You don’t need much to throw a game night, just one exciting game, a group of willing players, and something to snack on in between rounds. All that gaming can work up an appetite, or, be a great excuse to eat more snacks. Our favorite game night recipes are a mix of spicy, sweet and savory, and so easy that anyone can make them.
We suggest kicking off the night with a few appetizers, sprinkling in more light snacks throughout the game and ending the night with a dessert that will make all the players feel like winners.If you can’t get together in person, gather in your favorite video chat and assign different recipes so you can review them all!
But, for the main event, we shamelessly suggest our very own Game of Phones. Anyone with a cell phone can play, and they’ll absolutely be laughing as they search for weird internet facts, share hilarious memes, reveal silly text messages and dial random numbers. Instead of being used as a distraction, phones are the main tool in this game to go on a virtual scavenger hunt and complete challenges based on prompts.
So, let the games begin, but not without a proper spread of snacks first.
1. Bang Bang Cauliflower by Jessica in the Kitchen
There’s a reason this recipe is called “bang bang,” and it’s because these vegan fried cauliflower bites have an explosion of sweet and spicy flavor.
2. Supreme Pizza Pinwheel Poppers by Cooking for Keeps
Pizza is a general crowd-pleaser and rolling up all the scrumptious toppings into pinwheels only makes it easier to eat. Keep one hand on your phone and the other holding a popper.
3. Easy Sweet Hush Puppies by Whisk It Real Gud
This Southern comfort food is light, airy and a tad sweet. They’re similar to corn fritters, except they’re shaped like a bite-sized ball for eating with your hands.
4. The Most Delicious and Easy Pimento Cheese by Grandbaby Cakes
Pimento cheese spread is a Southern staple for entertaining. This one mixes three different types of shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella, mayo and, of course, pimento peppers. Spread it on crackers or biscuits.
5. Ginger Sesame Chicken Potstickers with Sweet Chili Pomegranate Sauce by Half Baked Harvest
Sauce is important, and this one for these chicken potstickers is made with pomegranates, which give it a uniquely sweet kick.
6. Slow-Cooker Root Beer BBQ Cocktail Meatballs by Popsugar
Who can resist a cocktail meatball? Pop these in the slow cooker and let them simmer. The result is a tangy, tender appetizer guests can eat with a toothpick right out of the pot.
7. Sweet Chili Whiskey Loaded Hotdog by Kaluhi’s Kitchen
There are chili dogs and then there’s this sweet chili whiskey version that kicks things up a notch with the addition of bacon and a dash of whiskey.
8. Baked Chicken Quesadillas by Modern Proper
This recipe calls for shredded chicken to fill the quesadillas, and if you want to save time, you can use a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store.
9. Vegetable Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce by Damn Delicious
For some reason, spring rolls always sound difficult to make, but it’s really only a matter of rolling up a bunch of veggies. These ones are stuffed with carrots, cabbage, avocado and tons of fresh herbs with a simple sauce for dipping.
10. Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Bites by Popsugar
Pop one of these macaroni and cheese bites in your mouth in between rounds — or rather, pop a few. With bacon folded in with the cheesy noodles, these bites are so addicting.
11. Peanut Butter S’mores Muddy Buddies by A Classic Twist
If you’ve ever tried puppy chow, this is like that, but with the addition of Golden Grahams cereal and marshmallows. Put a bowl of it on the game table and it will be gone by the end of the night.
12. Samosas by Immaculate Bites
Samosas are like deep fried (or baked) crispy pastry pockets and these ones are filled with chicken, onion and peas, as well as seasonings like curry, ginger, paprika to give it just the right amount of spice.
13. Roasted Jalapeño Hummus by Minimalist Baker
For a healthier addition to the table, this hummus gets a kick with roasted jalapeños and pepitas. Have your favorite veggies on hand or tortilla chips for dipping.
14. Crispy Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw by Brown Sugar Mama
Tacos are usually a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, and these ones are no different with crispy fried cod and a refreshing slaw on top.
15. Southern Sweet Potato Salad by Sweet Potato Soul
This one is worth getting out the forks for! It mixes sweet potatoes with yukon potatoes for a mix of flavors and textures. While it uses vegan mayo, you can use whichever mayo you prefer.
It’s time to choose your spread. Will it be tangy meatballs, healthy hummus, sweet snack mix or something else? All of these game night recipes will upgrade your party, so really, it’s less about which snack you’ll choose and more a matter of which one you’ll eat first.
Our recommendation: Game of Phones. While we may be biased, we think that as far as white elephant gifts go, this one was made for family and friend get-togethers around the holidays. It’s hilarious, fun, interesting and can be played by literally anyone with a smartphone.
Game of Phones is a card game that’s like a digital scavenger hunt. The cards prompt players to use their phones to find pictures of ugly babies, reveal funny texts, take selfies and share weird memes found on the internet — and so much more.
It’s incredibly easy to play. None of the cards are super hard and all are family-friendly, so you can play it with everyone, from your 13-year-old niece and grandparents to your college roommate and best friends to your boss and co-workers. Of course, this is what also makes it a great gift when you aren’t exactly sure who the recipient is, say like, in a white elephant gift exchange.
Take it from some of our customers who’ve gifted their friends and family Game of Phones and received a more than positive response:
And for gift exchanges with a spend limit, Game of Phones usually makes the cut. The whole game, which comes with 150 cards, will cost you only $20. If your limit is less than that, however, we also have four mini packs of 50 cards that are only $10 each.
We suggest starting with the OG version and adding on the mini packs as expansions, but of course, you can decide for yourself. All of these options make great gifts that your friends and family (or unknown white elephant gift exchange receiver) will have a blast playing.
]]>Game of Phones is one of the fun ones that can liven up game night and give your recipient a full-on belly laugh, no matter who they’re with (it’s family friendly) or how many times they’ve played. The only requirement is a smartphone.
It’s a great gift for your 13-year-old nephew who thinks everything is lame, your retired parents who recently started making new friends, your college roommate who appreciates a night in or your chatty co-worker who always asks you out to happy hour.
Don’t believe us? Take it from everyone else! The editors at Popsugar named it one of “2019’s hottest” for Christmas, while Real Simple dubbed it a present under $25 that still “feels special” for a family member. Other guides listed it as simply a top game to bring to game night.
Check out all of the guides that Game of Phones was listed in that named it a great gift and game to play this year.
• 31 Gifts Under $25 That Still Feel Special by Real Simple
Gifts don’t have to cost a lot to be meaningful. Real Simple lists Game of Phones as a gift for a family member that will still keep your holiday budget in check.
• 105 Best Gifts for Teens That Don’t Suck – Teen-Approved Gift Ideas by Dodoburd
Teens are arguably one of the hardest age groups to shop for, partially because it can be hard to relate. But, Game of Phones is transcendent across age groups. Everyone will have fun playing!
• 100 Cool and Trendy Gifts For Teens That'll Make You Say "One For You, One For Me" by Popsugar
Game of Phones can be played by anyone with a phone, and for a lot of teens, that’s them. Get one for your teen and like Popsugar says, one for you as well.
• 54 Best Gift Ideas for Teen Boys That We Promise They Won't Roll Their Eyes At by Country Living
Again, teens are tough. Country Living lists Game of Phones as a game that will keep your guy laughing at his next friend hangout.
• Gifts for teens and tweens on your 2020 holiday shopping list by Newsday
If your teen is going to be attached to their phone, they might as well make a game of it.
• Gift guide: The best gifts for mobile users by Trend Micro
This gift guide is for anyone with a mobile phone, and that’s a lot of people. Consider it as a gift that’s “crazy phun” for anyone.
•The Absolute Coolest Stocking Stuffers For Tweens and Teens in 2020 by Popsugar
Game of Phones makes a great stocking stuffer that tweens and teens will love, according to Popsugar.
• 24 Games to Play With Friends That Help Beat Boredom by Oprah Magazine
Rather than just looking at your phone when you’re bored, you can use it to play a game with your friends, according to this guide by Oprah Magazine.
• 20 Indoor Games To Chase Away the Winter Blues by Cafe Mom
If you live in an area that has cold winters, going out isn’t always the most fun idea. Cafe Mom suggests staying in for a game night and playing Game of Phones.
• Top games to make the perfect fun night at home by The Up Coming
Skip another night in front of the television and host a family game night, even if you have to play over video chat. Game of Phones is one of those that can be played virtually amongst friends, as long as someone has the deck of cards.
In short, Game of Phones is loved by many and can be played by all. It’s the birthday or holiday gift that will have your tween, teen, adult friends and more looking up from their screens to bond and have fun. You can get your own Game of Phones for $20 at the Game of Phones website and start playing ASAP.
]]>
However, we have a solution: Game of Phones, the hilarious and fun card game that uses your smartphone for the ultimate digital scavenger hunt, has an Offline Mini Pack.
The Game of Phones Offline Mini Pack Is for Playing “Offline”
There’s no WiFi or data or special app required to play this pack (hence the “offline” part), so you can use it to play when you’re stuck in a dead zone, while out camping in the woods, while on a long flight, or while trying to conserve your own data (sorry, Mom!).
The Offline Mini Pack ($10) comes with 50 cards that ask players to search through their phones for funny text messages, look through bad selfies or take new videos. It’s basically the same great game, minus the internet. However, once you are able reconnect your phone, you can add this deck to the original Game of Phones pack or store it away for the next time you’re logged off.
But, there’s more to come…
If you’re anything like us and play Game of Phones on the regular, you might be ready to mix things up a bit. Therefore, we’re adding three new Mini Packs for getting the most out of your game: the Animal Mini Pack, the Nostalgia Mini Pack and the Family Mini Pack.
If you’re obsessed with your pet (and who isn’t?) or like looking at funny animal photos, we’re betting you’ll want to get the Animal Mini Pack.
For those who love combing through old Facebook photos and reminisce about culture from the past, the Nostalgia Mini Pack will certainly get you excited.
Nonetheless, the Family Mini Pack is all about celebrating (and laughing with) the ones you love (and the ones that annoy you to no end).
And more good news: Game of Phones comes in a box made to hold additional Mini Packs like these for safe keeping.
Get the original Game of Phones
If you’ve been reading this and thinking, what is Game of Phones? Let’s catch you up to speed. Game of Phones ($20) is a card game that uses your smartphone to share funny photos, call up old friends, search the internet for weird facts, laugh about silly memes and more.
It’s like a digital scavenger hunt that is safe for the whole family. In fact, you can play this game with just about anyone — parents, siblings, friends, coworkers, classmates — as long as they have a phone.
The game comes with two packs: the 100-card Starter Pack and the 50-card Classic Pack. Both will have you laughing uncontrollably on game night.
“Played this at a game night with some friends a few weeks ago and had so much fun, I immediately bought my own,” one Amazon customer wrote in a review. “The design of the game is super cute and it’s really easy to pick up and learn — we figured it out in a couple of minutes. I was worried at first about the cards that have you go into your photos and stuff, but there wasn’t anything risque about it, just silly (stuff like “find a picture in your camera roll with exactly six people in it”). Since things stayed pretty tame, I brought this with me to my parents' house and we'll likely play it sometime next week.”
We suggest starting with the original game and adding on Mini Packs from there, but if you’ll be playing in a space that offers little to no phone service, the Offline Mini Pack is your next best bet!
]]>Well, not that old fashioned, because Game of Phones requires all screens to be out and unlocked. This is a new kind of family game night, the one you’ll want to play online with your friends and one that will absolutely have you all laughing until your stomach hurts. After all, nothing bonds people like laughing together, studies prove it. Especially family.
You don’t need a whole lot to get the night started, either. Here’s everything you need to have the ultimate family game night.
The Main Event: Game of Phones
Rather than asking your family members to put away technology, Game of Phones encourages you to keep all phones at the ready for completing fun challenges that will have you laughing through every round. It’s simple: The game starts with a deck of 150 card prompts that ask players to use their phones to go on a virtual scavenger hunt of sorts. Find pictures of ugly babies, take hilarious selfies, text random numbers or look up weird facts on the internet — these are just a few of our personal favorites. None of the prompts are overly difficult and are family-friendly; anyone with a cell phone can play.
Reward Players with Prizes
The best family game nights aren’t about who wins and who loses, it’s about having a good time. Still, prizes up the ante and if you keep them a surprise, all the better. Try rewarding winners with hilarious items like an ugly sweater, a homemade trophy constructed with candy straws, or a random framed photo of your Great Aunt Carol who had an affinity for dog sweatshirts (Carol, you’re a legend). The more random, the more funny. At the end of the night though, treat anyone empty handed to a keepsake so they too can relish the memory of family game night.
Stock Up on Snacks
Most things are made better with food, and family game night is no exception. In the midst of sharing your favorite memes and creating emoji masterpieces (a few other Game of Phones prompts), you’ll want something to nosh on. We love the idea of a make-your-own pizza bar for the pre-game festivities or mac and cheese bites for popping between prompts. Keep in mind, snacks shouldn’t be overly messy (orange cheese dust doesn’t fare well on a phone screen, just sayin’).
Just Have Fun
The point of family game night is to bond and have fun. Game of Phones’ prompts can give you the chance to share with your family the memes that make you LOL on Instagram or the odd fact that recently left you shocked. On the other hand, it could also help you find new and interesting things shared by your loved ones through the prompts.
]]>The idea for Game of Phones came to us in 2014 as grad students studying Interaction Design. We saw then, just as we still do now, that cell phones are used to do a multitude of things, from looking up outrageous facts to taking photos of interesting or silly things to checking in on friends far away. And, we wondered why people weren’t sharing the experiences they were having on their phones with others in real life.
Not to mention, casual tabletop games were also rising in popularity and it quickly became clear that a game would be a fun and seamless way to get people using phones together rather than getting distracted by them.
So, we married the two ideas — a phone game and a card game — and came up with Game of Phones. The game itself isn’t actually on your phone, but rather in a deck of cards that prompts you to complete weird and hilarious things using apps or content that you already have on your phone.
The physical part is important to us though, as it gives you a reason to look up from your phone, exchange a card or response with another player, and therefore be present in the social atmosphere and not turn it into another form of social media.
But, don’t worry, there’s nothing dirty or overly difficult about this game. None of the card prompts are hard and can be played with friends, parents, grandparents, coworkers, classmates and more. We made sure that it’s appropriate and fun for all ages, so anyone (with a smart phone) can join you for a game.
“Played this at a game night with some friends a few weeks ago and had so much fun, I immediately bought my own,” wrote one Amazon reviewer. “I was worried at first about the cards that have you go into your photos and stuff, but there wasn’t anything risque about it, just silly (stuff like “find a picture in your camera roll with exactly six people in it”). Since things stayed pretty tame, I brought this with me to my parents' house and we'll likely play it sometime next week.”
“My daughter loved playing this at her 13th birthday party sleepover. The girls all loved it,” wrote a reviewer on Game of Phone’s website.
“We just got this game today and played several rounds tonight. It was a lot of fun and great entertainment for the whole family,” wrote another reviewer on Amazon.
“Great way to interact with the whole family. These days nearly everyone is on their smartphones... young and old. This was a fun way that they could still do that, but interact with each other in a super fun way!” — Nicole on Uncommon Goods.
Game of Phones is simple and therefore no one has to be left out. It’s the greatest excuse to show friends and family the things you’ve been distracted by or to find new and interesting things through the prompts. And of course, share tons of laughs.
]]>Sound familiar? You probably already use your phone like this and on occasion share things with friends and family. However Game of Phones makes this a fun game so you can spend time on your phone and with your friends at the same time.
Where We Got the Idea for Game of Phones
We (Luke and Sam) created the concept for Game of Phones while attending The School of Visual Arts’ graduate program for Interaction Design in 2014. If you’re unfamiliar with the study of Interaction Design, it’s pretty much what it sounds like. It examines how and why people interact with things in order to make their experiences more successful or meaningful. It was this process — finding a problem worth solving and designing a solution — that led us to the concept for Game of Phones.
We were asked to create a service or offering for a community that would generate at least $1,000 in revenue in just six weeks — six weeks! Other than highlighting the relatively daunting challenge of making $1,000 while juggling other grad school projects, the timeframe underscores that we had to find something that we were familiar with and cared about in order to create a meaningful intervention quickly.
Faced with this assignment, we rapidly ran through any idea that came to us: a magnetic shelf to stick on your computer; a laser cut apparatus for stretching calf muscles. There were plenty more equally forgettable ideas before we struck on the one that felt right. One that pulled from our own experiences and was at the core of Interaction Design.
It was this: cell phones had become ubiquitous. They appeared in all parts of our lives whether it was looking up directions on the run, ordering food, checking texts during a lecture, or scrolling through Instagram at a dinner party. As with many things that become ubiquitous, we were also seeing a backlash to their presence, especially in social settings: hosts asking guests to place phones by the front door when entering their home; people out to dinner stacking phones on the table, agreeing that the first person to grab theirs during the meal had to pay. However, the rejections of phones in social scenarios also felt at odds with how individuals actually used them.
We saw then, just as we still do now, that cell phones are used to look up hilarious or outrageous facts, find out what friends are doing from far away, take photos of interesting or silly things, draw doodles and masterpieces, leave notes to ourselves, send messages to others, and so much more. We questioned: Why aren’t people sharing these experiences IRL? How could we encourage people to use their phones for fun while they were together?
Our answer was Game of Phones.
How We Actually Made the Game
We pulled from our own experience with how we used phones, observed others, and asked friends what kinds of things they’d want to see in a game. Then, we came up with 112 card prompts, none that were too hard, to challenge players to find things like ugly babies, create emoji masterpieces, take ridiculous selfies, text random numbers, show hilarious text messages or emails, look up weird facts on the internet, scour social media — and so much more.
Within 5 weeks of coming up with the concept for Game of Phones, we had tested it enough times to see that our hunch about phones in social settings resonated with a ton of other people. So much so that we put it on Kickstarter and raised almost three times our funding goal in just two weeks!
Reaching the goal was really exciting because it meant we were able to start making Game of Phones and get it out to those that believed in the idea or just thought it was fun. It also affirmed the problem we had been seeing with cell phones was one that others agreed with. We realized that we weren’t going to solve every issue people had with cell phones, but we had designed a meaningful intervention for it.
]]>