eat the chocolate afterward!
20. PENNY HOSE
Put two pennies in a pair of pantyhose. The objective of this game is to fish out the two pennies from the pantyhose before the minute is up!
LARGE GROUP PARTY GAMES FOR TEENS
If you’re hosting a larger group party for teens, these are some of the best games to consider playing. Most of these games don’t have a limit to how many people can play; in fact, the more, the merrier!
21. WHO AM I?
To play this game, all you need is some Post-it notes and pens. Have every player write down a person, real or fictional, dead or alive, on a Post-it note that they must stick onto the player on their left. All players must now try to guess who is on their forehead by asking yes or no questions.
22. WINK MURDER
Another one of our favorite games for large groups is wink murder. Have everyone sit in a circle. Then, while everyone closes their eyes, pick a murderer and detective. The detective stands in the middle of the circle and tries to find the murderer before it’s too late! The murderer kills the other players by winking at them, at which point, that player must dramatically die after counting three seconds so as to throw the detective off a bit.
23. HUMAN KNOT
An awesome team-building game to play in a large group of teens is human knot. Create a human knot by having all players reach out and grab two random hands from a tight circle. Then, when everyone is knotted together, the goal is to unknot everybody! If you have more than 20 players, we recommend breaking up the knot into two knots to make the game a little easier.
24. DODGEBALL
If you’re looking for some summer camp games to play for teens, look no further than dodgeball. Divide everyone into two teams and toss a couple of balls into the mix, depending on the number of players. Then, the two teams toss the balls, trying to hit a player on the other team. When hit, you’re out! The last team standing wins.
25. FREEZE DANCE
Want to play a game that involves some music? Why not a round or two of freeze dance? Play some music and have everybody dance. But if the music turns off, everyone must freeze! Whoever is caught moving is out of the game.
26. EGG AND SPOON RELAY RACE
A relay race can be the perfect game to play when it’s a sunny day out when hosting a teen party. And you can’t go wrong with an egg and spoon relay race! Divide everyone into teams and give each team a spoon and egg that they must balance on the spoon to one end of the playing field and back. The first team to complete the relay wins.
27. STEAL THE BACON
This is a super fun game you can play with as many people as you want. Divide everyone into two teams, assigning each person on a team a number. Then, as the organizer of the party, you’ll call out a random number, and the two players with the same number assigned to them, one from each team, will run to the middle to steal the “bacon.” Whoever manages to steal the bacon first wins a point!
28. HULA HOOP PASS
To play this game, all you need are some hula hoops. Divide the group into teams and have them pass a hula hoop from one player to the next, with the team members holding hands the whole time. This game is a lot more difficult than it looks! Race to see who can finish the fastest.
29. SARDINES
Sardines is a twist on the classic game of hide and seek. However, instead of one person seeking, everyone seeks one person. And whenever a seeker finds the hider, they must join the hider until there is only one person left seeking! This person is hider for the next round.
30. LIMBO
You’re probably already familiar with the classic game of limbo. Simply hold a long stick or rope between two people and have people bending over backward (literally) to pass underneath without touching the stick. If a player touches the stick or falls over, they’re out! Keep lowering the stick after each round until there’s only one winner remaining.
SMALL GROUP PARTY GAMES FOR TEENS
Not all parties are big. If you’re hosting a small group party for teens, here are some of the best games to consider playing.
31. CODENAMES
Codenames is one of our favorite board games of all time. In this game, two teams play against each other, with one player from each team acting as the “spymaster”. The spymaster from each team uses a one-word clue to help their teammates guess the correct words for their team before the other team guesses their words. But be careful not to accidentally uncover the assassin!
Don’t have a copy of your own Codenames board game? No worries! You can play Codenames online for free.
You’ll need this to play:
- Work together to contact all of your agents before the other team
- A perfect party game experience for game nights
- 2-8+ player (in two teams)
32. PICTIONARY
Pictionary is another great board game to bring out at a teen party. Divide the players into teams in this game as well. Teams take turns drawing something that their teammates must guess before the timer runs out in order to move their game piece on the board. The first team to complete the board wins.
You’ll need this to play:
- Celebrate 40 years of the original classic family drawing game Pictionary!
- Sketch and guess your way to the finish line with this board game for family...
- Features 3 levels of clues, including Learn to Draw clues for younger players...
33. APPLES TO APPLES
Get to know all your friends on a deeper level with this super fun board game. In Apples to Apples, players must pick a card from their hand that best matches a card that is drawn by another player. The goal of the game is to have the judge of the round pick your card as their favorite!
If you’re looking for a hilariously fun party game for older teenagers, a great alternative to Apples to Apples is the notorious Cards Against Humanities.
You’ll need this to play:
- Filled with surprises and outrageous answers!
- From your seven cards, pick the closest “Apples to Apples” comparison.
- If the judge likes your comparison the best, you keep the Description card.
34. EXPLODING KITTENS
Exploding Kittens is one of our favorite funny card games. As you might be able to guess from the name, players in this game try their best not to get hit with an exploding kitten card. Players can do this by playing specific cards, such as “See the Future”, “Skip”, “Defuse”, and “Shuffle”. The last player remaining standing wins the game!
You’ll need this to play:
- HOW TO PLAY: Dive into the fun of Exploding Kittens: Party Pack Edition, a...
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: The Party Pack Edition features 120 cards with hilarious...
- WHO’S IT FOR? Designed for 2-10 players, ages 7 and up, this card game is...
35. UNO
Everyone’s played Uno at least once in their lives, and it’s popular for a reason. You can’t go wrong with a round or two of Uno. In this game, players compete to get rid of all of their cards by playing cards with the same value or color as the previous card. But there are some special cards that may mess with your plan and may cause you to pick up more cards from the deck! The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.
Want to really learn how to play this game? Here is our Uno strategy guide.
You’ll need this to play:
- UNO is the classic family card game that's easy to learn and so much fun to...
- In a race to deplete your hand, match one of your cards with the current card...
- Strategize to defeat your competition with special action cards like Skips,...
36. SCATTERGORIES
If you’re a big fan of word games like us, you’ve got to play Scattergories at the teen party. In each round, players must write down one word for each category that begins with a specific letter as specified at the beginning of each round. However, here’s the twist! You’ve got to be as creative as possible, as if someone else also has written down the same word for the same category, you’ve got to cross out that word, meaning one less point for you.
You’ll need this to play:
- A FAMILY FAVORITE: Bring back the joy of families and friends getting together...
- FAITHFUL REPLICA: This is a reproduction of the cherished 1989 edition including...
- THE PLAY: Choose a category card, slide it in your folio, roll the die to see...
37. HEADS UP!
To play Heads Up!, all you need is a smartphone with this game downloaded. Then, players simply take turns putting the phone on their forehead and trying their best to guess what is on their forehead, according to the category. To help the player guess, all other players must describe it as best as possible without using the actual word. The player who guesses the most words within a minute wins.
38. WOULD YOU RATHER
Would You Rather is a very simple game to play that will be a big hit with the teens! Players simply pick one option between two choices, such as:
- Would you rather have horns or a tail?
- Would you rather laugh or cry extremely loudly?
- Would you rather know how you will die or when you will die?
- Would you rather end war or poverty?
Here are more Would You Rather examples to get you started.
39. NEVER HAVE I EVER
Another game that will get all the teens thinking is never have I ever. Players start with all ten fingers up. In this simple game, players mention something they have never done. And whoever has done it must put a finger down. The first player to run out of fingers is out!
Some never have I ever ideas include:
- Never have I ever had a crush on a friend.
- Never have I ever eaten bugs.
- Never have I ever been to a wedding.
40. MONOPOLY
Monopoly is always a good bet when it comes to board games. There’s a reason it’s been around for so long! This game is filled with betrayals and laughter as players battle it out on the board, trying to buy properties and bankrupt other players!
You’ll need this to play:
- FAST-DEALING PROPERTY TRADING GAME: It’s a Family Game Night staple! Players...
- BUY, SELL, AND TRADE TO WIN: Players compete to buy out neighborhoods, sell...
- BUILD HOUSES AND HOTELS: Love that feeling when an opponent lands on an owned...
UNIQUE PARTY GAMES FOR TEENS
If you want to host a party for teens that everyone will remember for months to come, one way to amp it up is to organize some unique party games for teens that everyone will be really surprised by!
41. MURDER MYSTERY DINNER PARTY
Transform the entire teen party into an interactive murder mystery! As everyone filters in for the party, hand them a character sheet with all the information that they need to play their character, including their backstory, secrets, and motives. Then, watch everyone fling out clues and accusations as they try to find the murderer!
42. GLOW-IN-THE-DARK CAPTURE THE FLAG
Capture the flag is always a classic game for active teens, but bring it to the next level by playing this in the dark with glow sticks! As with the standard game, divide everyone into two teams who must carry glow sticks and hide a glowing flag on their side of the territory. The goal? Steal the other team’s flag without getting tagged!
43. NERF GUN BATTLE
Have you got some Nerf guns lying around? Then, why not do a Nerf gun battle? All players arm themselves with the darts and unleash the all-out battle, either in teams or individually. The last player standing wins.
44. LASER TAG
Laser tag is similar to a Nerf gun battle in which players must battle it out and try not to get tagged — this time, with laser! This game is best played in teams, with the team with the most tags winning the game.
45. KARAOKE BATTLE
If the group of teens you’re hosting at the teen party likes to sing, what better activity or game to play at the party than a karaoke battle? Have the teens battle it out by singing their favorite songs. Either keep it friendly by simply enjoying the karaoke or have the teens vote for their favorite singer.
46. GLOW STICK HIDE AND SEEK
This is another party game for teens that involves glow sticks. Turn off the light, and give each player a glow stick that they must wear somewhere on their body to make the game a bit more difficult. Then, just like standard hide and seek, the seeker counts to a specific number and then starts looking for all the hiders.
47. INSTAGRAM SCAVENGER HUNT
If the teens at your party all have cell phones that they are glued to, why not play a party game that will involve their phones to get them interested? Create a list of some fun challenges for players to complete and document on Instagram. Examples of challenges include:
- Recreate a famous movie scene
- Find a stranger wearing a hat
- Make a farting noise
The player or team to complete all challenges first wins!
48. WATER GUN FIGHT
A water gun fight is one of the best party games for teens to play on a hot day. This game is guaranteed to cool everyone off. To play, simply give each player a water gun, set up some safe zones, and get started! Everyone will be completely wet and cool in no time at all.
49. SILENT DISCO
If the teens love to dance, why not host a silent disco? Each person simply listens to their own playlist and dances to the music. It’s pretty hilarious watching people dance to a completely different beat than your own! Plus, no noise complaints.
50. WATER BALLOON DODGEBALL
Another one of our favorite party games for teens in the summer is water balloon dodgeball. Just like standard dodgeball, divide everyone into two teams. The two teams battle it out by throwing water balloons at each other. If you’re hit, you’re out!
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