10 games to play after dinner

Dessert is finished, the coffee is on, and nobody wants to go home yet. The perfect moment for a game. But not every game works after dinner: you don't want to spend two hours explaining rules, and the table is still covered in glasses.

These ten games are quick to explain, work with people who've only just met, and fit between the plates.

When you don't know each other well yet

1. Who am I?

Everyone sticks a note with a famous name on their neighbour's forehead. Take turns asking yes/no questions. Free, instant laughs, and you quickly learn how someone thinks.

2. Two truths and a lie

Share three things about yourself. Two are true, one isn't. The others guess. The best icebreaker there is — you'll go home knowing the strangest facts about your tablemates.

3. Codenames

Two teams, a grid of words and one clue per turn. Works with four to eight people and takes five minutes to explain.

For a small table (2–5 people)

4. The Mind

Play cards in ascending order together, without talking. Sounds boring, is addictive. Takes up almost no space.

5. Sushi Go!

A fast card game about collecting sushi. Twenty minutes a round, perfect with coffee.

6. Ludo

Yes, really. Everyone knows the rules, nobody has to explain anything, and the competition gets surprisingly fierce.

For a bigger group (6+)

7. Werewolf

The classic group game full of suspicion. Ideal when the evening is already cosy and everyone has loosened up.

8. Just One

Help one player guess a word with one-word clues — but duplicate clues are cancelled. Cooperative, so nobody loses.

9. The host's pub quiz

Let the host prepare ten questions, maybe about that evening's food. Always works and costs nothing.

No games at home?

10. The question game

Write twenty questions on slips of paper beforehand. "What's the best thing you've ever eaten?" "Where did you live when you were ten?" Take turns drawing one. No winner, but the best conversations of the night.

Tips for a game night after dinner

• Clear the table first. Ten minutes of tidying saves a lot of spilled wine on the cards.
• Start with something short. After a long meal, not everyone is in the mood for strategy.
• Ask if people are up for it. Some guests would rather linger over a good conversation — and that's fine too.

Eat together, play together

A dinner followed by a game is one of the easiest ways to turn strangers into tablemates. At BORDGENOTEN, hosts describe what to expect at every dinner, so you can pick a table that suits you.

Find a dinner club near you