As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Full details on our Affiliate Disclosure page.
Joking Hazard is the party game from the makers of Cyanide & Happiness where you finish three-panel comics with the most awful punchline in your hand. A judge sets up the strip, everyone plays a panel and the funniest, darkest ending wins. If your group loves that kind of humor, these games like Joking Hazard bring more card-matching, drawing and backstabbing for adults who do not offend easily.
Best pick for Joking Hazard fans: Cards Against Humanity
The fill-in-the-blank game that started the genre: a judge, a prompt and the worst answer wins. It costs about $29.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $29) · Check today’s price on Amazon
1. Cards Against Humanity — groups that want the classic
Players: 4 or more, ages 17+ · Price band: $20–$30 (about $29) · Pick for: Groups that want the classic · See Cards Against Humanity on Amazon
Each round a judge reads a black card with a blank, and everyone else plays the white card that fills it best, or worst. The judge picks a winner and the role rotates. Joking Hazard took this exact loop and swapped words for comic panels, so it is the natural first stop.
We compare the two directly in Cards Against Humanity vs Joking Hazard.
Skip it if: you prefer pictures to words; the jokes here are all in the text.
2. What Do You Meme? — meme lovers
Players: 3 or more, ages 17+ · Price band: $20–$30 (about $30) · Pick for: Meme lovers · See What Do You Meme? on Amazon
A judge places a photo card on the easel, and everyone plays a caption card to turn it into a meme. The judge picks the best one. Like Joking Hazard, the humor comes from pairing a picture with an unexpected line, and the photos give quieter players an easy way into the joke.
See how it stacks up in What Do You Meme vs Cards Against Humanity.
Skip it if: your group finds memes dated.
3. Telestrations: After Dark — adults who like to draw badly
Players: 4 to 8, ages 18+ · Price band: $30+ (about $40) · Pick for: Adults who like to draw badly · See Telestrations: After Dark on Amazon
Telestrations is the telephone game with sketchbooks. You draw a phrase, pass your book, the next player guesses what you drew, and the next draws their guess. After Dark fills the deck with adults-only phrases. It is the closest thing to making your own Joking Hazard comic, one panel at a time.
Our Telestrations vs Telestrations After Dark guide explains the differences.
Skip it if: anyone at the table refuses to draw.
4. Exploding Kittens: NSFW Edition — small groups who like take-that cards
Players: 2 to 5, ages 17+ · Price band: $10–$20 (about $17) · Pick for: Small groups who like take-that cards · See Exploding Kittens: NSFW Edition on Amazon
Exploding Kittens is a card game of Russian roulette with cats. Draw an Exploding Kitten and you are out, unless you can defuse it. The NSFW edition keeps the rules and swaps in crude art and jokes that fit right in with Joking Hazard's tone.
Skip it if: you want a judge-style party game; this one has turns and elimination.
5. Bears vs Babies — players who like silly combos
Players: 2 to 5, ages 10+ · Price band: $10–$20 (about $17) · Pick for: Players who like silly combos · See Bears vs Babies on Amazon
From the Exploding Kittens team, Bears vs Babies has you build monsters out of heads, torsos and limbs, then send them to fight armies of babies. The art comes from The Oatmeal, and the absurd creations get the same laughs as a good Joking Hazard strip. It is milder, so it also works when the crowd is mixed.
Skip it if: you want the most shocking humor; this one is cheeky rather than crude.
Adult comic and card party games compared
| Game | Players | How you score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joking Hazard | 3 to 10 | Finish the comic, judge picks | about $25 |
| Cards Against Humanity | 4 or more | Fill the blank, judge picks | about $29 |
| What Do You Meme? | 3 or more | Caption the photo, judge picks | about $30 |
| Telestrations: After Dark | 4 to 8 | Draw and guess | about $40 |
| Exploding Kittens: NSFW | 2 to 5 | Last player standing | about $17 |
| Bears vs Babies | 2 to 5 | Build monsters, beat babies | about $17 |
What Joking Hazard players look for in a party game
Joking Hazard works because it is visual, quick to teach and built around a judge, so everyone gets a turn in charge. Cards Against Humanity and What Do You Meme keep the judge. Telestrations keeps the drawing and the reveal. Exploding Kittens and Bears vs Babies keep the dark, cartoon humor with real game play underneath.
New to the original? Joking Hazard (about $25) has more than 360 comic cards, and our Joking Hazard rules guide explains the red-card rounds. For even more options, see games like Cards Against Humanity.
Picking the right adult party game
- Big party, little setup: Cards Against Humanity.
- Groups that love images: What Do You Meme or Telestrations: After Dark.
- Three to five friends who want a real game: Exploding Kittens: NSFW.
- Mixed company: Bears vs Babies.
Games like Joking Hazard FAQ
What game is most like Joking Hazard?
Cards Against Humanity. It uses the same judge and hand of cards, with text prompts instead of comic panels.
Is there a drawing game like Joking Hazard?
Telestrations: After Dark has players sketching adult phrases and guessing each other's drawings.
What is a less offensive alternative to Joking Hazard?
Bears vs Babies keeps the cartoon humor but is rated for ages 10 and up.
