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 an inexpensive way 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.

Best Creative

Best Social Deduction

Best Overall

#1. One Night Ultimate Werewolf

Players: 3- 10
Playing time: 10 mins

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.

#2. The Resistance

Players: 5- 10
Playing time: 30 mins

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!

If you like The Resistance and love fantasy themes, be sure to try The Resistance: Avalon for an Arthurian twist!

#3. Mysterium

Players: 2- 7
Playing time: 42 mins

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.

#4. The Red Dragon Inn

Players: 2- 4
Playing time: 45 mins

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! 

#5. Ghost Stories

Players: 1- 4
Playing time: 60 mins

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.

#6. Freedom of Speech

Players: 4- 20
Playing time: 20- 30 mins

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. 

#7. Danger The Game

Players: 3- 8

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!   

#8. Bad Choices

Players: 3- 10
Playing time: 20- 45 mins

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. 

There’s also an After Dark expansion pack perfect for a get-to-know-you college party! 

#9. Chronology

Players: 2- 8
Playing time: 30 mins

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!

#10. Off-Topic

Players: 2- 10
Playing time: 30- 90 mins

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! 

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.