I need a good board / party game for 6-8 people

[Frank Cannon]

What is your favorite for a large group like this? (And please don't suggest Cranium, unless that is indeed your favorite game; we've played that a million times and are tired of it.)

We are mostly adults with just a couple of kids 8 and up.

[grannylib]

1. If you are going to be outside, I suggest Twister sprayed with PAM...

played barefoot. It's also kind of fun to cut out all the circles and tape them back in (from underneath, using duct tape) in random order.
Charades is always fun...no equipment needed.

[yellowdogintexas]

2. we play Shanghai Rummy or Chicken foot dominoes

a nice round table 3 deck card game which can be played with an odd number if necessary.

I have googled many versions; it is also known as Progressive Rummy and Liverpool Rummy

Another great game for a group, especially mixed ages is Chickenfoot (a type of dominoes). Pick up a dominoe set, at least a double 9 but double 12 is even better, the rules for Chickenfoot and Mexican Train are usually included. Again, you can google the rules for both of these.

Look for dominoes with color coded dots..each number group has its own color, which makes the game easier for the very young to play. They know their colors even if the number cluster look too much alike for them, which really levels the field for the younger kids.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

3. Monopoly probably isn't a good idea.

From my experience, it only ends in violence. It's an evil game. Last time I played it, I nearly ended up with a concussion, but I got off with just a couple large knots on my head.

[Frank Cannon]

6. Monopoly takes too long too

I LOOOOOOOVE Risk, but there's no way I could play it with this crowd just because it takes too long. Monopoly tends to go on forever too.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

9. Hour tops. Then somebody ends up bleeding and the board gets flipped.

That's how it always seems to work around here.

[Ptah]

4. If you like raucous, I'd suggest Pit.

http://www.winning-moves.com/products/pit.htm


Too Much Fun Can Get You in Trouble....
This game has been in my family for years. I am now married and ready to introduce the game to my in-laws. My best memory of this game is playing the game on the family room floor around the coffee table and my Mother jumping on top of the coffee table screaming "corner on the market"- she had won the game. A few minutes later the police were knocking on our front door because we were disturbing the peace. It is truly a game that the whole family can enjoy- of all ages. It is timeless.
Reviewer: James Taylor - Kentucky, United States
August 17, 2004

Blast!
We just played pit for the first time!! It is a GREAT group/family game. It's fast moving and very competitive--but easy to learn! Think of OLD MAID on steroids!! It's so much fun--I'm buying two of them so more of us can play!
Reviewer: Kari - Michigan, United States
February 29, 2004

[Frank Cannon]

10. That's a great idea! I forgot I had that game!

It's around here somewhere.

I think the kids will really like that game too. Very loud and crazy, and not too hard to learn or understand.

[Ptah]

13. "OLD MAID on steroids!!" n/t

[Blue Gardener]

5. Scattergories

Have you ever played?

[salin]

23. can be akward at first.. but once in the groove - it is great fun.

Especially when folks start getting 'clever' per the catagories.

[Frank Cannon]

28. My sister and I had to think of an ice cream flavor that began with "K"

I think I tried "Kumquat" and it didn't pass, but her entry of "Kokonut" was definitely out of bounds.

Of course, there was much laughter around the table as we debated the above.

[Frank Cannon]

27. We played that one out too

Great game, but we played it so many times that we could eventually think of answers for all of the categories for almost every letter of the alphabet.

[Ravenseye]

7. Couple of suggestions

1) If you're into it, the "how to host a murder" games can be fun. Everyone trying to figure out who done it, the person who did it, trying to lie their way out of it...usually a whole evening, including dinner. Can be really fun depending on the people you have. Can be an entire theme for a party.

2) Team trivial pursuit can be good.

3) Mexican Train (sp) Dominos...Forget what it's acutally called. It's a domino varient with dominos with up to 12 dots on each end, and you have to connect and go along. Needs a table and could play up to 8.

4) Texas Holdem Poker with for fun chips could be a good alternate.

5) Pictionary (and oldie but a goodie for large groups.) You don't even need to get the game. Just run it like Charades and go to Staples and get one of thoe large paper things for 5 bucks and a couple of sharpies. Have everyone drop a number of different things in a hat, and the other side has to use them. Done that. It's fun.

[Frank Cannon]

11. Mexican Train would be a good alternate

My only problem with it is that my FIL LOVED that game, and he always wanted to play it and I would lose EVERY SINGLE TIME.

So I'm still kind of bitter.

[Ravenseye]

12. lol fair enough

But if you're not going to playing your FIL and you're the only one with experience, maybe you'll be the one to be dominant, no?

[grannylib]

16. I love Mexican Train! Man, haven't played that in yonks...

[RetroLounge]

8. Escort - 1955 - Parker Brothers

Object is for the player to move all three of his 'Gals" from their starting places on the board and into their "homes" on the opposite side of the board.

They're escorted home by the nine 'Guys' of each respective player.

Opposing 'Guys' can be captured by jumping.

'Guys' & 'Gals' can move in any direction, backward, forward, left, right or on diagonal.

'Gals' cannot jump and can only be used to block moves.

First player to succed in getting all three of his 'Gals' into their 'homes' on the opposite side of the board wins the game.

RL

[City Lights]

14. Guesstures or Pictionary.

We usually end up playing Guesstures at our holiday gatherings. It's fun for a large group.

[Frank Cannon]

17. Is Guesstures the one that's kind of like charades, but with cards...

that fall through the slots of a timer gizmo?

[City Lights]

19. That's the one.

There's always a lot of :rofl: when we play.

[Frank Cannon]

22. Ah, yes. That IS a good one.

We played that a lot in college. There were ALWAYS some pretty heavy-duty laughs to be had, and it seems like the more people we had on hand, the funnier it was.

[taterguy]

15. The Simpson's board game is fun

You don't have to be a fan of the show to appreciate it

[MsKandice01]

18. TABOO, Outburst, and Pictionary...

Are my favorites for a group of that size. I love game nights but haven't had one in years.

[MissMillie]

20. I like Balderdash

you have to make up definitions to words and then everyone votes on which one they think is the real one.

It usually has us laughing pretty hard.

[Katina]

34. we used to call that Fictionary Dictionary

because we played it before Balderdash came out. It's a great game for a big crowd and it really challenges your creativity (can you make up a believeable fake definition) and can you use your study of foreign languages to figure out the real meaning of the given word.
We found ourselves playing for hours and laughing our asses off too. We did have to ban our parents since they were both latin specialists and also spoke French. They generally figured out the meanings of the words so they never lost!

[bbernardini]

21. Any of the "Scene It" series are good, if you have a DVD player.

I like the music-themed ones myself, but that's just me.

[distantearlywarning]

24. Apples to Apples

That's a really fun one for a large group of people.

[1gobluedem]

38. Second it

Apples to Apples is a blast.

[Orangepeel]

25. Outburst.

You divide into teams and each team takes turns trying to guess items in a category ("countries in South America"; "musical groups of the 60s"; "slang terms for 'intoxicated'").

It's pretty fun and good when you have people who want to play but can't really keep up (like kids) because they can shout out answers with everyone else and it doesn't really matter if they don't know any (as long as some on the team do).

[Kali]

26. well until I saw the 8 year-olds I was going to say

Pass-out. Hmmm pick-up sticks is actually fun - good game to play when there are language barriers too.

Yahtzee? Bingo? Clue? Dealer's choice poker?

[Robeson]

29. Poker....

...you might even win some money.

[Monk06]

30. Murder Frisbie

[Frank Cannon]

31. Is that like the classic party game "Murder"?

Doesn't the Frisbee kind of, you know, give it away?

[Monk06]

32. Murder Frisbee was invented by the older brother of a friend of

mine in 1965. The Frisbee was the newest toy
on the market.

It's played at night in the summer under a
street lamp with between 4 and 8 players.

It's like murder ball. A player starts play
by calling a catcher by name and throws the Frisbee.

If the catcher drops the Frisbee all the other
players descend on him and punch him on the shoulders
until he says, I give.

If the catcher doesn't drop he becomes the designated
thrower. The game ends when everyone is too sore to
continue.

[Frank Cannon]

33. That would have been great in high school...

but with a group consisting mostly of adults (males and females) and two eight-year-olds, it doesn't sound all that fun.

[Monk06]

45. Well you hold back on the young uns. But eight year olds giving

old folks shoulder noogies? That's gold plated
fun.

[ContraBass Black]

35. The frisbee was new in 1965?

I thought it had been around for a few thousand years.

[Monk06]

46. Well it was new in Canada but hell everything is new in Canada!

[WoodyTobiasJr]

36. Scene It? - Great DVD game!!

[livetohike]

37. Trivial pursuit in teams of two/three

Borrow the Junior edition cards for the kids to answer from when it is their turn.

We do this every Christmas when my family gets together. We usually have five or six different versions of questions out so people can pick from their favorite box.

[JackDragna]

39. Apples to Apples.

Best party game, ever.

[Frank Cannon]

44. Tell me more about this Apples to Apples game

I've heard great things about it, but have never played. Is it something that 8-9-year-olds could get into too?

[JackDragna]

49. It might be a little over the head of kids.

In Apples to Apples, each player is given a set of seven cards. These cards have all kinds of things written on them, mostly nouns (like the proper names of people, places, historical events, philosophical concepts etc) or events (getting your teeth pulled, getting in a wreck, falling in love, and so on.) On each turn, one player draws from a deck that has a card that has a descriptive word on it, like "silly" or "scary" or "depressing." The other players take a card from their pile they think best represents that word and gives it to the judge. The judge then decides which card represents the word best, and the player who turned in the winning card gets the point. A new player gets to be the judge and play starts anew.

It doesn't always work like that, though, and some of the people win rounds based on having the funniest answer, or just the one that doesn't completely make no sense at all. In one round, for exampme, you might have people turn in the following cards for "affectionate:"

Potatoes
Skinheads
Hiroshima, 1945
Bees

It's a riot. It's my favorite party game.

[TrogL]

40. Strip Poker

Or for faster action, Strip Blackjack.

[Frank Cannon]

42. Yeah, that would be a lot of fun with family and 8-year-olds

:eyes: Are you sure you're posting in the right forum?

[meegbear]

41. Charades

All you need is paper, a pen and some good ideas.

[HeardOnTheHill]

43. Catchphrase

Catchphrase is always fun with a group and is good for adults and kids. Just played it last weekend and had a blast.

[WillParkinson]

48. Seconding the Catch Phrase!

We played the game at work on our down time. Had a great time.

http://www.boardgames.com/catchphrase.html


One of the girls that was playing got the word "Organ". She looked at the word, looked at the 2 gay guys playing (me and a friend), grabbed her crotch and yelled "MY COCK IS MY...."

The 5 of us just looked at her and then died laughing.

(PS, none of us got the word she was looking for.)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

47. We used to play Tripoli when I was a kid

which was a little like poker, but we always played for chips.

[NNadir]

50. Risk.

With that many people though, there's lots of George Bushs (losers) quickly.

[JVS]

51. Strip-twister! Karaoke revolution for Playstation2. Scrabble! Bloody...

knuckles!

[u4ic]

52. A game we made up - but a LOT of fun

You will need:

-a deck of cards
-a big garbage bag full of old clothes, hats, shoes
-(optional) anything else you have lying around the house to play with eg tennis balls, frisbees, etc

Whoever is dealt the queen of spades has to do what has been agreed upon and assigned before dealing. (either make it up on the spur of the moment, or come up with ideas beforehand, write them on paper and put them in a jar)

Let your imagination run wild. I remember doing this at a friend's cottage, and we did everything from making someone roll a croquet ball with their nose up the road and back, to someone putting all the clothes in the garbage bag on and then having to go out the road and strip them off, to having someone walking around the cabin, juggling balls and singing "jingle bells" at the top of their voice.

It's a riot! (and can be as kid friendly as you like):D