Friendsgiving is our favorite kind of holiday chaos. Everyone brings a dish, nobody has to impress the in-laws, and the only rule is to show up hungry.
My first Friendsgiving came right after we moved to the DC area. We didn’t know a soul, so when our new neighbors invited us to their gathering, we said yes before they could finish the sentence. We were eager to meet people and make some friends in our new home.
We had a blast. There was a table full of food, plenty of laughs, and our hosts went out of their way to make us feel welcome, sprinkling in moments for questions so everyone could get to know the new neighbors.
Looking back, a game like this would have been the perfect sidekick. It would have taken a little work off our hosts, and it would have given everyone else an easy excuse to ask the silly questions they were curious about. Making friends as an adult is hard. Games like these can feel a bit goofy at first, but they give everyone an easy reason to talk, laugh and find out what they have in common. And you never know who might become a forever friend, or a repeat guest at your next Friendsgiving.
That’s why we always plan a couple of easy games now. Whether your guests are old friends, new neighbors or someone’s plus-one standing by the chips, a little structure gets everyone mingling without feeling like a corporate team-building retreat.
These are the Friendsgiving games we play every year. None of them need a board, a screen or a rulebook.
1. Find a Friend Who… Bingo
This is the icebreaker that works on everyone, even the shy ones. Each guest gets a bingo card as they walk in. Every square has a prompt like “has been to another continent” or “can name every Thanksgiving side on the table.” Guests mingle and find someone who matches each square, then write their name in it.
Why it works: people have a reason to talk to someone new, and it runs on its own while you finish the gravy. Give a prize to the first full card, or crown the bingo champion with dessert.
2. Who’s Most Likely To…
Save this one for the table. Put a small stack of cards in the middle. Someone reads one out loud (“Who’s most likely to take the last slice of pie?”), and on the count of three, everyone points at the person they think fits. Majority vote wins.
It’s quick, there’s no score to keep, and it gets the whole table laughing between courses.
3. Potluck Awards
Friendsgiving is a potluck, so let’s celebrate the cooks. Hand out ballots during dinner and let guests vote in a few categories:
- Best in Show
- Best Side
- Sweetest Finish
- Most Creative
- Recipe Request (the dish everyone wants the recipe for)
Collect the ballots before dessert, tally them in the kitchen, and present the winners while the pie goes around. It makes everyone who brought a dish feel appreciated, and the Recipe Request winner always gets swarmed.
A Simple Game Plan for the Night
- The day before: print everything and set out pens.
- As guests arrive: hand out bingo cards.
- During dinner: pass out the potluck ballots and play Most Likely To between courses.
- With dessert: announce the bingo champion and present the potluck awards.
🦃 Crumbs of Knowledge
- Print one bingo card per guest, plus a few extras for late arrivals and the plus-ones you didn’t know about.
- Cardstock is worth it for anything people hold or keep, like the Most Likely To cards and award cards. Regular paper is fine for bingo and ballots.
- Keep a few pens in a mug at every table spot. Nobody brings a pen to Friendsgiving.
- Have a tiny prize for the bingo champion. A mini bottle of wine, a jar of candy or first dibs on leftovers all count.
Skip the Prep: Our Printable Friendsgiving Game Pack
Want all of this ready to print tonight? Our Friendsgiving Table Games pack includes the Find a Friend bingo, 16 Who’s Most Likely To cards, potluck award ballots, “And the award goes to…” winner cards and a host guide that walks you through the night. It’s an instant PDF download, so you can print at home and be ready in minutes.
Heading to a Thanksgiving dinner instead of hosting? Our Thanksgiving Gift Tag Bundle makes your hostess gift or pie delivery look extra special. And if you need a dessert to bring, these are all easy wins: our Pumpkin Cake Balls, No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie (no oven needed) and Morgan’s Pumpkin Sugar Pie.
Happy Friendsgiving from all of us at Crumbs and Chaos!
