Totally Rad 80s Party Games Teens (& Adults) Will Love

Ready to throw a celebration that’s totally tubular? Step back in time with these 80s party games that will have your teens enjoying, competing, and dancing the night away! From solving Rubik’s Cubes in record time to hunting glowing treasures under blacklight, these games bring the iconic energy of the 80s to life.

Last Updated: November 30, 2024  |  10 min Read

Find detailed breakdowns for each game, including the benefits they offer, the intensity level of physical exertion, age appropriateness, suggested playtime, number of players, and the materials needed.

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1. 80s Mixtape Showdown

Objective: Identify the most 80s songs and artists correctly to win.

Setup: Use the video below with 20-second clips of famous 80s songs. Divide players into teams or let them play individually. Provide each team/player with a notepad or whiteboard for answers.

How to Play: Start the video. Teams write down the song title and artist before the answer is revealed.

After each answer is displayed in the video, award points (1 for the title, 1 for the artist). You might need to pause the video between one song and another.  The team/player with the highest score wins.

2. 80s Trivia Scramble

Objective: Answer the most 80s-themed trivia questions to move your team forward and reach the finish line first.

Setup: Create a “game board” on the floor with a path of numbered spaces (use glow-in-the dark tape). Utilize our 80s-themed trivia questions covering music, movies, toys and fashion. Place a marker (like a toy car or neon token) for each team at the starting line.

How to Play: Divide players into teams. Each team takes turns answering trivia questions. For every correct answer, the team’s marker moves forward one space. If a team answers incorrectly, they stay in place.

Some spaces on the board have special effects:

Fast Forward: Skip ahead 2 spaces.

Rewind: Move back 1 space.

Freeze Frame: Lose a turn.

The first team to reach the finish line wins.

3. Rubik’s Cube Scramble Relay

Objective: Be the first team to solve one side of a scrambled Rubik’s Cube in a relay-style race.

Setup: Provide each team with a scrambled Rubik’s Cube. Divide players into teams of 3-5. Set a designated “solving station” where the cubes will be worked on.

How to Play: Teams line up in relay format. Set a timer at 30 seconds intervals. On “Go”start the timer and the first player runs to the solving station. He or she gets to work on the cube until the first 30 seconds are up.

At this point, they return and tag the next teammate, who continues solving. The process repeats with 30 seconds intervals until one team successfully solves one full side of the cube. If no team solves it within the time limit, the one with the most completed squares wins.

4. Neon Limbo

Objective: See who can limbo the lowest under a neon limbo stick.

Setup: Set up a limbo pole and decorate it with glow-in-the-dark tape and/or glow sticks. Place blacklight nearby to make the tape shine and enhance the 80s vibe. If you need to learn more on how to set up black light go here.

How to Play: Players take turns attempting to go under the neon limbo stick without touching it. Lower the stick gradually after each round. The last person to successfully limbo under the lowest height wins.

5. Pac-Man Power Hunt

Objective: Collect the most “power pellets” (tokens) while avoiding being tagged by the “ghosts.”

Setup: Scatter small tokens (e.g., plastic coins or colored paper circles) around the play area as “power pellets.” Designate 2 players as “ghosts” (wearing colored bands or hats). The rest of the players are Pac-Men/Pac-Women.

How to Play: All players start at the edges of the play area. When the game begins, Pac-Men/Pac-Women collect as many tokens as possible without being tagged by a ghost. If tagged, a player gives one token to the ghost before resuming play. If any player runs out of tokens he or she is out for that round.

The game ends after a set time (e.g., 3-5 minutes) or when all Pac-Men/Pac-Women are out. The player with the most tokens wins. Do multiple rounds and change roles so that everyone will have the chance to collect the tokens.

6. Roller Disco Dash

Objective: Complete an obstacle course while wearing socks to mimic roller skating.
Setup: Create a course with cones, chairs, or tape for a “roller disco” vibe. Play 80s dance hits.
How to Play: Players “skate” in socks, weaving through obstacles, and return to tag the next teammate. First team to complete the course wins.

7. 80s Fashion Relay

Objective: Dress one teammate in a full 80s outfit by working together as a team.

Setup: Gather a variety of 80s-themed clothing and accessories (e.g., neon shirts, scrunchies, sunglasses, jackets, leg warmers). Place all clothing items in a pile at the far end of the play area. Divide players into teams of 4-6, and assign one “model” per team to wear the outfit.

How to Play: The “model” will wear all the items. The rest are runners. At the start signal, the first runner from each team sprints to the pile, selects one item, and brings it back to dress their model. The next runner takes their turn, repeating the process. This continues until the model is fully dressed in at least 5-6 items. The first team to finish dressing their model wins.

8. 80s Arcade Toss

Objective: Score points by tossing rings or balls into buckets inspired by 80s arcade games.
Setup: Decorate buckets with 80s arcade themes (e.g., Pac-Man, Donkey Kong) and assign point values to each.
How to Play: Players take turns tossing rings/balls into the buckets. After a set number of rounds, the player/team with the highest score wins.

9. Boom Box Hot Potato

Objective: Avoid being the one holding the “boom box” when the music stops.

Setup: Use a portable speaker as a “boom box” and play popular 80s hits.

How to Play: Players pass the boom box around while music plays. When the music stops, the player holding it is out. Continue until only one player remains; they are the winner.

10. Glow-in-the-Dark Scavenger Hunt

Objective: Be the team that collects the most hidden glow-in-the-dark items using UV flashlights.

Setup: Attach glow-in-the-dark tape or paint to small items (e.g., cassette tapes, 80s toys, keychains) and hide them around the play area. Provide each team with one UV flashlight. Divide players into teams of 3-5.

How to Play: Teams start at a central point with their UV flashlight. On the signal, teams search for hidden items using their flashlight to reveal the glowing tape or paint.

Teams collect items and bring them back to their base. After a set time (e.g., 5-10 minutes), the game ends. Teams count their collected items, and the team with the most wins.

Final Thoughts about 80s Party Games

With these 80s party games, your teen’s bash is guaranteed to be a blast from the past! From high-energy relays to glow-in-the-dark hunts, these activities capture the fun and flair of the decade. Whether your guests are battling it out on the trivia board or showing off their moves in a neon limbo, they’ll leave with memories as vibrant as the 80s themselves.