Party Board Games
No matter what kind of party you're having, we've got a party board game for you that will keep you and your friends in a fun mood the whole time!
โ๏ธ December 22, 2022- ๐บ ย Best Overall: One Night Ultimate Werewolf
- ๐ ย Best Creative: Snake Oil
- ๐ด ย Most Competitive: Uno Flip
- ๐ฃ ย Best Classic: Sushi Go! Party
- ๐ธ ย Best Icebreaker: Drink-A-Palooza
- ๐ ย How we picked and tested
When it comes to hosting a party or event, board games are one of the best ways to get everyone involved and have a great time. From classic favorites you’ve been playing for years to newer games that are just as fun, you’ll be sure to find the perfect entertainment for your gathering.
In the sea of party board games out there, our top recommendation is One Night Ultimate Werewolf. It’s fast-paced, easy to learn, and full of nail-biting suspense that will keep your guests engaged throughout the game.
We’ve sorted through the market so you can spend time having the best time possible and less time researching games! We’ve narrowed it down to the top five board games that will be sure to turn any gathering into an unforgettable event. If you want to know more about our selection process, read our methodology here.
1. Best Overall: One Night Ultimate Werewolf
- Player count: 3-10 players
- Duration: 10 minutes average playing time
- Ages: 8+
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is our best pick for any kind of party because it’s short, fun, and compelling. It has everything you need for a great time during a party, whether you’re with friends or family!
Why we love it
What makes this game a clear winner in our book is because of how simple yet incredibly engaging it is. It only takes about a couple of minutes to play and set up and anyone can learn the rules in no time. There’s an app available to assist you in your gameplay and you can even adjust the time limit for a shorter or longer game.
This game has excellent replayability with its variety of roles and characters that have unique abilities. Even those who are already well-versed in the traditional Werewolf game will love and enjoy this one. It’s so much fun you’ll be playing it round after round!
We also love that One Night Ultimate Werewolf is purely a deduction game, and it’s a perfect way to teach young players the basics of strategizing and using deductive reasoning. Because not only you’ll need to figure out the culprits after one night, but you also need to figure out if your role has been switched with another. You can end up being a hunter, doppelganger, or any other exciting role in this game.
The only thing we didn’t like about this game is that the cards easily fade and lift around the edges after multiple plays. Any markings that can make certain cards identifiable can be a huge detriment to the gameplay, so we recommend getting card sleeves or finding a new replacement set if that becomes an issue.
Overall, we think this is a solid party board game pick for its blend of classic Werewolf gameplay with some interesting twists. No matter what kind of party you’ll be hosting, big or small, this game will be a guaranteed hit for everyone!
How to play
When setting up One Night Ultimate Werewolf, it’s important to note that there should always be three more cards than the number of players. Assign a player who is going to play the role of the announcer or download the app to help you narrate the story.
Shuffle the character cards face down and deal them out to everyone. Put the remaining three cards and tokens that match all the cards being used in the middle of the table. Once everybody looks at their card, the announcer or the app explains what happens during the night.
All players then close their eyes and carry out any actions that are assigned to their character. Several characters will wake up during the night and open their eyes, but the Villager, Hunter, and Tanner never move or open their eyes.
When the night is over, everyone opens their eyes and starts talking about who they think the werewolf is. They can use both deduction and intuition to figure it out. At the end of the discussion, each player will have a chance to point out who they think the werewolf is.
The player who has been pointed out as the werewolf reveals the card. The village team wins if at least one werewolf dies, or if no one is a werewolf and nobody dies. The werewolf team only wins if at least one player is a werewolf and no werewolves are killed.
2. Best Creative: Snake Oil
- Player count: 3-10 players
- Duration: 20 to 30 minutes
- Ages: 10+
Ever wanted to try your hand at being a salesperson? Snake Oil is the perfect game for any party that needs a jolt of creativity In this game, you’ll be making pitches for crazy products that are completely made up, so don’t worry if you can’t think of something cool or clever. The sillier and more outrageous your invention, the better!
Why we love it
Coming up with the most outrageous sales pitches is one of the most fun elements of this game that we just absolutely love. It encourages players to be creative and come up with a story around their product, while also forcing them to be convincing and persuade their customers that they really need it.
This game is a great way to facilitate creative and imaginative thinking, while also creating lighthearted and silly situations that can be enjoyed by both adults and children. It’s portable and easy to set up and play with, making it great for parties of any size.
What we didn’t like about this game was that there was no discretion for whoever is getting the points for the round. Players could just choose not to pick someone’s product because they’re in the lead, and not because their pitch was bad. For this, we recommend coming up with ways to anonymously rate products to make the game a bit more fair.
Overall, this game is an excellent choice for any kind of party that needs a bit of lightheartedness and laughter. It’s perfect for all ages and encourages creativity, making it one of our top pick for parties!
How to play
In this game, you are a salesperson. You will need to come up with various ideas to help sell your product. Your goal is to win over as many customers as you can by convincing them that your product is the best.
Each player will draw a hand of six Word cards and choose a player to be the customer for the first round. The customer will then draw a Customer card and reads it out loud. The other players will then have 30 to 40 seconds to pick two Word cards from their hands to create a product. They will then have to give an enthusiastic pitch for it, trying to convince that customer that they need it.
The customer gets to decide which product they’d like, and the player with the winning product collects the Customer card as a point. The game continues until everyone has had a chance to be a customer and the player with the most Customer cards wins. Happy pitching!
3. Most Competitive: Uno Flip
- Player count: 2-4 players
- Duration: 5 minutes or more
- Ages: 7+
For those looking to make an enemy out of their friends, Uno Flip is the perfect game! It’s designed to bring out your competitive spirit as you battle with your opponents in this classic card game.
Why we love it
We picked Uno Flip because of how it’s already so well-known and beloved, and the twist this edition adds to the game makes it even more fun. It has a low learning curve and easy-to-understand rules, yet by adding the “flip” card it takes this classic game to a whole new level of competitiveness.
Because this game encourages player interactions and strategic thinking, it’s great for young adults and adults alike. Plus, its compact size makes it easily portable, so you can play it anywhere!
A significant downside to Uno Flip is that the cards are only kept in a thin cardboard box, so they can become easily damaged or bent. We recommend investing in a tin box to store your Uno Flip set to keep them safe. All in all, Uno Flip is an amazing game that will keep you on your toes and ensure a great time with friends. It’s perfect for those looking for a bit more excitement and challenge in their board game.
How to play
In Uno Flip, cards have a dark and light side. The goal is to be the first player to get rid of all their cards. To begin, the deck is shuffled and each player is dealt seven cards. All players start with the light side up.
Per usual, players then take turns playing a card from their hand either by matching either the color or number of the card on top of the discard pile. If they cannot play a card, they must draw one card from the deck.
When a Flip card is drawn or played, all players flip their hand to the dark side. The rules stay the same as before, just that now all players must match either the color or number of the dark side of the card.
The first player to discard all their cards wins! For a more comprehensive guide on how to play Uno Flip and its cards, read our guide on the game here.
4. Best Classic: Sushi Go! Party
- Player count: 2-8 players
- Duration: 20 minutes
- Ages: 8+
For those looking to bring a classic game to the party, this pass-and-play card game doesn’t disappoint. Sushi Go! Party is an upgrade to the original Sushi Go!, with a larger party of players and a new twist to play with.
Why we love it
We chose Sushi Go! Party for its simple yet dynamic play style. It has a good balance between luck and strategy, ensuring that everyone will have a chance to win even if theyโre not the most experienced gamer.
You can find all your favorite sushi-themed cards from the original game, with a few new surprises added in as well. This game offers great replayability with its customization options, as players can now choose a menu deck to try out different strategies and possibilities. You can also now adjust the difficulty level according to your groupโs preferences, making it great for both casual and hardcore gamers.
A significant downside to this game is that the card quality is simply not as good as the original gameโs, making them more likely to tear with handling. We suggest being extra careful when handling the cards and considering buying sleeves to increase their lifespan.
Overall, Sushi Go! Party can be a great addition to any party, especially when you want something with a bit of strategy but still easy enough for casual gamers. You can never go wrong with this classic!
How to play
Players try to collect the most points by collecting sets of sushi cards and bonus points cards through three rounds of play. Before each round, players decide which cards to use in the game by picking a menu deck. The deck includes all the sushi cards and combinations from the original game, plus a few new ones.
After choosing a menu deck, players are dealt cards from the deck. On their turn, each player chooses one card from their hand, puts it face down, and passes the rest to the player on their left. Once everyone has chosen a card, everyone reveals their choices at the same time.
Each round, players try to collect sets of sushi cards and bonus point cards with the goal of having the most points at the end of three rounds. After all three rounds are done, players add up their scores, and the player with the most wins!
Want a visual walkthrough of the game instead? Watch our Sushi Go! video here:
๐ If you want to know more about its original predecessor, check out our guide to Sushi Go! here.
5. Best Icebreaker: Drink-A-Palooza
- Player count: 2-12 players
- Duration: 60 minutes average playtime
- Ages: 21+
Any party needs an icebreaker game to get everyone in the mood, and Drink-A-Palooza is just the game. This drinking game combines classic favorites such as beer pong, flip cup, and quarters with cards to create a unique twist on the same old games. It’s sure to get any party started and keep the energy going.
Need more drinking board games to play? Check out our other top picks here.
Why we love it
Our favorite thing about Drink-A-Palooza is its variety of mini-games. It keeps the action moving and ensures that no one gets bored with the same game too quickly. All you need is a few friends, some drinks, and tables for the various drinking games.
We also love that the rules are incredibly easy to learn, so everyone can join in without any prior knowledge of the game. This game is perfect as pre-game entertainment or as the main attraction at any party because of its thematic elements, like its cute moving pieces that are beer crates you can fill with drinks.
However, despite being a drinking game, the contents of Drink-A-Palooza aren’t water resistant. We suggest finding a way to protect the cards if you plan on using them for multiple parties. We also didn’t like how the game can be fairly long, so it might be better to play it in two or three smaller rounds rather than one long game.
How to play
Players compete by completing challenges listed on the game cards, including drinking games such as beer pong and flip cup. To begin, each player chooses an empty 6-pack holder and begins on the space marked start. Choose a player who will spin the bottle, and whoever the bottle points to will begin the game by rolling the die.
The game progresses clockwise. Each player plays the game holding their favorite beverage. Throughout the game, players will either drink or distribute an amount of โSipsโ to other players. Players can also count the amount of โSipsโ in โSeconds.โ
When you land on Beer Pong, Quarters & Flip Cup; you can choose another player to compete against by spinning the bottle. The bottle will point to your opponent.
The person who wins the mini competition gets a Mini Bottle. They then put that Mini Bottle into their 6-pack game piece. Whoever fills up their 6-pack moving piece first will win the game!
๐ Do you like drinking games? Then you should head to our drinking board game collection!
How we picked and tested
PsyCat Games is built by people who know how to have fun! We’ve been researching parties and games since 2018 and have published 400+ articles on our website. That’s why we’re confident that we know what we’re talking about!
We want you to have the best time possible and not waste your money on a subpar product. That’s why we spend over three months testing over 30 different games with groups of friends and adults. We’ve ranked the games by the fun factor, player experience, and replayability!
Our ranking is subjective, but we’ve tried our best to be as impartial as possible. However, if you stumble upon a party board game that you think deserves a spot on our list, please reach out to us! We would love to hear from you.
PsyCat Games is supported by readers clicking on our affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, we might earn a commission if you buy something through our links.
FAQ about Party Board Games
1. What is the best party board game?
This really depends on your preferences and the size of your party! Our top pick for any party is One Night Ultimate Werewolf, as it’s a fast-paced game that requires some strategy and deduction. It works great with 3-10 players and is a lot of fun to play.
Another great game for parties is Sushi Go! Party, which is a card-drafting game that has a good balance between strategy and luck. It works with up to 8 players, making it great for medium-sized gatherings.
2. What is the most fun board game?
Again, this depends on your preferences! Generally speaking, games that require strategy, deductive reasoning, and interaction among players tend to be the most fun. Examples of these are games like Codenames, Pandemic, and One Night Ultimate Werewolf. However, luck-based games like Sushi Go! Party and Monopoly can also be great fun for certain groups.
3. What games can be played with 10 people?
If you’re looking for a board game that can accommodate up to 10 players, weโd recommend Snake Oil. This party game is all about coming up with creative product descriptions and pitching them to the other players. It combines elements of storytelling, comedy, and improvisation, so it’s sure to make for a great time.
4. What is the number one best-selling board game?
The number one best-selling board game is Monopoly. It’s been around for over 100 years, and it continues to be popular among players of all ages. It’s easy to learn and has a good balance of luck and strategy, making it a great choice for any gathering. Plus, with all the different versions available, you can find a Monopoly game thatโs perfect for any party.