The 10 best campfire games for unforgettable evenings

Are you planning a trip with friends or family and want to create a really good atmosphere around the campfire? Then you've come to the right place! In this article, we'll show you the absolute classics and a few cool new campfire games that are guaranteed to make you laugh and create great memories. Whether with children, teenagers or adults - everyone will find something suitable here!

Table of contents

Classic campfire games for every age group
Exciting word games around the campfire
Action-packed campfire games for children
Tricky puzzle games for the whole group
Musical campfire games
Conclusion: How to make your campfire evening unforgettable

Classic campfire games for every age group

Some games are simply timeless - and for good reason! These classics will get even the shyest participants to join in and immediately put everyone in a good mood.

1. werewolf

The absolute perennial favorite among campfire games! Werewolf is all about teamwork, strategy and a bit of acting. The villagers have to find the werewolves among themselves before they eliminate them all. Perfect for groups of 8 or more and guaranteed to provide exciting discussions by firelight.

This is how it's played:

1. A game master distributes role cards face down: most are villagers, some are werewolves (about 1 werewolf per 4-5 players).
2. The game has two phases: Night and Day.
3. At night, everyone closes their eyes, only the werewolves open them and silently agree on a victim.
4. During the day, the victim is announced and eliminated. Then everyone discusses who could be a werewolf.
5. After the discussion, everyone votes on who will be "executed" - hopefully a werewolf!
6. The game continues until either all the werewolves are eliminated (victory of the villagers) or the werewolves are as many as the remaining villagers (victory of the werewolves).

Advanced version: Add special roles such as the seer (can check a person at night), the hunter (can take someone with them when they die) or the witch (can heal once and kill once).

Tip: Get special werewolf cards beforehand or download one of the free werewolf apps - then you can get started right away!

2 I'm packing my suitcase

A memory game that everyone knows and that is particularly popular with families with children. In turn, everyone names an item to be packed in the suitcase and repeats all the items already named. Anyone who makes a mistake is eliminated. Sounds simple, but gets trickier with every item!

This is how it's played:

1. The players sit in a circle around the campfire.
2. The first player begins with the sentence: "I'm packing my suitcase and taking... [item]" - for example "a toothbrush".
3. The next player repeats the sentence and adds their own item: "I'm packing my suitcase and I'm taking: a toothbrush and a teddy bear."
4. Each subsequent player must list all the previous items in the correct order and add a new one.
5. Anyone who forgets an item or mixes up the order is eliminated or given a task.

Variations:

• Thematic suitcase: All items must fit a certain theme, e.g. "only things that start with 'S'" or "only things that you really need when camping".
• Alphabetical suitcase: Each new item must start with the next letter in the alphabet.
• Mime suitcase: Each item is also mimed, which is particularly fun when you have to remember 10+ items!

Exciting word games around the campfire

When the flames crackle and faces glow in the warm light, it's the perfect time for creative word games.

3rd story relay

In this game, a story is told in turn. Each person adds a sentence, building on the previous one. To make it more exciting, you can specify certain words that have to be included. The craziest stories are created when you sprinkle in terms such as "alien", "talking potato" or "invisible elephant"!

This is how it's played:

1. The group sits in a circle around the fire.
2. One player starts with a first sentence that forms the beginning of a story, e.g. "It was a stormy night when suddenly a strange noise was heard from the edge of the forest."
3. In turn, each player adds exactly one sentence, which must match the content of the previous sentence.
4. The story continues to develop sentence by sentence.
5. The game ends when the story has reached a natural conclusion or after a set number of rounds.

Variations:

• Default words: Before the game begins, 10-15 random words are written on slips of paper. Each player draws a slip of paper and must include the word in their sentence.
• Three-word story: Each player may only add exactly three words - this often results in particularly bizarre twists.
• Environment story: The story must be set in the place where you are - with the campfire as the central element.
• Recording version: Record the story with your smartphone and listen to it again later - guaranteed to make you laugh out loud!

4. city-country-river around the campfire

A real classic in a new guise! Instead of playing on paper, everything is done orally here. Choose creative categories such as "Things you find on a campsite", "Creepy creatures" or "Things you shouldn't throw into a campfire". Everyone has 30 seconds per letter to come up with something.

This is how it's played:

1. Agree on 3-5 categories that go with camping or campfires.
2. One player says the alphabet out loud in their head, another player calls out "stop" at some point.
3. The letter that the first player was just at becomes the game round.
4. Now everyone has 30 seconds to think of a word for each category that begins with this letter.
5. When the time is up, everyone names their words. You get 10 points for a unique term, but only 5 points for a term that others also have. If you don't have a word, you get no points.
6. The round with the next letter begins.

Camping category ideas:

• Things in the rucksack
• Sounds in the night
• Forest animals
• Campfire snacks
• Camping disasters
• Outdoor activities
• Weather conditions

Tip: You can stop the game after one letter and give the winner a small reward - maybe the best marshmallow roasting stick or the right to tell the next scary story!

Action-packed campfire games for children

Children often have excess energy, even after a long day outside. These games help to satisfy the urge to move without straying too far from the cozy fire.

5. fire, water, storm

The campfire version of the well-known children's game. With "fire" everyone has to run to the campfire (at a safe distance, of course!), with "water" to the nearest water container and with "storm" to throw themselves on the ground. You can also add your own commands such as "fox" (run on all fours) or "owl" (be quiet and make big eyes).

This is how it's played:

1. A game leader is appointed to call out the commands.
2. All players move freely in a safe area around the campfire.
3. The game master calls out one of the commands, whereupon all players must immediately perform the corresponding action:
   • "Fire": everyone runs to the campfire (at a safe distance)
   • "Water": Everyone runs to the nearest water container/stream/lake
   • "Storm": Everyone throws themselves on the ground and protects their head
4. Anyone who is too slow or does the wrong action is eliminated or receives a "penalty point".
5. The game master can shout the commands faster and faster to increase the difficulty.

Additional campfire commands:

• "Wood": Everyone pretends to chop wood
• "Marshmallow": Everyone pretends to roast a marshmallow
• "Bear": Everyone stands still and makes themselves "invisible"
• "Shooting star": Everyone points to the sky and shouts "Ohhh!"
• "Ghost": Everyone makes scary noises

Safety tip: Before the game, mark out a safe area around the campfire with sufficient distance from the flames and make sure that there are no tripping hazards, especially if it is already dark.

6. treasure hunt in the dark

Hide small reflective objects around the camp site beforehand. Equipped with flashlights, the children go on a treasure hunt. Whoever finds the most treasures wins. Great fun that can also take away the fear of the dark!

This is how it's played:

1. Preparation: Before nightfall, hide around 20-30 "treasures" around the camp site. Particularly suitable are:
   • Reflective tags or stickers
   • Glass marbles or colored stones
   • Small objects painted with luminous paint
   • Glow sticks (place carefully so that they don't break)
   • Small sweets in shiny wrappers
2. Divide the children into teams or let them search individually.
3. Each child/team gets a flashlight and a small bag for the treasures they find.
4. Clearly mark the boundaries of the search area and set a time limit of around 15-20 minutes.
5. On a start signal, the search begins.
6. When the time is up, everyone returns to the campfire and counts their treasures.

Safety tips:

• Make sure that the search area is free of hazards such as slopes, deep water or poisonous plants.
• For younger children, one adult should accompany each team.
• Use bright glow sticks to mark the boundaries of the play area.

Variation for older children: Hide an additional "main treasure" (e.g. a bag of special sweets) and give cryptic clues that lead to the hiding place. The clues can be formulated as riddles or scattered on trees or stones so that the children have to find them first.

Tricky riddle games for the whole group

When everyone has gathered around the fire and the atmosphere is cozy, it's the perfect time for riddles and brainteasers.

7. the hot seat

A volunteer sits in the 'hot seat' and has to guess which famous person, movie character or character they are. The group asks yes/no questions until the puzzler finds the answer or gives up. With funny characters like Spongebob, Harry Potter or local celebrities, it's especially entertaining!

This is how it's played:

1. One player volunteers for the "hot seat" and sits with their back to the fire.
2. The other players quietly agree on a well-known figure or person (movie star, cartoon character, fairy tale character, etc.).
3. The name is written on a piece of paper and held up behind the player in the hot seat so that everyone else can see it, but not the player himself.
4. The player in the hot seat can now ask each of the other players a yes/no question in turn to find out who they are.
5. It is advisable to start with general questions: "Am I a real person?", "Am I male/female?", "Am I a movie character?" etc.
6. After a maximum of 20 questions (or another predetermined limit), the player has to guess who they are.

Tips for good characters:

• Movie characters such as Darth Vader, Elsa, Spiderman, Jack Sparrow
• Comic characters such as Asterix, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck
• Fairy tale characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin
• Well-known personalities from sport, film or music
• Mythical creatures such as dragons, unicorns or werewolves
• For children: current cartoon heroes or YouTube stars

Variation: As an additional difficulty, the other players can lie about one question per round - but the player in the hot seat doesn't know which one!

8 Who am I?

In this variation, everyone gets a name stuck on their forehead (or attached with a headband) without seeing it themselves. By cleverly asking the others, everyone has to find out who they are. Super fun and perfect for around the campfire!

Here's how to play:

1. Preparation: write different names of people, characters or animals on sticky notes or index cards.
2. Each player gets a piece of paper stuck to their forehead without being able to see what is written on it. Alternatively, the slips of paper can also be attached to headbands.
3. In turn, each player asks the whole group a yes/no question to find out who or what they are.
4. The group answers honestly with "yes" or "no".
5. If the answer is "yes", the player may ask another question; if the answer is "no", it is the next player's turn.
6. If a player thinks they know who they are, they can guess. If the answer is wrong, they must wait until the next round; if the answer is correct, they may take the piece of paper but remain in the game to answer the others.
7. The game ends when everyone has found out who they are.

Strategy tips for the players:

• Start with general categories: "Am I human?", "Am I a movie character?", "Am I still alive?"
• Then narrow it down further: "Am I female?", "Am I famous?", "Am I from Germany?"
• And finally, more specific: "Am I a sportsman?", "Am I in music?", "Am I over 50?"

Topic ideas for the characters:

• Famous athletes (soccer players, tennis players, etc.)
• Stars from film and television
• Famous musicians or bands
• Comic figures or cartoon characters
• Fairy tale characters
• Animals or mythical creatures

Tip: For younger children, choose simple and well-known characters from children's films or books and help them with their questions.

Musical campfire games

Music and campfires simply belong together! These games get everyone singing along and create a real festival atmosphere.

9. song guessing

One player hums or sings the beginning of a well-known song and whoever recognizes it first gets a point and gets to sing it next. Alternative: Divide into teams and play against each other - this way even shyer participants dare to join in.

This is how it's played:

1. A volunteer starts and thinks of a well-known song that many people might know.
2. They hum, whistle or just sing the melody (without lyrics) for about 10-15 seconds.
3. The other players try to guess the title and/or artist of the song.
4. Whoever guesses correctly first gets a point and is next in line.
5. If no one guesses the song after 30 seconds, the player gives a clue (e.g. the year, the artist or the genre).
6. After three unsuccessful guessing rounds, the game ends and it is the next player's turn.

Team variant:

1. Form two or more teams with at least 2-3 players each.
2. One player from team A is given or draws a song by the game master.
3. This player must now play the song to his team members by humming it.
4. The team has 30 seconds to guess the correct song.
5. One point is awarded for each correctly guessed song.
6. Then it's Team B's turn.

Song categories for more fun:

• Only songs from a specific decade (80s, 90s, 2000s)
• Only children's songs or folk songs
• Only film music or TV theme tunes
• Only current chart hits
• Only campfire classics such as "Country Roads" or "Wonderwall"

Tip: Do you have a musical instrument with you, such as a guitar or ukulele? Then musical participants can play the songs on it instead of humming - that makes it a little easier to recognize and the atmosphere even cosier!

10. song chain

One player sings a line from a song. The next player has to start another song that begins with the last word or an important term from the previous line. Anyone who takes longer than 10 seconds or cannot find a suitable song is eliminated.

This is how it's played:

1. The players sit in a circle around the campfire.
2. One player starts and sings a striking line from a well-known song, e.g. "Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be" from the Beatles song.
3. The next player must now sing a line that begins with the last word or an important word from the previous line - in this case "be" or "let".
4. For example, they could sing: "Let's dance" (David Bowie) or "Be my baby" (The Ronettes).
5. The game continues in turn, with each player having a maximum of 15 seconds to find and sing a suitable line.
6. Anyone who cannot find a suitable line or takes too long is eliminated or receives a "penalty task".
7. The game continues until there is only one player left or until no one can find a new connection.

Variations:

• Easier version: Any word from the previous line can be used as a link, not just the last one.
• More difficult version: The player must actually sing the line, not just speak it, and for at least 5 seconds.
• Genre restriction: All songs must be from a specific genre (pop, rock, folk songs, etc.).
• Language mix: Songs in different languages are expressly permitted in order to increase diversity.

Tip for the game leader: Keep a list of the songs already used to avoid repetition. For larger groups, you can also introduce the rule that a song may only be used again after 10 rounds.

Conclusion: How to make your campfire evening unforgettable

Campfire games are more than just a pastime - they create connections, make people laugh and leave lasting memories. The most important thing is to adapt the games to your group and remain flexible. Sometimes the most fun happens spontaneously!

My tip: Pack a small "campfire game box" with a few props such as cards, pieces of paper, pens and maybe even a few prizes for the winners. That way, you'll be prepared for any situation.

And remember: in the end, it's not about who wins or loses, but about spending time together under the stars. So grab your friends or family, build a proper fire (observing all safety rules, of course!) and let the fun begin!

Have you already had your own experiences with campfire games? Which is your absolute favorite? Feel free to write it in the comments - I look forward to your ideas!

Tags: campfire games, camping with kids, outdoor activities, outdoor games, campfire evening, group games