Best 20 Dollar Draft Categories for Parties

What makes a category work

Three things. First, instant pictures: nobody should need to look anything up before bidding. Second, an obvious top tier, so the first bidding war starts quickly. Third, a few disasters, because the end of the game, when one player hands out the leftovers, is only funny if some of them are terrible. Every theme in the game is built that way: 100 options, with the last ten deliberately bad.

For a loud group: zombie survival

The vote tells a story (who is still alive after a month?), so everyone has an opinion. Hideouts like an underground bunker, escapes like a helicopter, and rule-breakers like a cure start real fights, while a friend who screams and a dog that barks nonstop are waiting at the bottom of the list. See all 100 zombie survival picks or deal a table.

For a mixed crowd: superpowers

Everyone has wanted a superpower since they were six. Teleportation, stopping time and reading minds go first; the clever players clean up with cheaper powers that combine well. It is also the best theme for a group that has never played. All 100 superpowers · deal a table.

For a family evening: dream house

Houses are something every age can argue about. Kids go straight for the slide between floors and the indoor trampoline room; adults get oddly passionate about heated floors. The deal-breakers, like a single bathroom for everyone, keep it funny. All 100 dream house features · deal a table.

For a dinner party: your restaurant

Play it while you wait for the food. Each player opens a restaurant from dishes, locations, staff and extras, and the vote is “where are we eating next time?” Robot waiters and a magician at each table are surprisingly hard to beat. All 100 restaurant picks · deal a table.

For gamers: your own video game

Everyone designs a game, and everyone has strong opinions about loading screens. Expect bidding wars over no pay-to-win and co-op with friends, and a lot of laughter when someone ends up shipping a game whose final reward is a cabbage. All 100 video game picks · deal a table.

Five more that rarely fail

• House Party: five things your friends will talk about tomorrow.
• Villain Lair: a headquarters worthy of an evil laugh, from inside a volcano to under the ocean.
• Dream Holiday: the trip everyone wishes they had booked.
• Secret Agent Kit: five gadgets to make the mission look easy.
• Time Machine: when you go and what you take with you.

All of them, and 50 more, are on the categories page with a few sample options each.

Making your own category

Any list works if it has at least five options per player. Mix a few dream picks, a lot of middle ground and three or four disasters, and keep each option short enough to read in a second. In our game, choose My own list on one device or against AI players and type one option per line.