Adult Party Games (G-Rated)
Many obscure vintage games are experiencing a revival in adult social circles, parties, BBQs, or Meetup events. Until recently I was only familiar with a few of these. I was invited to a party where the more obscure games were being played and felt a bit awkward that I was unfamiliar.
Nobody likes to show up to play some game when I have no idea what it involves. If you get invited to play bocce ball with some friends you don’t want to show up in heels, or go to a cribbage game in athletic gear thinking its an active game. Just so you can be a bit more familiar with what games are coming back in, I’ve compiled a list of a few fun adult party games.
What is Bunco?
As it is played today, bunco is a social dice game involving 100% luck (no skill, no decisions to be made). Members of a Bunco club take turns hosting, providing snacks, refreshments and the tables to set up the games. The host/hostess may also provide a door prize. Small amounts of money can be involved as well. The object of the game is to accumulate points by rolling certain combinations. The winners get prizes for accomplishments such as the highest score, the lowest score, or the most buncos (provided by the host/hostess or pooled from the club resources). Prizes frequently center on themes associated with the game such as fancy dice, dice embedded in soap, T-shirts featuring illustrations of dice, etc. Bunco rules are simple.
What is Canasta?
It is a card game resembling rummy, using two packs. It is usually played by two pairs of partners, and the aim is to collect sets (or melds) of cards. Its a great social game because you play as a teams. Canasta is very easy to grasp, even for new players. Canasta rules.
What is Bocce ball?(pronounced boch-ee)
It is a game that is an Italian variety of lawn bowling played outdoors on a dirt court that is shorter and narrower than the rink of a bowling green. The players toss or roll heavy balls (called a bocce) across an area of ground and try to get each ball to stop as near as possible to a smaller ball (called a pallino or jack). There are two teams with one to four players on each. They first toss the pallino, then take turns rolling the bocce at the pallino. It is scored when all four balls have been used on each team. The one team that has the most bocce closest to the palino get points. Detailed bocce rules.
What is Cribbage?
Cribbage is an old game that goes back hundreds of years and is really gaining in popularity again recently. It is a card game for two to four players in which a special peg board is used to count each player’s points. The objective is to play so that the value of one’s cards played reaches exactly 15 or 31. The goal is to be the first player to reach either 61 or 121 points, whichever is agreed upon in the beginning. The official rules are lengthy, but beginner cribbage rules will get you started.
What is Croquet?
Croquet is another game that’s at least 300 years old which is becoming popular with a new generation. Not to be confused with cricket, croquet is a sport that involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through small arches, called wickets, stuck in a grass playing area. It involves hitting your own colored ball through a circuit marked with two stakes and nine metal wickets. After striking the ball through the first set of wickets, then hitting the far stake, players do the return circuit back to the start, where they must also hit that stake. Players hit one ball per turn. But hitting the ball of another player, earns you two extra strokes. First player back to the starting stake wins. Croquet can involve a lot of technique and strategy, but the basic croquet rules will get you familiar.
Now you don’t have to feel awkward if you find yourself at an adult gathering where these are being played. Know of any other games making a revival? Let us know in the comments below.
