12 Crowd-Pleasing Retirement Party Games
Once you have figured out the location and retirement party theme, it is time to turn your attention to the festivities. Retirement is a big step in life’s journey. A whole new world is out there and ready to meet you. Make sure this event is one to remember. Here are some fun retirement party games that your guests will enjoy.
We are getting ready to have a last hoorah. Make sure this event is lively and fun, with lots of attention paid to the honoree. This gathering is the pinnacle of celebrations for most people. Let’s make sure it’s a blast!
Guessing Retirement Party Games
Guess who loves guessing games? Answer: Me! Whether it is a rousing game of trivial pursuit or merely trying to remember an actor in a television show, I love to put my mind to work to figure out a solution. Here are some of my favorite retirement party guessing games.
Who am I?
This one is a heartfelt and funny memory game. Guests get to write down a memory of them and the honoree. Some of the memories will be obvious to the person, but it creates hilarious conversations when they are stumped or think it was someone else. Hearing a funny anecdote will cause the room to vibrate with happiness. A warm, touching memory will bring a tear to the eye. It’s nice to see the years written down for you to appreciate.
Who Am I? – Game – Gold Confetti (50-Cards)
Who Knows You Best?
Oh, how the tables have turned. With this game, it is the guests’ turn to try and see how well they know the honoree. Before the party, the retiree will fill out the answers to questions.
Start with easy questions of preferences:
- Spring or Fall
- Summer or Winter
- Beer or Wine
- Hotel or Camping
- Cruise or Road Trip
- Coffee or Tea
- Wife or Secretary (just kidding)
Secondly, you get specific:
- First car
- Name of Pet
- First Job
- Favorite Band
- Favorite Color
Then in final, the long-form questions:
- What will they miss most about work?
- What new hobby do they plan on trying?
- How many years did they work for the company?
This game can be played in teams or individually. You can set up the retirement party game on a board for everyone to see the final answers. They also make cards that are easy to pass out to guests when they come to the party. I prefer the cards as a quick option. But if you’re feeling ultra inspired, you can make a Jeopardy-style game board out of it too.
Who Knows the Retiree Best Game Cards (50 Pack) – Retirement Party Games Ideas Activities Supplies
Guess Which Style of Beer?
This game is fun, and many people can play it. You will need at least four styles of beer and a blindfold for each person playing. Pour out about 3 ounces of each beer for people to taste. If you have a twelve-ounce can or bottle, this should work for four contestants. You want them to be varied enough for people to win the challenge, but also have enough mystery that it makes it interesting.
Beer Recommendations:
- Pilsner
- India Pale Ale
- Sour or Gose
- Stout or Porter
- Lambic
- Cider
- Brown Ale
Guess Which Style of Wine?
I think that the wine version of this game is quite fun for me. I feel like I am such a wine lover, and then I am forced to try varietals that I am not familiar with. Maybe I am just a lush (hehe). For the wine retirement party guessing game, you will need four bottles of wine. Pour 2-3 ounces from each bottle and save the rest for me. Sorry, off track. I would do some fun ones, but keep it achievable. Remember the blindfold, and have fun!
Wine Recommendations:
- Reds-
- Cabernet
- Pinot Noir
- Zinfandel
- Whites-
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Grigio
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Blush-
- Dry Rosé
- White Zinfandel
- (Note: most rosés are from grape varietals that are already red wines you know, keep these to a minimum in this game)
- Sparkling-
- Champagne
- Vino Verde
- Prosseco
Guess Which Style of Liquor Retirement Party Game
I love this game, but be careful with the portions. Remember that when it comes to liquor, 1-2 ounces is a reasonably standard pour for a full drink. So, we just want to provide a taste; this isn’t shots night at the fraternity house. Liquors have very diverse palates, so this game is entertaining to play. When you see a whiskey drink taste a rum or gin, they may squeeze up like they just smelled lousy fish.
I would only do 4-5 of these standard liquors:
- Whiskey or Bourbon
- Gin
- Vodka
- Rum
- Tequila
Two Truth and a Lie
Keep people guessing with this very fun party game. It is especially fun to play with co-workers who you feel you “know” based on all the time spent together. The way you play the game is simple. You will say three statements- 2 of these statements are real, and one is a lie. There are plenty of ways to come up with believable lies for this game. The key is to make them sound plausible. Enjoy finding out new things about the people you THOUGHT you knew.
Bucket List Suggestions
Have a box or a designated container available that is easily accessible. On themed cards, cute notes, or whatever you desire, have guests write their best ideas for Bucket List activities. These can be pulled at the end of the retirement party games and read allowed. You can transfer them to a whimsical “bucket list” picture frame to be memorialized. A lovely take-home gift from the party.
50 Bucket List Cards, Bucket List Suggestions Card for Birthday Retirement Anniversary Party, Wedding Bucket List for Bridal Shower Wedding Reception Activity, Adventurous Ideas Bucket List.
“Never Have I Ever” Bingo
- The bingo cards have traditional spaces.
- Instead of the usual number listing, the spaces have “never have I ever…” items in them.
- The boxes say “been to another country,” “eaten Ethiopian food,” “been to a casino,” “been arrested,” “had gum in my hair.”
- You want weird things, but it could be true.
- The goal is to walk around and find people that HAVE done the thing listed.
- Once you cross off a row of 5, any direction, just like bingo, you win!
Draw on the Retiree
Now that they are leaving, they can look and dress; however, they feel! Print out 8×10 photos of the person retiring. Give guests magic markers to design the “new look” they think the person will adopt in their new-found freedom. Think of it as a caricature sketch. Ideas people can draw:
- New occupation
- Fun Hobby
- Mythological Creature
- Storybook Characters
- Personal Interest
Pen-ñata
This piñata is more of a gag than a real game. However, if done well, it can make for a hilarious laugh.
- Get a classic piñata or one that is thematic for the event
- Fill it with pens, sticky notes, paper clips, and other office supplies
- If your retiree didn’t work in a traditional office, pick items that would have been in high demand
- PENS are always in high demand- you can fill with company pens to keep it simple
- When the piñata burst open, then everyone will have a good laugh at the “prizes” you can keep!
Set Sail
Bon Voyage! Guests can compete to see who will be the next to retire.
What you will need:
- Small toy boats with sails
- A washing machine tray or similar
- A table to hold the tray (a square pan on a square, card table works best)
How to Play
- Fill the tray with enough water to float the boats
- Competitors start on opposite sides
- They can either:
- Blow the sail, no using the hands to get to the other side
- Use a small handheld fan to move the boat
- The first person to reach the other side is the victor!
D&D Distributing Three Sailboats
Lambro Industries 1780 Standard Washing Machine Tray, 29″X 31″
Enjoy throwing a fantastic retirement party! I hope these games inspire some fun antics on this joyous occasion.
Kim Anderson is the organized chaos loving author behind the Thrifty Little Mom Blog. She helps other people who thrive in organized chaos to stress less, remember more and feel in control of their time, money, and home. Kim is the author of: Live, Save, Spend, Repeat: The Life You Want with the Money You Have. She’s been featured on Time.com, Money.com, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Day, and more!
