Smooth Introduction: 4 Games that will Break the Ice when Introducing Your Lady to Your Friends
It’s Time to Introduce the Love of Your Life to Your Mates
Icebreaker games are different to conventional icebreakers. For starters, significant preparation is needed to create the ideal icebreaker game. What’s great about icebreaker games is that they can be enjoyed by people across age groups, and on any occasion. Of course, something extra special is required when you’re introducing your new lady love to your friends.
Run-of-the-mill stuff simply will not suffice. A challenging icebreaker game that requires interaction, engagement and a little awkwardness is ideal for creating the perfect setting. At the heart of any successful getting to know you game is laughter. Humor always goes a long way in bringing people together.
Game #1 – If I Could Have I Would Have
Kicking things off is a rather interesting game known as If I Could Have I Would Have. There are plenty of stories out there about people who are seeking a different way forward. These types of stories abound in books and movies on a personal and professional level. If you had an opportunity to start all over again, what would you do? This is the premise of this game. To get started, each your friends should write sentences on pieces of paper.
These should be folded up into slips and deposited in a bowl. Then, everyone, including your girlfriend, should remove a slip of paper from the bowl and write their name on it and then complete the sentence. The start a sentence should have a follow-up sentence. Another variation of this game could be everyone adds additional sentences to the slips of paper until it has gone through the entire group. This generates plenty of laughs for the group. By the end of it all, your friends will absolutely love your girlfriend and they may learn a thing or two about themselves too.
Game #2 – Pick a Straw and Answer the Questions
It doesn’t matter how big or small your group is, Pick a Straw is a great game to play. The questions can cover a myriad of topics, and many unique situations. Before you invite your friends over, get a bunch of straws and count 1 straw for each person in the group. Place the straws in a tumbler and mark 1/5 of them. If there are 10 people in your group of friends, including your girlfriend, mark 2 straws.
If there are 20 people in your group, mark 4 straws. Now here’s where it gets interesting: for every drawn straw that is marked, that friend must answer a question. It’s important that you make the questions as engaging and immersive as possible – that will elicit the best responses. Everyone will either be hoping to draw a marked straw or to avoid drawing one – depending on the questions that are posed. This is the ideal way to get your mates to interact well with your girlfriend and accept her as one of the group.
Game #3 – Who is Your Queen of Hearts?
Play a game of poker – no, not strip poker – regular poker. Card games are a dime a dozen, but one has an enduring quality – poker. Whether it’s a gathering of the town folk with a home game of Texas Hold’em, or a showdown with Omaha Hi-Lo, this strategy-based game is ideal for introducing your Queen of Hearts to your friends. There is no doubt that poker has universal appeal, and it’s a great way to interact with one another.
One of the most exciting aspects of poker is its ability to break down barriers between people. There is so much nonverbal communication in poker, that you invariably get to understand one another on an entirely different level. Risk-averse or risk-seeking behavior, bluffing and straight shooting are all part and parcel of the poker experience. Believe it or not, many of the world’s top poker players are ladies, and there is no doubt that a little female poker savvy goes a long way with the boys.
Game #4 – How about a Little Wink Murder?
Games like Clue have inspired a generation of murder-mystery fans the world over. However, a much easier icebreaker game to play is Wink Murder. The premise of the game is that one of the players – one of your friends or your girlfriend – is the secret killer. To eliminate other players from the game, he or she must simply wink at them. Your goal is to determine who the wink killer is before everyone is eliminated.
This game is easy to play since there are no special setups required, no fancy equipment, and no need to prepare in advance. It’s ideal for indoor or outdoor play and once you’ve arranged everyone in the circle, you can get started. The more people you have, the merrier. A moderator picks the murderer for each round, or a player can be selected at random by choosing a particular card. While people are walking about the room and making conversation, the wink killer slowly begins eliminating people. If a person is wrongly accused, the accuser must leave the game. This one definitely ups the ante and makes for a harrowing yet exciting experience.
