7 Halloween party games for grown-ups

You sent out the invitations and are now in the midst of planning the Halloween party of the century. Of course, food, drinks, and decor are all on your “to-plan” list, but what about activities? You know, fun games to break the ice and keep people entertained all night. Below are a few Halloween party game ideas for grown-ups that will make the Halloween-obsessed kid in everyone freak out and do everything they can to win, win, win!

1Bobbing for Apples

This game is a go-to classic for those who want to add some competitive fun to their Halloween bash. You can go the standard bobbing route and fill up a tub with water and drop in some apples to be caught between your guests’ teeth —

— or you can spice things up a bit! For a more adult version of the game, you can soak apple halves in alcohol before putting them in the bucket, or you can substitute your water for an alcoholic punch. Or hey, forget the apples altogether and throw some nips into the bucket instead and call it bobbing for your brew.

2Have You Learned Anything from Horror Movies?

This is a game of strategic thinking, logic, and figuring out how not to end up dead at the end of a hypothetical horror flick.

GhoulFriday.com posted a PDF of game rules and questions that can determine who in your friend group would survive in a horror movie setting. Questions include, “what is the number one sign it is time to move out of your current home?” and “if the power has just gone out, what is the worst room to search?”

This game will incite debate and once and for all determine who the final friend of the group would be — something most pals have fought over after watching Scream so many times.

3Partake in a Murder Mystery

Who killed John Doe? How? With what? Where? Murder mystery parties are like playing a more scandalous real-life version of the board game, “Clue.” We call being Mrs. White!

Murder mystery events allow you and your guests to become totally different people for a night — all of whom have something to hide. You can either get really crafty and write your own murder mystery, or check out these free downloadable murder mystery plots from Party411.com.

Remember guests, costumes and new personas are a must. We have to solve this murder before the killer comes for one of us next!

4Halloween Movie Drinking Game

If you and your group of friends have a favorite Halloween movie, then drawing up a drinking game might be the perfect add-on to your movie night. This Hocus Pocus drinking game from Pinterest is right up our alley — just make sure you’re playing safely!

Alternatively, you can set up a drinking game amongst friends in any party setting. Give guests a list of words or phrases that cause one to take a sip when said or heard. Designate your sober drivers beforehand and set an end time for the game so that guests don’t drink more than they should.

5Tombstone Toss or Zombie Horseshoes

Get everybody outside for a wholesome, themed game of corn hole! Use a sheet of cardboard to turn your existing corn hole boards into “Tombstone Toss,” like the pin shows below. Or, you can make the boards from scratch using wood, heavy duty cardboard, or foam.

Another idea is to transform a regular game of horseshoes into something creepier. Invest in a couple of zombie arms from the party store and cut a hole into the “stump” of the arm, just big enough to slip the limb over the horseshoe poles. Use your regular horseshoes or purchase some lighter weight ring toss rings online.

6Witch’s Brew Beer Pong

Go back to your college roots and set up a game of beer pong — but, spookify it. We love how this Pinterest user decorated their ping pong balls to look like eyeballs. Use nontoxic permanent markers to ensure the ink doesn’t harm your witch’s brew when the eyeballs land in the cups.

Fill a few of your beer pong cups up with a witchy beverage, like this one from Sandra Lee. You can decorate your cups to look like cauldrons, or simply opt for orange ones, like the above Pinterest user did.

7Adult Scavenger Hunt

As a kid, we loved being tasked with a scavenger hunt. It allowed us to run wild and burn off our constant sugar-induced energy burst.

But why should scavenger hunts be saved for the kids? Jodee from PartyGameIdeas.com says that a photo scavenger hunt is always a hit with her adult friends. Divide your group up into teams, give them a list of Halloween-themed things to find around town and take pictures with, and send them off with their camera phones to collect their evidence.

This idea is great for the competitive types and gives us adults a chance to do some trick-or-treating of our own on Halloween night.

Have fun, party people. And remember, whoever loses has to give away all their candy to the winner so get your game faces on, boys and ghouls.