House party games

Games people can join halfway through, while the doorbell keeps ringing.

1. Who Am I: stick a famous name on every guest's forehead at the door. They work out who they are by asking yes or no questions all evening.
2. Human Bingo: hand out bingo cards with squares like "knows the host from work" or "has been to Japan". First full row gets a prize, and everyone has talked to five strangers.
3. Two Truths and a Lie: three facts about yourself, one of them made up. Perfect for mixing two friend groups.
4. Imposter: everyone gets the secret word except the imposter. One clue each, then vote. A round takes three minutes, so late arrivals jump in on the next.
5. Would You Rather: two options, everyone votes. In LIVE mode guests vote from their own phones and the split appears at once.
6. Most Likely To: read the question, point at once. It shows fast who knows whom, and who has a reputation.

1. The Bomb: say an answer that fits the category and pass the phone before the hidden fuse goes off. The screaming gets louder every round.
2. Fishbowl: two teams, a bowl of names written by the guests, three rounds: describe, one word, act it out. The third round is pure chaos.
3. Charades: act out a film, a song or a book in silence while your team shouts guesses.
4. The Board: music jeopardy with real song clips. Two teams, the whole room singing along.
5. One Second: guess the song from a split second of music. Harder than it sounds and very loud when someone gets it.
6. Lip sync battle: pairs pick a song and perform it with full commitment and no actual singing. The room votes with applause.

Any drink works, water counts, and anyone can sit a round out.

1. Kings Cup: cards in a circle around a cup, every card has a rule. The kitchen table classic.
2. Ride the Bus: red or black, higher or lower, inside or outside and the suit. The loser rides the bus.
3. Beer Pong: two teams, ten cups each in a triangle. Land a ball in a cup and the other team drinks it. Fill the cups with water and keep your drink on the side.
4. Flip Cup: two teams in lines. Drink a small pour, then flip your cup from the edge of the table until it lands upside down, then the next player goes.
5. Never Have I Ever: say something you have never done, everyone who has done it takes a sip.
6. Roulette: spin the wheel on the phone and take the dare or the penalty it lands on.

For the people still on the sofa. Smaller circle, better stories.

1. Truth or Dare: pick truth or dare and let the phone draw the card, so nobody has to think one up at 1 am.
2. Paranoia: whisper a question, get a name out loud, and let a coin flip decide whether the room hears the question.
3. Pandora's Box: everyone answers the same question, and the answers are read without names. Then the guessing starts.
4. Truth or Drink: answer the question honestly or take a sip instead. Water counts here too.
5. Hot Takes: someone says an opinion, everyone votes agree or disagree, and the minority has to defend it.
6. Mafia: lights down, one narrator, a few secret mafia players. The best game for a group that has stopped moving but not stopped talking.

1. Cornhole: throw beanbags at a slanted board. In the hole is 3 points, on the board is 1, first team to 21 wins.
2. Kubb: two teams throw wooden sticks to topple the other side's blocks, then the king. Topple the king early and you lose.
3. Ladder toss: throw two balls joined by a string at a ladder with three rungs worth 1, 2 and 3 points. First to exactly 21 wins.
4. Giant Jenga: the tower game with blocks the size of your arm. Whoever topples it does the next round of dishes, or picks the next song.
5. Spikeball: two against two around a small round net. Hit the ball onto the net with up to three touches per team.
6. Water balloon toss: pairs throw a balloon and step back after every catch. The last pair with a whole balloon wins, everyone else gets wet.