38 Halloween Party Games to Play for a Ghastly Good Time

Halloween charades

With this Halloween party game, you can act like your favorite Halloween creature. Add this game to your spooky gathering to bring on the laughs early.

What you’ll need:

• Halloween charade cards

How to play:

• Now this is a Halloween party game that’s perfect for an adult bash! Split the party up into teams, but designate one person to be the timekeeper.
• Give each team charades cards to act out.
• One person from each team acts out the word or phrase on the card without speaking.
• The team has a set time (to be determined ahead of time) to guess the word or phrase. If they guess correctly, they earn a point.
• The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Horror movie emoji Pictionary

How many urban legends do you know? This is the Halloween party game that’ll test your spooky knowledge just from emojis.

What you’ll need:

• Horror Movie Emoji Pictionary kit

How to play:

• Pass out the cards included in the kit.
• Have people guess what the scary movie is based on the combination of emojis.
• The person with the most correct answers wins. When it comes to Halloween party games, this one’s perfect for movie buffs.

Don’t Get Stabbed

This is a Halloween party game for all of the classic game lovers.

What you’ll need:

• Don’t Get Stabbed card game, for ages 18 and up

How to play:

• There are two goals for this card game: for the killer to kill, and for the victims to escape. Keep drawing cards and let them determine your fate in this Halloween game for adults.

Hanging apples

We have to admit, it’ll be pretty funny to play this game dressed as apples. A family of apples makes for a funny family Halloween costume, too.

What you’ll need:

• Red apples
• One green apple
• String
• Blindfold

How to play:

• Buy a bunch of red apples and just one green apple.
• Hang the apples on long strings from a tree branch (by twisting the strings together, you disguise where the green apple is).
• For each child’s turn, blindfold him or her, untwist the apples and set the youngster toward the branch.
• If he or she picks the green apple, he or she wins a prize (and the apple).
• Put up a new green apple (make sure it’s in a new spot) and give another child a turn. Repeat until everyone’s had a turn.

Halloween ring toss

Skip the spooky stories and swap them out for a Halloween ring toss game that’ll have spider haters in tears.

What you’ll need:

• Halloween ring toss game kit

How to play:

• Blow up the inflatables.
• Pass out the rings.
• Have each player attempt to toss the rings onto the inflatables.
• The player who tosses the most rings onto the inflatables wins.

Pass the pumpkin

Before you start carving your pumpkins, play this Halloween party game first!

What you’ll need:

• Small pumpkins
• Speaker

How to play:

• Have one fewer pumpkin than you have players.
• Sit youngsters in a circle.
• Play Halloween music while they pass the pumpkins around the circle.
• When the music stops, the player without a pumpkin is out, but he gets to take a pumpkin with him.
• The rest of the players continue to play until there is a winner, who will get a prize.

Balloon sweep relay race

Dress in your favorite Halloween costume before playing this fun game.

What you’ll need:

• Colored string
• Balloons
• Small brooms

How to play:

• Set up a course that zigzags across the yard (or playroom).
• Use colored string tied to stakes (or chairs) to mark it.
• Divide the guests into two teams.
• Give each team a small broom and a blown-up balloon.
• Each member of a team must sweep the balloon around the course and back before the next member goes.
• The team to have every member finish the course first wins.

Halloween story game

You might want to read up on some of the craziest Ouija board stories before adding this game to your list of activities.

What you’ll need:

• Halloween party invitations

How to play:

• Include the beginning of a ghost story in your party invitations and ask each child to come to the party with an ending to tell.
• Hear all the endings and let the guests vote for the funniest, the weirdest and the spookiest.

Guess the ghost

We’ve all seen Casper, one of the most popular kids Halloween movies ever made. So it’s only right you add this game to your Halloween activity list.

What you’ll need:

• White sheet

How to play:

• This is one of the easiest (and most fun) Halloween games for kids. Have one child leave the room to be “it.”
• Then let another child hide under a white sheet.
• The remaining children will change places with one another.
• Call in the missing child and see if he or she can name the ghost by figuring out who in the group is missing.
• The child who played the ghost then becomes “it” and leaves the room.

Build a scarecrow

You can easily DIY this Halloween party game using materials at home. Plus, you’ll end up with some scary good Halloween decorations, too.

What you’ll need:

• Old clothes
• Pillowcases
• Newspaper or hay
• Rope
• Markers

How to play:

• Divide the guests into teams.
• Give each team a pile of old clothes (including hats), pillowcases for heads, newspapers or hay for stuffing, ropes for tying and markers for making faces.
• Give each team 15 or 20 minutes to make a scarecrow.
• Give prizes for the silliest and the scariest, then hang the creations outside.

Mummy wrap

We all love a good mummy joke (and Halloween jokes, overall). So why not play a game worthy of making any mummy unravel and laugh?

What you’ll need:

• Toilet paper

How to play:

• Divide guests up into pairs; give each pair a roll of toilet paper.
• One team member will be the wrapper and the other will be the mummy.
• The first team to use up its roll wins.
• Or you can give each team two rolls of toilet paper and after the mummy is wrapped, he or she must wrap his partner.
• The first team to empty both rolls of toilet paper wins.

Identify what you feel

You’ll need some pumpkin guts for this Halloween party game. Make sure to save the insides after you paint your jack o’ lanterns.

What you’ll need:

• Food containers (not clear)
• Black cloth
• Pumpkin insides
• Sponge
• Spaghetti
• Cocktail sausages
• Flour tortilla

How to play:

• Line up five food containers and cover them all with a black cloth.
• Let each guest stick a hand in each dish, under the cloth so the contents can’t be seen, and try to guess what it really is.
• You can tell the guest that the first dish holds guts (the insides of a pumpkin) and see what he or she guesses.
• The second dish is said to hold brains (damp coarse sponge).
• The third is said to hold veins (cold, cooked spaghetti).
• The fourth is said to hold cut-off fingers (cocktail sausages).
• The fifth is said to hold skin (pieces of a soft flour tortilla).
• The person who guesses the most actual content wins.

Apple pass

Apple picking is one of the best fall activities. Visit one of the best apple farms in your state and use your apples for this Halloween party game.

What you’ll need:

• Apples

How to play:

• Divide guests into teams and line each team up.
• The first in line for each team is given an apple under his or her chin. Without using any hands, the apple must be passed to under the second team member’s chin, and from that chin to the next, until all the members of the team have held the apple.
• If the apple drops, it must start at the beginning again.
• The first team to successfully pass the apple down its row wins.

Doughnut race

Don’t eat all of your doughnuts just yet! This Halloween party game will make eating them all the more sweeter.

What you’ll need:

• Doughnuts
• String

How to play:

• Divide guests into teams.
• Hang a doughnut for each guest from a tree limb or a clothesline.
• Without using hands, each guest must catch and eat a doughnut.
• The first team to finish its doughnuts wins.

Bobbing for apples

This spooky game is a Halloween classic. It’s also a popular fall activity.

What you’ll need:

• Large tub
• Apples

How to play:

• Fill a large tub with cold water and set it on the ground or the floor of a porch.
• Float some clean, stemmed apples in the tub, and invite guests to try to grab an apple with their teeth—no hands allowed.
• Anyone who even tries bobbing for apples deserves a prize, but we understand if you only want to give prizes to those who manage to get one.
• To keep things safe, make sure to switch out the water and apples after each person is finished.

What am I?

You’re never too old to play this game. Kids will love it, especially since it requires them to tap into their creativity and any passion for art.

What you’ll need:

• Markers
• Paper
• Tape

How to play:

• Have the kids draw Halloween-themed pictures on a piece of paper and tape them each to a different guest’s back (without the guest seeing what it is).
• While others can give only yes or no answers, each guest must guess what he or she thinks appears on the paper on their back.

Spooky bowling

It’s time to bowl … the spooky way! DIY your own bowling set and get ready to strike every ghoul and gal away.

What you’ll need:

• Toilet paper rolls
• Black paper
• Small pumpkin

How to play:

• Decorate a few toilet paper rolls with circular black cutouts to mimic the face of a ghost.
• Use a small pumpkin to knock over the “pins.”

Walk the spiderweb

Don’t worry … real spiders are not required to play this Halloween party game.

What you’ll need:

• Bright green painter’s tape
• Plastic spiders

How to play:

• Use bright green painter’s tape to make a spiderweb on your floor.
• Place some plastic spiders in the empty spaces of the web.
• Let the kids collect the spiders.
• The catch is that they must stay on the web and pick up all the spiders without falling over or touching the floor or carpet.

Pumpkin Tic Tac Toe

Make use of your mini pumpkins. Other than using them to decorate the inside and outside of your home, save them for this fun game.

What you’ll need:

• Mini pumpkins
• String

How to play:

• Buy a few mini pumpkins in two different colors to use as X and O game pieces.
• It’s quick and easy to set up this game: Just tie string around a side table to make the grid.

Scarecrow scavenger hunt

Everyone loves a good scavenger hunt, especially when you’re dressed in a fun costume with your best friend.

What you’ll need:

• Hideable Halloween toys

How to play:

• Make a list of 12 different Halloween-inspired items.
• You can buy small, hideable toys like mini witches or black cats.
• Hide these in your house and ask the kids to find them throughout the party or for a set amount of time. Of course, offer the winner candy.

Pumpkin pick-up

We hope you get some candy pumpkins when trick-or-treating! You’ll crave them after playing this Halloween party game.

What you’ll need:

• Candy pumpkins
• Chopsticks

How to play:

• Dump a bag of candy pumpkins on the table.
• Have people use chopsticks to pick up as many pumpkins as possible in 60 seconds. The person who picks up the most pumpkins wins.

Ghost burlap sack race

Burlap sack races are classic party games. Add a Halloween twist for a spooktastic night.

What you’ll need:

• Burlap sacks
• Black paper
• Hot glue gun

How to play:

• Cut out ghost eyes and mouths.
• Hot glue the eyes and mouths on the burlap sacks; let the glue cool.
• Give each person a burlap sack at the start line and have them put both legs in the sack.
• When someone says “go,” each person races by hopping along in the sack. The first person to the finish line wins. (This is one of the Halloween party games on this list that incorporates some exercise!)

Pumpkin decorating contest

Decorating pumpkins might always be a Halloween tradition—a fall one, too.

What you’ll need:

• Pumpkins
• Pumpkin stickers
• Pumpkin paint

How to play:

• Set up a table for the kids to paint and decorate their own pumpkins.
• Have the kids vote on their favorites, and hand out awards for the best, the scariest and the funniest.

Witch hat toss

After playing this Halloween party game, watch your favorite movie about witches. Hocus Pocus, maybe?

What you’ll need:

• Large pumpkins
• Witch hats

How to play:

• Stagger a few large pumpkins.
• Let kids take turns tossing witch hats on top.
• Have them play the best two out of three.

Candy corn catch

Candy corn might be the most popular Halloween candy in every state. Don’t eat too much though! That’s where the tummy aches and cavities come in.

What you’ll need:

• Candy corn
• Halloween buckets
• String

How to play:

• Pair off participants.
• Have one person hold some candy corn and the other tie string to the Halloween bucket, then wear it around their neck.
• Toss the candy corn into the bucket while the other tries to catch it. The duo who catches the most candy corn wins!

Tag, you’re a zombie

Zombies are popular Halloween creatures—and for good reason. Who wouldn’t want to be wrapped in toilet paper all day?

How to play:

• Start with one person as “it,” or “the zombie.”
• Every time they tag someone, that person also becomes a zombie.
• The last person standing who isn’t a zombie wins.

Tarantula toss

Here’s another Halloween party game that doesn’t require real spiders. We have to admit, using real ones might be too spooky.

What you’ll need:

• Stretchy spider webs
• Plastic spiders

How to play:

• Spread the fake spider webs between a doorway.
• Have the kids toss plastic spiders.
• The first to stick their spider wins their choice of candy.

“Monster Mash” freeze dance

“Monster Mash” is one of the best Halloween song ever! What monster will you be when this song comes on?

What you’ll need:

• Speaker

How to play:

• Queue up “Monster Mash” to play on a speaker.
• Once the song starts playing, have everyone dance.
• Pause the song suddenly; when it stops, people should freeze in place.
• If someone moves, they’re out. Repeat the process until one person wins.

Halloween truth or dare

Truth or dare is a favorite game for kids. Add a Halloween spin for your gathering.

What you’ll need:

• Halloween truth or dare questions from Play Party Plan

How to play:

• Print out the Halloween truth or dare questions from Play Party Plan, linked above.
• Split everyone up into teams.
• Have a team member choose truth or dare.
• They will have to either answer the question or perform the dare to earn a point.

Find the eyeball in the haystack

How hard is it to find a tiny object in a haystack? You’ll find out after playing this Halloween party game.

What you’ll need:

• A large bucket
• Hay
• Candy eyeballs

How to play:

• Fill a large bucket (or an empty sand box) with hay.
• Hide a bunch of candy eyeballs in the hay and see how many people can find. This game is especially fun for younger children.

Halloween Guess Who

It’s a game we all love. But this time, you’re guessing the spooky characters.

What you’ll need:

• Index cards
• Tape

How to play:

• Write out common spooky characters on index cards before your guests arrive.
• Upon their arrival, tape a card on their back.
• Have guests guess what character is on their back by questioning the other guests.
• Whoever guesses first gets a prize.

Pass the candy corn

Don’t eat all your candy corn before playing this game. It’s a great Halloween party activity that’ll force people to tap into their competitive side.

What you’ll need:

• Candy corn
• Plastic spoons
• Disposable bowls

How to play:

• Split the party up into teams and have each team line up next to each other.
• Each person will get a small bowl and spoon.
• The first person in the line gets a small amount of candy corn in their bowl.
• The object of the game is to move each piece of candy corn into the next person’s bowl using only the spoon. The catch: The spoon must be in your mouth. No hands allowed!
• The first team to move all their candy corn down the line wins.

Halloween candy guessing game

Are you into guessing games? If so, this Halloween party game is for you.

What you’ll need:

• Clear jar
• Halloween candy

How to play:

• Before your guests arrive, fill a clear jar with Halloween candy. Make sure to count it first!
• Have each guest guess how many pieces of candy are in the jar and write it down.
• Whoever comes closest gets to bring the whole jar home. Playing Halloween party games has its perks, especially if you win!

Halloween movie quotes

What’s your favorite spooky quote? How many do you think you know, especially when it comes to your preferred horror movie?

What you’ll need:

• Pens
• Paper

How to play:

• For all the scary movie aficionados, write out a list of quotes from famous scary movies (or Halloween movies).
• You can either split everyone into teams or have each person fend for themselves.
• Read each quote and have everyone guess which movie it came from.
• Whoever earns the most points wins.

Decoration scavenger hunt

This Halloween party game might leave everyone scrambled … in a good way!

What you’ll need:

• Pens
• Paper

How to play:

• Create a list of questions related to your Halloween decorations, such as “How many spiders are in the kitchen?” or “What color hat is the skeleton by the front door wearing?” Your guests will be scrambling around the house to find all the answers.
• The person who completes the scavenger hunt first wins.

Bean bag toss

This is another game that require pumpkins. You’ll be doing a bit of carving, too.

What you’ll need:

• Pumpkins
• Bean bags

How to play:

• This one requires a little preparation. Carve a few pumpkins before the party, but make sure they have giant holes for mouths.
• Lay out the bean bags across from the pumpkins.
• Have the players try to toss the bean bags into a jack-o’-lantern‘s mouth.
• Whoever gets the most in the hole wins.

Pumpkin checkers

It’s checker but with pumpkins. We call that squash goals!

What you’ll need:

• Mini pumpkins
• Construction paper

How to play:

• Set up a large checker board on one of your tables. You can tape down construction paper squares or draw the squares on a large poster board.
• Get a bunch of mini gourds in two different colors to use as checker pieces. This is one of those Halloween party games that will have people hovering around the table all night!

Pumpkin relay race

How fast can you run? Put your athletic skills to the test with a pumpkin-inspired relay race.

What you’ll need:

• Orange balloons

How to play:

• Blow up the balloons—they will be your pumpkins.
• Split everyone into teams.
• Have everyone run across the room with a balloon (pumpkin) between their legs without popping it.
• Whichever team finishes first wins.

Additional reporting by Kelly Kuehn.

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