Party games are too often synonymous with "games for kids." The idea for many developers is to make a game that adults can put on for their kids, then walk away. Despite being labeled "party" games, they are often nothing more than substitutes for babysitting.
So what does it take to get it right? It needs to be fun, not just for the kids, but for the adults and the grandparents. If at all possible, it should suck non-gamers in and encourage them to get in on the action. Finding a game that does this well is difficult, but there are some that pass this basic test with flying colors.
5 Just Dance 2022
The bottom line is that dance games need to be really fun to dance to. And Just Dance 2022 has some bangers that make everyone's body move. Play in front of an audience and that audience will inevitably want to see if they can dance too.
The series isn't running out of steam anytime soon. Playing in teams against players around the world is a unifying experience that can light up the entire room. Learning the moves and dancing to the song again is as satisfying as gaming gets.
4 WarioWare: Get It Together!
Taking turns is massively overrated, especially when it comes to party games, so events need to be fast without being too trivial. WarioWare: Get It Together! is well aware of the struggle of watching a challenge, so it pushes for group play as often as possible.
Choosing a character based on their skills gives gamers a sense of customization while newer gamers will still be able to pick an avatar and play just fine. The single-player is also great, encouraging players to beat their own high scores.
3 It Takes Two
It Takes Two is a co-op game and many might not consider it a party game, but by trading controllers, it becomes one of the best split-screen games on the PlayStation 5. The action on the screen looks more like a bullet hell frantic disaster than a party game.
But this can make groups of players celebrate when they win. For those who aren't gamers enough to be a good teammate, they'll get a kick out of watching others play and the story and voice acting are intriguing enough to get an audience to hang around for a few hours.
2 Mario Party Superstars
There is a difficult blend of luck and skill in every Mario Party game. Some of them get the formula badly wrong. Some installments are possible to win without succeeding in a single minigame thanks to built-in catch-up features. Others rely on talent so much that the kids have no chance to participate against the more experienced gamers.
With minigames that take skill and others that take luck, Mario Party Superstars has finally achieved a balance that fans were hoping for. Yes, of course, sometimes the worst player will end up winning, but that's part of the charm. Talent still buys a better-than-average win percentage and that's all anyone can hope for.
1 The Jackbox Party Pack 8
A game where players get to be participants, judges, and jury? The Jackbox Party Pack 8 is endless entertainment for everyone with modes so different that keeping the party going is as simple as the menu screen. Losing in the game is hardly a punishment because of other people's hilarious answers and the zany trivia learned along the way.
Best of all, this can be played over long distances to make the party global. Small and large groups alike will get something out of the games. Single players can hop online and take on strangers; a great way to make friends in a gaming world that is sometimes too hostile.