When you plan dinner parties with people that you might not know so well, it can always feel a bit awkward and planning it can be a bit stressful. You want to make your new guests feel at home while also trying to get to know them. That’s why having something like a dinner party game to break the ice is perfect—and much-needed in these situations.
Here is a list of fantastic dinner party games you can play at your next dinner party. It’s a great way to break the ice with each guest without feeling like you’re putting anyone on the spot. Plus, they’re a lot of fun!
Heads Up
Heads Up, the game that’s been seen on the daytime show Ellen quite often, is a great way to break the ice. First of all, it’s quite easy to get started. You can download the mobile app on your phone to kick things off. You play the game by selecting a category on the app, such as blockbuster movies or superstars. You hold the phone up to your head, as the other players try to give you hints as to who or what the card is. There are timed rounds, making sure everyone gets a turn!
Head Up is a fun way to get to know people and have fun in a casual way. It’s also great if you’re in a rush and don’t have time to run to the store to buy something to play. Just a quick download is all you really need!
Apples to Apples
Apples to Apples is actually the perfect game to get to know everyone at a dinner party. The game can really be played two ways: clean and fun or dirty and fun! It just depends how the game goes… and how inappropriate or dirty you and your friends are!
The game is fantastic at parties. The game is all about comparisons and matching nouns and adjectives together. If you’re not sure what to expect from your dinner guests, this is a great way to get to know them better. Whether you play it filthy or clean, it’s a fantastic party game no matter what. And it’s bound to break the ice!
Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever is a fun party game to play after dinner, especially if there’s some wine or alcohol that’s being passed around. While some might be a bit nervous to play Never Have I Ever, there are lots of ways you could change up the game to fit the scenario that you find yourself in. Like Apples to Apples, you can play it dirty or you can play it clean.
If you want your new dinner friends to feel comfortable, try changing up the standard Never Have I Ever game. Have your dinner guests write down their confession of something they’ve done, starting with the phrase “I never…” Then, put all the pieces of paper or cards in a bowl from each person and mix everything up so that it’s not noticeable who wrote what. Have people pick up the cards and say them out loud. Then, everyone guesses to see who confessed the statement!
This is a great game to play that’s bound to get a ton of laughs. Again, play it however you want. There are tons of ways to play Never Have I Ever, and there’s no wrong way. Look at your dinner guests and see what the best way to play would be!
If you don’t want to go through the process of writing down everyone’s statements, there’s also a great party game called Never Have I Ever you can check out. This game is full of statements, so no one will feel obligated to actually share something if they don’t want to!
Cards Against Humanity
For the dirtier of minds, Cards Against Humanity is your go-to game. The party game is quite popular and a fan favorite because it’s really just so much fun. This game is great to really break the ice and get people to just laugh, laugh, and laugh some more.
Nicknamed as “a party game for horrible people,” you really should have some type of info on who your dinner guests are before you pull out this game. If you don’t know your dinner guests at all, maybe keep this one for a rainy day with friends you know better. The last thing you want to do is make someone feel slightly insulted!
However, if you know your dinner guests will have fun with something like Cards Against Humanity, there really is no better way to break the ice. Whether you pull out this game before or after dinner, this game is absolutely perfect to just let loose and have some fun.
Pictionary
A classic game for everyone, Pictionary is something simple you can whip out and play when you really have no idea what else to do. Unlike Cards Against Humanity, there really is no way someone could be offended by playing Pictionary.
Pictionary is great if you have a large dinner party and are looking to help people get to know each other a little more. It’s a great team game and very easy to laugh and bond over.
You can play this game two ways: The first way is with the board game that comes with cards that tell you what to draw, and the second is to play with people writing down phrases or topics and then throwing them in a bowl. Make sure to separate the bowls by team, though. (You don’t want to make it easy for one team to win because they all know the answers!) Then, you can go through the topics everyone picked out and wrote down, drawing them on a piece of paper or a whiteboard, if you have one.
There’s a lot of ways you can play Pictionary and they’re all fun.
Charades
Charades is such a great party game to play, especially after one or two drinks as people begin to relax a bit more. Much like Pictionary, Charades is a great team game, making it perfect for those larger dinner parties where you want people to break the ice with others.
There are a ton of Charade games you can buy, ranging from ones that are Classic to ones that are a bit more adult. There are loads of options to help you find the best game for your dinner party.
You can also use the method we talked about above with Pictionary and have your dinner guests split into groups and then write down phrases or topics for people to act out. Regardless of how you play the game, it’s a lot of fun and always hysterical to see people attempt to act our various circumstances and words!
Catchphrase
A fun game that gets the heart pumping and the laughter loud, Catchphrase is one of those timed party games that never truly get old. The Catchphrase device itself is so useful because it literally does everything for you. All you and your dinner guests have to do is press a few buttons and pass the device to and fro. You no longer have to keep time yourself!
TableTopics: Girls Night Out
Having a girls’ only dinner party and want to quickly get to know your new girlfriends? TableTopics: Girls Night Out is the best option, honestly. A little bit racy but a whole lot of fun, this game is a conversation starter for sure.
Basically, this product was made to start conversations and this specific box was made for those girls’ only nights where you might want to get to know each other a bit more; therefore, it’s perfect for some ice breaking. There are 135 questions that come with this game, which is a lot. You don’t have to worry that you might run out of things to ask or talk about with this one.
This is also a great, nifty little game to have if you’re a bit nervous about having everyone over for your dinner party. If you feel like you’re not the best at breaking the ice and need a little help, this is a great game to start with! Plus, it really does help get everyone more acquainted with each other. However, there are some racy questions in there, so make sure you know your audience and party guests.
Trivial Pursuit
A game for those who are looking for a party game that’s friendly and family appropriate, Trivial Pursuit is fun and definitely will help break the ice. Sometimes, no matter how much you wish it to happen, your dinner party guests are just not the type to play something like Cards Against Humanity. And that’s okay! Luckily, there are great, clean games like Trivial Pursuit that are both challenging and fun.
If you really don’t know much about some of the people coming over for dinner or are looking for a way for everyone to have fun no matter what, Trivial Pursuit is a safe bet.
Scattergories
Scattergories is a fun game to play at any type of dinner party, especially after a few glasses of wine or a few bottles of beer (depending on the type of dinner party, of course). This is another great team game, making it a worthwhile activity for those dinner parties where you need to break the ice for a lot of different people.
Basically, Scattergories is played by attempting to find words that begin with the letter that you roll—but these words have to both start with the letter on the die, as well as fit the category of the card that you draw. It’s fun regardless of what type of dinner party you have and can become quite hysterical pretty fast once people let loose and the ice breaks a little bit more.
Jenga
A classic game for literally any type of social activity, Jenga is fantastic to play either before or after you eat dinner. There’s even a ton of different Jenga games, including a new form of Jenga that’s literally just a ton of giant wooden bricks. Even if you just have the original Jenga game, it’s still fun to whip out and play.
TableTopics: Destination Anywhere
From the creators of TableTopics: Girls Night Out (which we talked about above), this box is great for both men and women! The topic of conversation in this box is all about traveling, which is always fun to chat about, even for those who don’t find themselves traveling all that much.
The box has cards that ask about dream vacations and places that you would want to visit, which are great conversation starters that can lead to fun open conversations. With 135 question cards, you really won’t have to worry about running out of things to talk about. This box is also family friendly, so you won’t have to worry about anything racy or dirty popping up.
If you’re looking for some easy ways to start conversations in a clean and family-friendly way, check out this box. It’s really a lot of fun and takes the stress off of trying to make everyone feel at home and comfortable, including yourself!
Taboo
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise: the board game Taboo is loads of fun. After a few drinks, it’s a riot. The game consists of trying to get your partner or teammates to guess the mystery word, but you can’t use common words associated with said mystery word. It’s a lot harder than it sounds, making the whole game a ton of fun that always seems to end up with people laughing.
Taboo is a great game to help break the ice, either for a few people or a large group of people who maybe don’t know each other that well.
Taboo also has another version of the game called Midnight Taboo that is more adult oriented and may have some words that could be considered dirtier than the average game. If you want to make sure the game stays straight and narrow, stick with the original Taboo game; if you don’t mind straying into more adult-oriented content, check out the Midnight Taboo board game.
