Best Party Games for College Students
Even college students need to unwind every once in a while, and party games get the job done. That’s why we’ve created a list of the best party games for college students!
Party board games and card games are inexpensive ways to spend time with friends, distract from studying and have fun.
Regardless of whether you’re living on campus or visiting your old high school friends during the holidays, these board games will definitely get the party started!
🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Party Games for College Students
In a hurry? Take a quick peek before you go.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Players: 3- 10
Playing time: 10 mins
Ages: 8+
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is the ultimate social game.
It’s a hidden role and deduction game that has no moderator, no elimination, and no downtime, making the game engaging and fun.
The game is played over a series of nights, during which players try to figure out who each other is. Each player has a role. Some are innocent villagers trying to survive the night, others are werewolves trying to eat their neighbors before sunrise, and a few have special roles that change up the game.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is an ideal party game because it’s quick, easy to learn, and has a lot of replay value.
What we liked
It’s a fast-paced game where everyone has a role to play. The deception element keeps things fun but it’s still light enough to not be taken too seriously. One Night Ultimate Werewolf draws similarities to The Resistance and shines best with around 4 players.
What could be better
If you’re a bad liar and don’t enjoy social deduction games you may not fully excel in this challenge. It can be slightly chaotic at times and if you figure things out too early, the competition is more or less over so it doesn’t last as long as we would like.
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The Resistance
Players: 5- 10
Playing time: 30 mins
Ages: 13+
Shatter imperial strength and liberate the people!
The Resistance is set in a dystopian future where you play as a member of an underground movement fighting against an evil government.
What’s fun about The Resistance is that everyone plays till the end of the game. You’ll need to have a knack for knowing when your friends are lying, as well as a strong set of lying skills yourself.
Players must recruit other players to join their team by convincing them that they’re on their side. If a player suspects that someone else is a spy, they can accuse them — but if they’re wrong, then an innocent person will be kicked out of the game!
What we liked
The Resistance is a super fun hidden role-play challenge that works perfectly with a fun bunch of buddies. It’s a nice length for a college party and has excellent replay value especially if you’re playing with various groups. We love the elements of mystery and the amount of strategy required.
What could be better
Some folks may not enjoy this game as much as other competitions as it can be a bit isolating at points. There are also so many fantastic social deduction games, which makes it easier for us to notice the small flaws in The Resistance and feel like some of its successors have surpassed it.
If you like The Resistance and love fantasy themes, be sure to try The Resistance: Avalon for an Arthurian twist!
Mysterium
Players: 2- 7
Playing time: 42 mins
Ages: 10+
Thirty years ago, a horrible crime was committed on the grounds of Warwick Manor. Who committed the murder?
Mysterium is all about communication. It’s a cooperative game where players must communicate with their team members to solve a murder mystery. Each player takes on the role of a psychic who has received visions from beyond the grave. The visions are clues that reveal who committed the crime and why it happened.
One player takes on the role of the victim (now a ghost). The ghost will try to lead the psychics to the correct culprit.
Mysterium is an excellent party game for college students because it requires creativity and cooperation from everyone involved.
What we liked
Mysterium is an epic cooperative game with cool mechanics and impressive art. The game is a ton of fun and the expansion packs add more cards without the flow of the game needing to change. This unique concept makes becoming a psychic and solving murders a new reality.
What could be better
Sometimes guessing games can feel like there is a lack of tactical skills involved. It may feel a bit vague and the replay value doesn’t seem so high.
The Red Dragon Inn
Players: 2- 4
Playing time: 45 mins
Ages: 13+
After a long day adventuring through dungeons with your fellow companions, you’ve come back to the Red Dragon Inn and are ready for a party. The night is full of drinking, gambling, and friends.
But, be wary of strangers, keep an eye on your gold, and whatever you do, don’t black out! The last conscious adventurer with gold wins the game!
In Red Dragon Inn, players take on the role of one of these heroic fantasy adventurers — Deirdre, Fiona, Gerki, or Zot, and try to survive a raucous night!
What we liked
Red Dragon Inn is easy to learn and can be played with pretty much any number of players without losing any of its magic. It’s still fun for non-gamers and the thematic element keeps it entertaining. It’s perfect for groups who love gambling and carousing.
What could be better
Not everyone loves player elimination, games, and the direct confrontation factor might require you to want to play with thick-skinned buddies.
Ghost Stories
Players: 1- 4
Playing time: 60 mins
Ages: 12+
Ghost Stories is a spooky, supernatural game of priests, ghosts, and frights!
Centuries ago, countless lives were lost in the battle against Wu-Feng, the Lord of the Nine Hells. His forces were eventually defeated. His mortal body was secretly buried beneath an unassuming village. Nevertheless, after an age of searching, Wu-Feng has discovered his remains and led an army of ghosts upon the village.
Players take on the roles of Taoist priests, ready to protect the villagers and defend Wu-Feng’s ashes. At the beginning of each turn, players draw from a deck of Ghost cards. Different types of ghosts have uncanny abilities, and as priests, you’ll need to use your special powers to prevent attacks and eventually destroy Wu-Feng before he’s reincarnated.
Ghost Stories is a fun party game for a smaller group of players.
What we liked
If you plan your moves in advance you have a better chance of excelling. The artwork and horror theme are super appealing. The cooperative factor means that everyone can help each other out and it can be great for bonding with new college friends.
What could be better
The level of difficulty is impossible to ignore and the complexity of the rulebook might see you all with your heads in your hands when you begin but with a smidgen of patience, you’re bound to start enjoying it. It plays better with smaller groups and 4 is likely to be the magic number.
Freedom of Speech
Players: 4- 20
Playing time: 20- 30 mins
Ages: 17+
Freedom of Speech is a hilarious fast-paced guessing game designed to make you laugh.
Players gather into teams, each guessing the word on the card without saying the word aloud. Teams race against the beeping timer, and believe me, it gets really intense!
What’s great about Freedom of Speech is the more players you add, the more guesses there are, making the game even more fun!
The game comes with 400 hilarious cards like “Netflix and chill” or “daddy issues” that lead to some hilarious guesses! There are also multiple playing modes, so you can change up the game, giving a lot of replayability.
What we liked
This humorous game is filled with the right amount of hilarity for a college party. It’s perfect for a fun crowd that doesn’t take themselves too seriously. It’s racy and raucous at times but as long as everyone understands that it is light-hearted there shouldn’t be too many folks offended.
What could be better
If some players don’t comprehend pop culture, it can lose its thrill if you have to explain jokes or innuendos. Any super woke players may have a hard time with it as it touches on some darker topics too.
Danger The Game
Players: 3- 8
Ages: 10+
Danger The Game is a storytelling party game of bizarre dangers and rescues.
Think of any kind of dangerous situation imaginable and unimaginable. Danger The Game has you devise a plan, use your skills, and try to save the day. Players come up with rescue plans and compete to convince the Victim that their plan is the best.
What’s fun about the game is that there are Plot Twist cards that twist and trip your opponents up, leaving you the opportunity to steal their thunder and convince everyone your plan is bulletproof!
What we liked
Danger The Game is another thrilling game that will have your group in fits of giggles. It’s a perfect social icebreaker for new peers but still a blast when played with all gaming types. The plot has depth and the twists keep it exciting throughout. The interactive and pacing of the game are winning components.
What could be better
There are a couple of cards that younger players may not understand, but it is easy enough to draw another one. Also, if you’re not picked to win the card, you might feel disheartened.
Bad Choices
Players: 3-10
Playing time: 20- 45 mins
Ages: 17+
Bad Choices is a hilarious game for finding out truths, secrets, and stories about your wacky, weird, and wonderful friends.
The game is basically a combo of ‘Never have I ever’ and UNO, with hilarious cards that’ll expose a few and have everyone laughing.
With cards like “Have you ever gone through a partner’s phone?” and “Would you marry someone twice your age if it meant you never had to work again?” you’ll learn all about the good and bad choices your friends might make.
What we liked
Sticking with the adult theme, this game is optimum for getting to know your peers a bit better and understanding their moral compasses, yet keeping the understanding that it is light-hearted and theoretical. Bad Choices is designed for a mature crowd, but we believe you can actually be as silly and ridiculous as you like.
What could be better
Bad Choices is another game that can easily offend, but ultimately if you’re playing with your college buddies, you’re probably all on the same page and know the game will do what it says on the tin. The concept is cool for parties but as there are a ton of games in a similar category, it has some tough contenders.
There’s also an After Dark expansion pack perfect for a get-to-know-you college party!
Chronology
Players: 2- 8
Playing time: 30 mins
Ages: 8+
The game where you make history!
What came first? The invention of mayonnaise or decaffeinated coffee? Chronology will test your knowledge in this game all about time.
Chronology has players build their own timeline of cards. Someone will read a historical event card, and the player must decide where that event falls in their timeline. If they guess right, they keep the card and build their timeline.
Chronology is a fun party game that’s also educational, so technically, you could say you’re studying!
What we liked
Learning while gaming is always a plus. History buffs and trivia-hungry friends will have a blast with this concept. The cards range from super obscure and random to being quite obvious, creating a game of chance in some aspects.
What could be better
Replayability is quite limited and it seems quite fast and overly easy at times. A more difficult mode could be better for more hardcore gamers. If you’re not a lover of history you could find yourself doing a lot of guesswork.
Off-Topic
Players: 2-10
Playing time: 30- 90 mins
Ages: 17+
This is the perfect game for the group of lovable friends that are slightly off…
Off-Topic is a fun board game where creativity rules. Perfect for Liberal Arts campuses! Hilarious conversations ensue and get the brain buzzing as players draw cards about hot topics.
When a card is drawn, a player rolls the die to decide on the letter. Each response must then start with this letter. Players race against a sand timer to write down as many answers as they can for each topic.
Coming up with answers is only the beginning. Players will then debate answers. This is when the game becomes super fun!
What we liked
Off-Topic is perfect for a party but also is competitive enough to keep players on their toes. It can be fun just hearing your opponent’s answers and enjoying that aspect. Playing with the right group can be endlessly hilarious.
What could be better
Your answers are catered toward your audience, so it will probably work in your favor if you know your group well and understand their humor. It is notably similar to Scattergories, so you may find yourself making comparisons.
Wrap-Up
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best party games for college students! These games are a great way to blow off steam between study sessions with your friends while learning a thing or two at the same time!
We hope you find the perfect party game for your college party! Let us know in the comments below which game is your favorite game! We’d love to hear from you.
