Top 8 Games to Play with Your International Friends

Whether you're celebrating different cultures or just looking to laugh and connect, these games are perfect for breaking the ice and having fun. Here's a list of simple, crowd-pleasing games that work in any language. Save this list for your next game night!

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1. Charades 

Best For: Non-verbal communication, acting skills

Charades is a classic! Divide into teams, and one person acts out a word or phrase while their team tries to guess what it is. With no talking allowed, this game is perfect for international groups, as everyone relies on gestures and expressions, making it easy for everyone to play!

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2. Telephone 

Best For: Quick thinking, laughs

In Telephone, players form a line or circle, and one person whispers a message to the next. By the time the message reaches the last person, it's usually completely changed! This game showcases how messages can be hilariously misunderstood across languages and accents, leading to lots of laughs.

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3. Pictionary 

Best For: Creativity, cross-cultural understanding

Like charades but with drawing, Pictionary is a visual guessing game that's perfect for mixed-language groups. Divide into teams, and each round, one player from each team is selected to draw. The chosen player sketches a word or phrase on paper or a whiteboard while their team tries to guess it. You can easily adapt the game to different cultures by choosing prompts that are familiar to everyone, making it fun to see how each person interprets them!

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4. Two Truths and a Lie 

Best For: Ice-breaking, getting to know each other

This game is great for getting to know each other. Each person takes turns sharing two truths and one lie about themselves, while the others guess which statement is the lie. It's perfect for international friends, as it allows everyone to share fun facts and maybe a few cultural surprises!

5. Twenty Questions 

Best For: Curiosity, cultural exchange

In Twenty Questions, one player thinks of a person, place, or thing, and the others take turns asking yes-or-no questions to figure it out within 20 tries. This game often sparks interesting discussions, as players learn more about each other's backgrounds and cultural references.

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6. Never Have I Ever 

Best For: Getting to know each other, light-hearted sharing

"Never Have I Ever" is a fun way to discover new things about your friends. Players start with five fingers up, and take turns sharing something they haven't done, like "Never have I ever eaten sushi." Anyone who has done it must put a finger down. The last player with fingers remaining wins! It's simple, revealing, and always leads to some great stories!

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7. Name That Tune 

Best For: Music lovers, friendly competition

This game is all about music! Play a few seconds of a song, and challenge players to guess the tune. You can make it more interesting by including popular songs from each friend's country or era. It's a fun way to bond over music and discover new favorite songs from around the world.

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8. Aura 

Best For: Bonding, group insights

In Aura, one player closes their eyes while the rest of the group secretly selects another player to be described. The group then takes turns making statements about this person's "aura" or personality, such as, "This person has an aura of loving to travel" or "This person has an aura of enjoying reading." The player with their eyes closed listens carefully to these descriptions and, by the end, tries to guess who in the group is being described. This game is a fun way to see how others perceive each person's unique vibe, and it's great for sparking deeper group connections.

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We hope this blog post has sparked some ideas for games to play during your next game night!