Party Games for Groups: Word, Drawing and Team Games

The best party games for groups are word, drawing and team games with rules you can explain in a minute. Codenames (4 to 8+ players) and Decrypto (3 to 8) split the room into teams. Just One is cooperative. Telestrations is the drawing pick, Wavelength stretches to 12 players, and Dixit suits quieter, imaginative groups.

How many people can each party game handle?

Start with the number of guests. A party game that tops out at 6 won’t work for a New Year’s Eve crowd, and a team game can drag with only three people.

Figures come from the publishers for Codenames (Czech Games Edition), Just One (Repos Production), Dixit (Libellud) and Telestrations (The Op). Wavelength’s and Decrypto’s publisher pages print no figures, so theirs come from Wikipedia. Award years are from spiel-des-jahres.de.

Word party games

Word games are the easiest to pull out at a gathering: no drawing skill, no dexterity, just clues.

Codenames

Designed by Vlaada Chvátil and published by Czech Games Edition in 2015, Codenames splits players into two teams. Two rival spymasters know which of the 25 code names on the table belong to their agents. Each gives one-word clues to steer their team, while avoiding the other team’s agents and the assassin, which ends the game in a loss.

CGE lists it at 4 to 8 or more players, ages 10+ and 15 minutes. It won the Spiel des Jahres in 2016, and Wikipedia notes it has been published in 38 languages. CGE’s current edition, dated Q3 2025, has a revised word list, new art and a new box insert, so a listing may show either the older or the newer box.

Just One

Just One, by Ludovic Roudy and Bruno Sautter (Repos Production, 2018), is cooperative. One player guesses a mystery word, and everyone else writes a one-word clue. Before the guesser sees them, identical clues are removed, so the obvious clue often cancels itself out.

Repos lists it at 3 to 7 players, ages 8 and up and 20 minutes. It won the Spiel des Jahres in 2019. Because the whole table wins or loses together, it is a good choice when some guests are wary of competitive games. Our guide to cooperative board games has more games built this way.

Decrypto

Decrypto, by Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance (Le Scorpion Masqué, 2018), is the brainier team game. Each team has four secret words. Every round, one player gives clues pointing to a three-digit code, and the other team tries to intercept it by spotting patterns in those clues over time.

Wikipedia lists it at 3 to 8 players, ages 12+ and 15 to 45 minutes. It won Best Party Game at the 2019 UK Games Expo. It suits groups who enjoyed Codenames and want more to think about.

Codenames, Just One and other party games on eBay

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• WavelengthShop on eBay →
• Just OneShop on eBay →
• DixitShop on eBay →

Drawing party games: Telestrations

Telestrations, from The Op (USAopoly), works like the telephone game on paper. Each player sketches a secret word in a drawing book, passes it on, and the next player guesses what the drawing shows. The books alternate between drawing and guessing until they return to their owners, and the results are compared.

The Op lists its 8 Player 2nd Edition at 4 to 8 players, ages 10+ and 30 minutes. There is also a 12-player party edition and an adult version, Telestrations: After Dark, so match the box to your crowd. Nobody needs to draw well; the fun comes from how clues drift.

Guessing games for a big room: Wavelength

Wavelength (CMYK, 2019), designed by Alex Hague, Justin Vickers and Wolfgang Warsch, uses a dial with a hidden target. A card names a spectrum such as hot to cold. The “Psychic” sees where the target sits on that spectrum and gives a clue. Their team turns the dial to guess, and the other team bets on whether the guess is too far left or right.

Wikipedia lists 2 to 12 players, ages 14+ and 30 to 45 minutes. It won Best Party Game at the 2022 Årets Spill awards. Its player range is the widest on this page, which makes it the pick for a full house.

For a quieter, imaginative group: Dixit

Dixit, by Jean-Louis Roubira with art by Marie Cardouat (Libellud, 2008), is played with large illustrated cards. The storyteller describes one of their cards with a word or phrase, everyone adds a card that fits, and players vote on which was the original. The storyteller scores only if some players guess correctly, but not all.

Libellud lists it at 3 to 8 players, ages 8+ and 30 minutes. It won the Spiel des Jahres in 2010. Dixit also appears in our family board games for mixed ages guide, because it bridges kids and adults well.

Team game or everyone together?

Most party games here are team games: Codenames, Decrypto and Wavelength. They create rivalry and table talk, which helps a lively crowd. Just One is fully cooperative, and Telestrations and Dixit score individually but rarely feel cutthroat.

Pick team games when guests already know each other. Pick Just One or Telestrations when some guests are new to the group or to games. For the history behind three of these picks, see our guide to Spiel des Jahres winners.

Buying party games on eBay

• New and sealed is best for gifts. Word games depend on complete card decks, and Telestrations needs every drawing book and marker.
• Match the edition to the group. Telestrations has standard, party and adult versions, and Codenames has themed editions.
• Check seller feedback and returns.

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