Game Show.

This card game is great for breaking the ice with a new friend group or initiating a new-comer into the fam. Its base price is $25 though it regularly goes on sale on Amazon. There are 200 question cards that include: "What is something about me that would surprise my grandma?" and, "What is the strangest thing I've ever bought online?"

"Hot Seat" hosts question cards that could be taken either innocently or humorously adult in nature, which means it's versatile between friend groups. Unlike other games, it does not force the group playing it to answer raunchy but doesn't restrict from it either. The only downside to this game is that the base pack uses paper answer cards, meaning the answer cards are not easily reusable. An expansion including dry erase answer cards is available for an additional $10. This is a great game for larger parties where you might not know everyone though, so it could be a good investment.

"Pictionary Without The Drawing."

Do you like the hilarity that comes from doodling games, yet aren't great at drawing for games like Pictionary? The answer to this scenario could very well be "Joking Hazard." The object of the game is to supply the best or funniest image that would complete the three cell comic strip. The deck provides the first cell, the judge for that round adds on of their own cards as the second cell, and everyone else is competing to complete the strip.

The cards range from mildly strange all the way to extremely sexual in nature, so I would not recommend you play this game with people who might be triggered by its imagery. Expansion packs are available but the base game is funny enough on its own and would take a long time to play through completely.

Debate Club Practice.

Do you and your friends love to debate things? Perhaps their small debates like if chocolate chip cookies are better than snicker-doodle cookies. Or they could be larger, heated debates about which superhero is more powerful. Test your debating skills with "Superfight." You draw a character card and two attribute cards and argue for why your character would win in a fight against everyone else's characters.

Though it is not required in the rules, you may want to set a debate time limit for each round to avoid spending long periods of time debating one round. "Superfight" is great for mixed company and large groups and avoids potentially embarrassing or intimate conversations.

Smart Ass.

Interrupting a conversation is usually frowned upon, but not during a game of "Smart Ass." The judge ready a list of attributes or facts about a subject person, place, or thing and everyone else is blurting out potential answers until someone gets it right.

The first person to shout the correct answer gets to advance around the board. The game is simple, easy to set up, and a hoot to play. Your friend answers, and maybe even some of your own, will have you rolling with laughter as everyone is blurting out whatever comes to their mind first. For $25 on Amazon, this game is an affordable addition to a party.

"Exploding Kittens."

The box says, "A card game for people who are into kittens and explosions and laser beams and sometimes goats." If that doesn't intrigue you, what will at this point? The game is not difficult to learn, it usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes to play through, and supports up to five players.

It is a great side game, something you can quickly play when you have a short attention span or you're just trying to kill some time while waiting for the pizza to finish cooking in the oven. For games that don't support more than five players, I suggest you have a couple different options to choose from. That way everyone can be playing some sort of game if they choose to. There is a "NSFW" (not safe for work) version of the game which has hilarious cards. Either version of the base card game cost $20 on Amazon.

Two Carded Classics.

"Never Have I Ever" is not a new game although it is reborn as a card game. Now you no longer have to search the outer reaches of your mind for relevant "never have I ever" questions and can instead focus on the hilarious outcome of each round. Not everyone is great at coming up with scenarios for this game, so it is a great way to avoid awkward rounds of gameplay. The base card set costs $20 via Amazon, and two expansions are available for under $10. There is also a card game version of the "would you rather" game called "If You Had To" and it costs $18.

Democracy!

Here's for all the Political Science students out there: "The Voting Game," like many card games these days, there is a regular base deck and a "NSFW" version. Five to ten players are recommended for this game, and it can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half. Each player is assigned a number, then one of the 10 players draws the question card and is responsible for counting the vote, everyone else votes which player they think is the answer to the question.

For example, there are six people playing and player number six is the vote-keeper. The question is, "Who could win a drag show?" Three out of the five players vote that player number four would be the person to win a drag show. It's a great way to investigate your friendships with your fellow players. There are also expansions to this game with fill-in-the-blank cards, and a separate build your own expansion. For $25 it is a side-splitting way to laugh about yourself, your friends, and your relationships.

Less Democratic.

"Drunk Stoned Or Stupid" is another card game for poking fun at yourself and your friends although this time the cards are a little more unflattering and funny, and costs less than $20. A card is drawn with a phrase like "Wakes up with a half-eaten burrito in bed," and everyone says who they think fits the card the best and why, although the judge is ultimately the one who decides and that chosen person earns a card. The first person to seven cards loses the game. This game could go on until every card is played, it's really up to the group playing.

Time To Drink.

Ready to get serious? How about this action based drinking game called "These Cards Will Get You Drunk"? This game will have the whole group sloshed by the end of it, so if you're already a lightweight, you may want to hold off on this.

Each card has an action that the player who pulls the card or the whole group must do. Some cards are straight to the point, with "You drink." Others have you guessing the color of someone's underwear, start staring contests, play a game of "Simon Says," and so much more. This game will get the job done for $16. Of course, that's if the job is to get everyone smashed ASAP.

Need More Structure?

Was the last card game too direct for your taste? How about "Drink-a-palooza" the board game version of the get-there-quick party attitude. Up to 12 players can play, and though its description says the game, "... is not intended for alcohol," you don't need to lie to yourself. There are so many drinking games wrapped into this board game you may want to make sure that you understand the instructions fully before you begin because it's unlikely you'll be able to read them once you're into it. This is also a choice game if you really want to splurge on your party entertainment. It costs $50 at full price, yet does go on sale on Amazon.

Classic In Miniature.

Love to play *insert drink name* pong, yet don't have enough space in your place to play it? Introducing "Mini Shots Pong"! Here's a way to keep the party alive in your apartment or other small space. You also don't have to go running after a rouge ball because the ones of this game are attached to a string that is tethered to the board. Do I really have to say more?

Tower Tipping.

Ever played "Jenga" and thought, "If only this was a drinking game?" Well, that's essentially how "Tipsy Tower" came into being. Same rules, except in the latter the blocks have instructions for the whole group playing. You can also make this your DIY project if you're feeling crafty!

Movie Time X2.

Alright Film majors and constant quoters, here's your chance to shine. *Curtains pull back to reveal "Movie 'Quotes' Drinking Game"* For $12 you can do your absolute best to stay sober while your friends spiral. Only kidding. If you want to keep things mellower, test your knowledge of silver screen serial killers with "Slash Cards." There are two game modes, and the trivia covers over 430 scary movies.

Class It Up...

Are drinking games at parties just getting too low brow for you? Consider this "Shot Glass Roulette Wheel." You'll get the rush of gambling and the flushed cheeks from drinking. All sarcasm and jokes aside, gambling is a serious addiction and you should drink responsibly and legally.

 Slow It Down A Notch.

No one said you had to have alcohol at a party to have fun, and honestly, if anyone did, that's a huge red flag and you should probably be extra cautious around that person. "What Do You Meme?" is a great way to keep the party rolling. Who doesn't enjoy memes? Okay, it's not to everyone's taste but it's up to you to choose your audience wisely. There's not exactly a limit to how many people can play so this is a great option for larger groups who want to partake in the same game.

Stop Listening.

Yeah, you read that correctly, although you're unlikely to be reading much correctly with "Hearing Things." This game involves putting on speech canceling headphones (how it isolates speech from other sounds is beyond me) and then your teammate says a phrase to you that you must guess. This is best played in teams of two. This is a surprisingly affordable game, costing $20 on Amazon.

 "WTF Did You Say?!?"

No this isn't just a response to a round of the last game, but is instead a full card game called "WTF Did You Say?!?" No, it is not an expansion of "Cards Against Humanity" but it is a similar concept and could probably be added to your other morally questionable card games to great effect.

You Knew This Was Coming...

"Cards Against Humanity." Yes, this game can be absolutely side-splittingly hilarious with the right crowd. You can even download the starter pack as a PDF for free if you can't afford the $25 for it (yet, somehow can afford to print it). There are so many big and small expansion packs for this game it is basically a game just to collect them all. Expansions range from $5 to $25 but they are worth it every time. As long as you don't try to play with the easily offended, this game will never get old.

Oh She Did Now?

"That's What She Said" is a game that thrives off of making weird innuendos. With other games you can occasionally make such phrases, but why dilly-dally when you can go straight for the goods for just $25. It's probably best to play this with people you are comfortable with.

 "Utter Nonsense! Naughty Addition."

Do you and your friends love to use fake accents? If so, "Utter Nonsense! Naughty Addition" is a great game to exercise your talents or lack thereof. The judge takes an accent card off the top of the deck, and all other players must select one of the phrase cards and then say their phrase in that accent one by one for the group's enjoyment. The judge selects the winner of the round and then the next person acts as judge.

Who Wrote That!

In "The Game Of Nasty Things…" each player writes a response to the round's topic card, the judge then must guess who wrote what. Topic cards include: "THINGS… you learned from porn," "THINGS… you never wanna find in your poop," and you get the idea.

Get Meta.

Finish with a strong and versatile game that you could also download and print for free if you are on a tight budget. In walks "The Metagame" where conversations from everything to fine art and trashy TV shows are commonplace as you defend your the culture card you chose in response to an opinion card. This a great game to get to know new and old friends better, and maybe even discover new interests among the group.