Eight free games for a costume party where half the room is new: five that use our existing games and three that need nothing at all. Each has a quiet-person-friendly tip.
On this page, carnival week runs from Thursday 4 February to Tuesday 9 February 2027, which is 6 days. Tuesday 9 February is Shrove Tuesday, also called Mardi Gras. Ash Wednesday is 10 February and Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027.
Cities start and end on their own dates (see below), so check the local calendar for a specific event. The games work at any costume party, with or without full costumes: a mask, a hat or a scarf is enough, and everything here is for adults aged 18 and over.
Quiet-person-friendly tip: One-word clues need no speech, and you can listen first and vote with the group.
Quiet-person-friendly tip: Ask to guess or keep the timer, and act in pairs if you would rather not perform alone.
Quiet-person-friendly tip: Go later in the order so you can hear how others do it, and keep your facts small and easy.
Quiet-person-friendly tip: Choosing a side needs no speech. Explain only when you want to, and anyone can say pass.
Quiet-person-friendly tip: The first step is to ask one simple question to one person. Every square is a short chat with a clear end.
Quiet-person-friendly tip: Yes or no questions are easy to ask. If you are the thinker, you only need to say one word at a time.
Quiet-person-friendly tip: Your partner supplies the words. You only repeat them, which is easier than talking about yourself.
Quiet-person-friendly tip: You can give clues in a quiet voice from your seat, and guessing is a group effort: you do not have to speak first.
Short, checkable basics from official tourism or organiser pages. Dates change by city and by year.
The street carnival opens on Weiberfastnacht, Thursday 4 February 2027, at 11:11 am on the Alter Markt. The Rosenmontag parade is on Monday 8 February, and the Cologne tourist board says more than a million people visit for it. On Violet Tuesday evening, many pubs burn the Nubbel, a straw-filled doll, to mark the end of the season.
The official Carnevale di Venezia site lists the 2027 carnival as 23 January to 9 February 2027, so it ends on Mardi Gras. The site describes masks as central to the atmosphere.
Basel's Fasnacht starts on the Monday after Ash Wednesday at 4:00 am, which is Monday 15 February 2027, a week after our carnival week. It begins in the dark, lit by the lanterns of the cliques (carnival groups).
Andalusian tourism describes the contest at the Gran Teatro Falla: about 20 days, more than 100 groups and four categories (coros, comparsas, chirigotas, cuartetos), with at most four groups per category reaching the final. Chirigotas are known for satire and double meanings. The city itself becomes the stage in February, and costumes are called "tipos" in Cádiz.
Liesa, the league of Rio's samba schools, lists the 2027 Grupo Especial parades over three nights: Sunday 7, Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 February 2027, with four schools each night. Riotur, the city tourism body, lists street bloco registration for Carnaval 2027.
Looking for a carnival event to join alone? Comealone.app lists events you can go to by yourself.
On this page it runs from Thursday 4 to Tuesday 9 February 2027. Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) is Tuesday 9 February, and Ash Wednesday is 10 February. Local dates differ, so check your city.
Short, low-pressure ones: Would you rather, costume bingo, one-word Impostor clues and the pair games. Each game on this page has a quiet-person-friendly tip.
No. A mask, hat or scarf is enough, and the three new games need no equipment. The page is for adults aged 18 and over.
The dates on this page were computed from the calendar (Easter 2027 is 28 March). The carnival facts come from the pages below. Programmes change, so check them before you travel.