I don't know about the group of people you game with, but when my friends and I get together for game night, we break out games like Cards Against Humanity , and...
Uh...
Um...
Hrm...
Look, my playgroup LOVES Cards Against Humanity . It's easy & full of naughty jokes...just like your mom!
Sorry. Got into the spirit of the game there...
By the way, if you dig Cards Against Humanity , I wrote about 2 free upgrades that you can make to your game now .
While Cards Against Humanity is all well and good when your playgroup consists of a bunch of adults with twisted senses of humor, at some point you're going to find yourself in a spot where you need a different game.
The family reunion, a holiday gathering, or your kid's birthday party is probably not the most appropriate setting for what Cards Against Humanity brings to the table.
Lucky for you, there are a ton of GREAT party games that are perfect for groups of all ages and gaming experience levels! (Plus, eventually you're going to need something new to play when your group FINALLY tires of Cards Against Humanity . The shock value of those cards wears thin pretty quick.)
1) Codenames
Codenames has claimed the number one spot in Board Game Geek's "Top Party Games" list for months on end for good reason.
It's simple. It's fun. It accommodates a large number of players. All of the key ingredients for a quality party game.
It's a team vs team game with a ton of discussion.
There's also an NSFW version in case you simply cannot play a game that doesn't have dirty jokes, ya freakin' degenerate.
2) Superfight
Much like Cards Against Humanity , Superfight consists of white cards and black cards.
Unlike Cards Against Humanity , you can play Superfight with your kids in the room.
Remember when you were a kid & you'd argue about who would win in a fight between Batman & Superman?
Superfight is pretty much that with some randomness thrown in.
There are also NSFW versions of this too, just in case you absolutely HAVE to have jokes about genitals in your game, ya perv.
3) One Night Ultimate Werewolf
This one is a recent addition to my collection, but is it ever a winner!
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a modern day update to the old " Mafia " game. One (or two) people in your playgroup is a werewolf. It's up to the other players to figure out who the werewolf is before he/she offs the other villagers. There's a really good smartphone app that you can use to keep gameplay running super smooth.
There are all sorts of different versions of this game with Vampire or Alien flavor too. No NSFW one yet. Sorry, degenerates.
4) Camel Up
This one is going to be the MOST intimidating looking to casual party-gamers, but I assure you, Camel Up is super-easy to pick up.
Basically, you're betting on the outcome of a camel race. There are some things you can do to affect the outcome of said race, but for the most part, it's a day at the horse track...but...ya know...with camels.
There's isn't an NSFW version of this, but camels have "humps", so you can make a dirty joke about that, I guess.
5) Snake Oil
Of all the games on this list, no game has made my group laugh harder than Snake Oil .
Even the LOL-inducing Cards Against Humanity doesn't even come close to the laughs generated by this game!
In Snake Oil , every player get a hand of "product" cards. Then, one player picks a "customer" card. The other player then have to combine two of their "product" cards into one item. Then, one by one, they try to sell the product to the customer.
This one is only as NSFW as you make it.
Looking for more?
My list certainly isn't exhaustive. Party games (and board games in general) have come a long way since Pictionary and Balderdash ! Board Game Geeks is a fantastic resource if you're looking for new games to add to your family's collection!
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***In addition to fighting the dominance of Cards Against Humanity at the table on game night, "Scary" Terry Stevens is a radio host for Midwest Communications. You can book Face with him here .