The key to a successful party or group date is a great game. The most engaging games are the ones that allow you to get to know everyone on a deeper level – and expose their secrets.
The games are Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts, Deep or Spicy, Heads or Tails, Never Have I Ever, and Smurf. These can be as mellow or high-risk as the group atmosphere calls for, depending on the questions each person asks. These games will improve many parties and form long-lasting relationships!
Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts
This game is the only one on the list that requires a bit of prep: you’ll need some disgusting food. The game itself is pretty self-explanatory. You can either answer the question or eat the selected gross thing. The host can write down all the food options to be drawn from a hat, or, with even less prep, the question-asker decides which food their victim is against. To make the game a little more interesting, you can include some yummy options, which might motivate people to take their chances with the hat. The person who was last asked a question becomes the question-asker in the next round.
I played this game on a group date in high school. We had various food selections ranging from expired milk to sardine smoothies. It got awkward when my friend’s date, whom she liked, got asked, “if you had to kiss someone in this room, who would it be?” He did not choose his date. Meanwhile, my date ate a whole pickled pig’s foot. Fortunately, he did not throw up, but it eliminated any chance for a kiss that night. Despite both of these hiccups, we had an enjoyable time laughing together, and we all became closer friends.
Deep or Spicy
This game is similar to truth or dare in that the person being questioned can choose from a set of options. The questioner asks them, “Deep or Spicy?”. If “Deep” is selected, they get asked a profound question, such as, “What motivates you to get out of bed each day?” If “Spicy” is chosen, they get asked a spicy/romantic question, such as “When was the last time you kissed someone?” The person who was last asked a question becomes the question-asker in the next round.
Last week I went camping with some friends. We hiked to the nearby hot springs, jumped in the warm water, and played this game. Some of my favorite questions are, “Who is your favorite ex?”, “What is something personal that you are working on?” and “If you had to date someone in this group, who would it be?” The longer you play, the more you learn about each other.
Heads or Tails
In “Heads or Tails” the question is whispered in the selected person’s ear so nobody else in the group can hear it. However, the person must say the answer aloud for everyone to hear. Once everyone in the group has listened to the answer, the answerer calls heads or tails, and someone flips a coin. If the answerer guessed the coin toss wrong, then the group gets to know what the question was. If the person guessed the coin toss right, nobody gets to know what the question was.
For example, the questioner, Lisa, can whisper to Jenifer, “Who do you think would be the best kisser in this group?”. Then Jenifer answers aloud, “Jacob.” Now everyone in the group, including Jacob, knows that Jenifer thinks something of Jacob, but they don’t know what it is. Jenifer then guesses, “Tails.” The coin is flipped, and it lands on Heads. Since Lisa lost the coin toss, she now has to reveal the question, and everyone knows Jenifer thinks Jacob would be the best kisser.
This is my favorite game out of the five options. People are much more willing to answer embarrassing questions honestly if there is a chance that nobody will find out. This game has an advanced element of risk that makes it much more fun. I played this on a high-school school trip with other kids in my grade. Cameron, beloved by all the girls yet never able to be tied down, was asked, “Who here would you date?” He answered, “Emily,” a beautiful, shy girl in the group. This was a hot topic for the rest of the trip, and Cameron and Emily ended up dating a few weeks later.
Never Have I Ever
Everyone in the group holds up a previously agreed-upon number of fingers (five is usually a good number). Each person takes turns saying something they have never done before, such as, “Never Have I Ever been arrested.” If someone has been arrested, they have to put a finger down. The winner is the last person with any fingers up.
I’ve played this game tons of times. A fun spin-off is “Ever Have I Ever,” where people say something they have done. They could say something like, “Ever Have I Ever swam with sharks.” People put a finger down if they haven’t swum with sharks. The original Never Have I Ever rewards people with fewer experiences. Ever Have I Ever rewards those who have done the most extraordinary things.
Smurf
One person leaves the room, and the group comes up with a verb (bowling, teasing, social media stalking, etc.). The designated person comes back and asks questions to determine the verb. Everyone must refer to the verb as “Smurf.” The person might ask someone, “How often do you Smurf?” or, “What body part do you use to Smurf?” Eventually, they hopefully figure out what the verb is.
I once played this game with a group of friends, and the most exciting round was when the Smurf verb was “having a crush on someone.” Individuals in the group had to answer questions like, “Who here would you Smurf?” and, “Have you ever Smurfed with so-and-so?” We uncovered many secret crushes through this game.
Be Careful to Be Kind
While these games are meant to be exposing and embarrassing, they keep the group atmosphere light. If someone is overly uncomfortable, don’t push them to keep playing. Make sure that nobody is being targeted or bullied and that everyone is having a good time. More important than having an exciting party is maintaining the relationships there.
Do you want to let a guy know you’re interested? Things often get complex in relationships. Check out our guide on How To Drop Hints That He Will Understand.
