If you’re planning a party and looking for ways to bring some joy and humor into the mix, look no further! Here are some great ways to bring a comedic slant to your joyous affair.

1. Play Silly Party Games

Party games aren’t just for kids! There are an array of games that are quirky and entertaining enough to bring lots of laughs at a grown-up party. A more complex example would be throwing a comedy-infused murder mystery party. A few simpler game types include:

• Who Am I? – A guessing game where you act or draw the famous person on the slip of paper that you drew. Can your teammates guess who you’re pretending to be?
• Two Truths and a Lie – One person says three things. Two are true, and one is false. Everyone has to guess which is false. If your friend group is creative, this can quickly become hilarious.
• Quick Alert Bingo – When guests arrive, hand them all a blank bingo card. They are to fill in each square themselves based on what they think the other guests will do at the party. During the party everyone can mark off their cards if the predication occurs. The first one to get a bingo calls it out and wins a prize.
• Bite the Bag – Players place their hands behind their backs and take turns reaching down to pick up a brown paper sack with nothing but their mouth. After every round you cut off or fold down another inch or so from the bag.

2. Tell Funny Stories

Sometimes the funniest things are the stories of our lives. As they say, the truth is stranger (and occasionally funnier) than fiction! Anecdotal stories between friends have a tendency to embody a sense of dark humor, since they are largely capturing moments of our human foibles and misluck and delivering them through a “hindsight is 20/20” humorous lens. Sharing stories at a party can be a great way to cultivate joy without having to do much or having excessive expectations of guests who may just want to hang out.

3. Screen Comedy Sketches or Films

If you’re open to having a little screen-time during your party, you could have some comedy sketch shows, stand-up performances, or even comedic films on the TV as ambient entertainment. That way you and your guests can migrate in and out, savoring your favorite moments and using it as more of an accent than a centralized form of entertainment. Another option is to throw a screening party. Select your favorite streaming stand-up routines or favorite comedy films to share with your friends.

4. Hire An Impressionist

Impressionist comedians, more commonly known as celebrity impersonators, are performance artists whose act revolves around the precise mimicking of a public figure by imitating their features, psychically, dress, makeup, voice, and mannerisms. The art is categorized as a form of comedy because the use of someone’s identity and augmentation of certain traits can evoke a sense of the uncanny in a humorous context, as well as emphasize aspects of the public figure’s character that are amusing in a caricatured contest.