PARTY GAMES THAT NEED NOTHING BUT YOUR PHONE

You don't need cards, dice or an expensive board game to get a gathering going. With a phone in the middle of the table and a bit of imagination, you have plenty to break the ice, decide turns and set up dares. Here are several ready-to-use ideas for birthdays, dinners, trips or any get-together with friends or family.

1. Decide who starts (no arguments)

The classic “who goes first?” drags on forever. Solve it in a second: with The Chosen One, everyone puts a finger on the screen and chance points to one. If you're sitting in a circle, spin the arrow like a modern bottle: it points to whoever's turn it is. They're fair, fast and no one can complain.

2. Make random teams

For team games (homemade Pictionary, an improvised quiz, dares in pairs), type the names into the team generator and let it split them. You skip the awkward “captains pick” moment and the same people always ending up together. If you want pairs for a Secret Santa or a swap, it works for groups of two as well.

3. Dares and forfeits

Turn the arrow into a dare game: spin, and whoever it points to has to do a forfeit or answer an awkward question. You can prepare a list of mild dares beforehand (imitate someone, sing for ten seconds, tell an anecdote) and crank up the difficulty as the mood loosens. It's the basis of the classic “truth or dare”, but with chance deciding who's up so it's impartial.

4. The question game

A great one for dinners: in turns, each person answers a question. To pick whose turn it is with no favoritism, use The Chosen One or a name draw. The questions can range from light (“what's the best trip you've taken?”) to deep, and they're perfect for getting to know people better or laughing at the answers.

5. Who's buying the round?

The inevitable end of every gathering: deciding who treats or who pays the bill. Instead of squabbling, let luck decide with a bit of drama. The name slot machine is perfect: add everyone, spin the reels and the prize (or the “penalty” of paying) lands on one person. A coin also works if there are just two of you.

6. Secret Santa

If it’s the Christmas dinner or an end-of-year party, run the Secret Santa draw beforehand: everyone gets a private link by text or WhatsApp with the person they’re buying for, no emails needed, and on the day you just swap gifts.

7. Truth or dare

The all-time classic, without having to make up the questions: with truth or dare the bottle spins on your phone and picks whose turn it is, and you get truths and dares for friends, couples, kids or family. Family-friendly and no repeats.

8. Stop (Name, Place, Animal, Thing)

The pen-and-paper classic: the random letter generator draws a letter with no repeats, shows the categories (name, animal, country, food…) and runs the countdown until “Stop!” goes off. Everyone writes on their own sheet and the group scores.

Tips to make it work

• Put the phone where everyone can see it: in the middle of the table, brightness high and sound on.
• Explain the rule before you start and stick to it; the fun is that chance is the referee, not cheating.
• Start gently with light dares and questions, and raise the level as the group warms up.
• Never force anyone: always leave the option to skip a turn. The idea is to laugh, not to make people uncomfortable.

With these five ideas you've got hours of fun without spending a penny or carrying anything around. The key is to let chance bring the spark and skip the arguments so you can focus on what matters: having a good time.

Keep reading

• Icebreakers with a touch of randomness — Eight group activities for classrooms, work teams and camps: question wheel, dice-driven storytelling, mixed random teams and more.
• Who goes first? Who pays? — Randomness as the impartial referee of everyday standoffs: who starts the game, who pays the round, who does the dishes. A method for every case.
• Coin flip: history and probability — From the Roman “navia aut caput” to the 350,757-flip study that measured a real coin's bias. History, science and famous coin-toss decisions.