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Every reunion my family throws has the same problem for the first hour: the cousins who haven't seen each other in a year stand around in their own little clusters, and the grandparents end up talking to whoever sits closest at the table.
A good game fixes that faster than anything else I've tried. I've run most of these at our own reunions, indoors and out, with a crowd that ranges from a 2-year-old to my 81-year-old grandmother.
Some need a yard and a cooler of water balloons. Others just need a smart TV and a few minutes. Below are 15 family gathering games for all ages.
15 best family reunion games: TL;DR
- Jeopardy!: Best for cousins who haven't seen each other split into competitive teams
- Song Quiz: Best for bridging 3 generations of music taste
- Wheel of Fortune: Best for relatives who dread straight trivia
- Guess the Emoji: Best for the window while people are still arriving
- Sketchy AF: Best for resetting energy after a big meal
- Spot On: Best for a family scattered across different cities
- Karaoke: Best for the reunion that always ends up loud anyway
- Wit's End: Best for adults or teen cousins who want their own thing going
- CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ: Best for toddlers too young for anything else here
- Meme Supreme: Best for the adults once the kids are down
- Cornhole: Best for a backyard reunion with room to set up
- Water balloon toss: Best for a hot-weather reunion with kids who need to burn energy
- Tug of war: Best for splitting a huge family into 2 loud teams
- Scavenger hunt: Best for a reunion venue with a lot of ground to cover
- Two Truths and a Lie: Best for meeting relatives you don't know well yet
Why plan games for a family reunion?
Left alone, a reunion tends to sort itself into the same small groups people arrived in. A good game is the fastest way I've found to break that up.
They break the ice between relatives who don't see each other
My kids see their cousins maybe once a year, and for the first 20 minutes they act like strangers. Once a game gives them something to do together, that awkwardness disappears fast, because they're reacting to the same clue or the same falling water balloon instead of sizing each other up.
They fill the dead time between the big moments
A reunion has long stretches where the meal is done, but nobody's ready to leave yet. That's when I pick something short and easy to jump into, so people aren't standing around waiting for the next thing to happen.
They give kids and grandparents a reason to talk
A shared activity does more for a cross-generational conversation than "so how's school going" ever will. When my grandmother and my youngest niece are both trying to guess the same emoji, they end up talking to each other without either one having to work at it.
15 family reunion games: At a glance
Note: One Weekend subscription includes all supported games.
1. Jeopardy!
Jeopardy! is the official TV quiz game, and everyone answers out loud in the form of a question. You pick a category and dollar value, hear the clue, and race to buzz in first.
At our last reunion, I split the family into teams by generation, and my 9-year-old niece's team beat the adults twice in a row on the pop culture category. Nobody let the grown-ups forget it.
Key features
- Casual, Classic, and Expert modes so a mixed-age family can share one board
- Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy! wagering for late comebacks
- Answers spoken out loud using the remote or a paired phone
Best for
- Reunions with enough people to split into teams
- Relatives who already argue with the TV during the real show
Pricing
7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library.
Once your headcount outgrows what one board comfortably handles, read our review of large-group games for even more ideas.
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2. Song Quiz
Song Quiz plays a few seconds of a track and the room races to name the artist, the title, or both, out of a library of tens of thousands of songs.
My family spans 4 generations, and Song Quiz is a great family reunion game for all ages. My grandfather and my teenage cousin are equally likely to win a round, just on completely different decades.
If you want more matches built around a specific age gap rather than a whole family, this lineup of grandparent-and-grandchild games can help with some age-specific picks.
Key features
- Tens of thousands of songs across decades and genres
- Points for naming the artist, the title, or both
- Pass the remote for solo turns, or let the whole room shout at once
Best for
- Families where every generation listens to something different
- A quick round between bigger activities
Pricing
7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library.
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3. Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune is the TV word game where you spin, call out letters to fill in a hidden phrase, and try to solve it before anyone else does.
My uncle refuses to play "quiz games," but he'll spin the wheel every time, because letters reward a good guess as much as a fact he already knows.
Key features
- Real show categories, the wheel-spin sound, and the BANKRUPT tone
- Multiplayer or solo play
- Word skill and luck instead of memorized facts
Best for
- Relatives who call themselves "bad at trivia"
- A calmer round between 2 louder games
Pricing
7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library.
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4. Guess the Emoji
Guess the Emoji puts a string of emojis on screen, and the room shouts out the movie, phrase, or song it spells. There's no turn order, so anyone can jump in mid-round.
I open this one the moment the first few relatives arrive, since it doesn't need a full room to start and latecomers can join without missing anything.
Key features
- Decodes emoji strings into movies, phrases, and titles
- No turn order, so arriving guests can join any round
- Live on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG as of August 2026
Best for
- The window while relatives are still arriving
- A no-prep opener before a longer game
Pricing
7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library.
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5. Sketchy AF
Sketchy AF reveals a drawing one stroke at a time, and the earlier you shout the correct answer, the more you score.
We pull this out right after a big meal, when everyone's a little sleepy and needs one loud round to wake back up before the rest of the day.
Key features
- Drawings reveal stroke by stroke, not all at once
- Up to 4 players, using hold-to-talk on a phone to answer
- Faster correct guesses score more points
Best for
- The lull right after a big meal
- Younger kids who can't read trivia clues yet
Pricing
7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library.
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6. Spot On
Spot On drops a pin on a 3D globe to match a clue about a city or landmark, and the closer your pin, the more you score.
Half my family lives out of state, so I theme rounds around the cities everyone's scattered across, and it's become a running joke about who actually remembers where their own cousins live.
Key features
- Up to 4 players across city, landmark, and travel-trivia rounds
- Up to 5,000 points per round, plus a 500-point bonus for locking in your guess within 15 seconds
- On-screen verdicts like "SPOT ON!," "WAY OFF!," and "WRONG CONTINENT!"
Best for
- Families scattered across different cities or countries
- A geography-curious relative who likes maps
Pricing
7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library.
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7. Karaoke
Weekend's Karaoke is available on Roku. It scores both lyrics and pitch, so hitting a high score matters more than hitting the right note.
Every reunion my family has ever had gets loud by the evening anyway, so a few years ago we started making that loudness official with a karaoke round, and it's become the thing people ask about before they even arrive.
Key features
- Scores on both pitch accuracy and lyrics
- Lyrics displayed on screen as you sing
- The remote or a phone works as the mic
Best for
- A reunion that's loud by 8 p.m. regardless
- Families who love singing and music
- Relatives who'd rather grab a mic than answer trivia
Pricing
7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library.
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8. Wit's End
Wit's End is like a game of Dungeons & Dragons run right in your living room. A witty game master narrates your fantasy quest, reacts to whatever your family decides to do, and rolls the dice to settle what happens next.
At our last reunion, the teenage cousins split off from the younger kids' games entirely and ran their own Wit’s End session in the next room, which solved a problem I hadn't even tried to fix.
Key features
- Describe your own hero out loud and watch the game bring them to life, superpowers and all
- Speak your choices; the game reads them back into the story
- Multiplayer on a single quest, different every playthrough
Best for
- Adults or teen cousins who want their own activity
- A smaller group settling in for a longer session
Pricing
7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library.
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9. CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ
CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ uses a phone as the microphone through a QR code scan, not the remote, which matters when the only player interested is barely old enough to talk.
We always have at least one toddler at reunions who's too young for anything else on this list, and this is the one activity that keeps them occupied.
Key features
- Various mini-games, including Wheels on the Bus, BINGO, and Look and Learn Adventure
- Phone-as-microphone setup through a QR code, built for ages 2 to 4
- Runs on Fire TV, Samsung, and LG, not Roku
Best for
- The one toddler who's too young for everything else listed here
- Toddlers who love to sing, dance, clap, and interact
Pricing
7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library.
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10. Meme Supreme
Meme Supreme has up to 8 players matching memes to an absurd prompt from their own phones, then voting anonymously on the funniest one.
Once the kids are asleep and it's just the adult siblings and cousins left at the table, this is what we pick. It's built for a grown-up crowd, not the family-friendly hours of the day.
Key features
- Up to 8 players, each on their own phone
- Prompts matched to memes, then voted on anonymously
- Tap 😂 💀 🔥 on your phone and watch reactions fly across the TV as each meme is revealed
Best for
- The adults-only hours after the kids are down
- A big adult group already on their phones anyway
Pricing
7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library.
For more options in the same spirit, these party games for grown-ups round out the after-hours lineup.
11. Cornhole
Cornhole is a beanbag toss game played between 2 raised boards, and it needs almost no athletic ability to enjoy. My family sets up cornhole the moment we arrive at any outdoor reunion.
It ends up running all day in the background while people rotate in and out between conversations. It's one of the simpler entries on our list of ways to spend quality time with family, reunion or not.
Key features
- Two boards and 8 beanbags, set up 27 feet apart for regulation play
- Works as singles or doubles
- Runs for hours in the background without anyone managing it
Best for
- A backyard reunion with room to set up
- Grandparents who want to play without much physical strain
Pricing
One-time purchase, typically $50 to $150 depending on the set.
12. Water balloon toss
Two lines face each other and toss a water balloon back and forth, taking a step back after every successful catch, until the balloons start breaking.
On a hot reunion day, this is the fastest way I've found to burn off a pack of overheated cousins before dinner without anyone needing to explain the rules twice.
Key features
- Just water balloons, a hose, and open space
- Pairs step back after each catch until balloons start popping
- Scales from a few pairs to the whole family at once
Best for
- A hot-weather reunion with restless kids
- A quick activity before a meal
Pricing
A few dollars for a bag of balloons.
13. Tug of war
Tug of war splits the group into 2 teams pulling opposite ends of a rope, with the team that pulls the other side across a center line winning.
With a family our size, tug of war is the one game that actually needs a crowd to work, and it's usually the loudest 5 minutes of the whole reunion.
Key features
- One long rope and a marked center line
- Two teams of any size, adjusted for a fair pull
- Best on grass, since it can get physical
Best for
- A large reunion with enough people for 2 real teams
- An outdoor venue with grass
Pricing
A rope you likely already own, or a few dollars for one.
14. Scavenger hunt
A scavenger hunt sends teams around a house, yard, or venue hunting for items or completing small challenges on a list.
At reunions held somewhere with real space, like a rented lodge or a grandparent's big property, this is what keeps kids from asking to leave after 20 minutes.
Key features
- A list of items or challenges, customized to your family or venue
- Works indoors, outdoors, or split across both
- Scales from a few kids to teams covering a whole property
Best for
- Venues with a lot of ground to cover
- Kids who need to move rather than sit
Pricing
Free, aside from printing a list if you want one.
15. Two Truths and a Lie
Each person shares 3 statements about themselves, 2 true and 1 false, and the group has to guess which one is the lie.
This is what I reach for when a new in-law or a distant cousin nobody's met yet is at the table, since it gets real information out of people faster than small talk does. It's simple enough to bring home afterward too, alongside other low-key family activities for the weeks between reunions.
Key features
- No supplies needed beyond a group willing to share
- Works for a table of 4 or a room of 40
- Reveals family history most people never bring up on their own
Best for
- New in-laws or distant relatives meeting for the first time
- A table waiting on food with nothing else to do
Pricing
Free.
Which family reunion game should you choose?
- Choose Jeopardy! when you want team trivia energy, so a shy teenager can ride along with a confident aunt.
- Choose Song Quiz when your family spans decades of music taste, since naming a song works for a grandparent and a tween equally well.
- Choose Wheel of Fortune when a relative keeps saying they're "bad at trivia," since calling letters rewards guessing over knowledge.
- Choose Guess the Emoji for the shorter windows between games when people are still arriving, since latecomers can join mid-round with zero explanation.
- Choose Sketchy AF when the energy dips after the meal and you need one loud round to bring it back.
- Choose Spot On when your family is spread across different cities or countries, since you can theme rounds around where everyone actually lives.
- Choose Karaoke when you already know the reunion is going to get loud, and you'd rather it get loud on purpose.
- Choose Wit's End when the quest-loving adults and teens want something separate from the younger kids' games.
- Choose CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ when a toddler needs their own activity instead of watching everyone else play.
- Choose Meme Supreme for after the kids are asleep, since it needs adults with their own phones.
- Choose cornhole when you're at a house or venue with yard space and want something people can drift in and out of.
- Choose a water balloon toss on a hot day when the kids have energy that needs somewhere to go.
- Choose tug of war when you have enough people to split into 2 large, evenly matched teams.
- Choose a scavenger hunt when your reunion venue has real ground to cover, indoors or out.
- Choose Two Truths and a Lie when new in-laws or distant cousins are meeting for the first time.
Bring Weekend to your next family reunion
Most of the TV-based games on this list are in the Weekend app, so one subscription covers most of your reunion's game plan.
- Jeopardy! (the official game for TV) uses real show clues, categories, and answers out loud in the form of a question.
- Song Quiz plays short clips you race to name, across tens of thousands of songs.
- Wheel of Fortune is a word puzzle the room solves together.
- Guess the Emoji puts a string of emojis on screen for the whole room to decode.
- Sketchy AF reveals a drawing one stroke at a time; earlier guesses score more.
- Spot On has you drop a pin on a globe to match cities and landmarks.
- Karaoke (on Roku) scores pitch accuracy and lyrics.
- Wit's End puts your family inside a chaotically fun fantasy quest you talk through together.
- CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ brings toddlers aged 2–4 familiar songs and educational activities.
- Meme Supreme has up to 8 players matching memes to a prompt and voting anonymously, best saved for after the kids are down.
The Weekend app is on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG. For more, see our 20 best game night games for everyone. Start a 7-day free trial to open the full library.
FAQs
What are the best family reunion games for all ages?
The best family reunion games for all ages mix a couple of TV-based games with a couple of no-equipment classics. Jeopardy! and Song Quiz on the Weekend app work for a mixed-age crowd indoors, and cornhole or a scavenger hunt cover the outdoor half of a reunion.
What are good family reunion games for adults?
Good family reunion games for adults include Meme Supreme, which needs up to 8 players on their own phones, and a competitive round of Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy! once the younger kids have gone to bed. Two Truths and a Lie also works well for adults meeting new in-laws.
What family reunion activities work for a big outdoor gathering?
Family reunion activities for a big outdoor gathering include cornhole, tug of war, a water balloon toss, and a scavenger hunt across the venue. All four need minimal setup and scale from a dozen people to a full extended family.
Do family reunion games and activities cost anything?
Most family reunion games and activities are free or close to it, including a scavenger hunt, Two Truths and a Lie, and a water balloon toss. Weekend adds trivia, karaoke, and party games through a 7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full library.
How do I get the Weekend app on my smart TV?
Open the app store on a Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, or LG TV and select Add app, then search "Weekend." The 7-day free trial starts immediately with Jeopardy!, Song Quiz, and the rest of the library.
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