Birthday

Phone party games for a birthday

At a birthday the people around the table usually know each other to very different degrees. You want party games that need little explaining and leave nobody out. Here is how each of the six fits.

The game is currently in Latvian; an English version is in progress.

Play

Free to play right now. Sign-up needs an invite code from the host of your room.

Friends in a TV studio under a spotlight, pointing at each other

Who is most likely to forget their own birthday? Today — nobody.Rūdis Spīdums

Which game fits

A room holds at most six players. With more guests, split into two rooms or take turns.

Good fit
Which of Us
The best choice when the guests know each other. The questions are friendly and need no explanation. Keep in mind that the game picks each round’s star in rotation, so the birthday person gets their turn, but not every round.
3–6 players · about 15–40 min
Good fit
Curse Road
Works for a mixed group where not everyone knows each other: nothing personal to know, just phones to tap and things to laugh at. Everyone plays for themselves, but anyone knocked out becomes a ghost and plays to the end, so nobody sits out.
3–6 players · about 15–20 min
Good fit
The Big Grab
A loud co-op game — a good opener while everyone is still warming up: you win or lose together, so nobody finishes last. Works with three people too.
3–6 players · about 15–25 min
Good fit
Ghost Manor
Works when there is a quarter of an hour or a little more at the table: everyone hoards treasure for themselves, the White Lady hunts the leader, and the mini-games keep everyone on their phones. The short night takes up to ~13 minutes, the long one up to ~19. Anyone who faints plays on as a ghost, and the spooky mood is just right for an autumn birthday.
3–6 players · short night up to ~13 min, long up to ~19 min
Fits with conditions
Mole Hunt
Fun with five or six people who like to bluff. With four there is only one mole and the game is simpler.
4–6 players · about 15–25 min
Fits with conditions
Foul Play
Needs 20–30 minutes of attention and some reading, but there are four cases to choose from — from a Midsummer lake house to a 1996 nightclub. It suits the calmer part of the evening at the table, not the moment everyone is wandering around with a plate of cake.
3–6 players · about 20–30 min

A plan for the evening

One option that works with six people and a little over an hour.

Warm-up
The Big Grab: about a quarter of an hour, after which everyone is awake and knows how to join a room.
Main game
Which of Us with 12 rounds. Take selfies before starting — they come in handy in the drawing round. At the end Rūdis hands out the awards.
Closer
Curse Road — a loud finale where it is every player for themselves. Even those knocked out keep meddling with the living as ghosts until the very end.

Practical notes

The games are in Latvian for now, so today this only works for a Latvian-speaking group. An English version is in progress.
Every player needs their own account. The invite code comes from the host, so send it to the guests ahead of time and nobody has to sign up mid-party.
Check the Wi-Fi or mobile signal where you will be celebrating. The game works on either.
Selfies are optional. Anyone who would rather not be photographed gets the first letter of their name as an avatar.

Questions about birthday games

Can we play in English?

Not yet. The game is currently in Latvian; an English version is in progress.

Can we play with more than six guests?

A room holds at most six players. A bigger group can split into two rooms or swap after each game.

Are the games suitable for children?

The content is friendly and free of swearing, but the games were written for groups of adult friends, and every player needs their own account and phone. They have not been tested with children.