Kids might have trick-or-treating, but it's child's play compared to the ghoulishly fun times that adults can have on Halloween. Whether you and the neighbors are hanging out at home after taking the kids on their circuit around the house, or you're preparing for your big entrance at a costume party with friends, these are the Halloween games for adults that your parties have been missing.
Outdoor Games for Some Graveyard Fun
October isn't so cold that you can't bring the party outdoors. And you don't have to buy a whole new grab bag of Halloween games to keep your guests occupied. Instead, get inspired by the stuff you've got lying around and cobble together some delightfully fun outdoor party games.
Pictorial Scavenger Hunt
Create a scavenger hunt by hiding spooky things around your yard or neighborhood. Make a list of the Halloween items everyone needs to find and give them a strict time limit. Make things easier by letting people take pictures and use that as 'proof' of finding the things. Whoever gets the most wins. A few of the ghastly things you might consider including in your Halloween scavenger hunt are:
- Badly carved pumpkins
- Someone dressed as a zombie
- Buckets of candy
- Skeletons
- Halloween-themed cocktails
- Disarticulated fake body parts
- Giant fuzzy spiders
Spider Web Limbo
Limbo is always a hit at parties and once you hit 30, you'll be fighting for your life between throwing out your back and slamming to the floor. Instead of using a traditional limbo pole or rope, hang some fake spider webs between trees in your backyard. Lower the spider webs for each round of the limbo challenge. You're sure to know who gets out because of the heeby jeebies they'll get running through a spider web.
Grown-Up Piñata
You don't grow out of loving to swing a baseball bat at a piñata, and it's even more fun when it's filled with stuff you can actually still digest. Everyone loves a little sugar, but give your Halloween piñata an adult twist by including some other goodies. Mini bottles of liqueur, LED flashlights, bottle openers, and other fun items will make everyone that much more motivated to crack it like a jack-o'-lantern.
Spider Cornhole
Give your regular ol' backyard cornhole a Halloween twist by using tape or paint to carve out a spiderweb on the board. For added effect, stretch fake spider webs over it and hot glue pipe cleaner legs to black bean bags to make the little itsy bitsy spiders.
Horror Hide and Seek
Kids love hide and seek, but with an adult paycheck at your disposal, you can really amp up an average hide-and-seek match. At your next Halloween party, set up a fog machine and play horror movie soundtracks to set the mood. Then when it's dark, skitter outside like creatures of the night and try to avoid getting found.
Hands-Free Donut Eating Contest
Who needs bobbing for apples when you could have a face full of donuts instead? Hang powdered sugar donuts from trees, doorways, and anything else that's high enough. Then, tie your guests' hands behind their backs and time each person as they devour their donut. Whoever has the fastest time wins!
Fang-tastic Halloween Games for Adults
If you're throwing a Halloween party at your house, you've probably mastered the art of haunted decorating and making devilishly delicious snacks and drinks for people to enjoy. But the window dressing only goes so far. Keep your friends' spirits sky-high with these fun Halloween activities you can play all night long.
Name That Spooky Tune
People love to show off their music knowledge, but you can try to trip up your guests with some music trivia — Halloween edition. Collate the perfect Halloween music playlist and start the clock. The first person (or team member) to name that spooky tune gets a point. Keep score and see who can name the most Halloween-inspired songs. Turn your trivia up a notch by throwing in little-known spooky instrumental tracks like Edvard Grieg's 1875 "In the Hall of the Mountain King."
Horror Trivia Contest
If you've taken one film class, you know that everyone thinks they're an expert in movie trivia. It's probably because we all know our favorite movies like the back of our hands. But do you really know the horror genre? Challenge everyone at your Halloween party to a horror movie trivia contest to see who deserves the title of Final Girl.
Spooky Charades
Charades is a classic game that's always fun, and it can be just as fun with a Halloween theme. Come up with a list of Halloween-esque charades clues, such as stuff like:
- Nightmare on Elm Street
- Death Becomes Her
- "The Monster Mash"
- Morticia Addams
- Zombies
Popcorn-Style Ghost Story Game
As you invite people to your party, tell them the first part of a ghost story. It can just be a couple of lines — enough to set the stage. Then, popcorn to one of your guests to say the next line in the story. Continue throughout the room, hearing the zany Mad Libs-like tale unfold.
Halloween Murder Mystery
Murder mystery parties can be fun any day of the year, but Halloween is the perfect time to break them out. Invite all your friends over and challenge everyone to find the murderer. For added fun, pick a theme and make everyone dress up in a costume to match. Just make sure to rig up your house with interesting Clue-esque rooms full of suspicious could-be murder weapons.
Tarot Card Readings
If you have a deck of tarot cards, you can take turns giving tarot readings to one another. If you're still new to the craft, spend some time learning about your tarot deck and the meanings of each card. Then, not only will you find out how well you can read your friends' cards, but you'll see how well your cards can read you.
Halloween Drinking Games to Put You Six Feet Under
Whether they're boozed up or deliciously sober, Halloween cocktails are a must at any late-October party. Relive those early drinking days with these Halloween drinking games that'll have everyone up way past the witching hour.
Trick-or-Treating Drinking Game
Trick-or-treating doesn't just have to be for kids. Transform the October 31st tradition into a drinking game. Like any good drinking game, agree on a list of situations or costumes where you'll take a sip/shot. For example, you could take a drink when:
- A child says, "trick-or-treat!"
- Someone is dressed as a Star Wars character
- Someone is wearing wings
- A child remembers to say "thank you" after taking candy
- You can't recognize a costume and have to ask
- Someone brings a baby trick-or-treating
Trick-or-Treat Jello Shots Game
If you stick with Jello shot flavors like cherry and lime, you're missing out on so much potential. On top of the standard fruit varieties, use plain gelatin to make shots from things like salad dressing or unsweetened lemon juice. Some shots will be tasty (the treats), and some will be downright disgusting (the tricks). The whole point of the game is to avoid the tricks, but of course you won't know until it's too late.
Halloween Cocktail Taste Test Roundup
Tingle the senses with a cocktail taste test. Break out the blindfolds and try a Witch's Brew or a Poisoned Apple to see which ones bewitch the crowd. And in a wise witches' words, some of your concoctions will "put a spell on you."
Halloween Jinx Drinking Game
A sneaky drinking game to the play at a Halloween party involves coming up with a banned word that — when spoken — everyone has to take a drink. There's nothing better than watching newcomers fumble their way to finding out what the jinxed word is. Some typical Halloween words you might try include:
- Witch
- Pumpkin
- Costume
- Midnight
- Trick
- Halloween
Two Halloween Truths and a Lie
Halloween is a great time to play Two Truths and a Lie, especially if you keep it focused on a Halloween theme. Before playing, have everyone come up with two truths and a lie about their past Halloween experiences. The whole crowd gets to guess which one's the lie, and whoever's wrong has to take a gulp.
Spook-tacular Costume Party Games for Adults
The whole point of Halloween is dressing up! If you and your friends have been planning your costumes for months, then these are some awesome games that incorporate that costuming spirit.
Last Minute Costume Contest
Open up the closets in your house, set a timer, and let the ghosties loose. Once everyone's decked out in their costumes, play some music and encourage people to walk the runway in their new look. The person who comes up with the best Halloween costume from your closet in that short period is the winner.
Guess My Character
When people arrive, give everyone a tag to put on their back or forehead. Each tag should be a costume or character. It won't match the costume the person is wearing, which adds even more of a challenge. Watch as people desperately try to figure out just who they're supposed to be in big overtures and wild guesses.
Toilet Paper Mummy Contest
You might've gone to a bridal shower where the group had to make a toilet paper wedding gown. Welp, it's super easy to put a Halloween spin on it. Divide everyone into teams and give them plenty of toilet paper. Turn the teams loose to transform one of their members into a mummy worthy of a Universal monster film.
Adult Face Painting Contest
Kids love getting their faces painted, and adults secretly love it too. Before guests arrive, set out a bunch of face painting supplies. Once they start trickling in, draft your guests into a contest where they need to paint a Halloween mask on someone else's face. Whichever design gets the most votes is the winner.
Ignite Some Deadly Competition With These Halloween Games
You'd be surprised at how many spine-chilling tabletop games there are. And we've got a list of some of the best just in time for All Hallows' Eve.
Ouija Board
If you and your crew are feeling daring, set up a Ouija board and start trying to contact the spirit realm. Break out the candles, planchet, and as much good energy as you can muster. You never know what'll come in from the other side.
Clue
Sure, you may have played Clue as a kid, but it's even more fun with a group of adults. We're more calculating, ruthless, and ready to murder the competition. So take a minute to familiarize yourself with the characters of Clue and get started.
Arkham Horror
Arkham Horror is a fun and scary cooperative board game. This adventure board game contains over 700 pieces and has you and your friends take on different roles to fight monsters in the streets of the city of Arkham.
Call of Cthulhu
This horror-based role-playing game is filled with action and adventure and has players set out to battle evil. It's a super spooky way to spend several hours at a Halloween party.
Hunt a Killer
Hunt a Killer rode in on the true crime wave to bring a murder mystery right to your door. Choose to subscribe to the boxed murder mystery of your choosing and get it once a month, or buy the completed set for about $100-$200.
You're Never Too Old for Howl-oween
Halloween isn't just for kids. Adults love an excuse to play dress up, hang out, and let loose on a weekday. So, no matter what games you decide to play, adult Halloween parties keep that spooky spirit alive long after your trick-or-treating days are over.
