5 Fun No-Prep Games to Play When You Have Friends Over

Gaming with friends is always great fun, but there are downsides to experiences that require a lot of effort to set up. If you go to the trouble of intensive preparation, only for your guests to not click with the games you’ve chosen, it can be heartbreaking.

With that in mind, here are some options that won’t take long to organize, and can deliver heaps of fun for everyone at a friendly get-together.

Take Part in Truth or Dare

This is often a game associated with youngsters, but it’s also a barrel of laughs for adults of all ages as well.

You can write your own questions tailored to your friends, of course, but there are example questions prepared for you which are ideal if you don’t have the time or the inclination to create custom queries yourself.

Kick back with a Karaoke Session

The joys of YouTube include having access to a huge library of karaoke tracks which are ready to enjoy whenever you need them.

Fire up your smart TV, launch the video streaming app and get your friends to connect their phones to your Wi-Fi so that you can collaborate on a playlist made up of your favorite tunes.

Even if you don’t want to take it in turns to serenade the rest of the room, you can always just enjoy picking music videos to play as a delightful nostalgia trip. Just remember to change your router’s password after the party to avoid potential cybersecurity risks.

Play an Online Game Together

Online gaming is ideal for groups of friends as well as for solo players, as there’s something for everyone. From casinos offering an amazing selection of free spins bonuses to fast-paced shooters, cooperative survival simulations and everything in between, there’s endless entertainment at your fingertips.

You don’t even need a dedicated games console to hand, because smartphones ride to the rescue once more. There are lots of part-appropriate apps to enjoy, including big hits like Heads Up and Jackbox, so whatever the vibe of the group, you can choose an experience to suit.

Get Your Sleuth on with Secret Dancer

This fab interpretation of the classic format is super simple; all you need is some friends and a device that can play music.

One member of the group gets chosen as the investigator, and they have to leave for 60 seconds. In this time, the rest of you decide on who will be the titular dancer, and this person must demonstrate a dance move which you’ll all emulate at the same time.

The investigator returns to a room of madly gyrating pals, and it’s their job to use what they know about you all to figure out who’s the secret dancer in this round. The original dancer may change their move at any time, and the others must follow their lead, to give the investigator a chance.

Make up a Story Together

This is an excellent dinner party game, for when everyone is sitting around the table with full stomachs and the conversation may have become more subdued.

The idea is that you go around the table, with each guest contributing to the creation of a story. This can be done by letting each guest add a single word to an ongoing sentence, with the person who finishes the sentence being knocked out. You can also tweak the rules to allow more words, or even full sentences for each guest.

Whatever you do, make sure you consider the abilities and interests of the guests so that the no-prep game you pick is more likely to result in fun rather than frustration!