No backyard get-together is complete without some fun BBQ games. A little lighthearted competition with loved ones is the perfect thing to pass the time while the food’s cooking. 

We explored dozens of games and identified the best 11 BBQ games that can be enjoyed by a variety of ages and groups. Then we rated them on difficulty, length, and price, and other categories so you can pick out the best of the best for your next gathering. We hope you find a new favorite game to pair with your new favorite BBQ Sauce! 

Click below to jump to the game that excites you most: 

1. Classic Cornhole
2. Bean Bag Ladder Toss
3. Egg Race
4. Beer Pong
5. Water Pong/ Lemonade Pong
6. Jumbo 4-In-A-Row 
7. Kubb
8. Horseshoes
9. Jumbo Jenga
10. Chalk Tic-Tac-Toe

Alright y’all, let the games begin! 

Bags/Cornhole

A backyard classic. A simple game where people throw a small bean-bag (traditionally filled with corn kernels) onto a wooden platform with a hole in it. 

How it works: 2 wooden cornhole platforms are spaced apart, forming a court. Each side takes turns throwing the bag at the opposite platform, aiming to either land the bag on the platform or in the hole. Each side throws a total of 4 bags per turn. 

Who can play: ages 5 and up 

Type: precision toss, small group, 2-person team 

Set-up required: place the platforms in a spot that won’t disturb the cook! 

Difficulty: easy

Length: a single game usually lasts about 10-15 minutes. Can be played idly for hours. 

Price: you can make your own set for about $20, or buy one from $50 and up. 

Bean Bag Ladder Toss

This is like the Hot & Spicy version of cornhole! You can even use the same bean bags. You just need a ladder and the will to win. 

How it works: set up an A-frame ladder and assign point values to each rung. Players stand away from the ladder at a fixed spot and toss bags, attempting to land on a rung and gather the most points. Each player gets 4 tosses per round, and the game can go for up to 10 rounds. 

Who can play: anyone who can safe around a freestanding ladder (avoid young kids) 

Type: precision toss, small group, 2-person team 

Set-up required: place ladder in a secure location where no one can knock it over. You may want to lean it against a wall. 

Difficulty: easy 

Length: set the number of rounds to create your desired play time 

Price: Set of bags- about $20. Use whatever ladder you have or get a big one for $50-$100

Egg Race

A classic field day game where players balance and egg on a spoon while trying to move quickly across an area. This game will show once and for all which sibling is the clumsiest!

How it works: identify a playing field at least 15feet wide. Players line up on one side, balancing an egg in the bowl of a spoon. When the judge says “go”, players race to the other end of the playing field with their egg. Whoever gets to the other side fastest, without breaking or dropping their egg, wins. 

Who can play: ages 5+

Type: race, big group 

Set-up required: clear a space for people to run across 

Difficulty: medium. Balance is difficult! 

Length: short— about 2 minutes 

Price: eggs are about $3/package, and you can use a $2 24-pack pack of plastic spoons

Beer Pong

A college favorite that’s actually a lot more fun in your own backyard. Sure to bring out some healthy competition. 

How it works: on a table, set up two triangles of red cups (in rows of 4-3-2-1 cups, with the point of the triangle toward the middle of the table. Each side has 2 chances per round to throw a lightweight ball into the other team’s cups. If you get the ball in the cup, the cup goes away. If you miss, you take a sip of beer. First team to clear their cups wins! See official rules here, but feel free to make house rules too! 

Who can play: adults (see kid-friendly version next) 

Type: precision toss, small group, 2-person team 

Set-up required: You’ll need a table and a 24-pack of solo cups, plus some pong balls. Takes about 5 minutes. 

Difficulty: medium-hard, depending on your hand-eye coordination 

Length: depending on participant skill, 10-30 minutes per game 

Price: Under $10 

Tip: spiked seltzer is a great alternative if you don’t want the beer bloat 

Water (or Lemonade) Pong

A family-friendly alternative to beer pong that can also help with hydration on a hot summer’s day or desert climates. 

How it works: Same rules as beer pong, but using water or lemonade instead of beer. 

Who can play: family friendly, good for hand-eye coordination practicing with kids

Type: precision toss, small group, 2-person team 

Set-up required: You’ll need a table and a 24-pack of solo cups, plus some pong balls. Set-up takes about 5 minutes. 

Difficulty: medium-hard, depending on your hand-eye coordination 

Length: depending on participant skill, 10-30 minutes per game 

Price: Under $10 

Jumbo 4-in-a-row Game 

Did you know many classic board games come in jumbo sizes? Our favorite is the 4-in-a-row because it can be played quickly and is strategic but fun. Also satisfying to drop all the pieces out at the end! 

How it works: two players take alternate turns dropping colorful discs into a series of columns. Whoever gets four discs (of a single color) in a row wins. 

Who can play: age 5 and up 

Type: strategy, family-friendly, 

Set-up required: set-up will vary depending on your jumbo set, but should take less than 5 minutes 

Difficulty: easy 

Length: 5-10 minutes per game

Price: a jumbo set costs from $50-$100 

Horseshoes

Another classic hand-eye coordination game. This one comes with the satisfying clang of hitting a horseshoe against a stake— second only to the sound of a sizzling grill! 

How it works: two people (or two teams of two people) toss a horseshoe at a target on opposite ends of a playing field (lawn or sandbox is best). The goal is to get the horseshoe around the metal stake. 

Who can play: horseshoes can be a little heavy and dangerous, so we recommend this for age 13 and up

Type: precision toss, small group, 2-person team 

Set-up required: stakes must be secured into the ground with a mallet to keep from falling over. 

Difficulty: medium 

Length: one round (where each side throws two horseshoes) takes 3-5 minutes. You can play for number of rounds or to a certain point amount. After about 30 minutes arms will probably start getting tired 

Price: horseshoe kits sold online go for $30-$50 

Kubb

Also known as “Viking Chess”, this game comes from Sweden and is popular in the midwest United States. The game was a pastime of Swedish immigrants, and rumor has it Kubb dates all the way back to the Viking Era! 

How it works: You’ll need to buy a wooden Kubb set. Then, it’s team-sport mixture of bowling and horseshoes, where one block is thrown in an attempt to hit other blocks until all blocks are down. 

Who can play: anyone able to throw a wooden block a few feet away with precision 

Type: strategy and precision toss, small-medium group 

Set-up required: set up according to directions in a medium size area (preferably grass but concrete works fine too!) 

Difficulty: medium-hard, strategic 

Length: similar to chess, games can go very quickly or up to an hour 

Price: One game set is about $30~$50. The pieces are made of wood and will last a lifetime if kept in a cool, dry place. 

Jumbo Jenga

Another great jumbo game option, this one can be made at home using leftover wood, or you can buy a set of giant wooden blocks. 

How it works: participants take turns removing blocks from a pile, trying to keep balance and avoid the tower falling over. Whichever side collects more blocks wins 

Who can play: family friendly 

Type: strategy, small teams (3 per team max) 

Set-up required: boxes/blocks must be set up into a tower before the game can begin. About 10 minutes of precise work. 

Difficulty: medium

Length: game can take about 10 minutes to complete 

Price: if you do-it-yourself, less than $10. Store-bought in the $50-$100 range. 

Tip: Make it extra fun by writing truth-or-dare questions on the blocks! 

Chalk Tic-Tac-Toe 

Chalk tic-tac-toe (and chalk in general)  is a nice distraction for little ones at a barbecue. You can drop by to play a game every now and then, and clean up is super fast and easy. 

How it works: on a 3×3 grid, players take turns writing either X or O, attempting to get 3 in a row 

Who can play: all ages 

Type: strategy, family-friendly 

Set-up required: requires chalk and a clean patch of sidewalk or driveway 

Difficulty: very easy

Length: games take less than 5 minutes and can be played back to back until you run out of room! 

Price: about $5 for a nice pack of chalk 

Don’t Play Games With BBQ sauce

There’s one place you shouldn’t play games, and that’s when choosing your BBQ sauce. When the excitement is over you’ll all be hungry and expecting something delicious. After having a wholesome and fun time with loved ones, make sure you feed them something authentic, natural and mouth watering like Redneck Lipstick Original Sauce.