The Best Tabletop Party Games

Planning board game nights can be a Sisyphean task. Aligning schedules is tough enough, but once you do, getting the right number of people for the right game is even harder. If too many people show up, someone has to spectate. Not enough, and game night is on shaky ground before it’s even begun.

That’s where party games come in.

Although they’re generally a bit simpler (and sillier) than other tabletop games, they’re designed to be flexible in accommodating large groups of people and to encourage spirited social interactions rather than imposing arcane rule sets and complicated game mechanics.

The best thing about party games is that they are both simple to learn and to teach, which makes getting newbies started quick and easy (and gives that friend who always teaches the games a bit of a break). It also makes them an enjoyable on-ramp for folks who may not consider themselves “gamers.”