# Favorite games to play around the campfire? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 29, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831 "2003-04-29T02:07:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NardoPolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NardoPolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NardoPolo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/1 "2003-04-29T02:07:39Z")
So I’m going camping this weekend with 6-8 adults. We’re looking for a good game or two to play in dim light so we can take our minds off the mosquitoes. Last year we played Encore, and it went very well. We didn’t keep score or anything. The game is essentially to start with a word (e.g. “moon”), and go around the circle and each player has to sing at least 7 words of a song with the word “moon” in it. Continue until you’re out of songs with that word, then pick another word. It made us think, it was challenging, but still a lot of fun to play. So what’s your favorite game to play around the campfire? ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/2 "2003-04-29T02:54:32Z")
Amusing game (especially if you can’t quite remember your own name for some reason): One person starts by saying a word. The next person repeats the word, then adds another one, starting a sentence. It goes on and on, repeating what the last person said and everything in the string behind that word. A sentence can be ended by anyone (as long as the ending fits logically). The story can be many sentences long. Have someone right it down to make sure everyone gets it right (and so the next morning you can wake up, look at the paper and go, “What the hell were we doing?”). ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/3 "2003-04-29T03:50:40Z")
“Wait till the drunk guy falls asleep then dump glowing coals on his head”. It’s a hoot. Seriously, a game the lady and I play on long drives is to think of A name and then take all the variations of it (John, Johnny, Jonathan) and then take turns coming up with famous people who have that first name: going around the circle, for example… 1. Johnny Bench 2. John Wayne 3. Jonathan Winters 4. John Tesh 5. Johnny Unitas 6. John Zorn 7. John Singleton etc… Until the first person can’t think of one. Then pick a new name. There’s no shortage of names out there, we’ve passed several hours doing this. Of course, we’re dorks – so as usual, YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/4 "2003-04-29T04:04:00Z")
Send everyone except your SO out to catch snipe and play hide the salami. The firelight really adds to the experience-as do the bugs! ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/5 "2003-04-29T05:04:04Z")
I suppose tossing a bunch of leaves on the fire and then shining your flashlights through the smoke to make lightsabers is beneath the crowd that you’re going with. ---
**Author:** ![NardoPolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NardoPolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NardoPolo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/6 "2003-04-29T09:49:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mouthbreather \* > **… think of A name and then take all the variations of it (John, Johnny, Jonathan) and then take turns coming up with famous people who have that first name** Ah, I learned a variant of that one. The first initial of the next name in the list must start with the second initial of the previous name. For example: 1. Johnny Bench 2. Brent Spinner 3. Sally Struthers 4. Stan Lee 5. Lawrence Welk 6. Walter Cronkite (sp?) etc. If you’re nasty, you prepare by memorizing some names that have a last name starting with Z or Q or something difficult. ---
**Author:** ![NardoPolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NardoPolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NardoPolo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/7 "2003-04-29T10:16:59Z")
> [@](#): > > **I suppose tossing a bunch of leaves on the fire and then shining your flashlights through the smoke to make lightsabers is beneath the crowd that you’re going with.** Not by much… I’m sure little stunts like that will occur spontaneously anyway. ---
**Author:** ![NardoPolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NardoPolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NardoPolo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/8 "2003-04-29T10:23:31Z")
…which reminds me, I’d best bring my **BIG** flashlight. Just in case those inferior Jedi-wannabes get any ideas… ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/9 "2003-04-29T10:25:42Z")
You can always play greek roulette. Throw a can of olives in the firpit before you start, and at some point in the evening it will expode creating the hilarious effect of everybody jumping up and dancing while beating hot embers out of the hair and clothes. ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/10 "2003-04-29T14:39:41Z")
I like playing the ‘Who Appart From Tir` Smells Really Nice When They Burn’ game… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/11 "2003-04-29T14:40:47Z")
Oh, and the ‘How Big and Skeery Can I Make This Fire’ game… 😃 Then I tend to play the ‘Sitting in the Corner Tied Up and Out of the Way’ game I don’t like that one quite so much… ---
**Author:** ![NoctrineX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d78d45/32.png) [@NoctrineX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoctrineX)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/12 "2003-04-29T17:26:48Z")
My friends and I like to play a game in which the object to make compound words and/or common words used together. Example - Someone starts with “chair”- “Arm” Chair “Broken” Arm and so on and so on. Beleive it or not, it is rather fun. ---
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/13 "2003-04-29T19:13:36Z")
how about “Catch the Burning Marshmallow?” It’s a short game, but fun. Oh, and “Does this Burn?” is good. Pringles are my new favorite firestarter. Better than those waxy cubes. Really. ---
**Author:** ![marros1960](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@marros1960](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marros1960)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/14 "2016-09-28T03:37:26Z")
One that we like starts with person A saying “Hi, my name is Bill and we have arranged this camping trip and I’m taking along some beer.” Person B (if they know it) says “Hi, my name is Suzie and I’m taking some Sangria.” Go around the circle then Person A goes “Well you know my first name is Bill and my last name is Brown so along with my beer I’m taking some balogna.” Trick is that item has to match the first initial in your first then second name. Items can’t be repeated. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/15 "2016-09-28T03:50:49Z")
I’m thinking they would have more fun playing zombie games. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/16 "2016-09-28T05:54:23Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I’m thinking they would have more fun playing zombie games. Gets dull after a while; the answer to every question is “brrraaaiiiinnsss”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/17 "2016-09-28T16:45:02Z")
The OP’s last activity was in January of 2010. Sounds like he’s playing a mean game of hide-and-seek. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/18 "2016-09-29T00:04:49Z")
Nah. I bet the campfire just went out.:smack: Or the kids grew up and stopped going camping ☹ –G! ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-games-to-play-around-the-campfire/171831/19 "2016-09-29T03:16:24Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > The OP’s last activity was in January of 2010. Sounds like he’s playing a mean game of hide-and-seek. Olympic level? [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4upY8UWrsU)