Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Gamesver Team and JC Franco
If you’re looking for a great game to play at your next social gathering, the Telephone Game, aka Chinese Whispers, should be at the very top of your list of options. Why? Well, there’s a multitude of reasons why the Telephone Game is a big hit at a party or gathering, but today we are going to focus on just 15 of those reasons.
Choosing the Telephone Game as the entertainment for your next part is a great choice. There are many reasons why this particular game is a popular choice. So, if you are wondering if Chinese Whispers is the right game for your party, consider the following points and decide for yourself!
15 reasons to play the Telephone Game (Chinese Whispers):
1. It’s fun.
There’s no denying it; Chinese Whispers is fun when played in a party environment. It tends to increase happiness levels and get guests involved in a joint group activity.
2. It gets people talking and getting to know each other.
The beginning of any party can be awkward for some people, especially if they don’t know anyone else. Games are a great way to get people to learn other people’s names, learn a bit more about each other, and generally just relax into it.
3. Great way to pass the time (a form of entertainment).
Entertainment is important at a party because it gives the event a focus. Instead of sitting around sedentary and talking rubbish, guests who play a game will feel the time passing quickly and will remember the fun they had.
4. Great ice-breaker to make people feel more comfortable.
Discomfort is something that guests can experience if they are expected to enter a group of strangers. Everyone, even the most relaxed person, will feel a certain amount of tension or awkwardness on first arrival. But, if they are thrown straight into a game of Chinese Whispers, there’s no time to feel uncomfortable. Soon they will feel completely at ease.
5. It’s a non-competitive game, which means it presents a low risk for anger, frustration, and temper tantrums.
If you host parties on a regular basis, you will probably know that some games can get people angry, especially if friends have to play against each other. Chinese Whispers is a game that doesn’t set friends up against each other. It’s fun, and everyone is on the same team.
6. It can be hilarious to see how the messages become more incoherent as time wears on.
You will find that the Telephone Game can really get your friends laughing and having fun, especially if the message comes out misconstrued in the end. The more garbled the message is, the funnier it is. Guests at a party are keen to let their hair down, laugh a little louder than normal, and play the fool. The Telephone Game offers the perfect opportunity for this.
7. Reduces overall pressure for small talk.
Have you ever hosted a party, and the guests seem to be struggling to hold fun conversations? The pressure for small talk can be very stressful for some people.
By incorporating a game into your party where guests are encouraged to participate, you really help them eliminate the need to make consistent small talk. It can really help people loosen up. After a few rounds, the game itself can be a great topic of conversation.
8. Gets everyone involved in doing something together instead of breaking away into small groups.
If you don’t like to see your guests breaking into smaller groups and sticking to those groups over the course of the evening, a game is a good idea. It encourages people to come out of their groups and participate as part of the larger group. It encourages more intermingling of guests, which can help people to meet others outside of their regular social group.
9. Keeps the energy and mood of the party elevated and excitable.
Some parties can lose their pizazz at some point. These are often parties where people are served snacks and drinks and then left to their own devices. If you incorporate a game or two, you can expect to get guests interacting more with each other and having fun while doing so. The more fun your guests have, the more elevated the mood will be. This makes for a memorable party.
10. Great way to get both kids and adults to mingle (keeps the kids happy).
If you are hosting a gathering where both adults and kids are present, you might want to incorporate a few activities that make both the kids and adults happy to be there. Encouraging a game of Chinese Whispers is a great way to get both kids and adults having fun together. For fun, family-friendly gatherings, it is undeniable that Chinese Whispers is a great entertainment option.
11. It can be used to incorporate even more fun into the party (apply ‘punishments’ to losing teams).
You don’t just have to play the Telephone Game at your party. You could use the game to strategically apply fun rules and ‘punishments’ to your party guests.
For instance, if you set the guests into 2 groups and then punish each group that gets the message wrong at the end, you could end up creating great excitement over the course of the evening. For instance, losers have to have a shot of tequila or do 20-star jumps. You can get really creative with these.
12. It encourage more people to attend your party.
If people know that there’s a fun focus of the party and you entice them with snippets of what’s going to be involved, more people will probably want to participate. As a result, you will most likely have more people attending your party.
13. Keeps people actively involved, which reduces the amount of drinking that could happen.
If you don’t want alcohol to become the main focus of your party, try to distract people from it. The more activities your guests are involved in, the less they will drink. The more fun they have that doesn’t focus on drinking, the less chance your guests will overdo it.
14. May help some group members to let things go and just have fun.
If you have guests attending who have issues with other guests, you need a really good ice breaker that draws their attention away from their issues and helps them to focus on having fun. This can also help people with problems avoid having to talk to each other for a portion of the evening.
15. Encourages people to be good sports throughout the evening.
Sometimes parties can end in arguments and upset. If you distract from the seriousness of life by incorporating some fun entertainment in your party, people will fall into line and simply have good-natured fun. Playing games helps groups avoid sensitive topics and focus on the main objective of the gathering, which is to have fun.
All in all
If you are wondering if Chinese Whispers is a good fit for your upcoming party or social gathering, consider the above-mentioned pointers. It could end up being the best decision you make for your party.
Playing a game such as the Telephone Game at a party or gathering is a great way to bring people together and lighten the mood. Take the time to put a bit of effort into the game and think of some fun twists that can elevate the mood throughout the evening.
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who enjoy sharing their knowledge about their favorite games with others!
JC Franco
JC Franco serves as a New York-based editor for Gamesver. His interest for board games centers around chess, a pursuit he began in elementary school at the age of 9. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Mercyhurst University, JC brings a blend of business acumen and creative insight to his role. Beyond his editorial endeavors, he is a certified USPTA professional, imparting his knowledge in tennis to enthusiasts across the New York City Metropolitan area.