The hens night is about to start, but the guest list is scattered across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and beyond. One person is joining from a laptop, another is relying on a phone, and someone else still needs the rules explained before the first laugh lands. The right choice among party games online depends on the group, not just the game's popularity. Consider the number of guests, their confidence with technology, their appetite for competition and how cheeky the celebration should feel. Australia already has a large, familiar audience for interactive digital entertainment, with nearly 17 million Australians visiting a games website or app in June 2025 according to Ipsos iris. Start with smooth setup, clear player flow, simple tone controls and house rules that let everyone participate comfortably. These seven options move from the easiest all-rounder to more specialised picks for creative, competitive and cheekier groups.
Table of Contents
- 1. Jackbox Party Packs
- 2. Gartic Phone
- 3. Kahoot!
- 4. Among Us
- 5. All Bad Cards
- 6. Codenames Online
- 7. GeoGuessr Party Mode
- 7-Title Comparison of Online Party Games
- Make the Game Feel Like Your Celebration
1. Jackbox Party Packs
For a mixed hens-night group, Jackbox Party Packs is the safest first recommendation. One host runs a pack on a computer or console, shares the game screen through a TV or video call, and invites everyone to join from a phone using a browser at Jackbox.tv. Players don't need to install an app, which removes the most common technology hurdle before the fun has even started.
The packs combine several styles, including trivia, drawing, bluffing and writing. That variety matters when the group includes competitive guests, quiet guests and people who insist they “aren't gamers”. Choose a gentle drawing or quiz round first, then move towards more suggestive writing or bluffing games if the room is clearly comfortable.
Why it suits a hens night
The audience mode helps larger rooms stay involved even when not everyone is answering in the main player slots. Jackbox also provides family-friendly filters and moderation features, so the host can control the tone rather than leaving every prompt open-ended. It works with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, smart TVs, consoles and PC or Mac setups. Check the official Jackbox Games site before the event to confirm the pack and device arrangement you want to use.
Practical rule: Put one person in charge of screen-sharing and another in charge of reading prompts, watching the chat and helping anyone who gets stuck.
The main drawback is that the host needs to purchase a pack, and each pack is a separate purchase. It also needs a central screen, so it isn't the best choice for an audio-only call. For a polished, low-pressure start that can become as wholesome or cheeky as the group wants, Jackbox is the all-rounder. For more ideas that work alongside hosted entertainment, browse these interactive party entertainment ideas.
2. Gartic Phone
Gartic Phone wins when the hens night needs a quick laugh without a complicated explanation. Everyone writes a prompt, another player draws it, and someone else interprets the drawing. The final reveal shows how the original idea changed as it travelled through the group, creating a chain of increasingly ridiculous results.
The game runs in a browser, so guests can join without downloading software. It pairs best with a Zoom, Discord or other voice call because the reactions are half the entertainment. Hosts can choose from built-in modes such as the normal, knock-off and animation formats, then download the finished story as a GIF for the bride or guest of honour.
Best for creative chaos
Gartic Phone is particularly strong when the group is large or includes people who don't enjoy scoring systems. Drawing skill isn't the point, and the game gives everyone a turn without demanding fast reflexes or detailed knowledge. A prompt about the bride's ideal honeymoon can become a confused animal, a disastrous wedding cake or an entirely new character by the final frame.
The host should set the content boundary before sharing the room code. Gartic Phone doesn't provide built-in moderation, so decide whether prompts must stay clean, mildly cheeky or adults-only. A private instruction such as “keep it playful, and skip anything personal or sexual unless everyone has agreed” gives guests a clear route to participate.
- Use it for: Creative groups, mixed confidence levels and big laughter.
- Add energy with: A voice call and a host who narrates each reveal.
- Keep it comfortable with: A no-NSFW rule or a pre-approved theme list.
- Save afterwards: Download the final GIF and share it with the bridal party.
Start with a familiar theme rather than an intimate one. “Design the bride's dream wedding cake” is safer than asking guests to expose private stories, and it still gives the drawings plenty of room to become funny. Visit Gartic Phone to test the room setup before the event.
3. Kahoot!
Choose Kahoot! when personalisation matters more than improvisation. The host displays questions on a shared screen, while guests answer from phones, tablets or laptops. That simple arrangement makes it ideal for a living-room TV, a restaurant private room with a screen or a video call where everyone is joining remotely.
The strongest hens-night format is a custom quiz about the bride, couple or friendship group. Questions can cover harmless memories, favourite foods, travel preferences and wedding predictions. Kahoot! also supports polls, word clouds and music, allowing the host to switch between competitive questions and more relaxed participation. Its official Kahoot! platform includes quiz creation tools and templates that can speed up preparation.
Build a quiz people want to answer
A good hens-night quiz tests shared knowledge without embarrassing guests who joined the group later. Use multiple-choice questions for momentum, then insert a poll where there is no right answer. A word cloud can collect honeymoon suggestions or describe the bride in a way that feels warm rather than exposing.
Keep the content varied. Three or four easy questions can get everyone participating before you introduce a more competitive round. If the group includes colleagues, relatives and friends who don't all know the same stories, avoid questions that reward only the oldest friendship.
A personalised quiz works best when guests can laugh with the bride, not at someone who didn't know an obscure detail.
The free tier may restrict some features and player limits, while advanced branding and larger sessions require paid plans. Check those limits before sending invitations, especially if the hens night combines in-person and remote guests. For a broader collection of adult-friendly activities, see these party game ideas for adults.
Kahoot! is the clear pick for hosts who enjoy preparation and want the game to feel made for the guest of honour. It also gives a confident host control over pace, wording and content, which makes it easier to keep the celebration inclusive.
4. Among Us
Among Us is the choice for a hens night built around accusations, dramatic pauses and playful suspicion. Players join a space-themed lobby as crewmates, while impostors sabotage the mission and eliminate players. Crewmates complete tasks and discuss suspicious behaviour, creating short bursts of action followed by lively debate.
The game supports cross-platform play across mobile, PC and console, with custom lobbies, multiple maps and adjustable roles. Groups can include four to 15 players, as specified by Innersloth's official game information. That range makes it useful for a medium-sized bridal party, particularly when guests want competition but don't want a long tournament.
Give new players a clear start
Among Us is more enjoyable when someone explains the basic loop before the first round. Tell new players what tasks look like, how meetings work and when discussion happens. A short practice round can remove confusion without spoiling the social drama.
Voice chat adds most of the personality, but the host should establish a simple speaking rule. Keep discussion inside the meeting, avoid talking over the player who is presenting evidence and allow eliminated guests to watch without revealing information. If the group is larger, rotate spectators into the next round so nobody spends too long waiting.
- Choose it for: Competitive friends who enjoy bluffing and banter.
- Use voice chat for: Accusations, defence and comic overreaction.
- Brief beginners on: Tasks, meetings, voting and spectator etiquette.
- Manage the room with: Private lobbies and agreed discussion rules.
The tone can stay playful if the host frames the impostor role as theatre rather than a test of intelligence. Don't pressure quiet guests to make a dramatic accusation, and don't treat a mistaken vote as a personal failure. For more options suited to a bigger bridal party, explore these party games for large groups.
Among Us suits groups with enough energy for conversation between rounds. It isn't the best opening game for guests who are still learning each other's names, but it becomes memorable once everyone understands the rules.
5. All Bad Cards
For a deliberately cheeky hens night, All Bad Cards offers the most direct control over adult humour. Guests join through a browser on a phone or laptop, read a prompt and choose a response. The game supports private lobbies, mature-rated packs and custom card editing, so the host can shape the experience around the group rather than accepting a fixed tone.
Custom cards are the key feature for a bridal party that shares inside jokes. You can write prompts about the bride's harmless habits, the couple's travel stories or the wedding planning process. Keep personal material affectionate and avoid anything that reveals a secret, targets a guest or assumes everyone has the same sense of humour.
Set boundaries before the first card
The platform offers content ratings, optional premium packs and a Bad Cards+ subscription. It also integrates with Discord Activities, which can keep voice chat and gameplay together. Visit Bad Cards to review the available formats and decide whether the free core play gives you enough control.
Set the tone in one sentence: “We're keeping this cheeky, consensual and easy to skip, so nobody has to answer a prompt that feels too personal.”
That sentence gives the host authority without making the event feel formal. Use a visible pass option, allow players to leave a round without explanation and appoint a second host to remove a card if it crosses the agreed line. A judge rotation also prevents one person from controlling the humour all night.
All Bad Cards is better for small to medium groups than a very large room. If many guests are playing, rotate judges or divide the evening into smaller rooms. Choose this game when the group already knows each other well and has explicitly welcomed adult humour. If that isn't true, Jackbox, Gartic Phone or Kahoot! will create fewer awkward moments.
6. Codenames Online
Codenames Online is the best option for a quieter hens night or a group that prefers wordplay to noise. Players split into two teams and use one-word clues to connect secret words on the board. The game rewards communication, association and careful listening, so it creates competition without requiring drawing skills, fast reactions or personal disclosure.
The official browser version provides private room links and a layout that mirrors the tabletop experience. Guests can play on phones or laptops without downloading an app or creating unnecessary accounts. Open the official Codenames Online site before the event, create the room and send the private link with the video-call details.
Keep the strategy social
Codenames needs more concentration than the other games on this list. That makes it a poor choice while guests are still arriving, eating noisily or moving between conversations. Run it after the group has settled, and keep the teams small enough that everyone gets heard.
For a hens-night twist, prepare a short list of themed words for the host to reference during team selection or conversation, but don't force private wedding knowledge into every clue. The game works best when teams can debate possibilities without one confident player making every decision.
- Best group: Friends and family who enjoy puzzles and word association.
- Best setup: A stable video call with one shared game link.
- Best rhythm: Focused rounds with a host who explains the scoring.
- Best adaptation: Rotate the clue-giver so different personalities lead.
Codenames Online is designed for four to eight players, according to the supplied platform guidance. Larger groups should rotate players rather than crowding every guest around one board. That approach keeps the game readable and gives spectators a role as commentators or supporters.
Select Codenames when you want a polished change of pace between louder activities. It won't deliver the same chaotic reaction as a drawing game, but it gives competitive guests a satisfying challenge while leaving the celebration accessible to people who prefer thoughtful play.
7. GeoGuessr Party Mode
GeoGuessr Party Mode is the specialist pick for travel lovers, map enthusiasts and guests who enjoy a clear competitive score. Players appear in Google Street View and try to identify where they are. The entertainment comes from spotting clues such as road markings, signs, architecture and regional details, then seeing how close each guess lands.
Party Mode provides private lobbies, different game modes, custom and community-made maps, leaderboards and adjustable time or score settings. Region-specific maps can make the game feel more relevant to an Australian group, while broader maps create a more challenging international round. Test the GeoGuessr platform in advance because the free tier is limited and extended play benefits from a paid plan.
Make the difficulty welcoming
GeoGuessr can divide a group quickly if experienced players recognise clues that beginners don't understand. Start with approachable maps and give everyone permission to talk through their reasoning. The host can also split players into teams, which turns specialist knowledge into a shared puzzle rather than an individual advantage.
Stable internet matters because the game depends on Street View imagery and timed guesses. Guests should use a browser on a device that can display map details clearly, and the host should explain whether the round rewards speed, accuracy or both before play begins.
Choose GeoGuessr when the group wants discovery rather than personal questions. It suits a travel-themed hens night, an international friend group or a competitive celebration that has already covered the obvious quiz and drawing formats. It isn't the right first game for a low-energy room, but it provides a distinctive finale when guests are ready for one more challenge.
7-Title Comparison of Online Party Games
| Item | 🔄 Implementation complexity | ⚡ Resource requirements | 📊 Expected outcomes | 💡 Ideal use cases | ⭐ Key advantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackbox Party Packs (Jackbox Games) | Low, host installs pack; players join via browser | One paid pack for host, one central screen (TV/PC) + phones, moderate internet | High engagement, varied party moods, strong audience involvement | Living-room parties, virtual happy hours, family gatherings | Easy setup, diverse game types, audience mode, content filters |
| Gartic Phone | Very low, browser-based, instant lobbies | Free, browser on phones/desktops; voice call recommended for banter | High-laugh output, creative keepsakes (downloadable GIFs), scales large | Large groups, casual social calls, drawing rounds | Free, instant to learn, highly scalable, GIF export |
| Kahoot! | Low, host creates quiz; players enter PIN | Free tier available (limits), host device + players' phones, internet | Fast-paced competitive quizzes, measurable scores/leaderboard | Custom trivia, team-building, event rounds | Quick to build/customize, templates, music/polls for showmanship |
| Among Us (Innersloth) | Low–Medium, install or open on platform; brief rules intro | Cross-platform devices, voice chat encouraged, internet | Strong social drama, short replayable rounds, memorable moments | Themed events, social deduction parties, voice-chat groups | Flexible group sizes, dramatic interaction, quick matches |
| All Bad Cards (Bad Cards) | Low, browser join, host sets deck and ratings | Free core play, optional premium packs/subscription, devices | Cheeky adult humour, fast rounds, highly customizable tone | Adult gatherings, hens nights, inside-joke parties | Custom deck editor, adult-rated packs, minimal teaching curve |
| Codenames Online (Official) | Low, browser room, requires quiet focus | Free, phones/laptops, small–medium groups | Strategic, thoughtful play, moderate engagement | Remote teams, family/friends seeking strategy play | Official polished interface, no signup friction, elegant experience |
| GeoGuessr (Party Mode) | Medium, set up party lobbies and maps | Free limited tier, paid plan for full maps, stable internet | Exploratory "aha" moments, competitive scoring, leaderboard-driven | Travel/geography fans, competitive groups, themed nights | Unique gameplay, custom/community maps, adjustable difficulty |
Make the Game Feel Like Your Celebration
The strongest online hens nights don't rely on one game to carry the entire event. Choose one low-pressure opener, one personalised or competitive game and, only if the group is comfortable, one cheekier option. A practical sequence could start with Gartic Phone, move into a custom Kahoot! quiz and finish with All Bad Cards or Among Us. For a more polished shared-screen setup, substitute Jackbox for the opener.
Australian online play is already a routine part of everyday media use. Ipsos iris reported that 76% of Australians aged over 14 used a games website or app on a computer, mobile or tablet, and that people spent an average of 9.8 hours a month on gaming activity in June 2025. That familiarity makes online games a practical social option, especially when guests are spread across cities or need an affordable, flexible alternative to a traditional night out.
Run a short technology check before the event. Confirm who is hosting the video call, who is sharing the screen, which games need a purchase and whether guests can join from their chosen device. Send the room link and instructions in advance, then keep a second host available to solve login problems while the main host keeps the energy moving.
- Use a visible pass option: No guest should need to explain why they're skipping a prompt or round.
- Set content boundaries early: State whether the event is wholesome, mildly cheeky or adults-only.
- Use inclusive wording: Avoid questions that assume every guest drinks, knows the bride equally well or shares the same relationship history.
- Plan rotations: Move judges, clue-givers, impostors and active players so larger groups don't leave people waiting.
- Keep a fallback ready: Have a simple quiz, conversation prompt or drawing round available if a platform fails.
Aus Topless Waiters can complement online games with professional, cheeky event staffing, drinks and canapés, game leadership and personalised celebration planning. The team can help create an upbeat, inclusive hens night for guests in major Australian locations and provide practical recommendations about entertainment, timing and activities. Visit the company website to ask about availability and the right format for your celebration.
Aus Topless Waiters provides professional event staff who can serve drinks and canapés, lead party games and keep a hens night moving while guests connect online or in person. Visit Aus Topless Waiters to enquire about availability, quotes and personalised celebration recommendations.