By Dave Greas in Halloween — Sep 15, 2024

Best Party Games for Halloween

Halloween is a perfect opportunity to host an unforgettable game night for your friends and family. To make your gathering extra fun, incorporating the right party games can ensure everyone has a blast. Whether you're into some classic games or want to try something new, this list of the Best Party Games for Halloween will keep your guests laughing, engaged, and entertained all night!

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Make sure you check out our printable Halloween games pack containing the following games:

1. Phobia Match: Match common phobias with their corresponding names and descriptions.
2. Halloween Trivia: 10 spooky questions about the history of Halloween, horror movies, and more!
3. Monster Comparison: How much do you know about monsters?
4. Horrifying Jokes: Can you guess the punchlines of some horror themed jokes?
5. Spooky Crossword: Yes, it is a Halloween-themed crossword
6. Brew a Potion: Do you know which plants are poisonous?
7. Monster Disco: Can you match the songs with the artist?
8. Scategories: Find words starting with different letters.
9. Villain Match: How well do you know Villains from movies?
10. Spooky Maze: Who finds the exit faster?

General hosting tips

Before we start on the games here are a few tips:

Not everything has to be Halloween themed. Most people likely don't know much about Halloween's history or haven't seen all the classic horror movies. Centering everything around the Halloween theme can be tiring.
Prepare more games than the schedule allows, so you have the flexibility to make adjustments as needed.
Plan with the number of guests in mind. Some games work well with up to 6 players, while others can entertain any number of participants.
Decide ahead of time whether you want to create everything yourself or purchase some pre-made game packs.
Strike the right balance between fun and competition. Turning games into a contest with prizes can boost motivation, but it may also lead some players to prioritize winning over enjoying the games.

Classic Party games

Let's start with some classic party games. You will find these games in most lists, but they are there for a good reason! They are perfect for groups of all sizes and ages, offering easy to understand rules that get everyone involved.

1. Charades

This timeless classic is perfect for a Halloween party! Use Halloween themed items, creatures, characters, movies and songs to make your game night more thematic.

Playing Charades is super easy! Divide your guests into teams and have them act out phrases without speaking. Whether it’s imitating a witch or a character from a horror movie, this game will get everyone laughing.

For more details check out our article:

Check out how Jimmy Fallon and co. play Charades on The Tonight Show:

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Either prepare phrases in advance or engage your guests by providing cards or paper slips for them to contribute their own ideas.

You can also buy cards on sites like Amazon or Etsy

Time: 30-60 min.
Recommended Player Count: 4 - 16

Buy Halloween Themed Charades

2. Monikers

Monikers is a party game based on the public domain game Celebrities, where players aim to get their teammates to guess as many weird and sometimes inappropriate names as they can in 1 minute.

In the first round, clue givers can say anything they want, except for the name itself.
For the second round, clue givers can only say one word.
In the final round, clue givers can’t say anything at all: they can only use gestures and charades.

While this game is not Halloween-themed by default, you can easily give it a twist by using Halloween-related words, characters, and activities, just like in Charades.

How to play Monikers

Time: 30-60 min.
Recommended Player Count: 4 - 16
Buy Monikers from the official site

3. Quiz

Quizzes are interactive games that challenge players' knowledge on various topics. A popular choice for game nights is a quiz about the history of Halloween, which fits the theme perfectly. However, I would suggest to also include topics like music, movies, or general trivia.

If you want to take things to the next level, build a Quiz Buzzer System using Arduino or another microcontroller:

Learn how to create a DIY Quiz Buzzer System with an Arduino

Time: 20-30 min.
Recommended Player Count: 3 - Unlimited

4. Movie Quiz

This game is our guest's favorite Halloween party game! Prepare three short (5-10) second clips from a set of movies. Players need to guess which movie the clip is from.

Feel free to choose Halloween movies, but the game should be fun with any genre.

Rules:

Players write their guess on a paper slip. This ensures everyone can participate, no matter how quickly they recognize the movie.
Each player can guess only once for each movie, regardless of whether they are correct or not. This rule is optional, but in my opinion it adds a strategic risk/reward element.
Scoring:
- If a player guesses correctly after the first clip, they score 3 points.
- After the second clip, 2 points.
- After the third clip, 1 point.
- No points for an incorrect guess.

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Select movies that everyone is likely to have seen to ensure all players can participate meaningfully. If someone did not see a movie, feel free to award them some points as a consolation prize!

You need to have some very basic knowledge about editing to prepare the clips.

It can take a while to create this game, but it is definitely worth it!

Drawing games

Drawing games are creative, interactive party games where players draw clues for others to guess. Perfect for groups, these games spark laughter and fun as players attempt to illustrate ideas with their artistic skills—or lack thereof.

5. A fake artist goes to New York

Everyone is drawing one picture together... but one player doesn't even know what they draw. There is a fake artist hiding among the real artists - can you find out who it is? The fake artist has to be careful not to be identified and the real artists have to be careful not to make it too easy for the deceiver.

A Fake Artist Goes to New York: How to play

A Fake Artist Goes to New York is an interesting blend of drawing and social deduction games. It is elegently designed and extremely fun to play.

Time: 20 min.
Recommended Player Count: 5 - 10
Buy the game from the official site

6. Drawful

Available on Steam, Drawful is a hilarious drawing game that requires just one copy for everyone to join in. Players draw bizarre prompts on their phones, while others guess what the drawings represent. It's a great way to add humor and creativity to any gathering!

This game doesn't have an option of Halloween themed phrases, but it is still fun regardless.

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Don’t take this game too seriously. While you can eliminate some answers due to typos or grammatical errors, it’s more fun to vote on the funniest answer rather than just the best match.

Time: 15 min.
Recommended Player Count: 3 - 8
Buy the game on Steam

Party games

7. Try not to laugh challenge

One of the best party games, not just for Halloween, but at any events! Split your guests into two (or more) teams, with one team trying their best to make the other team laugh while the other team holds a straight face.

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Buy some props that players can use to make people laugh.

Get inspired by watching a couple of YouTube videos. Here is one featuring Critical Role and Smosh Pit:

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This game is incredibly fun, but can take quite a while as the teams need some time preparing.

Time: 60-180 min.
Recommended Player Count: 3 - 16

8. Tortilla Battle

Try not to laugh while getting slapped with a tortilla! In this game players try to hold water in their mouths while slapping each other with tortillas. It is as absurd as it sounds and sure to get everyone howling with laughter!

I really dislike games where the laughter comes from making a fool of yourself. On the surface the Tortilla battle falls into this category: it looks silly, but I think it is smarter than that. Different kinds of people respond to different types of humor, so you need to use various strategies to make everyone laugh, making it a game of strategy, creativity and of course silliness.

This game is not Halloween-themed. You could craft a story about a cursed Mexican king who challanges everyone at Halloween to duel with enchanted tortillas, or try and make the tortillas themed, but I think this game works as a Halloween game regardless, because of the costumes the players are wearing.

Time: 10-20 min.
Recommended Player Count: 3 - 8

9. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

"Find yourself trapped alone in a room with a ticking time bomb. Your friends have the manual to defuse it, but they can't see the bomb, so you're going to have to talk it out – fast!"

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a fun party game that requires teamwork, and communication. The puzzles are randomized so the game offers plenty of replayability.

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Requires a Nintendo Switch or a PC and purchasing a single copy of the game.

Time: 20-40 min.
Recommended Player Count: 2 - 10
Buy the game on Steam or from Nintendo

Console games

Got a console? You probably already have a ton of great party games ready to go!

10. Mario Kart

Available on Nintendo consoles, Mario Kart is an absolute classic with 15 editions released since its launch in 1992. This power-up enhanced go-kart racing game has been a fan favorite ever since.

There are multiple spooky ghost filled tracks, making it suited even for Halloween!

11. Switch Sports

Switch Sports and its predecessor, Wii Sports are sports simulation video games that use motion sensors to control action within the game.

Although the games don't have a Halloween theme, they are so much fun that I can't ignore them even on Halloween. Just make sure to watch out for flying remotes hitting the TV!

I swear as fun as it is to play Wii/Switch Sports, it is even more fun watching others play!

12. Just Dance

Just Dance is a rhytm game originally developed for the Nintendo Wii console, but it also made its way to the Nintendo Switch. Each game includes a collection of classic and modern songs each with its own dance choreographies.

During each song, players attempt to mirror a dance performed by dancers on the screen, following moves that appear as pictorials on the bottom right corner of the screen, and are awarded for their accuracy.

Each player holds a controller in their right hand, so leg movements are not tracked or scored. While it is more fun to dance with full energy, you can still enjoy the game sitting down if you prefer not to sweat or if you have an injury.

Time: 10-30 minutes
Recommended Player Count: Up to 6 based on space

Just Dance Gamplay

13. Retro Pie

If you are more adventurous check out the Retro Pie project which allows you to turn your Raspberry Pi (or PC) into a retro-gaming machine.

14. Convert a single player game into a multiplayer game

You can turn single-player games into multiplayer experiences by adding limitations. For example, have two players share a single controller, each using one hand to control the game.

Example: Mortal Kombat 1v1 can be turned into a 2v2 this way.

Sports

Sports are always a blast, but they often need a lot of space — something that indoor Halloween parties in October and November might not have. Fortunately, you can still incorporate some fun sports into your event with these options:

15. Bowling
16. Mini Golf
17. Darts
18. Beer Pong
19. Basketball Free Throw
20. Table Tennis

Shops like Flying Tiger usually have some more indoor friendly versions of these games.

Retro (Kids) Games

With this topic we tap into the nostalgia factor. These timeless games, loved for generations, bring a sense of simple joy and engagement to game nights. Here are some must-try games for your next gathering:

21. Jigsaw Puzzle: Quick to complete, 54-piece puzzles are perfect for a satisfying, but manageable challenge.
22. Jenga / Stacking towers: This classic game has Halloween themed versions named stacking towers or stacking bones.
23. Cat's cradle: Cat's cradle is a two person dexterity game that is played with a string. The objective is to pass the string back and forth to each other transitioning between different shapes. The challenge is to see how long you can keep it going without messing up.
24. Battleship: Another iconic strategy type guessing game where players take turns calling shots at the other player's ship with the objective of destroying the other player's fleet.
25. Draw on the back: A simple game we used to play in elementary school, where one player draws on the back of their teammate, who then has to guess what is being sketched.
26. Sound imitation: Teammates must guess what sound is being imitated based on the player's performance.

Board Games

Some board games are perfect for game nights. Here is a list:

27. Codenames: This is a word-based party game where players split into teams and give one-word clues to help their team guess as many words as they can, while avoiding a certain word that makes the team instantly lose.
28. Just One: A cooperative party game in which you play together to discover as many mystery words as possible. Find the best clue to help your teammate. Be unique, as all identical clues will be cancelled!
29. Captain Sonar: One of the best party games ever made! It takes a while to learn, so I would recommend playing it for the whole night.

30. Escape rooms

You can transform one of your rooms into a real escape room with a few simple props like padlocks. Alternatively, you can purchase an escape room game, such as Exit: The Game, or try some printable escape room games.

Summary

That wraps up our list of the Best Party Games for Halloween! I hope you found some ideas to incorporate into your next game night!