Home

 › 

Articles

 › 

8 Ways Gamers Can Party

8 Ways Gamers Can Party

With Halloween but a spooky memory and Christmas music on its ever-earlier rampage in public spaces everywhere, we stand strong with seasonal middle child Thanksgiving, the most delicious of holidays. Whether you’re stuck with estranged relatives or celebrating with your closest friends, this week is sure to bring no shortage of (possibly obligatory) socialization. Instead of letting the tryptophan do its thing, why not stave off the inevitable food coma with one of these eight high-energy multiplayer games?

Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go

You don’t even have to gather around a TV for this one – Pokemon Go is a fantastic excuse to get off the couch and put those turkey calories to work. It might take some work to convince your family and friends to do something active after dinner, but Pokemon Go is one of the most accessible games out there. All you need is a smartphone and an addictive personality. And hey, maybe some of your enthusiasm will bleed over and get your relatives playing Pokemon Sun & Moon with you too.

Mario Party

Mario Party

It’s predictable, sure, but Mario Party is pretty much the de facto party game. As a virtual board game, it takes very little skill to play and is just as fun to watch with a big enough audience. It’s also a great way to find out if grandma’s cheating streak extends beyond Monopoly. Just don’t play one of the more recent titles in the series – that car mechanic is awful.

Towerfall: Ascension

Towerfall: Ascension

The best kind of party game is simple to pick up and difficult to master. Towerfall: Ascension is doubly appealing for its retro-style visuals (perfect for those who find 3D too intimidating) and straightforward controls. This four-player competitive archery game is centered around three primary actions: jumping, shooting, and dodging. It’s easy to explain to newcomers but complex enough to encourage some truly devious maneuvers at high-level play. It, too, is a joy to spectate.

Rocket League

Rocket League

“It’s soccer, but with cars.” Rocket League ‘s apparent simplicity belies incredible depth. It’s the kind of game that should make sense even to people who don’t usually play games. It’s also kind of hilarious to watch cars go flying through the air at over 100 miles per hour. Rocket League requires considerable expertise to perform its most advanced techniques – the hundreds of streamers out there attest to that – but it’s still fun to goof around with, no matter your skill level.

The Jackbox Party Pack

The Jackbox Party Pack

Everyone loves a good trivia game – especially if the trivia is suggestive in nature. Hell, people just like to play dirty party games, period (see the wildly popular Cards Against Humanity for proof). You Don’t Know Jack is a vehicle to showcase your knowledge, Fibbage is all about creative deceit, and Drawful is lowbrow Pictionary of the best sort.

NES Classic Games

NES Classic Games

Whether you’ve been lucky enough to grab a NES Mini Classic Console or just have a good Virtual Console collection on the Wii or Wii U, it’s the perfect thing to leave plugged in throughout your Thanksgiving day. NES games are, by their very nature, easy to pick up and play (their occasionally unforgiving difficulty aside). Super Mario Bros. is always a crowd-pleaser, and the joyful Bubble Bobble is one of the earliest co-op games ever. Your slightly older friends and family members will revel in their nostalgia.

Mario Kart

Mario Kart

No list of great multiplayer games would be complete without Mario Kart. It helps that Mario Kart 8 is one of the best games in the series, and chances are that if you’ve got a Wii U, you’ve got plenty of controllers lying around. Anyone can appreciate the thrill of racing upside-down across the game’s Mario -themed courses, and breaking free of second place with a well-timed red shell is a surefire way to trigger an adrenaline rush. Push me into the lava in Bowser’s Castle, however, and I will make you pay.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

And now for something completely different: Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is an experience that hinges solely on your communication skills. One person takes the role of a bomb defuser while the rest (any number of players can participate) must navigate an unwieldy defusal manual. Clear instruction is the only thing that stands between you and a game-ending explosion. It’s even better on PlayStation VR, which truly separates players into different “rooms” and ensures that language is the only tool at your collective disposal. It’s a game that challenges you to think fast and talk faster – which may be hard when you’re loaded up on turkey and mashed potatoes, but I believe you can rise to the challenge, fair reader.

To top