Wednesday 6 January 2027 · 5 games · Free
Galette des Rois party games for Epiphany 2027
A cake with a hidden figurine, a paper crown and a rule about who must pay next year. Here is how the French galette and the Spanish roscón work, and five games to run while you eat it.
What is the Galette des Rois (Roscón de Reyes)?
Epiphany falls on 6 January, which is a Wednesday in 2027. Many countries celebrate it with a king cake that hides a small object. Whoever finds it in their slice wins a small prize or title.
France: a flat puff-pastry galette, often filled with frangipane, with a fève inside. Originally a dried bean, now usually a small ceramic figure. A paper crown comes with the cake. To share the slices fairly, the youngest person goes under the table and names who gets each slice as it is cut. Whoever finds the fève is king or queen for the day and wears the crown. By custom the cake is cut into one slice per guest plus one extra, the old "part du pauvre".
Spain and Latin America: the roscón de reyes is a ring of sweet brioche with candied fruit, eaten on the night of 5 January and on 6 January. It usually hides a small figurine and a dried bean. The figurine is the king of the party. Whoever finds the bean pays for next year's roscón. In Mexico, Central America and South America the figurine represents the Child Jesus.
Do both, or mix them: the youngest names the slices, the figurine finder wears the crown, the bean finder takes on a small duty. No cake? Any cake or a batch of muffins works. No hidden object at all? Skip it and use the draw below: the youngest names the slices and the winner of any game gets the crown.
Five games for an Epiphany party
The under-the-table draw
Pick the youngest guest. They go under the table, out of sight of the cake. If everyone is adult, pick the person with the next birthday.
Cut the slices one by one. Hold each slice up and ask: "Who is this for?" The youngest names a guest without looking. Cut one extra slice for the "part du pauvre" if you like the old custom.
Everyone eats slowly. The person who finds the fève (or figurine) shows it, puts on the crown and is king or queen for the evening.
In the Spanish version, the person who finds the bean announces they will bring or buy next year's roscón. Make it a promise, not a bill.
The court of the king
The new king or queen gives three harmless decrees, for example: everyone speaks in a funny accent for two minutes, the left side of the room must toast the right, the next song is theirs.
Guests may negotiate. A good offer, such as a compliment or a joke, can soften one decree.
A decree that embarrasses someone is not allowed. The group can vote it out with a thumbs-down.
If a second fève turns up in another cake, or the king wants to abdicate, the crown passes on. Otherwise the king keeps it until the end of the night.
Impostor: the secret figurine
Open our Impostor party pack. Everyone sees the same word except one player, who sees nothing.
Each person gives a one-word clue, such as a flavour, a place or a feeling. The impostor must bluff.
Vote on who is the impostor. If the group guesses right, the impostor loses the crown.
Whoever wins the round puts on the crown for the next round. Play it while the cake is being cut.
Royal charades
Open Christmas charades and split into 2 to 4 teams.
Use the Christmas and winter category plus Actions. Add your own words by agreement: camel, star, crown, gift box, three kings.
The team that acts has to do it with the crown on, passed on after each turn.
Highest score wins. Winners cut the next slice.
Epiphany bingo
Open our winter bingo and give each guest a card.
Walk around the room and ask people for a match. One name per person.
The first full row, column or diagonal shouts BINGO and takes the crown.
Without phones: draw a 3 by 3 grid and fill it with Epiphany things, such as a crown, a gift, a star, a camel, someone who has eaten roscón, someone who has eaten galette.
Safety: the fève is a hard object
Tell everyone, before the first slice, that something hard is baked inside. Ask guests to bite carefully and not to gulp.
A ceramic fève, a figurine or a bean can break a tooth, and any small object is a choking risk. Young children are at the highest risk from small objects, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Do not give a slice with the fève to a child under four, or to anyone who cannot be supervised while eating. Hide the object in a slice for adults, or place the figurine on top of the cake instead of inside it.
Always count the pieces, so that the fève does not end up in the bin or someone's mouth by accident. If someone chokes, call emergency services right away.
Going alone to a Galette des Rois party
The cake is the icebreaker: there is a built-in reason to talk about who got the fève.
Offer to be the youngest under the table, or the person who cuts. Both are roles that include you straight away.
Bring a galette or roscón yourself. People talk to whoever brought the cake.
Ask guests how their family does it. Everyone has a version: crown, bean, who pays.
More for this party
Looking for a winter event to join alone? Comealone.app lists events you can go to by yourself.
Questions
When is Epiphany 2027?
Wednesday 6 January 2027. In Spain the roscón is also eaten on the night of 5 January.
Who gets the crown in the galette and who pays in the roscón?
In the French tradition the person who finds the fève is king or queen and wears the crown. In the Spanish tradition the figurine is the king, and whoever finds the dried bean pays for next year's roscón.
Is it safe for children?
Only with care. The fève is a hard small object that is a choking and dental risk. Keep it out of slices for young children, or place the figurine on top of the cake.
Sources
Facts about the traditions come from the pages below. Customs vary by region and family.