Games Night For People Who Hate Games: 16 They Won't Notice

People don't hate games. They hate performing in front of a room, being the reason their team lost, and being trapped in something for ninety minutes with no way out.

Take those three things away and almost everyone plays. Here's how.

Why people say they hate games

• Being watched. Any game where one person performs while everyone else sits is out.
• Long rules explained by someone enjoying themselves too much.
• Elimination, which means the person who is worst at it spends the longest sitting out.
• Being the weak link on a team and knowing it.
• No exit - a game that takes an hour with no natural stopping point.
• Questions about themselves, in front of people they don't know well.

Games that win them over

• Codenames: you sit down, you say one word, teams mean no individual is exposed. The single best converter there is.
• Wavelength - a dial between two extremes, everyone guesses together. Almost no pressure.
• Just One: everyone writes one clue, matching clues cancel out, and it's cooperative so nobody loses alone.
• The Crew or Hanabi for cooperative card play - you're against the game, not each other.
• Cards-on-the-table quizzes, where you answer in writing and nobody watches you think.
• Dobble, which lasts two minutes and needs no explanation.
• Jigsaws and puzzles on a side table, which quietly generate more conversation than any game.

How to run it so they stay

• Teach by playing one open-handed practice round. Never read rules aloud from a book.
• Start with a game that takes under fifteen minutes, so the reluctant person can see the exit.
• Say out loud at the start that anyone can sit a round out. Almost nobody then does.
• Put the reluctant person on a team, never alone.
• Never make anyone go first.
• Have snacks and a side table. Somewhere to stand and watch for five minutes matters.

What to avoid entirely

• Charades and anything requiring a performance in front of the room.
• Monopoly, Risk and anything over ninety minutes.
• Elimination games, unless the eliminated get a job.
• Trivia that rewards one person's specialist subject.
• Games where one player is the target - the hot seat, the roast, anything built round teasing.
• Forfeits, which are only funny if you already like games.

Shop cards

How to write it so it lands

• Nothing where one person performs while the rest watch.
• Teach by playing a practice round, never by reading rules.
• Say anyone can sit out, and mean it.

Where to shop next

• TikTok and viral party games
• Phone-based party games
• Party games that use one phone only
• Escape room at home and puzzle nights
• Murder mystery party for beginners
• How to run a quiz night
• Alcohol-free party games
• Board games hub
• Adult birthday party games
• Traditional British party games
• Pen and paper games
• Free feel good tools
• Shop cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Wedding cards
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What games are good for someone who hates party games?

Codenames, Wavelength, Just One, Dobble and cooperative card games. All are short, team-based or cooperative, and none require anyone to perform in front of the room.

Why do people hate party games?

Being watched while they perform, long rule explanations, being eliminated early, letting a team down, and having no way out of something that takes an hour. Remove those and most people join in.

How do you get a reluctant person to join a games night?

Start with something under fifteen minutes, teach it with one open-handed practice round rather than reading rules, put them on a team, never make them go first, and say at the start that anyone can sit a round out.

What's the best game for converting someone who hates games?

Codenames. You sit down, you say one word at a time, you're on a team, and it's over in twenty minutes. More reluctant players have been won round by it than anything else.

Do you sell games, kits or party supplies?

No - we make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. Everything recommended here is either free, an app, or something you already have, and the only products on this page are our own cards.