Halloween is the biggest party night of the college year, and the right games keep it from fizzling after the costume photos. Whether you’re hosting a packed dorm lounge or a small apartment bash, these games are easy to set up, cheap to run, and guaranteed to get people laughing. Here are the first seven to start the night right.
1. Pick Your Poison
A “Would You Rather” style card game full of dark humor, ideal for big groups. The judge picks two grim scenarios and everyone argues over which is worse. (6-20 players, 20-30 min, indoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- Pick Your Poison card game, or index cards with your own scenarios.
Setup:
- Choose a judge and shuffle the deck.
How to Play:
The judge reads two scenarios aloud and secretly guesses which one the group will pick. Everyone votes, and players who match the judge score a point. The next player becomes judge, and the highest score after ten rounds wins.
2. Halloween Charades
Classic charades with a spooky twist, great for breaking the ice with mixed friend groups. Guessing horror movies and creepy characters gets loud fast. (6-16 players, 20-30 min, indoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- A Halloween charades pack, or slips of paper and a bowl.
Setup:
- Split into two teams and add themed prompts like movies, monsters, and candy.
How to Play:
One player draws a prompt and acts it out silently while teammates guess. Teams get 60 seconds per turn. A correct guess scores a point, and teams alternate until the prompts run out. Highest score wins.
3. Mummy Wrap
A fast, silly team race that works well for couples and friends. Toilet paper turns your partner into a mummy, and the messier the wrap, the funnier it gets. (4-20 players, 10-15 min, indoor or outdoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- 2-3 rolls of toilet paper per team and a phone timer.
Setup:
- Pair everyone up and pick one “mummy” per team.
How to Play:
Start the timer and have each wrapper cover their partner from head to toe, leaving only eyes and nose clear. The first team to use up their roll or finish wins. Vote on the best-looking mummy for a bonus prize.
4. Guess The Villain
A charades-style game built around horror icons and movie villains. It rewards your drama-club friends and anyone who loves slasher films. (6-15 players, 15-25 min, indoor, free)
Supplies Needed:
- Paper, a pen, and a plastic pumpkin or bowl.
Setup:
- Write famous Halloween villains on slips and drop them into the pumpkin.
How to Play:
Players take turns drawing a slip and acting out the villain without speaking. The group gets one minute to guess. Correct guesses earn a point for the actor and the guesser, and the player with the most points at the end wins.
5. Halloween Costume Contest
A Halloween classic that rewards the effort everyone put into their outfits. Awards keep the competition friendly and give guests a reason to mingle. (8-50 players, 20-30 min, indoor or outdoor, free to $)
Supplies Needed:
- Voting cards or paper slips, a ballot box, and small prizes.
Setup:
- Set up a voting table and decide on categories like Scariest, Funniest, Best Couple, and Best Group.
How to Play:
Guests submit one vote per category during the first hour of the party. Tally the ballots and announce winners with a quick runway moment. Give each winner a prize, such as a gift card or a candy bucket.
6. Don’t Get Stabbed
A suspenseful hidden-role card game where one player is the killer and everyone else tries to survive. It’s easy to learn and gets tense quickly. (5-12 players, 20-30 min, indoor, $$)
Supplies Needed:
- Don’t Get Stabbed card game (about $20).
Setup:
- Deal out role cards secretly so only the killer knows their identity.
How to Play:
Players take turns using action cards to protect themselves or accuse others. The killer secretly eliminates victims each round while survivors try to spot them. If the group identifies the killer, survivors win. If not, the killer wins.
7. Glow In The Dark Laser Maze
A glow-in-the-dark obstacle course that looks as impressive as it is easy to build. Guests squeeze through the “lasers” without touching them, which ends in plenty of laughter. (4-15 players, 30-45 min, indoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- Glow sticks, string or yarn, and painter’s tape.
Setup:
- Tape string across a hallway or room in crisscross patterns, adding glow sticks along the lines. Turn the lights off.
How to Play:
Players take turns crossing the maze without touching a string. Each touch adds a time penalty or sends them back to the start. The fastest player with the fewest touches wins.
8. String of Donuts Race
A hands-free eating race that gets messy fast. Hang donuts from the ceiling, and watch friends chase them with no hands allowed. (4-12 players, 15-20 min, indoor or outdoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- A dozen donuts, string, and a blindfold for each player.
Setup:
- Hang donuts at face height from a doorway or ceiling, and clear the floor underneath.
How to Play:
Players are blindfolded with their hands tied behind their backs. Start a timer and let them hunt for their donut using only their mouths. The first to finish a whole donut wins. Keep wet wipes nearby.
9. Creepy Conversations
A circle game of spooky questions and confessions that gets a little too real. Lower the lights and let the stories flow. (5-15 players, 20-30 min, indoor, free)
Supplies Needed:
- A jar, paper slips, and a flashlight or candle-style lights.
Setup:
- Write spooky and silly questions on slips, like “When were you most scared?” and drop them in the jar.
How to Play:
Players sit in a circle and pass the jar. Each person draws a question and answers it honestly, then the group votes on the creepiest story. The winner picks the next question category.
10. Eyeball Dig
A gross-out sensory game where players hunt for hidden prizes in slimy bowls. Expect screams and laughter in equal measure. (4-10 players, 15-20 min, indoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- Large bowls, cold spaghetti, pumpkin puree, peeled grapes as “eyeballs,” and small prizes.
Setup:
- Mix the gross ingredients in bowls and bury a prize or grape in each one.
How to Play:
Players take turns digging blindfolded for the hidden item while the group watches and cheers. Time each round, and the fastest digger wins. Play over a plastic tablecloth to keep cleanup easy.
11. Stupid Deaths
A dark-humor guessing game where players decide if a bizarre death story is real or fake. Wrong answers bring the grim reaper closer. (3-8 players, 20-30 min, indoor, $$)
Supplies Needed:
- Stupid Deaths card game (about $20).
Setup:
- Place the game board in the center and give each player a game piece.
How to Play:
One player reads a death scenario aloud, and the others guess whether it’s real or fake. Correct guesses move the player forward. Wrong guesses let the reaper advance. The first player to reach the finish line without being caught wins.
12. Mystery Box
A spooky touch-and-guess game where the creepy mystery is the point. Players reach into a box and identify what they feel without peeking. (4-15 players, 15-20 min, indoor, free)
Supplies Needed:
- A cardboard box with a hand-sized hole and gross items like cold noodles, peeled grapes, and wet sponges.
Setup:
- Place one item inside the box and cover the opening so nobody can see.
How to Play:
Players take turns reaching in and guessing the item within 30 seconds. Award a point for each correct answer. Swap items between rounds, and the player with the most points wins.
13. Halloween Family Feud
A big-screen trivia showdown that turns the living room into a game show. Teams compete to guess the most popular spooky answers. (8-20 players, 30-45 min, indoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- A Halloween Family Feud template (Etsy), a TV or projector, and a buzzer or bell.
Setup:
- Split the group into two teams and connect your laptop to the screen.
How to Play:
Each team sends a player to the buzzer. The first to ring in answers the survey question, and the team keeps control with correct answers. Three strikes hand control to the other team. The team with the highest score after five rounds wins.
14. Halloween Party Game Bundle
An all-in-one printable pack that covers bingo, charades, word scrambles, and more. It suits large groups who want variety without extra shopping. (6-30 players, 30-60 min, indoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- A printable bundle (Etsy), a printer, pens, and small prizes.
Setup:
- Print enough copies for each guest and set up stations around the room.
How to Play:
Guests rotate between stations, playing bingo, word search, and scrambles at their own pace. Award a point for each completed game. At the end of the night, the player with the most points takes home a prize.
15. Halloween Monopoly
A spooky twist on the board game everyone knows, with themed tokens and properties. It’s perfect for a quieter corner of the party where competitive friends can battle it out. (2-6 players, 60-90 min, indoor, $$)
Supplies Needed:
- A Halloween-edition Monopoly set (about $25-30).
Setup:
- Set up the board in a quiet corner and assign tokens. Set a time limit so the game doesn’t drag on.
How to Play:
Play by standard Monopoly rules, buying and trading properties as you move around the board. When the timer ends, the player with the most money and property wins. Bragging rights are the prize.
16. Eyeball Ping Pong Tosses
A Halloween version of beer-pong-style tossing, played with “eyeball” ping pong balls. It’s quick to learn and easy to run all night. (2-12 players, 20-30 min, indoor or outdoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- Eyeball ping pong balls, plastic cups, and a table.
Setup:
- Arrange cups in a triangle on each end of the table and fill them with water or a themed drink.
How to Play:
Teams take turns tossing eyeballs into the opposing cups. Each made shot removes that cup from play. The first team to clear all of the other team’s cups wins.
17. Pass The Pumpkin
A musical-chairs-style party game with a dare twist. Players pass a pumpkin around the circle until the music stops, and whoever is holding it faces a challenge. (6-20 players, 15-25 min, indoor, free)
Supplies Needed:
- A small pumpkin, a speaker, and a bowl of dare slips.
Setup:
- Write dares on slips of paper and seat everyone in a circle.
How to Play:
Start the music and pass the pumpkin around the circle. When the music stops, the player holding it draws a dare and completes it. Play continues until everyone has had a turn or the dares run out.
18. Halloween Movie Trivia
A trivia game built around horror classics and Halloween favorites, great for movie buffs. Teams compete for bragging rights and a prize. (4-20 players, 30-40 min, indoor, free to $)
Supplies Needed:
- A trivia pack (Etsy) or your own question list, plus paper and pens.
Setup:
- Form teams of 3-4 and appoint a host to read the questions.
How to Play:
The host reads each question aloud, and teams write down their answers. Check answers after every five questions and award one point per correct answer. The highest-scoring team at the end wins.
19. Guess The Halloween Candy
A blindfolded taste test where players name the candy or face a whipped-cream surprise. It’s nostalgic, silly, and photo-worthy. (4-12 players, 15-20 min, indoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- Assorted Halloween candy, a blindfold, whipped cream, and paper plates.
Setup:
- Lay out the candy and prepare a plate of whipped cream for wrong answers.
How to Play:
A blindfolded player tastes a candy and guesses what it is. A correct answer earns a point. A wrong answer earns a plate of whipped cream to the face. The player with the most points after five rounds wins.
20. Pumpkin Carving Challenge
A creative, timed contest where everyone races to carve the best pumpkin. Winners take home their finished masterpiece. (4-15 players, 30-45 min, indoor or outdoor, $$)
Supplies Needed:
- One pumpkin per player, carving kits, markers, and a timer.
Setup:
- Cover the tables with newspaper and give each player a pumpkin and a carving kit.
How to Play:
Set a 20-minute timer and let everyone carve their best design. When time is up, display all pumpkins and have guests vote for their favorites. The winner takes home the prize pumpkin.
21. Halloween Trivia Showdown (Budget-Free Icebreaker)
A free, all-ages icebreaker that gets strangers talking in minutes. Ideal for large dorm parties where guests don’t all know each other. (8-30 players, 15-20 min, indoor or outdoor, free)
Supplies Needed:
- Printed Halloween “Find Someone Who” sheets and pens.
Setup:
- Hand every guest a sheet with prompts like “Find someone dressed as a villain.”
How to Play:
Guests mingle and collect signatures for each prompt. The first person to fill their sheet shouts “Boo!” and wins a prize.
22. Witches’ Brew Relay (Team-Building, Outdoor-Friendly)
A cooperative relay where teams race to fill a cauldron using spoons. It works indoors or out and welcomes every group size and ability. (6-20 players, 15-20 min, indoor or outdoor, $)
Supplies Needed:
- Two plastic cauldrons, spoons, water, and food coloring.
Setup:
- Fill one cauldron per team with colored water and place empty ones at the opposite end.
How to Play:
Players transfer “brew” one spoonful at a time down a line to the empty cauldron. The first team to fill theirs to the marked line wins.
A great Halloween party comes down to variety, so mix a few high-energy games with quieter ones to keep every guest involved. Pick three or four from this list that suit your group size and space, gather supplies ahead of time, and let the fun take over. Save this list and share it with your party planning crew!
