23 Boat Party Games For All The Family

Ahoy there, party planners! I’ve written this ultimate guide to boat party games for the entire family, which features onboard and anchored activities.

You can read all of my game guides here.

If you like to spend time by the water, explore GTQ’s list of family beach games.

Boat Party Game Ideas

Seashell Hunt

Engage in a friendly competition by hiding seashells around the boat, and let your friends search for them.

The one with the most seashells at the end wins, and if you want to make the game more interesting, you can create a points system based on how unique the seashell is or how hard it may be to find.

This game is ideal for all ages, especially those who enjoy a scavenger hunt on the water.

Limbo

Add a touch of physical challenge with Limbo.

If you don’t have a stick long enough for Limbo, use a pool noodle, a rope, or a string and see who can bend the lowest without tumbling to the floor.

Mermaid/Merman Makeover

Transform your friends into mythical sea creatures with Mermaid/Merman Makeover.

Use washable face paint to create whimsical designs, making it a hit among creative souls and those who enjoy playful transformations.

The Mermaid/Merman Makeover also makes for a great social-media photo opportunity, with everyone dressed up in hilarious nautical themes.

Floating Fashion Show

Embrace your fashion creativity in a Floating Fashion Show.

Raid your friends’ closets for nautical-themed outfits and put on a quirky runway display, or use items found lying about the boat.

Floating Fashion Show is a favorite among fashion enthusiasts and those who enjoy light-hearted humor.

Boat Beer Pong

Beer pong has been a staple of young twenty-somethings as long as there have been college campuses and affordable apartments in trendy towns.

You only need to put a game together with a table, about 20 (red) cups, and ping pong balls.

Fill each cup with a beverage of your choice, setting up 10 on each end of the table.

Participants will then take turns attempting to throw the ping pong balls into the cups on the other side of the table.

If a ball goes in, the other team has to drink from that cup and set it aside to clear the other team of all of their cups before they clear you of yours.

You may also like our list of beach games for adults.

Conversational/Card Games on the Boat

Marine Trivia

Test your maritime knowledge with a round of marine trivia.

A designated list of trivia questions related to the sea will be delivered to different teams or individuals, and a judge/emcee will determine who guesses the most questions correctly each round.

To make the game more organized, designate a judge who has pulled up a specified list of questions and answers and can also act as the emcee.

Marine trivia is perfect for trivia enthusiasts and anyone who loves a good intellectual challenge and is looking for less physical games to play on a boat.

Alternatively, check out our trivia section for other themes such as sport, music, and geography.

Going on a Picnic

Going on a Picnic is a conversational game in which one person invites others to a picnic.

Participants will only receive an invite when they correctly identify which type of item they should bring.

The inviter has secretly selected a theme of what can be brought, which can be as basic as a shared color or something obscure like everything needs to be made of wood.

The game’s challenge is that to get the picnic invite, everyone else must work together to gather enough ‘correct items’ to identify the theme.

Players work together to uncover clues while racing to the finish line at their own speed.

The theme could be adapted to reflect the trip by calling the game Going on a Sailing Adventure.

Island Storytelling

Start a story about an imaginary island adventure.

Each person adds a sentence to build a unique narrative.

As the sentences continue to build on each other, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep the story going, and the twists and turns become increasingly humorous.

Island storytelling is tailored for those with vivid imaginations and are unafraid of testing the limits of a proper story.

Charades

In a game of Charades, you’ll be asked to step out of your comfort zone while sharing a laugh or two.

Act out words or phrases without equipment, and challenge your friends to guess correctly.

Each team has a designated performer each round, who is given something like a movie or book title, a specific actor or celebrity, and more.

That person then needs to try to get their team to correctly guess the item without the ability to use any kind of words or sounds.

Charades is an ideal choice for party boat games, as it is perfect for energetic groups who enjoy interactive games and are not afraid to get a little silly.

Nautical Pictionary

Combine artistry and guesswork in Nautical Pictionary.

Draw maritime-themed items on a whiteboard or paper while others attempt to identify what you’ve sketched.

The game functions similarly to charades in that you need to get your team to correctly identify the item without using words or sounds.

Also similar to charades, Pictionary has a tendency to devolve into something hilarious and memorable as certain things just can’t be explained through pictures.

Nautical Pictionary is one of the best boat games, whether you are artistically inclined or not.

Often, those who are not artistically inclined generate the most laughs and get the most people excited about joining in.

Shipwrecked

Let your imagination run wild in Shipwrecked.

Pretend the boat is stranded, and take turns presenting your creative survival plans.

The game can be decided by a group determination or by a single judge, and each plan needs to be pitched convincingly as if each participant were a lawyer defending a client.

To extend the game and keep things interesting, choose a specific set of items available in each scenario and ask everyone to get creative with what they have in each round.

Shipwrecked perfectly fits team players and individuals who excel in imaginative scenarios.

Poetry Slam Contest

Exercise your poetic side and your competitive edge with a Poetry Slam Contest.

Take turns reciting or creating short poems that capture the essence of a given topic, with a judge or series of judges determining which is the best poem.

To keep things interesting, ask participants to create a poem about a random topic each time, such as dolphins or sunburn.

The Poetry Slam Contest is a lot of fun as long as everyone is game, and it will almost assuredly end in hilariously bad attempts at poetry and just maybe a beautiful revelation if you’re lucky enough.

Boat Bingo

Engage in a boat-themed bingo game with Boat Bingo.

Create bingo cards featuring boat and water-related items, and mark them off as you spot them. 

Boat Bingo is a great option for those who love observation and friendly rivalry games without getting too physically adventurous or intellectually rigorous.

Captain’s Orders

Bring humor into the mix with Captain’s Orders.

Designate someone as the “captain” who gives quirky and humorous orders, and players must follow in the same rule style as ‘Simon Says.’

If the captain says, ‘Captain’s orders: touch your knees,’ everyone must touch their knees.

If the captain does not begin the command with ‘captain’s orders’ and someone does it anyway, they walk the plank (or just take a seat).

Captain’s Orders is an excellent choice for those who enjoy light-hearted silliness.

The added walk-the-plank challenge makes for some high-stakes adventure.

Karaoke

Infuse your boat party with music through karaoke.

Each person takes a turn singing along to a selected song, ideally with a microphone and a sound system, although that is not required to fully enjoy the game.

To make things interesting, designate judges that will judge based on the vocal performance and the showmanship.

Karaoke is a great game for anyone looking to get quite silly and most likely embarrass themselves along the way—an additional rule that only nautical-themed songs are allowed could be added!

Here are some ideas:

• “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding
• “Take Me to the River” by Al Green
• “The River” by Bruce Springsteen
• “Sailing” by Christopher Cross
• “Ship to Wreck” by Florence + The Machine
• “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
• “A Sailor Went to Sea”
• “Baby Shark”

Tidal Would You Rather

Add an aquatic twist to the classic game with Tidal Would You Rather.

Take turns asking sea-inspired questions, all related to the water, forcing each person to make a difficult choice between two unfavorable options.

For example, someone will be asked, ‘ Would you rather jump off that 10-foot cliff into the water or swim back to shore?’

The questions can get increasingly twisted, forcing people to stretch their limits of what they can see themselves doing in comparison to an even worse option.

We have a list of clean would you rather questions as well as those designed for friends, best friends, couples, and girls.

Maritime Whisper Down the Lane

Test your listening skills and comprehension with Maritime Whisper Down the Lane.

The first person whispers a water-based story,, such as a shipwreck or a boat race, and the listener must then whisper the story to the next person.

While it may seem relatively straightforward, by the time the story reaches the last person on the boat, you may be shocked to discover what it has become after all the little misunderstandings along the way.

Whisper Down the Lane is a great game for kids, but it can be just as fun for adults attempting to decipher incredibly quiet whispers.

Never Have I Ever

Dive into revealing stories with Never Have I Ever.

Share maritime-themed experiences and tales in this revealing game.

If you don’t have enough of those, you can always adjust the game to include any stories at all.

Each person holds ten fingers in the air, and the first person starts the game by stating something they have never done, such as night swimming or surfing.

Never Have I Ever is suited for anyone brave enough to admit to whatever comes up.

The stated activities tend to get a little racy and shocking, depending on who is playing.

Because of the tendency for inappropriate topics for children, this may be best enjoyed as a party game for adults unless you remember to stay silly and child-appropriate.

For prompts for this game, check our list of “never have I ever” questions for girls, friends, best friends, and couples.

Try next: Cocktail Party Games for Adults.

Physical Activities Off the Boat

Cannonball Contest

Make a splash in the Cannonball Contest.

Compete to create the biggest splash with your cannonball jump into the water.

Judges determine the winner in each round.

The Cannonball Contest is best suited for energetic jumpers and those who love a bit of friendly competition. It is a great option if you are looking for free boat games, as all you need is a good place to jump.

Water Basketball

Water basketball adds the challenge of navigating through the water while trying to play a relatively traditional basketball game.

The rules can be as specific to an actual game as you like, whether that means a 5-on-5 match or a game of H-O-R-S-E.

To begin, get an inflatable basketball hoop or get one attached to the boat somehow.

The game can be played in a half-court format, with a designated back-court and each team competing to get the ball in the hoop by all means necessary.

Anyone looking for exercise and rigorous and entertaining competition should find the proper equipment and play water basketball.

Like basketball? Try our exciting NBA Trivia Quiz.

Water Volleyball

Dive into some physical activity with Water Volleyball.

Play a friendly game of volleyball in the water, embracing the challenges of buoyancy while also attempting to get the volleyball over a net without touching the water or anyone touching it twice.

Relaxing Activities on or off the Boat

Seascape Sketching

Capture the beauty around you in Seascape Sketching.

Bring sketch pads and pencils to create artistic representations of the picturesque scenes on the water.

Seascape Sketching is a perfect activity for artists and nature lovers who are looking for something that is not competitive or high-energy and would much rather sit back and relax for an hour in front of a canvas.

Floating Yoga

Find tranquility with Floating Yoga.

Practice yoga poses on the boat’s stable surface, surrounded by the soothing sounds of water.

For an additional challenge, take the yoga into the water and see if you can recreate some poses while submerged to your neck.

Floating Yoga is a fitting option for yoga enthusiasts and anyone looking for a relaxing activity while lounging on the water.

Final Thoughts

We hope these boat party game ideas set the tides of laughter for your lively gatherings on and off-board.

If you have more creative suggestions or want to share tales of your nautical escapades, feel free to share them in the comments below.