33 Awesome Group Games for Teenagers to Play

It may seem that you wouldn’t struggle to find activities to keep teenagers entertained, but they will still sometimes be in need of a group game especially for teenagers.

Whether it’s a classic board game with their pals or an outdoor game that requires a lot of energy, there are plenty of games to choose from that don’t need a TV or games console.

If you’re looking for a specific game or wanting to get inspiration to impress, check out our guide on group games for teenagers.

Many of the games listed also have alternative rules or expansion packs to add so they can tailor to fit specific demands depending on the situation. 

33 Group Games for Teenagers to Play

1. GOAT LORD

Game Objective: Become the first player to amass 1000 goat points by gathering the largest goat herd.

Number of Players: 2 – 6 players.

Length of Play: 20 – 40 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Goat Herd cards.

How to Play Goat Lord:

• Shuffle the deck and give each player 4 cards each, or 5 if playing with 2-3 players.
• Place the rest of the cards in the middle as the Draw Pile, take another card, and place face up as the discard pile.
• Each player’s turn they can do one of 4 actions – Birth; Assisted Birth; Duel; Discard. Each action will either assist themselves or hinder another player.
• Birth brings goats into your herd by letting players take identical cards from their hand and placing it in front of them.
• Assisted Birth is where a player can create a pair in a goatherd if the card on the discard pile matches a card in their hand.
• Duel is what players do to attack another player’s goat herd.
• Players use discard when they cannot make any other move so they replace one card and draw a new card.
• Players must restock their hands at the end of each turn.
• The game continues until all players Draw Piles have ended and the cards in their hands get used.
• Players count up the value of the goats in their hand, and the winner is the player with the most points, provided at least 1000 gets reached.

Buy it: Purchase the Goat Lord game from Gatwick Games.

2. MOVIE TRIVIA QUIZ

Game Objective: Either individually or in teams score the most points by getting the most correct answers.

Number of Players: 2 – unlimited.

Length of Play: 15 – 30 minutes.

What You’ll Need: A list of pre-prepared questions about movies, pen and paper for each player.

How to Play Movie Trivia Quiz:

• Before starting the game, make sure that the host or a nominated player has a set of questions prepared – between 20 to 40 is a good amount.
• Have everyone get into teams or lay individually, and hand out each team/player a pen and paper each for answers.
• Ask each question about a movie – it could be about the movie title, actor, or actress that stars in the film but make sure it’s films teenagers will know about.
• Count up the points at the end, with the player/team who has scored the most points being the winner.

3. MUSIC QUIZ

Game Objective: As part of a team or on your own, guess the most songs correctly within a timeframe.

Number of Players: 2 – unlimited.

Length of Play: 10 – 25 minutes.

What You’ll Need: A music playlist with at least 100 songs.

How to Play Music Quiz:

• Decide the order in which players are going to start naming songs.
• Shuffle a playlist of songs so that the order is random for players. Start a timer counting down from 1 minute 30 seconds.
• Play the intro to a song, when the player whose turn it is correctly guessing the song, move onto the next one. Move onto the next song if they’re incorrect also.
• Once the timer has ended, count up the scores. The winner is the player who has named the most songs within the timeframe.

4. …I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT

Game Objective: Become the player with the most correct answers about random trivia at the end of the game.

Number of Players: 2 – unlimited.

Length of Play: 25 – 40 minutes

What You’ll Need: …I Should Have Known That Game set.

How to Play …I Should Have Known That:

• Divide everyone playing up into teams, or keep players solo.
• Set a target score that players have to achieve to win, with 20 cards being a good example.
• Alternate between teams and ask them a Trivia question written on the card, if they are correct then they keep the card.
• If that team is incorrect, offer the question to the team or individual on the left. Either the question is correctly answered or all teams are wrong.
• Keep going until one team manages to get to the target score by correctly answering 20 questions. They become the winners.

Buy it:…I Should Have Known That Trivia Game comes with 400+ questions on assorted trivia, or even make your own ones up.

5. TRUTH BE TOLD

Game Objective: Score the most points by answering Truthful questions about your friends. Or by tricking them into believing your false answer.

Number of Players: 3 – 8 players.

Length of Play: 30 – 40 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Official Truth Be Told game set with 564 questions, 8 markers, paddles, and blank cards and scoreboard.

How to Play Truth Be Told:

• The host for the starting round starts with the scoreboard, and gets decided with whoever’s birthday is next from the participants.
• The host picks a card, who reads out a statement about themselves that the other players have to answer. An example is ‘Truth be told, I love to wear…;’ with the host writing down the ‘true’ answer.
• All the other players write down a ‘bluff’ answer which could be a plausible correct answer and hand it over to the host to read out to the others in the group.
• The host reads out all the answers and everyone writes down which one they think is the ‘true’ answer on their paddle.
• Anyone who is correct gets a point, and anyone whose ‘bluff’ answer gets picked by another player gets a point as well.
• The host switches around to whoever is on the left on the current host. Once everyone has had a turn at being host, see who has the most points. Whoever has the most wins the game.

Buy it: Truth Be Told game set is available from Buffalo games.

6. NEVER HAVE I EVER

Game Objective: Become the first player to gain 10 Play Cards before the other players. Do this by answering personal questions truthfully.

Number of Players: 3 – 12

Length of Play: 45 – 60 minutes

What You’ll Need: Never Have I Ever card game set.

How to Play Never Have I Ever:

• Deal 10 Play Cards to each player, and put the entire deck of Rule Cards in the middle of players.
• The player to the right of the player with the coolest shoes begins the game by picking up and reading aloud a Rule Card that all players must abide by.
• Each player goes through their Play Cards and gets rid of or keeps them based on what the Rule Card in the play says.
• If a player has a Play Card that they are guilty of, then they must lay it out in front of them and draw new Play cards until they have 10 in their hand.
• Gameplay goes clockwise with each player picking a Rule Card until someone manages to have 10 Play Cards in front of them. That player wins.

Buy it: There are different versions of Never Have I Ever that you can play. The Party Cards have different suggestions on them to make games easier. 

7. EXPLODING KITTENS

Game Objective: Be the last person at the end of the game to not draw an ‘Exploding Kitten’ card.

Number of Players: 2 – 5 players.

Length of Play: 15 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Exploding Kittens game set and expansion game packs if necessary.

How to Play Exploding Kittens:

• Before playing, remove the 4 Exploding Kittens and Defuse cards from the deck. Hand out each of the Defuse cards to players so they have one each.
• Have all players start by sitting in a circle with a shuffled deck of Exploding Kittens cards. Deal players out an additional 7 cards.
• Insert 1 less Exploding Kitten card then the number of people playing, and set the remaining ones if there are any to one side. Shuffle the deck and place it in the middle.
• The game starts with any player, players can look at the 8 cards in their hand and can either pass or play a card. They can play as many cards as they like.
• A player’s turn ends by drawing a card – if they draw an Exploding Kitten card then they are out.
• The last player left unexploded is the winner of the game.

Buy it:  There are different options to buy including an expansion version, however we suggest starting out with the Exploding Kittens base version.

8. TABOO

Game Objective: Get your teammates to guess the most words described without saying certain words that the cards ban.

Number of Players: At least 4 players needed as the game is in teams. 

Length of Play: 15 – 30 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Taboo game set with buzzer.

How to Play Taboo:

• Shuffle the Taboo cards and place them in the cardholder. Players draw one card at a time that they need to describe to their teammates.
• Teams have 2 minutes to try to guess as many items written on the cards.
• Every time a player says a ‘Taboo’ word listed on the card the opposite team presses the buzzer and the offending team loses a point from the total.
• If a taboo word gets said that card is also forfeited and the player moves onto the next card.
• After 2 minutes is up, count up the number of cards successfully identified and deduct any penalties incurred from the total.
• Once every player has had their turn at guessing for their teams, count up the total scores, and announce the winning team with the most points.

Buy it: Hasbro sells a version of Taboo that fits the bill perfectly.

9. WOULD YOU RATHER?

Game Objective: Guess which option the opposing players pick in a choice of 2 scenarios.

Number of Players: 3 – Unlimited.

Length of Play: 15 – 30 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Optional prompt cards to help if needed.

How to Play Would You Rather:

• Get all players in a circle and decide on someone to start with a scenario in which a player on their left can pick.
• Come up with 2 options that are completely random, they don’t have to make sense or be tangible so have fun with this part.
• All the other players write down or guess which option that player is going to pick, with a point given to those who manage to guess correctly.
• The game goes around the circle with players giving the person on the left the options each time until everyone has at least had one go each.
• The player with the most correct guesses at the end is the winner or winners.

10. ULTIMATE FRISBEE

Game Objective: Be on the team that scores the most goals at the end of the game.

Number of Players: 2 teams of around 7.

Length of Play: Around 60 minutes.

What You’ll Need: A frisbee, a large space to play and a large outdoor space.

How to Play Ultimate Frisbee:

• Set up the playing area with 2 ends that will become ‘the end zone’ and get players into 2 equal teams.
• Score by catching the frisbee when standing in the end zone, players can pass the frisbee around but cannot move whilst holding the frisbee.
• If a pass gets dropped or a player fails to catch the frisbee, then the game turns over and the other team gains possession.
• This also happens if you can intercept the frisbee.
• The game continues until one team manages to hit 15 points before the other team.

11. TRUTH, TRUTH, LIE

Game Objective: Successfully identify which of the 3 statements made by a player is a lie.

Number of Players: 2 – Unlimited.

Length of Play: 15 – 25 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Pen and paper if needed. 

How to Play Truth, Truth, Lie:

• Before playing, all participants write down 3 statements about themselves 2 of which are true and 1 is a lie.
• Starting with a random player, have them read out all 3 statements in whichever order that they would like.
• All other players need to identify which statement is the lie, have them write it down.
• Go back to the player who made the statement to reveal the lie, with a point going to those who correctly identified the lie.
• The player or players with the most points once everyone has read out their 3 statements wins the game. 

12. PHONE PHEVER

Game Objective: Be the first player to win a Phever challenge whilst inside the Phone Phever store.

Number of Players: 3 – 8 players.

Length of Play: 45 – 60 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Phone Phever board game and access to a smartphone.

How to Play Phone Phever:

• Separate all the cards by color and shuffle them. Place them face down in the middle of all players. 
• All players start at the entrance to the mall and move their game piece depending on what number players roll on the dice.
• Players pick up a card depending on what color tile they land on and answer a question or complete the task written down.
• The number that gets rolled is the number question or challenge on the card the player must attempt.
• If the player is correct, then they get to roll and move again. If they’re wrong, then their turn immediately ends.
• Once in the Phone Phever store, the player draws a ‘Phever Challenge’ card and wins the game if they’re able to win the challenge that all players attempt to.

Buy it: You should already have a smartphone players can use, but you’ll need a Phone Phever board game to play as well. 

13. NERF GUN CAPTURE THE FLAG

Game Objective: Capture the other team’s flags first.

Number of Players: An even number for balance, and at least 4 players.

Length of Play: Around 45 – 60 minutes.

What You’ll Need: A nerf gun for each player, a large outdoor space and at least 2 items to act as the flag.

How to Play Nerf Gun Capture the Flag:

• Divide up players into 2 teams and have them decide where their ‘base’ is for the flag is.
• Players need to retrieve their opponent’s flag while still holding their own flag, and bring it back to their own base to become the winners.
• If a player gets hit with a dart from a nerf gun, they must stop and place their own nerf gun on the floor whilst holding their hands up.
• If a player gets hit whilst holding their own or their opponent’s flag, then they must drop it on the floor so that other players can retrieve it.
• Teams can bring their own flag back to their base if an opponent drops it, but they must not hide it or put it in a place where it cannot get taken.

14. PUN INTENDED

Game Objective: Become the first team to get 30 points by correctly guessing the most puns.

Number of Players: 4+, at least 2 teams of 2.

Length of Play: 30 – 40 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Pun Intended game set which comes with 220 puns, pencil and scorecard, and a 1-minute sand timer.

How to Play Pun Intended:

• Divide players up into teams. Decide who’s starting the game by picking the team with the shortest player.
• A member of that team picks up a card and tells their team the letter that the pun answers starts with and reads out the first pun. The other team starts the timer.
• Team members guess the pun by shouting out answers. They have unlimited guesses but can’t move onto another card until they’re even correct or pass the card.
• After the minute is up, count up the number of correct puns that players name.
• Any that gets passed gets asked by the other teams, with correct answers adding to the other team’s score. 
• The first team who are able to get to 30 points including stolen puns are the winners.

Buy it: Game makers The GAME CHEF develop Pun Intended, no punny business intended!

15. THE AWKWARD STORYTELLER

Game Objective: Gain the most points by being able to expand upon a random story that players think up on the spot.

Number of Players: 4 – 11 players.

Length of Play: 30 – 60 minutes.

What You’ll Need: The Awkward Storyteller card game with a 10-second timer. 

How to Play The Awkward Storyteller:

• Deal out 5 black story cards each, divide up 10 white cards and evenly distribute out the red and green cards so everyone has one each.
• Start the game by randomly nominating a player to read out their black story card that will contain the start of a story.
• From the left of the storyteller, a player will read out one of their white cards which prompts the next line of the story that gets told.
• The white card displays a word or a letter that players include within the line of the story within 10 seconds.
• If successful the storyteller gains a point.
• The game moves around the circle until the storyteller fails to expand on the story within the 10 seconds.
• All players draw white cards until they have 10 in their hands before the next player starts their story.
• Once all players have turned their 5 black cards into stories, count up all the points that players earn and announce the winner.

Buy it:  Show off your creative side by purchasing The Awkward Storyteller card set. 

16. DODGEBALL

Game Objective: Eliminate the other team by hitting or catching the dodgeball until there is nobody left.

Number of Players: 2 teams of at least 5 each.

Length of Play: 10 – 20 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Between 3 – 6 dodgeballs and a large indoor space to play.

How to Play Dodgeball:

• Have equal players on both sides start on either side of the hall, touching the back wall and the dodgeballs in the middle of the court.
• Have the referee signal the start of the game, at this point all players run to try to grab one of the balls in the middle.
• Players compete to try to cleanly hit their opponents with the dodgeball, if they are able to then the person hit gets eliminated.
• If a ball is cleanly caught, then the player who threw the ball is out and a player from the catcher’s side who got eliminated can rejoin the game.
• Once all players on one side are gone, then the game ends and the team who has players left wins the game.

17. SARDINES

Game Objective: Avoid being the last person looking for the other players at the end of the game.

Number of Players: 3 – Unlimited.

Length of Play: 15 – 20 minutes.

What You’ll Need: A place with lots of spaces to hide.

How to Play Sardines:

• Nominate one person to hide in a random place whilst everyone else playing counts to 100 with their eyes closed.
• Once all players count 100 seconds, everyone needs to look for the person hiding.
• If they’re able to find the hider, then they join them in their hiding place rather than announce where they are.
• This continues until there is only one person left, who loses. Let that player be the next person to hide when playing again.

18. SMART ASS

Game Objective: Become the first player to land on the end of the ‘Smart Ass’s’ behind.

Number of Players: 2 – 6 players.

Length of Play: 10 – 20 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Smart Ass game board with 500 question cards.

How to Play Smart Ass:

• Divide up the 4 different colored cards and shuffle. Place each color on the relevant corner and get each player to pick a game token.
• The numbered die decides how many spaces to move on the board and the colored dice decides which card gets picked.
• Decide who starts and get them to roll the colored dice. Have that player try to guess the answer, although anyone can shout out the answer if they know it.
• The cards will give clues to a description of a person or object that a player has to identify.
• Whoever gets the answer right can roll the numbered dice to advance their game token, whoever makes it to the end wins. 

Buy it: See who is the Smart Ass by buying your own version of the board game.

19. PANDEMIC

Game Objective: Work together to come up with a solution to rid the world of a deadly pandemic.

Number of Players: 2 – 4 players

Length of Play: 60 – 90 minutes.

What You’ll Need: Pandemic board game set.

How to Play Pandemic:

• Set the game up as per the instructions, shuffle the role cards, and hand 1 to each player.
• As a team, players play as disease control who must work together to research a cure and prevent other disease outbreaks.
• When it is each player’s turn, they pick one of 4 basic actions that move them to different areas on the map. Or they pick special actions to try to help against the disease.
• Players have a hand limit of 7 cards, and once a turn has been complete, they take on the role of an infector by adding disease cubes to any city.
• Players cannot share information about your hand unless they perform a special action to do so.
• Players may also draw an Epidemic card, which aids the disease to spread.
• The game is either won if players cure all 4 diseases before the card pile runs out, but loses if the cards or disease cubes run out before the cure. 

Buy it: There are different versions of Pandemic to buy, but for beginners we suggest starting with the basic set.

20. WINK MURDER

Game Objective: ‘Murder’ other players before the detective can work out the assigned ‘Murderer’.

Number of Players: 6+, the more playing the better.

Length of Play: 10 – 20 minutes.

What You’ll Need: A space to play and as many players as possible.

How to Play Wink Murder:

• Have all players shut their eyes, and tap one player on the left shoulder as the murderer and one player on the right as the detective.
• The detective announces themselves, and all players wander around the room in silence.
• The murderer winks at people when they catch their eye, and ‘kills’ them so that they lay on the floor.
• The detective gets 3 guesses to try to catch the murderer before they ‘kill’ too many players.
• Once the murderer gets caught, count up how many ‘deaths’ the murderer causes and give that score to the murderer.
• Start the game again with a new detective and murderer, the person with the highest score at the end is the winner.

21. SPEC TENNIS

Game Objective: Hit the ball over the net to the opponents to force them to make a mistake so you can gain a point. Score points to win a game, win games to win a set, and enough sets to win a match.

Number of Players: 4 players, played in doubles.

Length of Play: Around 60 minutes.

How to Play: If you’re wondering what is Spec Tennis, read our guide for more info.

22. 5 SECOND RULE

Game Objective: Answer questions in a 5 second time limit. Answer 3 places, people, or things to gain score and proceed on the gameboard. Race against time until a player reaches the end first to win.

Number of Players: 2 – 6 players.

Length of Play: 10 – 20 minutes.

How to Play: Read the 5 Second Rules rules to get a better idea of gameplay.

.

23. SPLENDOR

Game Objective: Build a collection of development cards so you can earn the most prestige points possible. Properly manage resources and come up with a winning strategy to collect the necessary gems. The player with the highest score at the end wins the game.

Number of Players: 2 – 4.

Length of Play: Around 30 minutes.

How to Play: Get a better understanding of how to play Splendor by checking out our game guide.

24. SPIKEBALL

Game Objective: Score points by bouncing a ball off a little trampoline towards your opponents. Points get scored when the ball hits the ground to the team who caused the fault. The first team to reach 21 points with 2 clear points between the score wins.

Number of Players: 4 players, played in pairs.

Length of Play: 30 – 60 minutes.

How to Play: Read up on the Spikeball rules for helpful hints and tips.

25. PICKLEBALL

Game Objective: By hitting a ball over a net in a strategic fashion, score points until one team is able to reach 11 points. Players volley a ball back and forth until someone makes an error, giving the other team a point.

Number of Players: 4 players in 2 teams.

Length of Play: 20 – 30 minutes.

How to Play: Learn how to play Pickleball by reading the rules of the game.

Also Read: Pickleball tips for beginners

26. UNSTABLE UNICORNS

Game Objective: Collect Unicorns to amass the strongest Unicorn army as possible. Different cards that get picked enable players to do different actions to help themselves or hinder other players. The winner is the player who gains the required amount of Unicorn cards to win the game.

Number of Players: 2 – 8 players.

Length of Play: 30 – 45 minutes.

How to Play: Learning how to play Unstable Unicorns requires an understanding of the different cards. Gain these in our handy guide.

27. KING OF TOKYO

Game Objective: Compete against other players to race to the finish by scoring points. Do this by attacking other players, and maintaining life. Players compete to stay in Tokyo for as long as possible, gaining victory points whilst they do so. Once 20 points get amassed by a player, they win the game. 

Number of Players: 2 – 6 players.

Length of Play: 20 – 30 minutes.

How to Play: There are different versions of King of Tokyo rules, read up on them, and decide which ones best work for your friends and yourself.

28. SHUFFLEBOARD

Game Objective: Earn points by shuffling the pucks into the high scoring zones of the shuffleboard table. Attempt to avoid shuffling the puck into the alley, and go against an opponent to take turns gaining points to win a frame. The winners are those who manage to win the most frames across rounds.

Number of Players: 2 – 4 players.

Length of Play: 15 – 20 minutes.

How to Play: This game’s scoring can be fairly complicated, so educate yourself on the Shuffleboard rules before playing. 

Also Read: 7 games like Shuffleboard

29. MYSTERIUM

Game Objective: Use the vision cards collected throughout the game. Find the correct person, place, and weapon that is responsible for a murder. Cooperate with other players to solve the mystery by using a psychic with seance like powers.

Number of Players: 2 – 7 players

Length of Play: 45 minutes.

How to Play: Learn more on how to play Mysterium by checking out our guide.

30. CROKINOLE

Game Objective: Earn the most points by flicking a disc into the high-scoring zones whilst knocking other player’s discs out of it. Alternate turns to flick discs into the correct zones. The team with the highest score at the end wins.

Number of Players: 4 players as doubles.

Length of Play: 20 – 30 minutes.

How to Play: Have a look at the Crokinole rules for full instructions on gameplay.

31. AIR HOCKEY

Game Objective: Score points by hitting a disc into your opponent’s goal. The first team able to score 7 points is the winner.

Number of Players: 4 players.

Length of Play: 5 – 10 minutes.

How to Play: Learn all of the necessary Air Hockey rules in our quick guide.

32. TETHERBALL

Game Objective: Wind a ball attached to a pole around the pole before your opponents can unwind it. Work as a team to swing the ball as fast as possible so it is completely wrapped around the pole.

Number of Players: Up to 6 players.

Length of Play: 15 – 30 minutes.

How to Play: The Tetherball rules are specific so read them first before playing.

33. BATTLE OF THE SEXES

Game Objective: Play with an equal mix of males and females to answer the most questions correctly about the opposite sex. Win 3 trophies near the end of the game to crown the winners.

Number of Players: Ideally 6, 3 boys and 3 girls.

Length of Play: 20 – 30 minutes.

How to Play: Battle of the Sexes rules are simple to learn, but it’s still worth looking at our game guide.

Wrap Up

If you’re someone who is looking for more adventurous activities to play with their friends, or an adult trying to find different group games for teenagers, we should have provided plenty of inspiration.

If you’re looking for more games with a specific number of players in mind, make sure you have a look at our lists of big group games and small group games for high school students.

Or if you need a guide to group games for different age groups, have a look at group games for preschoolers or indoor group games for kids lists for plenty more fun games to play. 

And once they’re older, they’ll be able to play some bar games that we have guides on as well.