Hosting a party is all about keeping your guests entertained, right? But finding the right activity can be a challenge. Well, why not take it to the next level and turn your gathering into a game show? Game show-inspired party games are a fantastic way to inject some friendly competition and a lot of fun into your event.
From trivia challenges to physical feats, these 17 game show party games will keep the energy high and your guests engaged. Whether you’re planning a birthday party, a family gathering, or just a night with friends, these games are sure to be a hit!
1. Family Feud: The Ultimate Showdown
Family Feud is a crowd favorite and perfect for groups. It’s all about answering survey questions and guessing the most popular responses. The fun comes from seeing how your answers compare to the rest of the group’s guesses.
Teams take turns answering questions, and the team with the most correct guesses wins. Each question has multiple answers, but it’s up to your team to figure out which one is the most popular. The competitive nature of this game makes it both fun and tense!
2. Jeopardy! Trivia Challenge
If you’re a trivia lover, then a Jeopardy! style challenge is the way to go. You can design the categories based on anything from pop culture to history or even inside jokes with your friends. It’s the perfect blend of knowledge and strategy.
Players take turns selecting questions from different categories, with the difficulty increasing as they choose higher-value questions. The excitement builds as you try to answer before the timer runs out. The race against time adds a fun sense of urgency to the game!
3. Wheel of Fortune: Spin Your Way to Victory
Who doesn’t love the thrill of a spinning wheel? Wheel of Fortune at home brings all the excitement of solving puzzles while spinning for prizes. The game is easy to set up and can be adapted for any party.
You can create your own puzzle board with a hidden phrase or word. Players take turns spinning the wheel, then guess a letter. Each correct guess adds money or points, and the first to solve the puzzle wins. The big spin adds suspense and excitement to every turn!
4. The Price Is Right: Guess the Price
The Price Is Right is all about pricing everyday items, and it’s perfect for a group. It’s easy to set up—just bring in some products and have guests guess their prices. This game brings out everyone’s inner bargain hunter.
Each player guesses the price of an item, and the person closest without going over wins. For extra fun, you can introduce mini-games, like Plinko or the Big Wheel, to up the ante. It’s fun, interactive, and everyone loves the challenge of guessing!
5. Minute to Win It: Fast-Paced Fun
Minute to Win It is all about completing challenges in under a minute. The tasks are easy but require speed and skill, making them a perfect fit for a game show-themed party. You’ll need a stopwatch, but most of the other equipment can be found around the house.
The tasks range from stacking cups to balancing cookies on your forehead. Players have to complete each challenge within 60 seconds, and if they succeed, they move on to the next round. The tension of trying to complete each task in time is what makes this game so exciting!
6. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Bring the excitement of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire to your home by quizzing your guests with trivia questions. The game is full of suspense, with players answering progressively harder questions for bigger rewards.
Each correct answer moves the player closer to winning the grand prize. To make it even more exciting, offer lifelines like “Phone a Friend” or “50/50,” where you eliminate two incorrect answers. The growing tension as players move closer to the million-dollar question will keep everyone on the edge of their seats!
7. Deal or No Deal? The Gamble Game
Deal or No Deal is a great game for adding suspense and fun to your party. Players select a briefcase with a cash value and then have to decide whether to accept an offer or continue choosing until they reveal the big prize.
The game works best with a set of briefcases (or boxes) filled with different amounts of money. Players make their choices based on what they think the total prize will be, but there’s always a risk involved. The thrill of the unknown keeps everyone on their toes!
8. Cash Cab: Taxi Ride to Riches
Cash Cab brings the excitement of a quiz show on the go! You can easily recreate the experience by setting up a “cab” (or just using a corner of the room) where guests are quizzed on trivia questions.
As players answer questions, they move closer to winning a prize. If they answer incorrectly, they lose a chance to keep playing. The added element of surprise—just like in the real show—creates an element of mystery, making it even more fun.
9. Hollywood Squares: Celebrities, Laughter, and Fun
Hollywood Squares is a perfect game for a pop culture-themed party. The game features a grid of celebrities (or in your case, friends or family), and players have to guess the answers based on what those “celebrities” would say.
You can set up a large grid with fun, silly answers that make the game more interactive. The humor comes from trying to guess what your friends might answer, especially when the questions are outlandish or ridiculous. It’s a fun twist on the classic trivia game!
10. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Test your guests’ general knowledge with questions straight out of elementary school. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader challenges players to answer questions from subjects like science, geography, and history.
As the difficulty increases, players will be surprised at how tricky some of the questions can be! It’s a great game for those who love to showcase their smarts—and for those who are ready to learn just how much they’ve forgotten since school.
11. Wipeout: The Ultimate Obstacle Course
If you have space and are looking for a more physical challenge, Wipeout is the game for you. It’s based on the TV show’s crazy obstacle courses, but you can easily adapt it to fit any setting—whether it’s indoors or outdoors.
Set up a series of physical challenges, such as jumping over hurdles, crawling through tunnels, or balancing on a beam. The aim is to complete the course in the fastest time, but with plenty of chances for hilarious wipeouts along the way!
12. Lingo: Word Matching Fun
Lingo is a fun word game that tests your ability to guess letters and solve puzzles. It’s similar to games like Hangman, but with a faster pace and more interaction. Players try to guess the letters of a hidden word.
The goal is to figure out the word using clues and the process of elimination. It’s a fun, competitive way to challenge your vocabulary skills and keep everyone engaged as they try to outsmart one another.
13. The Chase: Beat the Chaser
In The Chase, players have to answer trivia questions while facing off against a “Chaser”—someone who’s quick on their feet and hard to beat. It’s a competitive and intense game, perfect for those who thrive under pressure.
The Chaser acts as the antagonist, trying to answer questions faster than the contestants. The fun comes from the tension of racing against the clock and trying to outsmart the Chaser while getting each question right!
14. Match Game: Who Said What?
Match Game is a trivia game where players try to guess what their friends would answer to random questions. It’s an easy game to set up and adds a fun twist to typical trivia.
Players are asked a question, and they write down their answers. The goal is to match answers with other players, creating lots of laughs as players try to guess who would say what. It’s all about getting to know your friends in a fun and silly way!
15. Double Dare: The Ultimate Messy Challenge
For those who aren’t afraid of getting a little messy, Double Dare brings an obstacle course with a twist: messy challenges. Think slime, whipped cream, or water balloons, all added to the mix of physical feats.
Set up an obstacle course with fun and messy challenges. Players race through the course while avoiding (or embracing) the mess. The crazier, the better—the messier the game, the more laughs you’ll get!
16. Shark Tank: Pitch Your Idea
Shark Tank is perfect for your creative guests. Players pitch their ideas to a panel of “sharks,” who decide whether to invest or not. The creativity of the pitches is what makes this game so enjoyable.
The pitches don’t have to be serious—encourage players to come up with funny, outlandish business ideas. The sharks will either “invest” in the idea or pass. It’s a great way to laugh at silly concepts while showing off your entrepreneurial spirit!
17. Spelling Bee: Test Your Language Skills
A classic game that never gets old, the Spelling Bee is perfect for those who love words and language. Players take turns spelling challenging words, and the one with the most correct answers wins.
The beauty of the Spelling Bee is its simplicity. It’s all about spelling words accurately, but it can get competitive as the difficulty level increases. It’s a great way to test your spelling skills in a light-hearted, fun atmosphere!
Conclusion:
With these 17 fun and exciting game show party games, you’re all set to create an unforgettable event. Whether you’re into trivia, challenges, or just good old-fashioned fun, there’s a game here for every type of guest. The best part? These games are designed to be easy to set up and will keep everyone engaged, no matter the age group or party size.
So, get your game face on, gather your friends or family, and let the friendly competition begin! With a mix of laughter, excitement, and plenty of surprises, your game show-inspired party is sure to be a hit. The stage is yours—now go ahead and host the best party of the year!