Oscar Party Games

Let’s admit it, somewhere between the red carpet and the Best Picture award, the Oscars get a little boring.  I mean, how many people are really dying to see who wins the best sound mixing or worse yet, hear their acceptance speech?  When my party hits a lull, I like to play some Oscar party games.  There is the traditional filling out a ballot to predict the winners and I’ve already showed you my diabolical word find but there is always time for one more game.  I like to mix it up and do a mystery game.  I don’t tell my guests in advance what kind of game it will be, I just spring it on them at the party.  Past favorites include Name that Oscar Winning Best Picture, Name that Famous Oscar Dress, Name that Famous Oscar Movie, and Name that Famous Oscar Quote.  Here’s a selection of those games and the tools that you’ll need to make a mystery game of your own!

First off, you’ll need the basics:

Something to display the game, I like a nice big piece of gold poster board

Game name (You can use this Name that famous (Game Title) as a starting place)

Game Numbers

Blank answer sheets

Completed answer sheet for checking

Name that Oscar Winning Best Picture

I’ve laid out the game board using the movie posters from each of the winners.  You can find a great image bank of the posters on bestpictureposters.blogspot.com I obscured the names on the posters using Oscars and provided an answer sheet (Like this Best Picture Answer Sheet) with simply the year and a blank for the movie title.  I printed a separate page with all the answers (Best Picture Winners) to have for reference when scoring answer sheets.  I last used this game in for the 79th Oscars, so you’ll need to do a bit of updating to that answer sheet for this year’s Oscars.

Suggested prize: One month subscription to Netflix

Name that Famous Oscar Dress

This one is one of my personal favorites because it was the first of all my mystery games.  It makes a reappearance every few years with a few updated dresses so be on the look out for this one!  I grab pictures of a few famous Oscar dresses picking Best Actress winner classics like Cher in Bob Mackie or Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy and then sprinkle in the previous year’s winner and a few more recent dresses.  I cover the faces of the winners and then ask my party goers to name the winner, movie, year and dress designer on their answer sheet (Name that Famous Oscar Dress).

Even with only eight dresses this is a really hard game!  Don’t worry, I’ve always got the answers tucked under the star covered faces on the poster.

Suggested prize: One year subscription to In-Style or Vogue

Name that Famous Oscar Movie

This game involves knowing the plots of various best picture winners.  I grabbed plot summaries from IMDB and then asked party goers to name the film and year on their answer sheet (Name that Famous Best Picture).

I’ve got the answers in the form of movie posters underneath each of the movie synopsis.

Suggested Prize: Movie gift card or if you live in Austin – Alamo Drafthouse gift card.

Name that Famous Oscar Quote

Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of this game – I remember when I threw it together it was a mad dash on the day of the party – I DON’T recommend that!  For this game, just pick your favorite Oscar quotes, put them up on the board and ask your guests to name the picture and year it won.  If you want to be evil you  can ask that they name the character who said the quote as well.  A few favorite suggestions of mine:

I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!  The Wizard of Oz

Frodo! Lord of the Rings

Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

ET phone home  ET

You can’t handle the truth  A Few Good Men

I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse  The Godfather

I wish I knew how to quit you  Brokeback Mountain

Open the pod bay doors, Hal  Space Odessy 2001

Here’s looking at you kid Casablanca

No, If anyone orders merlot I’m leaving Sideways

Rosebud Citizen Cane

Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn  Gone with the Wind

Off the record, on the QT and very hush hush LA Confidential

You had me at hello Jerry Maguire

Greed is good    Wallstreet

We rob banks Bonnie and Clyde

I’m the king of the world! Titanic

You don’t understand!  I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.  On the Waterfront

I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore! Network

Suggested Prize: DVD of one of the quoted movies.

I hope these games help spice up your Oscar party.  I’ve got a few more up my sleeve so folks who are coming to my party, don’t worry – you’ll have an all new mystery game! — Martta