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Party Games for Large Groups: 18 No-Supply Games for 10 to 30+ Adults
18 indoor party games for large groups of adults, sorted by group size, with team setups for 20 to 30 people that need nothing but one phone.
The best party games for large groups split the room into two teams or let everyone play at once, so nobody waits more than a minute for a turn. Charades, Survey Feud, Most Likely To and Mafia all work for 20 or 30 adults indoors with no supplies, and one phone can run the cards, timer and score for you.
Below are 18 games for big groups, sorted by group size, with the setup for each and ideas for Christmas and office parties.
Key takeaways
For 20 to 30+ people, use two teams: Charades, Survey Feud, Trivia and Categories scale to any size because only one player needs the phone at a time.
For 10 to 20 people, word games like Fishbowl, Taboo and 15 Words or Less keep the energy up without anyone sitting out.
For 8 to 12 people, bluffing games like Imposter and Two Truths and a Lie work best.
None of the games below needs a box, cards or paper you have to buy. CardYard runs them free in a phone browser.
Party games for large groups at a glance
Game | Group size | Setup | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|
Charades | 10 to 30+ | Two teams, one phone | Loud |
Survey Feud | 10 to 30+ | Two teams, one screen | Competitive |
Trivia | 10 to 30+ | Teams, one screen | Competitive |
Most Likely To | 10 to 30+ | Everyone, one phone | Social |
Would You Rather | 10 to 30+ | Everyone, one phone | Social |
Never Have I Ever | 10 to 30+ | Everyone, one phone | Social |
Mafia | 10 to 20 | A narrator, no devices | Dramatic |
Wink Murder | 10 to 30 | No devices | Sneaky |
Stop the Timer (Random Bomb) | 10 to 30 | One phone passed around | Fast |
Fishbowl | 10 to 20 | Two teams, one phone | Builds all night |
Taboo | 10 to 20 | Two teams, one phone | Loud |
15 Words or Less | 10 to 20 | Two teams, one phone | Clever |
Categories | 10 to 20 | Teams, one screen, paper | Quick-thinking |
Pictionary | 10 to 20 | Two teams, one phone, paper | Laugh-out-loud |
10 Second Panic | 10 to 20 | Circle, one phone | Chaotic |
Imposter | 8 to 12 | One phone passed around | Bluffing |
Two Truths and a Lie | 8 to 12 | One phone passed around | Getting to know you |
Match the Room | 8 to 12 | Everyone on their own phone | Social |
Indoor games for 20 to 30+ people
Big crowds need games where most people play at the same time: two teams, a vote, or a show of hands.
1. Charades
Charades is the classic large group game because team size has no limit. Split the room in two, send one actor up per turn, and let the whole team shout guesses. On CardYard, the actor reads a word on the phone, taps Hide word, and acts against a 30 to 120 second timer while the phone keeps team scores. The 180 classic words, the kids pack and your own lists are free with no daily limit. For themed decks, see charades ideas.
2. Survey Feud
Survey Feud is the survey-board game show format: the host reads a question, two teams guess the top five answers, and each answer shows its point value. Put the board on a TV or laptop for big rooms, and let team captains answer for their side.
3. Trivia
Trivia gives the group one question with four options. Teams argue, lock in an answer, then you reveal it. Pick a subject deck or create a custom theme for your crowd, such as the company, the couple or the birthday person.
4. Most Likely To
In Most Likely To, the host reads a scenario and everyone points at the person most likely to do it, all at once. It needs no teams and works for any number of friends who know each other.
5. Would You Rather
Read a Would You Rather question and have everyone move to the left or right side of the room to vote. A big group makes the split more fun to watch. Try This or That for faster rounds.
6. Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever works for any size: read a statement, and everyone who has done it raises a hand or takes a step forward. Choose clean questions for mixed groups or spicier ones for adults.
7. Mafia
Mafia needs a narrator and nothing else. The narrator picks a few players in secret to be the mafia. Each "night," the mafia silently choose a victim, and each "day," the town debates and votes someone out. It runs well with 10 to 20 people. For a phone-led version that handles secret roles for you, try Imposter in the 8 to 12 section.
8. Wink Murder
One secret murderer kills players by winking at them, and a detective tries to spot the wink. Deal roles with folded paper or a quick tap on the shoulder. It works with 10 to 30 people sitting in a circle and needs no props.
9. Stop the Timer: Random Bomb
Open Stop the Timer in Random Bomb mode and pass the phone around the room like a hot potato while a hidden countdown ticks. Whoever holds the phone when it goes off answers a question or takes a forfeit. It makes a quick warm-up between longer games.
Games for 10 to 20 people
This size fits team word games. Make two teams of five to ten and rotate the clue-giver.
10. Fishbowl
Fishbowl, also called Celebrity, uses the same words for three rounds: describe them, act them out, then give one-word clues. Players add private words to the bowl on the phone, and the jokes build as the rounds repeat. The app runs up to 12 named players, so bigger groups can pair up and play as duos.
11. Taboo
In Taboo, the clue-giver describes a word without saying the forbidden words on the card. Rounds last 60 seconds, and the other team watches for slips. To give each player their own screen, play Taboo online in a CardYard Room for 4 to 12 players.
12. 15 Words or Less
15 Words or Less gives the clue-giver eight target words and fifteen spoken clue words to get through them all. The phone counts the words, so nobody argues about the total.
13. Categories
Categories shows a random letter and a list on one shared screen. Teams race to write an answer for each category before the timer ends, then score unique answers. The classic packs are free and unlimited. Browse more category lists for themed rounds.
14. Pictionary
Pictionary needs one phone and a stack of paper or a whiteboard. The drawer reads the word and sketches against the timer while their team guesses. Choose easy objects for mixed groups.
15. 10 Second Panic
10 Second Panic draws a "name five" prompt and gives one player ten seconds to answer. Go around the circle; anyone who stalls is out for the round.
Games for 8 to 12 people
Smaller big groups suit bluffing and getting-to-know-you games where everyone plays every round.
16. Imposter
Imposter runs on one phone for 3 to 12 players. Each player sees their role once: the crew shares a secret word, and one Imposter has to bluff. Give clues, debate, vote, and let the Imposter guess the word. Find themes in the Imposter word list.
17. Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie suits 2 to 12 players, new friends and coworkers. Each player writes three statements behind a privacy screen, the group votes on the lie, and the phone keeps score.
18. Match the Room
In Match the Room, 3 to 12 players answer a question in secret on their own phones and score by matching the most popular answer. The host creates a CardYard Room and friends join free with a six-character code.
How do you run party games for a big group?
Make two teams first. Count off by twos so friends don't cluster, and pick a captain for each side.
Give one person the phone. A host who reads cards and runs the timer keeps rounds moving.
Keep rounds short. Use 60-second turns so each player gets the spotlight more often.
Start loud, end social. Open with Charades or Survey Feud, then move to Most Likely To or Would You Rather as people settle in.
Let people pass. Big groups include shy guests; a cheering role on a team counts as playing.
Christmas party games for large groups
The same games work at a holiday party with a festive deck. Play Christmas charades, Christmas Jeopardy in teams, the Christmas categories game, or Christmas Would You Rather. For a full list, see Christmas party games.
Office party games for large groups
At work, choose games that keep everyone comfortable: Trivia with a company theme, Survey Feud, Categories, Pictionary and Two Truths and a Lie. Skip Never Have I Ever unless you keep it clean. Office Christmas party games has setups for teams and mixed departments.
Online party games for large groups
If your group is on a video call, everyone can join a CardYard Room from their own browser while you talk. See more online party games. Taboo, Fishbowl, Charades, Trivia and Match the Room all run as Rooms: the host creates one with CardYard Premium, and friends join free.
Questions, answered
What games can 20 people play?
For 20 people, choose team games where team size has no limit: Charades, Survey Feud, Trivia and Categories. Group-vote games such as Most Likely To, Would You Rather and Never Have I Ever also work, as do Mafia and Wink Murder with a narrator.
What are good party games for large groups of adults?
Charades, Survey Feud, Mafia, Taboo, Fishbowl and Most Likely To are good fits for large groups of adults. They need no supplies, keep most people playing at once, and scale from 10 to 30 or more players.
What do you play with a big group of people with no supplies?
Play Charades, Mafia, Wink Murder, Most Likely To or Would You Rather. One phone with CardYard supplies the words, questions, timer and scores, so you need no cards or boxes.
Are there free party games for large groups?
Yes. Every CardYard game in this list runs free in a phone browser with no download or sign-up. Charades' classic words and the Categories classic packs have no daily limit, and the other games include a daily free allowance of generated rounds.
How do you split a large group into teams?
Count off by twos so friends end up on different sides, then pick a captain for each team. Rotate the clue-giver or actor each turn so everyone gets a go.