9 Classic Parlor Games You Can Play Without Any Equipment

Long before smartphones and board game cafes, people gathered in living rooms, or "parlors," to play games that needed nothing but wit and imagination. These classic parlor games are perfect for holidays, dinner parties, camping trips and power outages. All you need is a group of willing players.

1. Twenty Questions

Players: 2+

One person thinks of a person, place or thing. Everyone else asks yes-or-no questions to figure out what it is. If no one guesses correctly within 20 questions, the thinker wins.

Tip: A classic opening question is "Is it bigger than a breadbox?"

2. Charades

Players: 4+

Players act out a word or phrase, often the title of a movie, book or song, without speaking. Their team tries to guess it before time runs out. Common gestures help, like holding up fingers for the number of words or tugging your ear to signal "sounds like."

Tip: Write prompts on slips of paper ahead of time to keep the game moving.

3. Wink Murder

Players: 6+

Secretly choose one player to be the "murderer" and, in some versions, one to be the "detective." The murderer eliminates players by winking at them. When winked at, a player waits a moment, then dramatically "dies." Players try to identify the murderer before everyone is eliminated.

Tip: Overacting the "deaths" is half the fun.

4. Botticelli

Players: 3+

One player thinks of a famous person and reveals the first letter of their last name. Other players ask indirect questions, like "Is it a famous painter?" The thinker must name someone with that initial who fits the question. If they cannot, the asker gets to ask a direct yes-or-no question. It is a game of knowledge and quick thinking.

Tip: Agree before playing whether fictional characters count.

5. Contact

Players: 3+

One player thinks of a word and reveals its first letter. Other players try to guess the word by giving clues for words that start with that letter. When another player knows the answer to a clue, they shout "Contact!" and both say the word together. If they match, the thinker must reveal the next letter.

Tip: It is a great game for word lovers and long car rides.

6. Celebrity (also called Fishbowl)

Players: 6+

Everyone writes several names of famous people or characters on slips of paper and places them in a bowl. Teams take turns drawing slips over three rounds: describe with any words, then only one word, then charades only. Since the same names are used every round, the jokes build.

Tip: Use a timer on a phone to keep rounds fair.

7. Telephone

Players: 6+

Players sit in a line or circle. The first person whispers a sentence to the next, who whispers what they heard to the next person, and so on. The last person says the sentence out loud, usually with hilarious changes.

Tip: Start with a long, slightly tricky sentence for the best results.

8. Would You Rather

Players: 2+

Take turns posing two choices, like "Would you rather always be ten minutes late or always be twenty minutes early?" Everyone answers and explains their choice. It sparks great conversations.

Tip: Keep questions lighthearted and age-appropriate for mixed groups.

9. Sardines

Players: 4+

A twist on hide-and-seek. One person hides, and everyone else searches. When a seeker finds the hider, they quietly join them in the hiding spot. The game continues until the last seeker finds the tightly packed group.

Tip: Best played in a large house or at night with the lights dim, and always set clear boundaries for where people can hide.

Choosing a parlor game

The bottom line

Parlor games prove you do not need fancy equipment to have a great time. With a little imagination and a group of friends or family, a simple living room can become the best entertainment venue in town.