Whether you’re hosting a party (virtual of course these days!) or just looking for something to do at home one night, games are a great activity. Everyone knows the classics such as I-Spy and Pin the Tail on the Donkey (or the other numerous variations depending on who you are playing with), but there are tons of options?

There is an almost endless choice of games to play that are suitable for all age groups. Some involve a bit more prep than others, so check out this guide to see what tickles your fancy.

Who am I?

This can be played with your family or extended bubble or indeed with friends and family via Zoom or Teams etc. One person leaves the room and the others decide who they are going to be.

They can be anything, an animal, cartoon character, famous person or even another family member. Once you’ve all decided, they come back into the room and ask yes/no questions until they guess their own identity.

Once they’ve guessed, it’s the next persons term, and so on, until everyone has had a go.

Monopoly

This is a classic board game that is as popular now as it was when it first came out; the thrill of collecting sets of cards and building houses is timeless. I have wonderful memories of staying up late with friends on holiday when all the parents had gone to bed, playing monopoly. Monopoly can be a very long game and you’ll need to own the board game which rules out some spontaneous fun.

An alternative is the Monopoly Live game. You can download the app within minutes and it’s an entertaining twist on the familiar Monopoly theme. It has a live chat feature so it’s perfect for parties and your guests could even go home with a pocketful of winnings if they strike it lucky!

It’s a combination of casino betting and the usual monopoly board. Mr Monopoly is animated and will take you round the board as you’re rolling dice and trying to win prizes.

As gambling is involved, this is an adults-only game but it’s great as an after-dinner activity.

I’m Hosting a Party

I mean, we couldn’t be any further from the reality of this at the moment could we? Good news is, you don’t have to actually host a party to play this one!

You don’t need to do any prep for this game at all so it’s perfect to play wherever you are. It’s also suitable for playing with any number of people from two upwards, although the more you have, the more fun it will be.

The idea is that you create a secret rule about who can come to your party. The other players announce what they’re bringing to your party and in return, you tell whether they can come. They have to figure out what your secret rule is by the process of deduction.

For example, you might decide that everyone must bring something yellow. So someone who says they will bring a banana can come, but someone who is bringing an apple cannot. The game is over when someone works out what your rule is.

Many More to Choose From!

The above three games are just a flavour at what’s out there but there’s nothing to stop you taking an existing game and making the rules your own. You can make drinking games child-friendly by switching alcohol for soft drinks – the variations are endless. Games perk up any occasion so store up a mental repertoire that you can break out whenever boredom strikes!

You could write your own quiz perhaps and play via Zoom, or set challenges where people have to find 10 things on a list and the first person back is the winner, there are tons of possibilities.