If you’re having a get together with friends and want to create an atmosphere of fun, laughs and conviviality, why not bring out the board games? Board games are the perfect way to break the ice, and what’s more, they can even be played by candlelight, should loadshedding catch you by surprise.

Below are Solarpop's top five party night games:

 5 Second Rule SA Travel Edition

Can you name 3 of the “big five”? Can you do it with the pressure of 5 seconds twisting down a mini timer and with other players staring you down? 5 Second Rule SA Travel Edition is a game of speed, quick thinking, and lots of laughs.

 Codenames In Codenames, two teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. The two teams are headed by two rival spymasters who compete to make contact with all of their agents. Whoever can make contact with all their agents first wins. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Their teammates try to guess the words while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. Thrown in the mix is an assassin and everyone wants to avoid them.

Philip Galliford, Spokesperson for game distributor Solarpop, has this to say about the game: “Codenames is all about figuring out the clues, which makes it more than just about winning or losing. It requires teamwork and quick thinking, so ideal for a dinner party of eight to twelve guests.”

Exploding Kittens

Exploding Kittens is a feline-powered version of Russian Roulette. Players take turns drawing cards until someone draws an exploding kitten at which point they figuratively explode and they are out of the game. But here’s the twist, if a player holds a Defuse card, they can defuse the exploding kitten card with a selection of cat distractions that include laser pointers, belly rubs, and catnip sandwiches.  

Poetry for Neanderthals

So, you think it’s easy to talk like a Neanderthal? Those who’ve had a go at Poetry for Neaderthals will tell you that it’s a lot harder than it seems. From the same crazy creators of Exploding Kittens, this game is loads of raucous fun. The rules are straightforward and the game is easy to play – players need to give clues by speaking in single syllables, which is not as simple as it sounds.

Unstable Unicorns

This game turns the docile, magical concept of unicorns on its, well, horn! The unicorns in this game are unlike any you’ve ever encountered, fictional or otherwise. The game requires players to build a unicorn army and learn how unstable their friendships really are.

For more on quirky, irreverent, fun and laugh-out-loud games for adults visit www.solarpop.co.za or www.unplugyourself.co.za