7 New Year’s Eve Games That Don’t Suck

New Year’s Eve is known for champagne swigging and celebrations, but it’s also known for inflated drink prices, difficulties getting babysitters, and general tomfoolery (yes, people use that word).

However, there are plenty of options beyond getting as drunk as possible and blowing that holiday cash you just got on New Year’s Eve libations. Therefore, we have highlighted seven New Year’s Eve party games that are cheap, easy to play, and guaranteed to be good times!

Before you keep reading, we need you to be aware that these games are geared towards adults, without being prohibitively adult in their content, and are best played with great people and a drink in hand! If you are hosting a party, make sure you have non-alcoholic options available, so everyone can have a good time!

1. Two Resolutions and a Lie

If it wasn’t obvious, Two Resolutions and a Lie is based on the traditional Two Truths and a Lie game. Every guest presents three of their New Year’s resolutions. Two of these resolutions are true, and one is a lie. The rest of the guests try to guess which ones are true.

You can hand out scorecards and give a point to each guest that guesses the correct answer, with bonus points awarded to the guests that fool the most people. The winner is the player with the most points at the end of the game. You can make it a drinking game by having everyone who guesses incorrectly take a drink!

2. Resolution Guess

This is another fun game that centers around New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are often broken before the 4th or 5th of January, but they can lead to some positive changes. People are more likely to stick to their resolutions if they tell others, and that’s what this game is all about.

As your guests arrive, have them write down one of their resolutions on a slip of paper. As you read the resolutions, have your guests guess who the resolution belongs to and award them a point for each correct answer. The player with the most points at the end of the night wins.

The prize could be bragging rights, a bottle of champagne, a funny gift, etc. It really doesn’t matter what the prize is as long as everyone is having a good time!

3. Cornhole

Cornhole is a classic game that, as you probably already know, we are super passionate about! Cornhole may not be a traditional New Year’s Eve game, but that needs to change! If you really want to impress your guests, get a customized cornhole board that is themed or says something hilarious and wait for the compliments to start flowing in.

If you aren’t familiar with cornhole, the game is easy to play and the rules are very simple. All you need a little space and some competitive spirit!

4. The Champagne Race

Despite the name, this game doesn’t involve running. Some of you are probably breathing a sigh of relief.

Fill a bowl with champagne and put it in the center of a table. Then, give each player a glass and a teaspoon. The goal is for each player to fill his or her glass with champagne using only the teaspoon. If you want to make it WAY more tricky, require everyone to put the teaspoon in their mouths and THEN try to fill up their glasses.

The guests can, if they wish, drink whatever champagne they managed to transport to their glass at the end of the game.

Is this game a little messy? Yes. Is this game a whole lot of fun? Also, yes.

5. Pass the Hat

This game is extremely hilarious and the only thing you need is a hat (ideally, a fancy top hat if you have one). Have everybody stand in a circle and place the party hat on a random person. The name of the game is for every player to pass the hat to the next person, without using their hands.

If a player drops the hat on the floor or uses their hands, they have to leave the circle. You keep passing the hat around the circle until there is only one person left. They will be wearing the hat and crowned the winner.

6. Cards Against Humanity

Ah, yes. Another classic party game. Cards Against Humanity requires a small investment but is, without question, a favorite at parties. Even if they haven’t played it, most people have at least heard of it, and there’s a very good chance that at least one of your guests owns the base pack and maybe even a couple of expansion packs too!

Every player receives seven white answer cards, and each player takes a turn reading a black question card. Players play what they believe is their funniest or most fitting white answer card and the black card player chooses their favorite answer. The person that played the winning card wins the round and receives the black card.

Typically, the game is played until someone amasses seven black cards, and that person is crowned the victor. However, you can change up the number of cards it takes to win or just play until all the cards have been played and see who has collected the most at the end.

7. Highlights of the Year

This is a great ice breaker and can lead to some funny stories at the end of the night when people have loosened up a little more. The host pulls questions out of a hat and every player has to give their honest answer or as honest of an answer as they’re willing to give.

This can be a hilarious way to reflect on the past year, as questions can range from the most embarrassing thing you did this year to your greatest achievement.

So, there you go. That’s seven fun New Year’s Eve games to ring in the new year. These are guaranteed to keep your guests entertained and having a rip-roaring good time into the wee hours of the morning.

Happy New Year!