9 easy games to play after dinner with friends

Dinner wraps up, nobody wants to leave yet, and the conversation dips. That’s a good moment for a game. The best after-dinner games need almost no setup, work for any group size, and keep people talking to each other rather than staring at a board.

Here are nine we like, roughly from calmest to loudest.

Conversation games

1. Highs and lows

Everyone shares the best and hardest part of their week, or their year. It sounds simple, and it gets people talking about real things fast. Good for a small table and a quiet night.

2. Two truths and a lie

Each person says three things about themselves. Two are true, one is made up, and everyone guesses which one is the lie. You’ll learn surprising facts about people you thought you knew.

3. Would you rather

Ask silly or thoughtful either-or questions: “Would you rather live by the beach or the mountains?” “Would you rather only eat breakfast foods or never eat dessert again?” Take turns asking. The arguments are the fun part.

4. The question jar

Before guests arrive, write a dozen questions on slips of paper and drop them in a jar or bowl. Pass it around after dinner and everyone answers the one they draw. Try “What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?” or “What did you want to be when you were ten?”

Pen-and-paper games

5. Telephone Pictionary

Each person writes a phrase at the top of a sheet of paper and passes it left. The next person draws the phrase and folds the paper over to hide the words. The next writes what they think the drawing shows, and so on. Unfold at the end and read the chain out loud. Bad drawings make it funnier.

6. Fishbowl

Fishbowl, sometimes called Celebrity, is our favorite for groups of six or more. Everyone writes names of famous people (or inside jokes, or anything) on slips of paper and drops them in a bowl. Split into two teams. Play three rounds with the same slips:

1. Describe it using any words except the name.
2. One word only.
3. Act it out, no words at all.

By round three, everyone knows the slips, and the charades get ridiculous.

7. Categories

Pick a letter and a list of categories: a food, a city, an animal, a movie. Everyone has one minute to write an answer for each that starts with the letter. You score a point for each answer nobody else wrote.

Card and table games

8. A simple card game

A single deck of cards covers a lot of ground. Spoons, Spit, and Hearts each take a few minutes to teach. Spoons in particular gets loud, so play it at the end of the night.

9. A party game you already own

If you have a favorite word or party game on the shelf, like Codenames or a trivia game, put it out. Choose one with short rules and teams, so new people can jump in without a tutorial.

Tips for game night after dinner

• Read the room. If the conversation is still going strong, skip the game. Games are a backup, not a requirement.
• Keep it short. Twenty or thirty minutes is plenty. End while people are still laughing.
• Pick teams that mix people up. Put people who don’t know each other well on the same team.
• Have paper and pens ready so you don’t have to hunt for them mid-evening.

Want to remember which game was a hit, and who won? Bread keeps a diary of every dinner you host, so next time you can bring back Fishbowl for the group that loved it, or try something new with the ones who didn’t.