The Best Party Games That Aren’t Mario Party

It’s a difficult truth to refute. The Mario Party games have an eye-bleedingly colorful vice grip on the party game genre. It’s right there in the title, and if the Nintendo DS dictionary tool Touch Dic taught us anything, it’s that titles matter. But what if you still want to get your party on without Mario’s involvement?

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What if you don’t have a Nintendo system? What if you just can’t stand that plumber’s smug face as he steals yet another star and strains yet another family relationship? Worry not; there are still plenty of non-Mario party games for you, and they’re just as therapy-inducing.

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Golf With Your Friends

There are, admittedly, countless golf games out there, with the vast majority having multiplayer capabilities. But there’s a vast difference between a multiplayer game and a party game. Golf With Your Friends is the latter, as evidenced by how useful you’ll find your volume controls during a match.

Presented as a mini-golf game with mechanics and physics you’ll never find behind your local ice cream shop, like loops and antigravity, Golf With Your Friends brings the chaos without getting too intricate with its systems. Just you and your customizable ball. Up to 12 players can join the fun (no local splitscreen, unfortunately) and learn the audio peaks of each other’s headsets.

7

Wii Sports Resort

There are plenty of retro games out there that still hold up, even if they’re trapped on older consoles, and if you just reacted to hearing that Wii Sports Resort is retro, don’t forget to take your vitamins. True, the game is stuck on the Wii, but if you have one or can find one, you’ve got some endless party material ahead of you.

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There’s a reason the original Wii Sports is still among the top five best-selling games of all time, at least, aside from being packed in with the console. It makes perfect, intuitive use of the motion controls for various sports activities, and the eventual sequel improved on nearly every aspect with an even bigger minigame selection. Tennis is only the beginning.

6

Cake Bash

What if Mario Party was all minigames? What if you could also freely attack the other players between games for no practical reason other than enjoyment? What if everyone was cake? Your oddly specific hypotheticals are Cake Bash’s command.

Pick a pastry to play as and enjoy a gauntlet of largely pugilism-based amusements with your friends. Fight for the most sprinkles, roast marshmallows, avoid giant pigeons, and never give your competitors a moment of peace. This game is adorable, but you’ll never look at sweets the same way again.

5

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

If you’d rather have a much more subdued game night, you can’t go wrong with the classics. In this case, it means classic in the truest sense of the word. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics reveals its creativity level in its title, but you’ll quickly see why its dozens of board game favorites have stood the test of time.

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Checkers, Chess, Blackjack, Chinese Checkers, Shogi, and tons more await you, with an admittedly small number of games supporting more than two players. But if you’re up for playing this type of game, you’re probably the sort of group that’s ok with switching out as needed. By the way, if you haven’t played Mancala, do it here.

4

Rock Band (Any)

You’ve heard of Rock Band. Heck, you’ve probably played Rock Band, or at least one of the many games like it (including Guitar Hero, which notably came first). The ability to mimic playing in a full band with controllers that bring out your air guitar and air drumming talents is perfect for parties.

Of course, you have to get the controllers themselves, but of all the games released, Rock Band 4 is probably the easiest to play since it’s compatible with PS5 and Xbox Series X. But if you can get it all set up or even manage to do so for one of the other games (like the incredible The Beatles: Rock Band), you’re in for the kind of fun that extremely cool neighbors call the police over.

3

Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip

There’s no standard blueprint for parties, so for all of you having unconventional parties out there, why not put on an unconventional party game? The Monster Prom series is exactly as wild as you’d expect from a multiplayer dating sim where everyone is a monster, though it probably requires a party full of people who are already REALLY cool with each other.

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But unlike the first two games, Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip spreads the focus out to a sort of low-stakes survival game, where up to four players cooperate to manage their road trip resources while also making their own stories along the way (it’s got some tabletop influence there). Yes, this can include dating one of the many hitchhikers you come across, so try to be a good wingmate to your buds.

2

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

Super Monkey Ball has had party vibes since the beginning, regardless of whether you’re rolling solo or trying in vain to explain the premise to a poor, uninitiated friend so they understand why it makes perfect sense that these monkeys are sphere-bound. Don’t worry about it. They can check the wiki later.

This series is fun regardless of context, and Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania might be one of the best you can play today. Aside from the regular course-based mode, you can do golf, billiards, soccer, and even a Star Fox-esque rail shooter minigame. There are tons of ways to heighten familial tensions, and losing your cool at the hands of a cute little cartoon monkey will always be a transcendent experience.

1

The Jackbox Party Pack 3 (Or Any)

Perhaps the only series to approach the social gathering clout of Mario Party is the now long-running Jackbox Party Pack games. Each “pack” includes several games meant to be shown on a screen while individual players join in on mobile devices, even without owning the game. Naturally, such an idea is perfect for parties.

With 10 packs overall so far, it’s pretty easy to find something good no matter which you choose. Arguably, the best starting point is The Jackbox Party Pack 3, which boasts all-time party hits Quiplash 2, Tee K.O., and Trivia Murder Party. The first two allow for lots of creativity from the players, which tends to go over well the more drinks are involved. But who doesn’t also love the idea of answering trivia questions while being afraid for your life?

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