So. Now that the weather outside is heading towards frightful, chances are you and your friends are not about to be In The Streets like you were this summer. Cozy season is officially here, and while yes, snuggling under a chic-as-hell throw blanket with your besties for a movie marathon is always a vibe, it's time to mix it up. Enter: the classic game night, but with a liiiitle remix. Because no checker boards or fake, colorful money are allowed here, kay?
To bring you the best challenges and games to do with your friends on a chilly night in, we mined TikTok, YouTube, and other unhinged corners of the internet to create an Entire! Catalog! of tricky challenges and party games y’all can play together—either in person or virtually, at that (hi, to all my long-distance friends!).
If you wanna ~get deep~, there's something for asking literally the most personal questions. Feeling like you wanna channel your inner Beyoncé? We got some blind karaoke options for ya. Low-key just wanna keep things chill and snack? Amp it up with challenging everyone to eat the spiciest foods imaginable. And is this even a shindig without seasonal cocktails? The answer is no. Oh, oh, oh! Let me not forget: If you really wanna make this lil chaotic game night feel special, whip up a few party snacks and feel free to throw in prizes for the winners, too! Et voilà. Truly, this will be a night that the group chat talks about for months.
Read on for 35 fun challenges to do with friends. I mean, a good time that you don't have to put on real clothes and makeup up for? Yeah, sign me up.
1. Phone Roulette
We're gonna kick things off here with a super ballsy challenge. Everybody switched phones and you all take turns scrolling through each other's contact lists. When the moderator yells "stop" the player has to call whichever name they land on. Don't hesitate to establish some ground rules, like, work colleagues can't be called. But (non-toxic!) exes and siblings are fair game!
2. Hidden Karaoke
Just how on-point is your crew's musical knowledge? This game will put it to the test. One friend chooses the karaoke instrumental version of a song, and then you listen along without looking at the screen to track your lyrical accuracy. And please, don't be afraid to sing your lil heart out (even if you don't know the words, hehe).
3. Hit the Polls
Surveys might not sound like a total riot, but creating one personalized for your friends definitely is. Create a unique "Most Likely" or superlative questionnaire on Google Forms, and watch the results roll in. Highly suggest including "Most likely to end up as a Real Housewife."
4. Texting Lyrics
Choose a song, then choose a victim. In your phone, that is. Text the person one line of the song at a time. Whoever makes it the furthest through the song in the convo wins. Bonus points to whoever gets the funniest, most confused responses.
5. Concert Challenge
There is something so funny about imitating massive superstar live performances without the stage/costumes/sound equipment/backup dancers. If you and your friends are ready to tap into your inner pop diva, this is a great way to exercise that creative director muscle. Choose a few songs by your fave artists and build out a full setlist.
6. Prize Wheel...of Shots
It's like Wheel of Fortune, except every single item on the wheel is a shot of something (like, some could be alcohol or whipped cream, sure, but others could be lemon juice or tabasco sauce). Buy a write-on prize wheel for customized fun—and get ready to enjoy some very intense reactions. Yes, this can be played remotely, just tell your pals what supplies they'll need in advance.
7. I'll Never Forget You
You've seen it on TikTok—someone starts by telling a story about a random person from their past, then BOOM, turns out that person is (their husband/best friend/something important, hilarious, or random). But now you have to do it with your friends, and it has to be a story they've never heard before. Everyone tries to guess who you're talking about before you finish the story, then they vote on who had the best tale.
8. Three-Minute Makeup Challenge
It truly doesn't get old: Try to put on your full makeup look in three minutes. Start with your everyday look and then go up from there. End with the most challenging looks of all: think false lashes and fierce contouring. Bonus: What happens when you try to do your friends' classic makeup look in three minutes? I'll give you a hint—it prob won't look great, but it WILL be hilarious.
9. Your Last Photo
Stolen ~directly~ from Instagram, pick some fun categories ahead of time, and then surprise your friends so they don't have time to carefully cultivate their answers. Show us the last photo of your furbaby. Show us the last terrible selfie you took. Show us the latest ~cringeworthy DM~ you received (all your friends on dating apps have this on lock). Show us the first photo you ever took on your phone. Honestly, it's gonna get real funny real fast.
10. Dress Like Your BFF
K, so you know how you have that one pal who has a very ~specific~ look? Everyone has to come in character as that person, and—here's the catch—they decide the winner out of who most accurately channeled their vibe. This is fun because you can all go out dressed basically the same, and then you rotate for the next party. Important to note here that this is extremely serious, and you have to give it 100 percent to beat your pals. Trust: It gets competitive.
11. Without Any Instructions
This is a fave among YouTubers. You're gonna need to get supplies ahead of time if you wanna really commit to this one. Pick a thing everyone is gonna create (from baking a whole ass cake to making a dress) where no one has any particular advantage—like a friend who's a pro chef or fashion designer. Now, the most critical part: Do not check the internet for hints. Do it all simultaneously under timed conditions, whether you're literally in the same room or shouting into a Zoom with total panic. Rate who completed the best version. Laugh at pretty much everyone's efforts.
12. Expensive Taste Test
Oh, what's that? You can do Cosmo's very own expensive taste test in person and over the phone?? Just have each of your friends pick an item from their homes in the same category (lipsticks, mugs, lamps) and see who can guess which one is the most expensive. This virtual version makes it even tougher because you can only see the items through the screen, so if you win, you're basically the bougie friend.
13. The Bachelor...in Your Living Room
We love a DIY reality show!! Basically, crown yourself the Bachelorette and select your dream lineup of bachelors/bachelorettes—they can be your favorite celebs, just some people you've been eyeing IRL, or a super fun combo of both. Then, over a few weekly catch-ups with the gals, go through your very own rose ceremonies and heartbreaking eliminations. Who makes it to hometowns? The fantasy suite?? Proposals???
14. Sweet vs. Spicy Challenge
Alright, if you want to make a game out of buying snacks for your hangout, select a few different foods (ya know, popcorn, candy, etc.) and buy one sweet version and one spicy version in each group. Then, when the gang gets together, do a random draw to see who has to eat the spicy version and who gets to enjoy the sweet. By the end of the night, you'll see who's mouth is on fire and who is chilling. See the example right above if you're a visual learner!
15. Master a Reality Show Fight Scene
Brush off your acting chops (and pop-culture dictionary) by turning one of the most major reality show battles into a thrilling script for you and your friend group's home movie. Even if you're not all able to be together, TikTok's green screen and some master camerawork can def lead to a *hilarious* final product like this one.
16. While You Were Sleeping in the Waiting Room
Alright, so this one's typically a road trip game that requires one of your friends to fall asleep, but you can totally recreate the necessary vibes by giving one of your friends a start time that’s a few minutes later than everyone else’s. Basically, before The Chosen One joins, your group will create a story that you’ll have to get your Chosen One to believe. This seems fun enough to me, but you can find some detailed rules to make things more interesting here.
17. Bad Romance Challenge
I can’t lie, this is one of the more random challenges I’ve seen on my FYP, but, truthfully, it KILLS me. Basically, just take turns singing this hook of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and you’ll actually find it impossible not to break out into tearful laughter.
18. The Movie Game
If you and your gang are self-proclaimed movie buffs, you can put your money where your mouth is with this little word association game. Basically, the first member of your group will say the name of an actor/actress. Then, the next person will say a movie that they’ve starred in. Then, the next person will say another actor/actress that was in that movie. And so the game goes!
19. We're Not Really Strangers
Some friend groups just aren’t the game-playing type. It’s understandable! You’re refined! Chill! Sophisticated! And because of that, this super intimate card game is the perfect way to spark great and super deep conversation over your bottles of wine. All you need is one friend with the deck who can serve as a moderator of sorts. Beware, though, feelings may arise.
20. Wheel (?) of Musical Impressions
You know the one! The one where you pick a song to sing and a person to sing it as! Just probably minus the big wheel and sound effects! Here’s Alessia Cara as Kourtney Kardashian as Olivia Rodrigo to inspire your performances:
21. The Egg Challenge
Please don’t get mad, because no matter how ridiculous this sounds, it’ll have you and your friends occupied for HOURS. In accordance with this TikTok, basically grab an egg, some tweezers (or any other tools you see fit), and some protection for your workspace. Then—stay with me here—try to peel the egg’s shell from the egg’s membrane without cracking it. The first one to break their egg pays for drinks the next time y'all go out.
22. Scattergories
Here’s the deal: one letter. Five categories. 60 seconds to come up with a word starting with that letter that fits each category. Into it? Here’s a free game generator for ya.
23. Try Not to Laugh Challenge
Yup, it's just like you remember it. Just share your favorite funny vid and see who cracks first.
24. Explain That Gram
If you're all familiar with the interview show Hot Ones (ya know, “the show with hot questions and even hotter wings”), then you’ll know exactly how to play Explain That Gram. If not, it’s super simple: Comb through your friends’ social media (oh yeah, go way back) and pick the photos that you feel need some backstory. Then, go around the room and have everyone relive their youth! So fun and slightly embarrassing.
25. The Prediction Game
Basically, you pick a question you want the ~universe~ to answer (What’s my vibe this year? How will my date go this week?), and then you answer them through your song library. Just press shuffle, and the title of the song that comes up will tell you everything you need to know. It's like a Magic 8 Ball, but way better.
26. Fruit Roll-Ups Race
I hope you have your game face ready because this challenge is waaay harder than it looks. All you need is a Fruit Roll-Up and the competitive drive of Serena Williams. And if you lose? TBH, there are no losers because everyone gets a Fruit Roll-Up in the end??
27. The Alphabet Challenge
Everybody’s favorite road trip game, but for anything! Choose a topic your little heart desires, and then y’all take turns picking a word that fits while going down the entire alphabet. Like, if the topic is “reality TV shows,” the first player could say American Idol, and then the next one could say Bad Girls Club, etc. until someone can’t think of one. Bonus points if you somehow figure out how to turn this one into a drinking game.
28. Skribbl
This is not your mother’s Pictionary. This online drawing game lets you create a private room for friends as you race against the clock to guess what each player is drawing. I played this last weekend, and things got HEATED. No pressure, but ~the Louvre~ is watching.
29. Recreate a Famous Movie Scene
Take a page out of Ariana Grande and co.’s book and use the audio from a well-known movie scene and recreate it with your friends. If over video, everyone is responsible for their own costumes, setting, and filming their clips. One of you pieces it all together, and voilà!
Here’s a scene to get you started.
30. 100-Layer Challenge
V simple, v chaotic: See which of your friends can apply 100 layers of literally *anything* they have in the house first. I’m talkin’ foundation, sheet masks, nail polish, Nutella, salami, the works! Have fun, and please send the pics my way. Kthxbye.
31. Guess the Song
Play the most obscure instrumental version of a song you can find on YouTube and see which of your friends is the *last* person to text you the name of it. That person has to drink, and then it’s their turn to try to stump the group. Your Saturday night Glee rewatches could never.
32. Chopped: Home Edition
For an even more intense version of Chopped, all of you need to establish a list of random ingredients that everybody has in their kitchen. Set a timer and race to see who puts together the most ~creative~ final product. Eat it after and be merry.
33. Boss Bitch Fashion Show
This one is self-explanatory. Show up and show off your best looks if you’re looking to get all dressed up with nowhere to go. Don’t forget to post the pics to the ’gram.
34. Supermarket Whatever-You-Have Sweep
Race to see who can secure a predetermined list of random household items and make it back first. Share this A+ generator page with your crew to figure out the list. (Alternative for in-person—figure out where the host keeps their everyday items on the list.) May the odds be ever in your favor.
35. A Virtual Lip-Reading Battle
Take turns mouthing *anything* from famous quotes to song lyrics and see who can guess what’s being said first. Like Wheel of Fortune but really f*cking hard? Sorry not sorry!
