Informal Dinner Party Games: Guess the Celebrity

This three-round game tests teams' knowledge of stars of all ilks, heating up to a final, charades-style competition that can be timed perfectly with dessert.

The object, to guess as many names as possible in one minute (per round). The game can include any number of players, split into even teams, and starts by having each person put the name of a celebrity living, dead, real or fictional, uber-famous or more obscure (set parameters to your preferences) on a piece of paper to draw from a hat.

Round #1: Free-for-all

One person starts by drawing a celebrity, and can get their dinner partners to guess who it is by any means necessary, save for the name itself. The trick is in how creative the group's picks were. The person who's "up" keeps picking cards until the time is up, and totals are tallied.

Round #2: One-Word Limit

With all the celebrity cards returned to the pile, it's time to go again, but this time, players must get their teammates to guess on just one word. The plot thickens.

Round #3: Gestures Only      

The charades begin--and hilarity often ensues--in the final round, when words become off-limits and players can only act out their assigned celebrities. Wine does wonders for inspired performances.