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Best team party games (2026) — splitting a room into two teams changes the energy of a party. People who would never volunteer to act something out alone will happily shout guesses for their side, and a close score turns strangers into teammates within ten minutes. These six games were built for teams-versus-teams play, from the classic electronic hot potato to a word game that makes your team talk like cavemen.
Our top team party game: Codenames (2nd Edition)
Two teams, two spymasters and one grid of words. It works from four players to a dozen, and every turn ends with a team groan or a team cheer.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $25) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Team party games at a glance
Six games built for two sides and a scoreboard.
- Best overall: Codenames (2nd Edition) — one-word clues, 25 words, two teams (about $25)
- Best for a big room: Monikers — three rounds with the same cards (about $25)
- Best no-setup game: Catch Phrase Electronic — pass the disc before it buzzes (about $20)
- Best for debate: Wavelength — read your teammate’s mind on a dial (about $35)
What makes a team game work at a party
- Everyone has a job every turn. Guessers, clue-givers and a rival team watching for mistakes.
- Teams can be any size. The best team games scale from two-on-two to eight-on-eight without new rules.
- Short turns. Thirty seconds to two minutes keeps the energy up.
- A visible score. A close race is what gets people invested.
1. Codenames (2nd Edition) — best team game overall
Players: 4 or more in two teams · Price band: $20–$30 (about $25) · Pick for: Best team game overall · See Codenames (2nd Edition) on Amazon
Twenty-five word cards go on the table in a grid. One spymaster per team sees a key showing which words belong to which side. Spymasters take turns giving a one-word clue and a number, and their team tries to pick the right words while avoiding the rival team’s words and the single assassin card, which ends the game instantly.
The 2nd Edition refreshes the art and word cards. It plays in about fifteen minutes, and the team discussion before each guess is often the best part. Full rules: how to play Codenames.
Skip it if: your group dislikes quiet thinking. Monikers and Catch Phrase are louder.
2. Monikers — best for a big living room
Players: 4 or more in two teams · Price band: $20–$30 (about $25) · Pick for: Best for a big living room · See Monikers on Amazon
Each player adds a few cards with names on them to a shared deck. Teams take turns trying to guess as many names as possible in sixty seconds. Round one allows any description except the name, round two allows one word, and round three is charades with the same cards.
By round three, everyone knows the deck, so a single gesture can get a guess. It handles big groups with no extra setup, which makes it a go-to for holiday parties.
Skip it if: you want a fifteen-minute game. A full three-round game runs closer to an hour.
3. Catch Phrase Electronic — best grab-and-go team game
Players: 4 or more in two teams · Price band: $10–$20 (about $20) · Pick for: Best grab-and-go team game · See Catch Phrase Electronic on Amazon
Teams sit in alternating order around the room. The player holding the disc describes the word on screen without saying it, and when a teammate guesses, the disc passes to the next player, who is on the other team. A hidden timer beeps faster and faster, and whoever is holding the disc when it buzzes gives the other team a point. First team to seven wins.
There is nothing to set up and no cards to lose, so it is perfect for tailgates, cabins and road trips. Rules: how to play Catch Phrase.
Skip it if: you want a game that rewards thought. Catch Phrase is all reflex.
4. Wavelength — best team game for debaters
Players: 2 to 12 · Price band: $30+ (about $35) · Pick for: Best team game for debaters · See Wavelength on Amazon
Each turn, one player on a team sees where a hidden target sits on a spectrum, such as “cold” to “hot,” and gives a clue. Their team argues and turns the dial to where they think the target is. The other team then bets whether the target is to the left or right for a bonus point. First to ten points wins.
The arguments are the game. Teams learn more about how their friends think than in any other party game.
Skip it if: your group is on a budget. Wavelength costs more than most picks here.
5. Poetry for Neanderthals — best silly team word game
Players: 2 or more in two teams · Price band: $10–$20 (about $20) · Pick for: Best silly team word game · See Poetry for Neanderthals on Amazon
Get your team to guess a word or phrase, but you can only speak in single-syllable words. Say a word with two syllables and the other team gets to bop you with an inflatable “No!” club. Easy one-syllable answers score one point, and harder phrases score three.
It is ridiculous in the best way and works for mixed ages. Turns are short and loud. For a different word-guessing classic, see our Taboo guide.
Skip it if: your crowd wants a more thoughtful game. Codenames or Decrypto suit them better.
6. Decrypto — best for clever teams
Players: 3 to 8 (ages 12+) · Price band: $20–$30 (about $25) · Pick for: Best for clever teams · See Decrypto on Amazon
Each team has four secret words. Each round, one player draws a three-digit code and gives three clues that point to those words in that order, so that their team can decode it. The other team listens to every clue, round after round, trying to crack the pattern and intercept the code. Two interceptions win; two miscommunications lose.
It is a team game for puzzle lovers, and the slow reveal across rounds makes the endgame tense.
Skip it if: you need something for a crowded party. Decrypto suits a dinner table of six to eight.
Pick the right team game for the room
| Situation | Best pick | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Game night with friends | Codenames (2nd Edition) | about $25 |
| Holiday party of twelve | Monikers | about $25 |
| Tailgate or road trip | Catch Phrase Electronic | about $20 |
| Friends who love arguing | Wavelength | about $35 |
| Families with kids | Poetry for Neanderthals | about $20 |
| Puzzle fans at a dinner table | Decrypto | about $25 |
Tips for picking teams at a party
- Split couples. Partners on opposite teams keep things fair and add a little rivalry.
- Mix ages and energy. Pair a quiet guest with a loud one on each side.
- Rotate the clue-giver. In Codenames and Wavelength, everyone should take a turn.
- Bigger crowd? Our best large group party games list covers games for twenty or more.
Team party game questions
What is the best team party game?
Codenames (2nd Edition). It works with four to a dozen people and plays in about fifteen minutes.
What team game needs no setup?
Catch Phrase Electronic. Turn it on, pick a category, pass the disc.
What team game works for kids and adults together?
Poetry for Neanderthals is silly enough for kids and still funny for adults.
