5 unusual party games

SO you've got a group of friends together, the red wine is losing its flavour nicely in the fridge, the nibbles have been placed around the front room, and you have the buffet ready to serve at a moment's notice; so what are you going to do to keep everyone entertained?

For sure, you could follow the crowds and throw on a CD or two, dig out the Trivial Pursuit or even just listen to Doreen from down the road bang on incessantly about how wonderful her children are doing in school and how she fully expects them to qualify for Oxbridge by the time they are nine.

You could do this, but it would be rather dull and uninspiring (to say the least), and by the end of your evening large numbers of your guests will be erasing your number from their contact lists because you have invited irritating friends like Doreen.

The solution is simple; just pick one of the five unusual, different and downright quirky party games listed below.

1. Bingo: No, you don't have to go and get a whole set of bingo cards printed out. Did you know you can fire up a few laptops, smartphones and play free bingo online together? Thousands of people have started to play bingo via their smartphones and computers in recent months, and it has consequently become one of the fastest growing leisure activities in the UK. Why not join a site where you can all enter a room and play the game together? You never know, you may even win a few quid... that's sure to make those stale vol-au-vents taste a whole lot better!

2. Casino Night: If you like the idea of a wager or two, but would prefer not to play bingo, then an ideal way is to set up your own casino night. Rather than buy or hire equipment, you can once again use the power of the Internet and fire up the laptop or desktop to play a variety of online slot machines, roulette and many more games. Then why not break out the deck of cards for a game of poker, or blackjack, better still if you have authentic casino chips! Best of all, if you are not the host, the drinks are free all night too! Result!

3. Charades: Let's face it, charades has the potential to be absolutely brilliant, or intensely dull. The key is in the names of the songs and shows you place into the pot and the general cognitive condition of your guests when they start the game. Watching Aunty Pip try to accurately mime Songs of Praise to a bunch of sober guests is hardly the recipe for a rip-roaring evening. Alternatively, a few bottles of wine later, watching Roger attempt to mime Free Willy while remaining in the realms of public decency is far more entertaining. Pick the right people and the right mimes and you will have a great time. You only have to remember Lionel Blair's joyous face when he pulled off Three Men in a Boat in less than two minutes to know how entertaining this game can be.

4. Wii Sports: The Nintendo Wii is the best console for a party; its control system is easy to pick up and understand and the results are spectacular. So fire up the Wii, put on a copy of Wii Sports or Wii Sports Resort, and have your own evening of Olympics! It will probably cost a lot less than the real thing in London and let us face it, we have a far better chance of winning a few gold medals.

5. Truth or Dare: The general rule of thumb is that the line is drawn if a person is likely to lose a member of their family, a job or a limb; anything other than that is fair game!

If you can plan a variety of activities and questions that will provoke nothing more than a red face, a guilty giggle and a mild loss of dignity, then in combination with the right guests and the right beverages, this can be a fantastic way to spend an evening.