Halloween

27 Halloween Games For Adults

Why should kids have all the fun?

by Romper Staff
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

Conversation, food, and alcohol can be all a party needs, but given the festiveness and mischievousness of Halloween, it's fun to plan a few games and bump it up a little, theme-wise. That’s why the fun games for adult Halloween parties can be such a blast. This list of Halloween games for adults includes many different types of games — yes, drinking games are included — so you can pick ones that suit your speed. Some games can be thrown together at the last minute, while others require more preparation. A few of the more elaborate games on here may dictate that the guests are aware in advance, in case they need to come in specific costumes or bring props with them. But for the most part, there’s a perfect game for every sort of Halloween get-together, from the low-key hangout to the all-out costume bash.

I'm not particularly crafty (okay, I can't even cut a straight line) so for the more project-intensive games, I would need to enlist a friend or two with the prep. Allow yourself to get hokey and bring back adult versions of some of the kids' games you used to love. You may be surprised by how much your friends appreciate the chance to get silly, because adults all need a chance to let their guard down now and then.

1

Glow in the dark beer pong

This name of this idea might give you some scary flashbacks to beer pong games in college, but don’t worry, this version is much milder. Set up some glow in the dark cups the way you would for beer pong and fill them with water. Then get some glow in the dark pong balls and dim the lights to make it more of a challenge. You can drink whatever you want — doesn’t have to be alcohol — but make sure to take a sip each time you miss.

2

Pick Your Poison card game

Pick Your Poison is a “Would you rather?” card game with fun hypotheticals. It’s only twenty dollars on Amazon, and it’s perfect for a group of adults. You don’t actually have to do any of the challenges — you just pick which one you’d rather do.

3

Clue

Clue is a great game to play during the Halloween season because it’s a classic and it’s fun, even when you’re an adult. Since it’s a mystery game, it fits into the mood of Halloween perfectly. Plus, if your kids manage to weasel their way into the adult party, this is something that’s appropriate enough to involve them in.

4

Halloween charades

This is basically just regular charades, but Halloween-themed. By only using Halloween movies, television shows, video games, and activities that any adult would know as prompts, you can make charades a Halloween game. Some suggestions: IT, Halloweentown, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

5

Halloween makeup competition

Got any makeup gurus in your group of friends? If everyone has an idea for spooky Halloween makeup, you can all try out your ideas together. Set a timer and see who can do the coolest, scariest makeup and then vote on who’s is best. You can also serve drinks and desserts and play music to make it a real party.

6

Bobbing for apples

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If the kids can do it, why can't we? Get a little extravagant and fill the bucket with wine instead of water, and ask everyone to secure an apple before taking a drink. It’s about to get messy.

7

Pumpkin bowling

Set up some bowling pins and try to knock them down with pumpkins. The later the party goes, the weirder this game is going to get. (This might be best as an outdoor activity.)

8

Sleepover games 2.0

Give all those games you played at sleepovers another go as a grown-up. Try a round of Light As a Feather, Stiff As a Board (yes, like in The Craft), or re-learn how to play Bloody Mary. Best of all, you can follow up these scary games with an actual Bloody Mary drink, so who’s the real winner here?

9

Scary movie drinking game

Find a classic Halloween movie and pick a phrase, an object, or an action. Each time that phrase is uttered or the object or action appears on the screen, the guests need to do a shot or take a sip. For example, take a shot every time someone screams in Scream or whenever you see a potential weapon.

10

Halloween movie & TV trivia

Your friends might know the names of Casper the Ghost's girlfriend (Wendy) but do they know the last name of the three witches in 1993's Hocus Pocus? Channel your inner Halloween geek and test your friends on their Halloween trivia knowledge, seeing how much they know about scary movies and TV shows.

11

A grown-up scavenger hunt

Hide a whole lot of Halloween-themed swag around your house — or tiny bottles of booze — and give teams or individuals a list of items to find within a window of time. Bonus points for creative interpretations of the items on the scavenger hunt list.

12

Spooky card game

Make your typical game of Poker or Rummy a little more sinister. Grab a deck of spooky playing cards such as the Lil' Reaper Playing Card deck to embrace the season’s theme.

13

Murder mystery

Everyone loves to solve a good mystery. A few weeks before the Halloween party, let your guests know that someone was murdered and they are going to need to find out who did it at the party. Assign them each a character ask them to come dressed as that character. If you need help coming up with ideas, this list of free murder mystery games is helpful.

14

Monster Mash Dance Contest

Very little prep is needed for a dance contest except a Halloween playlist. If you want some pre-party participation, your guests can vote for their favorite song before the party and the winning song can be revealed during the dance contest. Pick two judges and the guests can do solo dances, partner dances or group dances. The best dancers win — anything from an orange and black construction paper certificate to a fake plaque to their own mirror ball trophy.

15

Monster Match Up Ice Breaker

This one is great if you have a lot of people who don't know each other at your Halloween party. Create categories — like vampire or animals — that serve as team names and create a series of index cards, each with a word on it that fits into one of those categories. Hand each guest an index card and let them find their teammates. Once all the teams have been assembled, they can play some more games as a group.

16

Pumpkin carving contest

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Granted, this one will get a bit messy, but it’s worth the effort. After your guests have finished their spooky creations, give out pumpkin carving contest awards for cutest pumpkin, scariest pumpkin, or any other category. Alternatively, have your guests decorate the pumpkins at home and then bring them to the party. Or try another twist with a little bit less mess: Pumpkin painting.

17

Mummy wrap

Get your toilet paper ready for this one. Break your guests into teams, with each team selecting one player as their mummy. The mummy stands stiffly in the center of the group as the team members wind the toilet paper around their body in an attempt to completely cover the mummy. The first team to finish wins.

18

Who am I?

Upon arrival at the party, the host tapes an index card to each guest's back, or sticks a sticky note to their forehead. The card or note says the name of a character from a scary movie or Halloween-themed movie or TV show. Guests have to ask other guests questions to help them guess their own identity.

19

Halloween punch pong

This adult Halloween game is basically just your typical college beer pong game, but with orange punch. Similarly, you could play quarters with the punch. Or use pumpkin beer. Or really any beverage that you'd like.

20

Spooky charades

Play the classic party game with a super-spooky twist. Halloween charades only uses ideas that are related to the holiday, such as skeletons or jack-o’-lanterns.

21

Scary board games

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If you and your friends are into board games, then there are plenty of options that suit the Halloween season. Some of the best horror board games include One Night Ultimate Werewolf, in which villagers try to find the wolf in their midst, and Mysterium, in which a ghost and psychic mediums work together to solve a murder. Whether you’re into subtly spooky themes or straight-up monsters, there’s a board game sure to fit your party. (Also, there’s always the option of dusting off the old Ouija board and seeing what messages pop up.)

22

Trick-or-treat shots

If your party includes some adult beverages, then add a little trickery to the menu. Create a round of identical shots, half cut with apple juice, and the other half made with pickle juice. Have everyone choose a shot at random, and hope you get the sweet version.

23

Truth or dare

Bring back this classic game from childhood. For a grown-up version of Truth Or Dare, write down questions to answer and dares to perform on tags and attach them to a variety of drinks. In order to enjoy each drink, your guest has to first perform the dare or respond to the question. Feel free to use your favorite party drinks. Make the questions and dares as silly or bizarre as you like to suit this particular party group.

24

Halloween limbo

This Halloween game is really for adults and for kids. It’s a little silly and — if your Halloween party involves cocktails at all — it’s surprisingly challenging. If you’re creative, you can probably DIY a limbo set, but if you’re short for time — or crafting skills — this Halloween-themed limbo set is only $25 on Amazon.

25

Throwback Halloween game for adults

Bring some old-school Halloween fun to your party. Have guests bring photos of themselves as kids dressed up for Halloween, and post all the photos on a board. Can your guests connect the photo with the adult?

26

Halloween touch box

This classic Halloween game is just as spooky for adults, promise. Fill a box with things like cooked noodles, peeled grapes, or tiny sausages and ask the party-goers to identify everything by touch alone. Honestly, even something as innocuous as an orange slice or some pretzel sticks can seem spooky if you aren’t expecting it. Have everybody use a blindfold to make sure nobody peeks. (To make the game safer, consider giving every guest their own touch box, and encourage plenty of hand-washing.)

27

Halloween corn hole

Corn hole, but make it Halloween-y. This light-up corn hole would make a fantastic Halloween game for adults — just add a keg and some spooky costumes, and your Halloween party is made.

Whatever you get up to this year, these Halloween themed games will make your celebration that much more memorable.

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