Games for a Masquerade Ball

A masquerade ball is a dance or party where the guests wear masks to hide their identity. Typically, the masks are small and it is possible to tell who is who, but the main fun of the party is to dress up and wear a silly mask. There are many games you can play at a masquerade party that will keep guests entertained. Use these games during breaks from dancing, or replace dancing altogether with games.

In the first few minutes of the party, as guests are still arriving, give everyone a list of the names of the people at the party. The guests should write down the identity of each person there. Use the costumes as a guide, such as "Amy: pink dress, white mask." The host should then collect the guesses. The person with the most correct guesses wins. This game works best at a party where not all guests know each other.

This identity game is ideal for a masked ball. Give everyone a Post-It note with the name of a character on it. The hosts can decide the kinds of characters, such as historical figures or characters from a movie or book. The players stick the note to their masks without looking at the name. The players must speak to the other players to determine their character name using questions with yes and no answers. The first person to figure out who they are is the winner.

A masked ball is the perfect time to have a skin competition since everyone is already in costume. Divide the guests into teams of four or five people. Each team must come up with a skit using their costumes. Each team performs their skit for the other teams. Everyone votes on the best skit and the team with the most votes wins. Offer a small prize for the winning team as an incentive to do well.

Tell the guests in advance that they will be judged on their costumes. The guest with the best mask and costume combination will win a small prize. Have the guests vote on who has the best mask. Collect the responses, then tally the votes. Announce the winner at the end of the party. If the party is large, you could have several categories of awards, such as best male costume, best female costume, funniest costume, best mask and best overall costume.