Updated
Thanksgiving Games
Games for Thanksgiving Day that run on one phone, chosen for the moment you need them: while the turkey cooks, at the table, after dinner and at the kids’ table. Start with Thanksgiving trivia if you only have time for one.
Which Thanksgiving game for which group
Thanksgiving is one of the few days when a six-year-old and an eighty-year-old sit at the same table. The best game is the one both of them can play, so this list starts there.
| Your table | Play | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Every age at once | Thanksgiving trivia | 66 questions from easy to hard. Put a child and a grandparent on each team so both kinds of question have someone to answer them. |
| Nobody wants to leave their seat | Thanksgiving would you rather | No teams and no score. One person reads, everyone votes, and the argument does the rest. |
| Cousins and teenagers | Imposter | Three to 12 players, one secret word and one faker. It needs a little bluffing, which teenagers are good at. |
| A big room after dinner | Pictionary | Two to four teams, a timer and 270 words. Loud, and it ends with a winning team. |
| Grown-ups once the kids are in bed | Never have I ever | Everyone puts a finger down for the things they have done, and the stories come out. The main set stays clean enough for the in-laws. |
| The kids’ table | MASH game | Predicts where you will live and what you will drive. Kids read the results out loud to the adults. |
A game plan for Thanksgiving Day
- While people arrive: this or that. This or that has 200 two-second choices, such as pancakes or waffles. People who walk in halfway can join the next pair without any catching up.
- Before dinner: one trivia round. Ten questions from the history topic take about fifteen minutes and give the cooks a few minutes of peace.
- At the table: would you rather. Read a Thanksgiving question between dishes. Forks up for the first option, spoons for the second.
- Between dinner and pie: Pictionary or imposter. This is the slow hour when people need something to do. Pick Pictionary for a mixed crowd and imposter for teenagers.
- Late evening: never have I ever, for whoever is still awake.
You will not get through all five, and you do not need to. Two games in one day is a good result.
More games for after dinner
Once the plates are cleared, the table usually splits into the people who want to sit and talk and the people who want to do something. These suit each side:
- To sit and talk: the would you rather game has 240 more questions with live votes from other players, and never have I ever has 190 statements.
- To do something: imposter deals 320 secret words, and Pictionary needs only a pen and the back of a cardboard box.
With everyone in one room, Thanksgiving is also a good time to draw names for a Christmas gift exchange.
Tips for the host
- Hand the phone to someone else. The host is busy. Pick a cousin to run the games so you can sit down.
- Keep rounds short. Ten trivia questions or ten would you rather questions is plenty while food is on the table.
- Turn the TV down, not off, if there is a game on. People can play between plays.
- Let the kids read. A child who reads the questions out loud stays at the table longer.
Frequently asked questions
What games can the whole family play at Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving trivia and would you rather work for every age at once, because kids and grandparents can answer the same question. Add Pictionary after dinner if you have room to draw.
Do we need to download anything?
No. Every game on this page opens in a phone browser. One phone is enough for the whole table.
What can we play at the table without getting up?
Would you rather and trivia. Read one question between dishes and vote with forks and spoons. Neither needs paper, cards or a board.
What is a good game for a big group of cousins?
The imposter game takes up to 12 players on one phone. For a bigger crowd, split into teams and play Pictionary or trivia, which both keep team scores.
Are the games free?
Yes. All of them are free, with no account and no ads.
Get an email when the Host Pass opens
Host Pass: $4.99 one-time at launch: new packs written for the pass and your own word lists for Imposter and Pictionary, saved on your device. Everything that is free today stays free, and the site has no ads. It is not on sale yet, so nothing here asks you to pay. We’ll email you once when it opens.
All the games on one phone
Would You Rather
Vote on 240 questions and see how other players voted.
PlayThis or That
200 quick pairs: pick one side, then see how other players picked.
PlayImposter
Everyone gets a secret word except one player. Pass the phone, then find the faker.
PlayPictionary
Random words to draw and guess, by difficulty, with a round timer and team scores.
PlayNever Have I Ever
190 clean statements in ten categories, with a five-fingers score if you want one.
PlayMASH Game
Spin the spiral and find out where you will live, what you will drive and what job you will do.
Play