Pirate Party Games for Adults

While people generally associate the idea of a "pirate party" with kids, adults may throw them, too, and be equally entertained. Guests at an adult pirate party might enjoy scavenger hunts, team relay games and outdoor sports games, abetted by some pirate-themed adult beverages.

Send guests on a hunt to uncover "hidden treasure" located in your house or yard. Before the party begins, draw a large treasure map leading to the final clue. Turn the map over and divide the paper into nine squares of roughly the same size. Within each square, write a separate clue. Cut them apart and leave them scattered throughout the house. For the final clue, instruct participants to turn over all the pieces they currently have and put them together to find a treasure map leading them to the item they seek, such as a bottle of rum or some other adult item.

In a variation of Capture the Flag, two teams compete to capture the ship's captain on the opposing team by racing across a room or yard and taking her hostage. Once a captain has been captured, the players on that captain's team must attempt a recovery operation using every weapon at their disposal, including plastic or wooden swords, tennis balls or paintball guns. Once a team member has been struck, she becomes a ghost and can continue to defend the team but is no longer able to capture the captain. Points are awarded when a team brings the captured captain past its goal line, and the game ends when one team has achieved a predetermined number of points.

Turn the "Walk the Plank" party game into a drinking game. Set up a cocktail bar and give players a certain amount of time in which to invent and prepare their own drink recipes. At the end, the entire group samples the drinks. As each person's drink is sampled, the person who made that drink is placed at the front of a plank. One player takes a drink of that person's concoction, then another. If a player does not like the drink, he makes a slicing motion with one finger across the neck and the drink maker takes a step forward on the plank. If enough people register their disapproval, the drink maker ends up "in the water."

This game, which works best at the end of a party after everyone present has had a few drinks, begins when the host lays out a couple of ping-pong balls or the equivalent on the kitchen floor. The group splits into teams with two players from each team sweeping the ball in a circle around a kitchen, trying to get it back to their teammates before the opposing player. Award prizes to the first team to successfully make it all the way around the kitchen.