There’s nothing like hitting the open road to explore a new city and state! But sometimes the hardest part of a road trip is figuring out creative ways to pass the time. We’ve all been there!
Whether you’re traveling in a car, RV, or perhaps a rental car, this unique collection of fun road trip games features some of the best ways to keep you entertained on your next driving adventure!
This post contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love 🙂
Table of Contents
Fun Road Trip Car Games
If you’re looking for some fun road trips look no further than this list! Featuring a wide range of unique memory-based strategy games to USA trivia questions!
1. Going on a picnic
One person thinks of a rule that determines what can be brought to the picnic. The rule can be anything, like the color of the items, their shape, size, or even the number of letters in their name.
Example: Let’s say Mary and John are playing. Mary thinks of a rule and keeps it to herself. The rest of the players then try to guess the rule by suggesting different items and seeing if they fit into the subject that she’s thinking of!
2. Sorry, I’m Late (Movie Plot Game)
One player thinks of a movie (or show) and says “Sorry, I’m late…” and then adds in an excuse. The excuse is actually a hint to a movie. The other player then guesses the movie based on the excuse.
Example: Sorry I’m late, I was walking from the North Pole to NYC to find my dad” And the answer is… Elf!
3. Famous names
Someone starts the game by saying the first and last names of a famous person. The next person must name another famous person whose first name starts with the first letter of the previous celebrity’s last name.
Example: Taylor Swift leads to Selena Gomez, which leads to George Clooney…and so on!
4. Who’s Most Likely to…?
This is one that I always like to play when there’s a bigger group of us because it’s more fun to see who knows each other the best in the group!
The game starts with the first player asking, “Who is most likely to…[pick whatever question you’d like!] The other players have 3 seconds to name the person that fits the question the best. Whoever wins gets to ask the next question and so on!
5. Heads Up
Now, this game DOES require an app, but it’s a pretty popular game so surely someone in the group has this on their phone, if not, there’s a free version available on the App Store and Google Play Store!
The rules are easy: guess the word on the card that’s on your head based on your friends’ clues before the timer runs out! The best part is that there are different categories to choose from, such as celebrities, sports, food, animals, and movies!
Unfortunately, the driver might have to sit this one out!
6. USA Trivia
Think you know your USA trivia? Check out this epic list of USA trivia questions that feature over 200 questions that range from easy to hard!
Classic Road Trip Games
Looking for games with a bit of a classic flair? Check out this list of classic road trip games that will send you back down memory lane!
6. I-Spy
Who doesn’t love a good ole game of I-Spy?!
This game is a timeless classic for a reason! Just in case you haven’t played before, here’s how it works: One person picks something they can see and says, “I spy with my little eye…” followed by a clue about the object. The other players then try to guess what it is. It’s especially fun for little kids and a great way to spend time together.
7. Guess that tune
Another classic and easy road trip game! Someone sings or hums a song and others have to guess the song and/or artist. Whoever guesses the most tunes is the winner!
8. Categories
This is a game that surely everyone knows or who has at least played before! Someone chooses a category, such as movies, candy, states, etc. The first player names something in a category that starts with the letter A. The second player has the letter B, and so on.
Example: If the category is candy, the first player might say “almond joy.” The second person might say “Butterfinger” The third person might say “Crunch bar” and so on.
9. License plate game
The license plate game is a classic for a reason! To start, a player will read out a license plate near them, and the first player in the group to form a word using the letters on that plate to get a point.
If no one can create a word with the letters in that order, then the player who can form a word using those letters in any order receives half a point.
Example: 7ST45W can be STRAW. The first person to get 5 points wins the game!
10. Mad Libs
This is a modern twist on an old classic! Instead of using a Mad Libs workbook, use the WordLibs app online for free and create your own Mad Libs stories from there!
Road Trip Games for Kids
If you’re looking for something geared towards the little ones in your crew, look no further! These games will keep the kiddos entertained, and keep the driver sane during a long road trip!
11. The ABC game using road signs
In this game, each player in the car needs to find a word on a road sign that starts with the letter A, then a word that starts with B, and so on, all the way to Z.
The catch is, that once you claim a word, it’s yours! No other players can use it! The first person to find words for all the letters in the alphabet wins.
12. 20 Questions
This is a fun game that you can play with any age! The game starts with someone thinking of a person, place, or thing. The other players then have to take turns asking only yes-or-no questions to see if they can figure out what the other person is thinking.
Whoever guesses correctly gets a point, but if no one guesses correctly the person who has the answer gets a point!
13. Scavenger Hunt
This may take a bit of pre-planning, but it’s worth it to keep kids entertained during a road trip! The rules can be as flexible as you’d like, but think of some questions and objects that kids can try to scavenge for in the car that is easily available.
If you’d prefer to get a game off of Amazon, check out the Rubberneckers card game!
14. Punch Buggy
This might be more on the “sporadic” side when it comes to games since there aren’t many VW Bugs cruising around these days! But it’s fun to keep your eyes peeled and can keep kids occupied.
If you don’t already know the concept, it’s just an opportunity to lightly tap your car mates exclaiming “[color of the car] punch buggy, no punch back!” when you spot a VW Bug!
You could always pick a different type of car to add to the fun! Tesla anyone?
Psst: My Road Trip Journal for Kids is jam-packed with fun things to do!
15. “I went to the store” ABC game
Another fun opportunity to practice ABCs in the car! The concept of this game is simple – the first person starts by saying: “I went to the store and bought [something that starts with the letter A]”, the next person goes and says: “I went to the store and bought [what the previous player said] and [something that starts with the letter B],” and so on throughout the ABCs.
If the next player can’t recite the previous person’s prompt they are eliminated from the game!
16. Count the animal’s game
Before heading on the trip, every player can pick out popular animals they’re scouting out during the trip such as seagulls, turtles, deer, etc. Once the players spot the animal, shout it out! When you reach your final destination, the person who has the most points wins the game!
17. Road trip bingo
Who doesn’t love a game of bingo?! This one has a bit of a road trip twist to it!
Before your trip, create paper bingo cards to give to each player. Consider making the game themed based on fast food restaurants McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Starbucks, or even types of cars (Honda, Toyota, Ford, etc.) Don’t forget to bring markers or stickers for each player to mark their cards!
18. Go Fish
I always loved playing this game in the backseat with my brother, and all you need is a deck of cards! Everyone knows the rules: one player will ask for a card, saying, “Do you have the King of hearts?” If the other person doesn’t have it in their pile, the first player will have to “go fish” by drawing a card from the main deck!
Even MORE Road Trip Games
If you’re looking for some of the most top-rated tangible road trip games on Amazon, check these out!:
- Road Trip Activities and Travel Journal for Kids: This is the PERFECT travel journal to keep kids occupied during a long road trip.
- Brain Games: If you’re looking for some mental stimulation, you can’t go wrong with some brain games! This one features a wide variety of mazes, puzzles, optical illusions, and more!
- Would You Rather?: Sometimes it’s challenging to come up with good Would You Rather questions, but this workbook takes the hard work out of the equation and lets you focus on having fun!
- Do You Really Know Your Family?: Perfect for a family road trip! This game features challenging questions about your family members to put you to the test to see who knows who the best!
- Sushi Go!: This is perfect for those in the backseat looking to pass the time. It’s a fast-paced card game that has you pick out the best sushi combo and makes you put your strategic thinking skills to the test to make sure you end up with the winning combo!
Wrapping Up
As you can see, the more entertaining the road trip games, the more quickly time will fly by! Plus, I believe that it’s always a good idea to keep a deck of cards in your car, you never know when you might want to break out a game of Go Fish during a long trip!
Did you end up keeping score during any of these games?! Send over your results on Instagram and tell us all about it!
Recent Posts
One Weekend in Ruidoso, New Mexico: A 3-day Ruidoso Itinerary
Nestled in the Sierra Blanca Mountains, Ruidoso, New Mexico, is an outdoor lover's paradise and quite the hidden gem in the Southwest. From fun hikes to peaceful lakes, this charming town is perfect...
White Sands National Park is a stunning natural wonder located in southern New Mexico. It's one of my most favorite places in the USA and one of the only that I have visited more than once. Known...