Are you unsure how to talk to people at a party after spending two years inside? Do you get overly competitive about absolutely everything? Do you love inside jokes and weird referential humor that only makes sense in a specific context and otherwise could be seen as distasteful? Sounds like you need to play more adult card games.
For Vanessa Davies, chief strategist and co-owner of PhD Matters, the maker of the adult card game Life’s Potluck Buffet, playing games at parties or social events can help break the ice and relieve any lingering social nervousness.
“Even in the best of times, honest and meaningful interaction between humans is difficult without a structured activity,” Davies told HuffPost. “Playing games with each other can alleviate social anxiety because the game provides a framework for social interaction.”
When it comes to more conversational card-based games, you likely know about Apples To Apples and the more R-rated Cards Against Humanity. Matt Hendricks, owner of Thirsty Dice, a board game cafe in Philadelphia, explains that rotating games like these resonate with players because the goal is to impress individuals each round, instead of objectively winning.
“The card-based ‘rotating judge’ game genre gained a lot of traction because of how easy it was to get into,” Hendricks told HuffPost. “It pushes players to empathize with the judge who is picking the winning card. Like most great games, this design recognizes it’s not about the cards, board, or pieces — but the players you are with.”
To maximize the fun and ease back into socializing, browse the adult card games ahead, recommended by Hendricks and others experts — along with a few reviewer-approved picks of our own.
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"Cheer Up! is a very popular one, I like it more than Cards Against Humanity," Schenck said. "The cards that you play [put down for the prompt], are constructed out of three different cards, so it doesn't have the same repetitiveness like Cards Against Humanity can have once you've played it a bunch of times."
"Everyone likes a good debate!" wrote reviewer AnUrbanMa. "We played this game for a date night activity, and my husband got into it. It's perfect because you only get ten minutes, so you're forced to keep it moving, and no one can take the answers personally. The questions are excellent; they're current, provocative, and unpredictable."
"The creators did not hold back on this game!! It’s creative, smart and full of adrenaline once you get started," Amazon reviewer Jonathan & Jose said. "The packaging is perfect and easy to store everything back into place, the timer makes your adrenaline pump and the NSFW deck… WATCH OUT! The creators went there!! It’s AMAZING! 100 out of 5 stars! The rounds are perfectly timed and the deck keeps things speedy and interesting. This is a must-have to bring out to parties and drink along to. You’ll learn new things from your teammates you didn’t think they would know (wink) haha!!"
A cooperative game where you need to work with the other players to win, The Crew demands you be quick, strategic and creative. It gets harder as more round go on, so the intensity increases through the night.
This intentionality goes two-fold with "What's Your Sign" a game with a rotating judge and astrology sign-themed prompts asking the players to match the sceneries to the zodiac.
Reviews say it's a welcome, horoscope-inspired take on fill-in-the-blank games.
"If you're a fan of games like Cards Against Humanity and astrology, this game is perfect for you," wrote reviewer Becca Meier. My roommate and I were crying laughing at some of the cards we played. It's a fresh take on a classic game style, and once quarantine times are rolled back, I'm definitely going to bring this to every party I go to!"
"Dirty and scandalous! Super fun to play on a bachelorette party weekend! The game really is shameless but make sure whoever you’re playing with is willing to be open and honest or it won’t be fun!" — Nicole
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