Parties and social gatherings with friends and acquaintances are always full of life. Good food, interesting people, catchy music are at the heart of any good party, but what good even are they without some good games to play?
Following is a list of eight different games that will be sure to spice up any sort of gathering.
Overcooked
Overcooked is a chaotic co-op cooking game that will have you and your friends laughing and shouting as you try to cook, assemble, and serve a variety of dishes in increasingly absurd kitchen environments before the timer runs out. Just like the elimination challenges in MasterChef, this game will bring out the Gordon Ramsey in all of you.
Stick Fight The Game
Many of us grew up watching animated stick fight videos, and “Stick Fight: The Game” is just that, but with friends. The premise is simple: you will spawn in a randomly selected map along with many weapons and hazards scattered throughout, and you must then fight to the death. Though its premise is rather simple, the combat and movement in it is crisp and very lively with every punch and jump having a feel to it. There’s also a huge arsenal of weapons from your standard AK to a glue gun and even a black hole gun. With each wound taking only a few minutes at max, this game is perfect for a short gaming season that leaves everyone who played it pumped up for action.
Gang Beasts
It's truly amazing how fun a physics-based game can be and "Gang Beasts" is a perfect example of that. This physics-based party brawler offers a unique and chaotic multiplayer experience. Here, you and your friends will play as gelatinous humanoid characters and engage in slapstick combat across various stages that are designed to make the fight as goofy as possible. Just seeing the physics of this game interact in such wacky ways that it has cracked me and my friends up each time we play. I kid you not when I say this game will make you roll in laughter.
Brawlhalla
"Brawlhalla" is a well-polished platform fighter. With its wide cast of playable heroes, each game feels very different. When there are just 2 or 3 players in the game it's quite manageable and feels quite like a duel. But you can add even more players and when that happens, chaos ensues as each player tries to understand what's happening in this frantic fight while also trying to win. This game offers a variety of game modes if you're bored by any one of them. Not to mention the amount of crossovers this game has, from Avatar the Last AirBender to WWE. This game is truly a wild experience.
Among Us
Among Us is a fantastic party game for anyone with its social deduction gameplay. Unlike the other entries on this list, “Among Us” can be played by almost anyone, even people who don't have any sort of gaming experience. This game's unique power dynamics leave both sides of the team to really be on the lookout and execute many psychological tricks to both find the imposter and for the imposter to remain hidden. It’s no wonder this was a pandemic essential.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a unique co-op bomb disposal game that focuses mostly on communicating with each other. One player has access to the procedurally generated bomb but won’t have access to the manual while the others have the manual but can’t see the bomb. Now the player with the bomb must describe to others what the bomb looks like so that everyone else can give the proper instructions on how to defuse it, all while being under time pressure. With endless bomb combinations and a need to talk to others, “Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes” is an excellent icebreaker at any party.
EAFC24
A football game is sure to make any gathering extra fun, and generations of FIFA games have been doing just that. No family gathering or party that I go to is complete without us having a football tournament. And unlike many other games, watching someone play is almost equally entertaining.
Octodad: Dadliest Catch
Games with weird or wobbly physics and Party games are like butter and bread. It never gets old seeing people fumbling to do the simplest tasks in these types of games. It is hard enough trying to control a character on your own, now imagine if you and all your friends are trying to control a single character together. Certainly a recipe for disaster. In Octodad’s co-op mode, each player has to control each limb of an octopus to do a variety of human tasks while you try to blend in with the humans. The utter chaos that comes with many people controlling a single character makes it an ideal party game.
Ajmain is a contributor at The Daily Esports.
