Party games for teens, plus sleepover games for after lights out
If an adult explains the rules for more than a minute, you've lost the room. Teens want to start playing right away, trash talk each other, and have a game that still works when two more friends show up. They also don't want to put their phones down, so let the phones be the controllers.
What teens actually want from a party game
- Quick to learn. One round in, everyone gets it.
- Room to be funny. Writing answers, bluffing, drawing badly.
- Easy to join late. Teen parties don't start on time.
- Short rounds. 15 to 30 minutes, then something else.
Party games on the TV
Open hangtime.games/host on a TV or laptop, pick a game, and everyone joins at hangtime.games/play with the four-letter code. No app, no account for players.
- Who's Lying? The imposter game, as a whodunnit. Everyone's phone shows the secret except one player, the Liar. Give a one-word clue, then argue and vote. A caught Liar gets one guess at the secret to steal the win. 3 to 10 players, about 20 minutes. This is the one teens ask for again. More about Who's Lying?
- Best Answer Wins. A fill-in-the-blank card game. A prompt appears on the TV, you pick the funniest card from your hand. Answers are anonymous until the reveal, so the judge can't play favorites. There are 3 blank cards per game to write your own, which is where the best jokes come from. The Family deck is the default. After Dark is for adults only, so leave it off. 3 to 10 players.
- Doodler. Free draw-and-guess for 2 to 10 players, about 15 minutes. You draw on your phone, it shows up on the TV stroke by stroke, and everyone races to type the answer. The artist scores too, and great drawings get hearts. More about Doodler
- Bowl Game. For a big party, 4 to 16 players in two teams, about 30 minutes. It's Fishbowl: everyone writes 3 to 5 slips on their phone (celebrities, teachers, inside jokes), then describe it, one word, act it out. More about Bowl Game
- Wordy Birdy. Free, 1 to 10 players. Everyone cracks the same five-letter word on their own phone, and the TV shows colors, not letters. Good for winding down at the end of the night.
- Hostile Cakeover. Our newest game, free while it's in Beta, for 2 to 5 players. You steal streets of cake from each other, and the first to finish 3 wins.
Sleepover games for teenagers
After the TV goes off, these need nothing but a group and maybe a flashlight.
- Mafia (or Werewolf). 6 to 15 players and a narrator. Everyone gets a secret role; the Mafia picks someone each “night” with eyes closed, and the town votes each “day”. A game takes 20 to 40 minutes and gets heated.
- Two Truths and a Lie. Say three things about yourself, one false. Everyone guesses. Works for any group size, and new friends learn a lot.
- Hot Seat. One person sits in the middle and answers any question for 60 seconds. They can pass twice. Set the “nothing too mean” rule first.
- Would You Rather. Take turns making them up. The more specific, the better.
- Sardines. Reverse hide and seek, lights off. One person hides, and everyone who finds them squeezes into the hiding spot too. The last seeker loses.
- Phone games with no TV. In remote mode, Hangtime games run entirely on phones, so they work in a bedroom. One person opens hangtime.games/play, picks a game under “Can't all be in one room?”, and shares the code. Doodler and Wordy Birdy are free this way. It's also how friends who couldn't come can join over a video call.
A two-hour teen party plan
- Food and hanging out while people arrive (30 minutes)
- Doodler to warm up (15 minutes)
- Who's Lying? for a few rounds (20 minutes)
- Bowl Game if there are 8 or more, Best Answer Wins if fewer (30 minutes)
- Two Truths and a Lie or Mafia to finish (25 minutes)
Tips for the parent hosting
- Let a teen run the TV. They'll explain it faster than you, and it's less cringe.
- Check the deck. Best Answer Wins starts on Family. After Dark is adults only.
- Know the cost. Doodler, Wordy Birdy and Trivia Board are free, and Hostile Cakeover is free in Beta. Who's Lying?, Best Answer Wins, Bowl Game and Rummy are in the Launch Pack, a one-time $5 founder price ($10 later). Only the host buys it. Guests never pay or sign in.
- Then leave the room. Bring snacks every 45 minutes and otherwise stay out of it.
New to bluffing games? Our imposter game rules cover clue tips that work in Who's Lying? too.
Everyone joins from their own phone with a code. Three games are free, no app or account.
Host a gameNo group handy? Try Wordy Birdy solo, free, in 10 seconds →Questions
What are fun party games for teenagers?
Bluffing games like Who's Lying? or the imposter game, fill-in-the-blank card games, draw-and-guess games like Doodler, and Fishbowl for bigger groups. Mafia and Two Truths and a Lie need no tech at all.
What games can teens play at a sleepover?
Mafia, Two Truths and a Lie, Would You Rather, Hot Seat and Sardines are classics. Hangtime's remote mode runs games on phones alone, so they work in a bedroom with no TV.
Are Hangtime games OK for teens?
Best Answer Wins uses the Family deck unless the host switches to After Dark, which is for adults only. Leave it on Family for under-18s.
Do teens need to download anything or make an account?
No. Players join at hangtime.games/play in their phone browser with a four-letter code. Only the host buys the Launch Pack, if they want those games.