We’re here to let you in on a little secret: Going out is overrated. Truthfully, you can have just as good — or dare we say — a better time at home in your apartment. Of course, we’re not proponents of staying in every night. After all, you live in your city of choice so that you can explore the culture, sights and sounds of the place you call home. But going out every weekend gets old after a while. It also gets expensive. Spending money on rideshares, cabs and public transport, plus food, drinks and cover charges mean the price of a night out can easily break even the most flexible budget. While it’s essential that you give yourself quiet time to recharge, your nights at home don’t all have to be spent on the couch binge-watching Netflix, especially when you have company. There are other ways to have a good time with friends right in the comfort of your own apartment. The best option? Apartment party games.
From classic card games to modern options that utilize your phones, party games are never going out of style. Here are a few of our current favorites to try out with friends. Let the apartment party games begin.
Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity is always a good time. If you’re unfamiliar with “the game for horrible people,” it’s simple — each player takes a turn to ask questions from a Black Card, and each player must answer with their best White Card. Whoever has the funniest answer according to the person who asked the question wins that round. Beware: This game can get pretty awkward, as it’s meant for a 21+ age group. If you’d prefer a tamer option, Apples to Apples is pretty much the same thing, minus the awkward moments.
Loaded Questions
Next on our list is Loaded Questions. This is one you can DIY, although there is also an option to purchase. But it’s so easy to make, we suggest doing it yourself (it’s more fun that way).
Here’s how it works: Everyone sits at a table and must write down a “loaded question.” The questions will all go into a sorting hat (or a bowl, whatever works), which will be passed around the table. Each player will pick a question from the hat and read the question aloud. Everyone writes down their own answers to these questions. Then the hat is passed to the next person, who will read everyone’s answers out loud. Finally, everyone has to guess which answers belong to each person. For every question a player gets right, they earn one point. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins.
Charades
A true classic, charades is the ultimate apartment party game go-to for the perfect night in your apartment. It’s free of cost, super easy, and a ton of fun. If you need a refresher on the rules, here’s how to play:
Choose someone to start the game. They’ll begin by thinking of a movie, song, famous person, or book title, and will then attempt to act it out without the use of any props. Sometimes it can help to designate a category, such as 90s songs so that everyone has an initial clue to start from. But that’s entirely up to you. Put your pantomiming skills to work with Charades, and it’s sure to be a good time.
Game Of Phones
Mourning the end of HBO’s “Game of Thrones”? Try Game of Phones.
Many of us are constantly on our phones. Game of Phones allows guests to socialize “IRL” without forgoing their phones.
The game does require its own set of cards which you can order here. Each card has a prompt involving something to do with your phone. For example, a card might say to play the first song that comes up on your shuffle, or to scroll through your photos with your eyes closed, choosing a photo at random to then show everyone. Whoever has the funniest, most absurd results wins the round, which makes this game a lot of fun.
Camera Hot Potato
This is a simple game that can easily be played on a phone’s camera. It’s not the most exciting or interesting on our list, but it can get everyone laughing. To play the game, set a phone’s camera on the “Self Timer” mode. Sit in a circle with your friends and pass the phone around. Each person should hold the phone out in front of their face as if they’re taking a selfie. Continue passing the phone around until the camera goes off, then laugh at your friend’s ridiculous face in the photo (or laugh with them, whichever you prefer).
Likes and Dislikes
This is one of the simplest apartment party games you can play. But as we all know, sometimes, simple is better. That’s the case with this easy game. Here’s how you can play: Have all of your guests write down three things they like and three things they dislike on a piece of paper. Mix the pieces up and have everyone pick one card out of the pile. Then, have everyone try and guess which likes and dislikes belong to each friend.
Scrabble
An oldie-but-goodie, Scrabble is a game that’s stood the test of time (it was invented in 1931). It’s an inexpensive board game option that can be hilarious, suspenseful and interesting. In short, you can’t go wrong with a game of Scrabble with friends.
Need some help planning the ultimate game night at home? Check out our apartment game night guide right here.
