Family Dinner Games: 158 Cards for 7 No-Prop Table Games: how it works
These family dinner games need no board, no pencil and nothing on the table but dinner. The deck holds 158 cards for seven games: a market memory chain, Fortunately unfortunately, a one-word story, Guess who I am, What changed on the table, a whisper chain and Higher or lower. Tap a game, press Next card, and one player reads it out.
Run a game from one phone at the table
Prop the phone beside one plate. Tap a game in the Game row and press Next card. One player reads the card, runs the round and passes the phone left. Skip puts a card back. Two games need a careful reader: in Guess who I am the answer sits in brackets at the end of the card, and in What changed on the table the reader reads silently while everyone else shuts their eyes.
Seven games and our house rules for each
Market memory chain: the reader says the opener and adds one item; each player repeats the whole list and adds another. Fortunately, unfortunately: the next player answers with an Unfortunately line, and the story flips every turn. One word at a time: the card starts a sentence and each player adds a single word. Guess who I am: the first right guess wins the card. What changed on the table: eyes shut, the reader does what the card says, and the table gets three guesses. Whisper chain: whisper the sentence from ear to ear, then compare the last version with the card. Higher or lower: the person the card asks about knows the number, and the rest hear only higher or lower. These are folk games with no official rules.
The list on the page and what the phone remembers
All 158 cards are listed under the tool, game by game, so these family dinner table games also work with the phone in a pocket: use your browser's Print command and the list prints with the page. One note is in the list only, on the trick card of What changed on the table. With No repeats tonight ticked, a played card stays out until Start over, and the phone forgets played cards after twelve idle hours. Scores stay until Reset scores.
Tips
Open with Whisper chain on Easy. One sentence takes about a minute, needs no explaining, and gives even the quietest person a turn.
In Guess who I am, hold a thumb over the end of the card while you read, so a neighbor cannot see the answer in brackets.
Let the youngest be the changer first in What changed on the table. No card asks anyone to touch a knife, a candle or a hot dish.
A player with a full mouth may point to the next person and take the turn after. Nobody talks while chewing.
In a restaurant, keep to the quiet games: Guess who I am, Higher or lower, the market chain and One word at a time. The timer stays silent unless you tick Sound.
Questions and answers
What are good family games to play at dinner with little kids?
Tap Easy in the Level row: 64 cards are Easy, and every game has some. Guess who I am on Easy is all animals, such as a snail, a penguin and a rooster, and What changed on Easy is big moves, such as Put your napkin on your head.
How do we keep score?
Type names such as Kids and Grown-ups over Team 1 and Team 2. Give +1 for a right guess in Guess who I am, a change spotted in three guesses, a whisper that arrives intact, or a Higher or lower number found in five guesses. In the chain and story games, a player who drops an item, says two words or stalls for a count of five hands the other side a point.
What is the timer for?
Most of these games need no clock, and it has two jobs. For a speed round of Guess who I am, tap 1 min, press Start round and read clue after clue, pressing Next card after each right guess; at the bell the page says how many cards the table got through. 5 min caps one game at about a course: at the bell, finish the turn and clear the plates.
I cooked a soup and threw in… Rule: the sillier the better.
I flew to the moon and took…
I looked under my bed and found…
I opened Grandma's fridge and found…
I packed a picnic basket and put in…
I went camping and packed…
I went on vacation and packed… Rule: nothing you can see from your seat.
I went to a restaurant and ordered… Rule: a starter, a main, a dessert, then round again.
I went to the bakery and bought… Rule: one of the first thing, two of the next, and so on.
I went to the beach and took…
I went to the farm and heard… Rule: make the sound, do not name the animal.
I went to the hardware store and bought…
I went to the library and borrowed a book about…
I went to the market and bought… Rule: add a describing word, like a squeaky cheese.
I went to the market and bought… Rule: any food at all.
I went to the market and bought… Rule: go down the alphabet, A, then B, then C.
I went to the market and bought… Rule: only fruit and vegetables.
I went to the market and bought… Rule: only things that are red.
I went to the market and bought… Rule: only things that come in pairs.
I went to the market and got… Rule: your item starts with the first letter of your name.
I went to the pet store and came home with…
I went to the toy store and bought…
Fortunately, unfortunately 22
Fortunately, a friendly dragon offered to cook dinner tonight.
Fortunately, a pirate ship parked outside our house.
Fortunately, I found a treasure map inside my sandwich.
Fortunately, I remembered the password just in time.
Fortunately, it started raining pancakes on the way to school.
Fortunately, my backpack could fly.
Fortunately, my shoes could suddenly run by themselves.
Fortunately, our dog learned to talk last night.
Fortunately, the band needed one more player. Rule: every line names an instrument.
Fortunately, the cake was enormous. Rule: every line has a number, counting up from one.
Fortunately, the circus came to our street. Rule: every line adds a new animal.
Fortunately, the elevator went all the way up to the clouds.
Fortunately, the last train of the night was running late.
Fortunately, the map was only a little torn. Rule: every line names a place.
Fortunately, the mayor put me in charge of the town for one day.
Fortunately, the museum guard fell asleep next to the dinosaur bones.
Fortunately, the recipe only needed three more ingredients.
Fortunately, the school bus turned into a boat this morning.
Fortunately, the spaceship had one seat left, and it was mine.
Fortunately, the tent was still standing when we got back.
Fortunately, the zoo let me take a penguin home for the weekend.
Fortunately, we found a door in the back of the fridge.
One word at a time 22
The astronaut looked out of the window and saw…
Breaking news: early this morning, a giant…
The day our cat became president, she…
Dear Mayor, I am writing to complain about…
Deep under the kitchen floor there lives a…
In the year 3000, families eat dinner on…
Last night I dreamed that our house could…
The moral of this story is that you should never…
My grandmother's secret recipe begins with…
Nobody knew why the moon had turned…
On the top shelf of the fridge, a small…
Once there was a king who was afraid of…
Once upon a time, a very tired dragon…
The perfect sandwich is simple. First, you…
The pirate captain opened the chest and found…
The smallest elephant in the herd wanted to…
The snowman looked at the sun and said…
There are three rules in this house. Rule one:…
Welcome aboard. This is your captain speaking. Today we…
When the lights went out, the first thing we…
The world's slowest racehorse was named…
Yesterday at school, my teacher suddenly…
Guess who I am 24
I am black and white, I have pedals, and I sing when you press me. (A piano)
I am in this room. I open without a key and I let the day in. (A window)
I am on this table. Everyone has one of me and nobody eats me. (A plate)
I am tall, I wear a spotted coat and I eat leaves from the treetops. (A giraffe)
I bring letters to your door in sun, rain and snow. (A mail carrier)
I build dams out of sticks and I have big front teeth. (A beaver)
I carry my house on my back and I am never in a hurry. (A snail)
I change my shape night after night and I pull the tides. (The moon)
I follow you on sunny days and vanish when the lights go out. (Your shadow)
I get up before the sun and wake the whole farm. (A rooster)
I hang on the wall, my hands go round all day and I never get dizzy. (A clock)
I have a trunk and big ears, and they say I never forget. (An elephant)
I have eight arms and I squirt ink when I am scared. (An octopus)
I have four legs and a back, and someone here is sitting on me. (A chair)
I keep my baby in a pouch and I get around by hopping. (A kangaroo)
I look in your mouth, count your teeth and say open wide. (A dentist)
I ride a red truck, wear a helmet and carry a long hose. (A firefighter)
I sleep upside down and find my way in the dark by sound. (A bat)
I stand in a cup in the bathroom and wear a minty hat twice a day. (A toothbrush)
I turn up every week right after the weekend, and few people cheer. (Monday)
I wait folded by the door until the sky turns gray. (An umbrella)
I wave a little stick and a whole orchestra starts to play. (A conductor)
I wear black and white, I waddle, and I cannot fly. (A penguin)
Shout at a mountain and I shout the same thing back. (An echo)
What changed on the table 21
Add one thing that was not on the table before: a pen, a key or a toy.
Change nothing at all, and keep a straight face while they guess.The trick card. The guessers win only by saying that nothing changed.
Cross your fork and spoon on your plate.
Fold your napkin into a triangle and put it back where it was.
Hide one napkin on your lap.
Make two changes instead of one. The guessers must find both.
Move the bread basket, or any serving bowl, to the other end of the table.
Move the salt so it stands next to the person farthest from you.
Move your own spoon to the other side of your plate.
Put a spoon inside an empty glass.
Put your napkin on your head.
Roll up one sleeve.
Slide your glass one hand to the left.
Swap the salt and the pepper.
Swap your fork with the fork of the person next to you.
Take off a watch, a ring or a hair tie and put it in your pocket.
Take one thing off the table and hide it behind your back.
Turn a closed bottle or jar so its label faces the other way.
Turn one fork upside down.
Turn the water pitcher so the handle points the other way.
Turn your plate a quarter turn.
Whisper chain 22
A green frog jumped over the sleeping dog.
A snail sailed to Spain in a silver spoon.
An octopus ordered eight odd orange overcoats.
The baker's brother burned both batches of blueberry buns.
Big blue bubbles bounced by the bathtub.
The cat ate my hat.
Dinosaurs never do their dishes.
Freddy found forty-four frozen fish sticks in the freezer.
Grandma's purple parrot packs pickles for the picnic.
The moon is made of mashed potatoes and gravy.
My socks never match on Mondays.
My teacher keeps a tiny tiger in her top drawer.
Nobody knows where the noodles go at night.
Please pass the peas to the person with the polka-dot plate.
The quiet queen quickly quit the quilting club.
The rain in the drain went down to the train.
Seven sleepy sloths slid slowly down the slide.
Six chefs chopped fresh shallots for the fish stew.
Three thin thinkers thought thirty thoughts on Thursday.
Tomorrow the toaster turns two.
Uncle Walter waters the watermelons every Wednesday.
The wizard's whiskers whistle when the wind blows west.
Higher or lower 24
How many books has the reader read this year?
How many buttons is the reader wearing right now?
How many doors are in the reader's home? Closet doors count.
How many first cousins does the reader have?
How many forks, spoons and knives are on the table? The reader counts first.
How many homes has the oldest person at the table lived in?
How many hours did the youngest person at the table sleep last night?
How many hours was the longest car, bus or train ride the reader has taken?
How many jobs has the oldest person at the table had?
How many keys are on the key ring of whoever drove last?
How many languages can the oldest person at the table say hello in?
How many letters are in the full name of the person on the reader's right?
How many minutes does it take the reader to get to school or work?
How many pairs of shoes does the person on the reader's left own?
How many people came to the biggest birthday party the reader ever had?
How many pets has the oldest person at the table ever had?
How many pillows are on the reader's bed?
How many plants live in the home of the person on the reader's right?
How many schools has the oldest person at the table attended?
How many states or countries has the person on the reader's left visited?
How many stuffed animals does the youngest person at the table own?
How many teachers has the youngest person at the table had so far?
How many times has the person on the reader's right been on an airplane?
In what year did the oldest person at the table learn to ride a bike?
How this list was compiled: Every card was written for this page by the Game Night Generator editors on 2026-09-19: openers, starters, clues, set-ups, sentences and number questions for seven traditional table games that need no equipment. Each card was read for an all-ages table: nothing about money, age, weight or anything that would embarrass the person it asks about, and no set-up touches a knife, a candle or a hot dish. The octopus, bat and beaver clues state common knowledge only. The games themselves are folk games with no official rules, so the rules on this page are house rules. No card was tested with a panel, and no card is copied from another list. Licence: own work