The 9 Best PS4 Party Games of 2021

Best Overall: Jackbox Games Jackbox Party Pack 7

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Jackbox Party Packs were designed specifically to get a group of friends laughing and chatting, and the latest installment on PS4 does that job better than ever. Only the host needs to own the game; up to eight participants, as long as they can see the game screen, can join by entering a room code on any mobile device or web browser. Even more people can jump in at any time as audience members with lesser degrees of participation.

Headlining the five games in Party Pack 7 is Quiplash 3, a classic favorite where players write responses to prompts and everyone votes on their favorite answers. New to this edition is a “Thriplash” final round that calls for three-part responses, plus you can spice things up by using your own user-generated prompts.

Most Party Packs also include a drawing-based game, and in Champ’d Up, you sketch zany characters that are pitted blindly against each other. The Devils and the Details takes on a unique structure for a Jackbox game, putting you into a devil family to cooperate on household chores—while tempting you with selfish tasks that boost only your own score. Filling out the bundle are the impromptu speech game Talking Points and the mad-libs-style guessing game Blather ‘Round. It’s the strongest set of games to date, but if your favorites aren’t included, previous Party Packs still hold up well and might be worth a look.

Best Board Game: Ubisoft Entertainment Monopoly

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Classic board games like Monopoly are a staple of social gatherings, and now you can enjoy it in a much more dynamic, digital way on the PS4. Monopoly Plus is a faithful re-creation of the property-buying, rent-collecting capitalist clash we know and love. A number of rule variations have become popular over the years, so the game includes options to choose your favorite set of house rules. You’ll also recognize all the familiar locations and game pieces, but with the extra razzle-dazzle of seeing the action brought to life on a highly animated three-dimensional board. You can even customize the board to your liking by changing up property names and icons and other visual elements.

Players in the same room can hop on the board using a single PS4 controller, which is handy if you only have one controller, but if you own multiple, players may wish they could each use one of their own. You do, however, have the convenient ability to play on a smartphone or tablet through the PlayStation mobile app. And then there’s online multiplayer, opening up the competition to friends on PlayStation Network (PSN) anywhere in the world.

Best Family Game: Team 17 Overcooked! 2 (PS4)

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Cooking can be a fun activity to do with the family, but Overcooked! 2 truly spices things up. You play as two to four cartoony chefs working together against the clock to grab the right ingredients, chop and cook them up, and serve them based on specific food orders. The kitchens, though, are what make things interesting. They each have a culinary theme ranging from sushi to pasta to desserts, along with zany mechanics like conveyor belts, river rafts, and swamp creatures. Some levels may get overwhelming, especially for younger gamers (or teams that can’t quite get on the same page), but it’s always a satisfying challenge to work through as a group.

Overcooked! 2 doesn’t require any knowledge or experience of the first game; it takes a solid core formula and adds tons of fresh levels for new or existing fans to enjoy. If you get through the mostly plot-free campaign and are hungry for more, new stages are added for free during various seasons and holidays throughout the year, along with other content and characters available for purchase. There are also online modes where you can cook alongside or against other individuals or teams.

Best Puzzle: Steel Crate Games Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

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Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is one party video game where you won’t have all your guests staring at a screen. In fact, only one player (the Diffuser) is allowed to see and manipulate the convoluted, procedurally generated bomb. They must describe it to the other players (the Experts), who then have to interpret the downloadable/printable bomb-defusal manual and relay instructions to the Diffuser on how to shut down the bomb within the time limit. It’s tense, frantic, loud, and lots of fun—just like the best parties.

One advantage the game has in the era of remote get-togethers is that, because the Experts never actually see the bomb, they can call in their commands through any type of voice chat. Another bonus is that Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes was originally designed to be played with a virtual reality (VR) headset. So if you have a PlayStation VR, the Diffuser can isolate him or herself in a virtual world with the explosive for a more stressfully immersive experience.

Best Action: Matt Makes Games Towerfall Ascension

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As a modest, pixel-art indie game, TowerFall Ascension may seem like it couldn’t compare to Nintendo’s big-name brawler Super Smash Bros., but the similarities are clear when it comes to head-to-head couch multiplayer mayhem. TowerFall Ascension tosses four players onto a single-screen 2D map for an archery-based platform-jumping deathmatch. You start off with a supply of only three arrows, but you can pick up arrows stuck around the environment or catch them in mid-air. Mixed in with some melee moves, jump skills, and power-ups, it adds up to precise and strategic yet accessible combat that makes every match intense and enjoyable.

While this updated edition of the game does include a campaign where one or two players face off against waves of foes, it doesn’t shine nearly as much as the core battle royale mode. Having the option to play against others online would have been nice, but as a local-only multiplayer experience, it’s still an excellent way to duke it out with friends.

Best Platformer: Sony Interactive Entertainment LittleBigPlanet 3

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The Sony exclusive series LittleBigPlanet comes to the PS4 with fresh twists on its charming co-op platforming gameplay. You still traverse imaginative, hard-crafted settings in a delightful Stephen Fry-narrated campaign, but your main character, Sackboy, now has tools and power-ups at his disposal. More significantly, he’s joined along the way by three new playable friends, each with a distinct feel to their mechanics and how they move about the stage.

Besides the platforming, customization and creativity have always been key components of the series, and the latest entry continues to step things up. You can tweak Sackboy’s appearance, skills, gadgets, and friends. You can create and share your own levels, as well as try out any of the millions made by other members of the online community, including from the previous two games. The creator tools in LittleBigPlanet 3 are more powerful than ever, supporting up to 16 playable layers and new ways for imaginative level-makers to shake up the gameplay—all to the benefit of you and your party.

Best Music: Harmonix Fuser

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Harmonix has long been a leader in music gaming, with legendary titles like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Dance Central. They now look to mix things up with Fuser, a DJ simulator where you mash up tracks on the fly for a virtual music festival. A real audience, of course, is more satisfying than a virtual one, and Fuser’s online multiplayer lets you take part in head-to-head DJ battles or collaborate onstage with up to three other DJs, plus eight spectators that can rotate in. You can also create mashups on your own in Freestyle mode and share them with the community, with periodic challenges asking players to vote on their favorites.

In terms of the music-making itself, Fuser’s intuitive system lets even novices spit out often-strange yet often-awesome creations. You start by equipping songs from your catalog, which includes hits from just about every era and genre (and new options constantly added for purchase). Once onstage, you isolate the music into drum, bass, lead instrument, and vocal tracks and drop them in any combination onto your deck. More advanced and intrepid DJs can work on more technical skills, from dropping tracks right on the beat to adjusting the key to adding audio filters and more. Even without sophisticated techniques, though, you and your friends can mess around with your favorite tunes and come out with mashups worthy of your wildest virtual dance parties.

Best Rhythm: Ubisoft Just Dance 2021

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Dance games are a tried-and-true way to get a party going, and that’s just what Just Dance does best. The 2021 edition has one of the strongest song lists of the long-running series, ranging from current hits like Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me” to modern classics like Eminem’s “Without Me.” Grab some friends, follow the energetic and entertaining moves of the on-screen characters dancing in front of vibrant backdrops, and it’s an instant dance party. Plus, the colorful visuals combined with the kid-approved tracks of the dedicated Kids Mode make it one of the best PS4 games for kids.

Just Dance 2021 is also more accessible than ever now that specific motion accessories aren’t required to join the fun. Up to six players can jump in simply by downloading the free controller app and holding their smartphones in their hands. Then there’s the online, cross-platform World Dance Floor mode that pits you against dancers around the globe. New to the mode this year is a qualifying round that sorts you into one of three “rooms” based on your skill level. Finally, the game comes with a free one-month subscription of the Just Dance Unlimited streaming service—it provides access to over 600 songs from Just Dance games past and present, with exclusive content and new tracks added regularly.