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Halloween games are more fun when the rules are actually there. This list has 30 different games you can run at home, with simple setup and a clear way to play each one. Pick a few quick rounds for a small group, or mix movement, guessing and drawing for a longer party.
Most use paper, pencils, cups, tape or a soft ball. Clear a little floor space for the tossing games and keep small pieces away from very young children.
30 Halloween games to play at home
If you want a more elaborate version of pumpkin bowling, Crayola’s Halloween bowling craft shows how to decorate the pins.
Five-minute games
- Monster freeze dance. Play a Halloween playlist. Everyone moves until the music stops; anyone still moving sits out for one round, then rejoins.
- Halloween charades. Write prompts such as vampire, black cat and haunted house on slips of paper. Draw one and act it out without speaking; the first correct guess earns a point.
- Spooky twenty questions. One person picks a Halloween character, object or place. The group gets up to 20 yes-or-no questions to identify it.
- Ghost story sentence chain. Start with one sentence about an unexpectedly friendly ghost. Each player adds one sentence; stop after everyone has contributed twice.
- Halloween Simon Says. Use actions like flap your bat wings or creep like a mummy. Players follow only commands introduced by Simon says.
Toss, roll and move
- Pumpkin bowling. Line up six empty paper cups as pins and roll a small soft ball at them. Give each player two rolls and count the cups they topple; Crayola also has a decorated-pin version linked above.
- Witch-hat ring toss. Make a paper cone and set it on a stable base. Toss lightweight paper rings from a marked line; move the line back for a harder round.
- Ghost cup knockdown. Draw simple ghost faces on stacked paper cups. Toss a rolled-up sock at the stack and count how many cups fall in three tries.
- Eyeball beanbag target. Draw three circles on a large sheet of paper and give each a score. Toss soft beanbags or rolled socks at the circles; highest total after three throws wins.
- Pumpkin pass. Pass a small lightweight pumpkin or soft pumpkin toy around the circle while music plays. Whoever holds it when the music stops chooses the next song or a silly monster pose.
Paper-and-pencil games
- Halloween Pictionary. Put Halloween words in a bowl. One person draws a word while teammates guess before a one-minute timer runs out.
- Jack-o’-lantern face memory. Show the group a paper pumpkin with six drawn features for 20 seconds, hide it, then see who can redraw the face most accurately.
- Halloween bingo. Give everyone a grid of Halloween pictures or words. Call clues rather than reading the squares aloud; first to complete a row wins.
- Creepy word scramble. Scramble words such as skeleton, cobweb and cauldron on paper. Set a short timer and see who decodes the most.
- Monster mash-up drawings. Fold a sheet into thirds. One player draws a monster head, the next draws the middle without seeing the head, and a third adds the legs. Unfold for the reveal.
Scavenger hunts and puzzles
- Costume clue hunt. Hide a series of written clues around one room. Each clue points to the next and the last leads to a costume accessory or paper prize.
- Pumpkin scavenger hunt. Hide paper pumpkins in a room and number them. Players write down the numbers they find; any pumpkin still missing at the end becomes a bonus round.
- Glow-sticker search. Place glow-in-the-dark stickers around a dim, familiar room before the game. Keep the route clear and turn the lights back on for counting.
- Haunted-house map challenge. Draw a simple floor plan with an entrance, exit and three obstacles. Players trade maps and draw a route through each other’s haunted houses.
- Mini Halloween escape puzzle. Create three clues: a riddle that names a room, a simple picture code, and a final number hidden in plain sight. Solving all three opens a paper envelope with the ending.
Make-and-play games
- Paper skeleton assembly. Cut large paper bone shapes in advance. Teams race to arrange the skeleton in the right order; tape the finished version to the wall.
- Build-a-monster card draw. Make separate cards for eyes, arms, feet and accessories. Draw one from each stack and sketch the monster those cards describe.
- Spiderweb tape maze. Make a loose web across a doorway with painter’s tape, leaving a clear passage. Players carry a paper spider through without touching the tape.
- Shadow-puppet guessing. Use a flashlight and paper cutouts to cast Halloween shapes on a wall. The audience guesses each shape before the puppeteer reveals it.
- Potion-label challenge. Set out empty bottles or cups and paper labels. Players invent a potion name and draw its label; vote for the funniest description. No mixing or drinking required.
Team and party rounds
- Broomstick relay. Use a lightweight toy broom to move a soft ball between two marks. Hand the broom to the next teammate; the first team to finish wins.
- Halloween trivia swap. Each person writes two Halloween questions and answers. Trade cards, ask the questions aloud and give a point for each correct answer.
- Mystery sound match. Make sounds using safe household objects behind a screen, such as crumpled paper or keys. Players write down what they think made each sound.
- Trick-or-treat route puzzle. Draw a neighborhood grid with a few blocked streets and a home base. Teams try to visit every marked house and return using the fewest moves.
- Monster pose showdown. Call out a monster and give everyone five seconds to strike a pose. The group votes on the most recognizable pose; rotate who calls the monster.
For a quieter setup activity before the games begin, browse our Halloween craft-kit guide. If the party needs snacks, the Halloween food and treats guide has more ideas.
You do not need all 30 on the same night. Choose the ones that fit your space and the people coming over, then let the best round get a rematch.
