Tabletop Games You and Your Stoner Friends Can Play

Game of Thrones is over and you and your friends have already played through the best video games to enjoy while high? True, you could have your friends over to play Cards Against Humanity (yet again) or watch some Netflix. Or, you could give a new tabletop game a try.

Tabletop games have experienced something of a resurgence in the past few years, but not all of them are ideal to enjoy while lighting up a bowl. For that, you’re going to need games with less complex rules that don’t sacrifice room for creative enjoyment and, perhaps, creative interpretation of “rules.”  

So, get pre-rolling and check out these games before your next hang out.

Sheriff of Nottingham

In this game, the concept is relatively simple. Players want to get their wares into Nottingham, and the Sheriff is trying to make sure they don’t have anything illegal they’re trying to get in to the city. You can play this game by simply bringing in acceptable produce and the like. But of course, just as in life, the high demand stuff is whatever the Sheriff doesn’t want you bringing in—spices, mead, silk, crossbows—you know, the usual suspects.

Players take turns as Sheriff or merchants. As a merchant, you try to get as many high-value items into the city as possible without drawing suspicion from the merchant. If the Sheriff checks your wares and finds contraband, it gets confiscated. But, you can also bribe the Sheriff with coin to convince them to look the other way. As the Sheriff, the player can choose to accept bribes or be a ruthless representative of the Man, checking every single merchant with suspicion. Of course, what goes around comes around, and that player may find themselves at the mercy of the next Sheriff up.

Money rules in this game, as whoever accumulates the most wealth by the end is the winner.

The fun in this game is coming up with ridiculous reasons why the Sheriff should let you through without hassle. As Sheriff, you get a harmless little power trip without any of the consequences.

You can buy Sheriff of Nottingham via Amazon for just under $25 right now. You’ll need three to five players.

Spyfall

In Spyfall, all players are given a location and a role, except for one player who is only given the role of spy. The concept of the game is pretty simple: The spy is trying to trick other players into thinking they belong and have the same information as the other players, and the other players are trying to give enough information out that reveals they are not a spy, but not give so much info that it makes it obvious for the spy where they are located.

Each round, a new location is selected, and players will have to ask a question of another player that will help reveal who the spy is—that is, who doesn’t know the location. For example, asking a question like “How did you get here today?” is pretty vague, but if the player answers that they drove and the location is somewhere that can’t be reached by car, like a space station, then it’s a pretty clear sign they’re the spy. At the same time, a player that knows the location doesn’t want to be too obvious with their answer and give away the location. It’s a delicate balance, but not so much strategy to be overwhelming when trying to relax.

Spyfall is available via Amazon.

Drunk Stoned or Stupid

Ok, so maybe you and your friends need a game as simple as possible to enjoy for a low-key night. Or maybe you’ve got a lot of people over—10 people or more. Or maybe you enjoy conversation starters more than traditional tabletop offerings. Drunk Stoned or Stupid is perfect for that.

Each card in this game has a simple statement on it that can be hastily attributed to one of your friends, like “Is down for anything, as long as it’s drugs” or “Shame[s] people for going to bed.”

You could approach this game in a relaxed manner, assigning the cards to those around you or people you know as a low pressure way to shoot the shit. Or, you could ruthlessly argue and then vote on which attendee in present company the card most applies to. Keep in mind though, some of the cards can be a bit harsh if you’re in sensitive company. For example, my favorite card just says, “Is a little bitch.” So, if this is the sort of game that’s going to harsh you or your friends’ mellow then maybe it’s better to move along.

Drunk Stoned or Stupid can be purchased online via its website for $18, but it’s also available in some retailers like Barnes & Noble under a different name of “Who’s Most Likely To” (because apparently the words “drunk” and “stoned” are not ok?).

Exploding Kittens

This game from The Oatmeal was one of the most backed projects on Kickstarter of all time, and it’s pretty obvious why once you get a chance to play. Basically, in this game each player has to draw a card and hope that they don’t draw an exploding kitten, which can only be defused by certain cards. Think of it as an adorable version of Russian roulette. The strategy is in targeting your friends with certain cards.

The rules are nice and simple, and rounds are fast, which is ideal for shorter attention spans.

You can buy the original edition of game for two to five players for $19.99 or the party pack which supports ten players for $29.99 at the official website. Exploding Kittens can also be found at various retail stores.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Ladies and Gentlemen is the sort of game that’s only going to be as enjoyable as the people you play with, so you’ll need to find people willing to roleplay a bit (though a few hits should lower inhibitions, right?).

Basically, players pair up and each pair has a Lady and a Gentleman. If you don’t have an even number of players, then one player can be a Courtesan — did I mention this game is set in the Victorian era? The goal is to become the finest dressed Lady by the end of the game. So, Ladies are purchasing the most glamorous dresses and accessories they can, while the Gentlemen are managing the stock market— yes the gender roles are ridiculous, but if players approach the game with a sense of humor (and relief at how far we’ve come) it’s a lot of fun!

One of the downsides is that this game has, compared to the other games featured here, a lot of pieces to keep track of while high. Thankfully, the game’s rules aren’t too complex once you get started— arguably, the most important rule is that players can only communicate with their partner while in character. One intriguing piece of the game is the gossip card element. If a player uses one of these cards, then they get to spread a nasty rumor about another player. Of course, that means some creativity is required.

Ladies and Gentlemen costs just under $40 via Amazon and supports four to ten players.