31 Best Games for Road Trips for Adults to Beat the Boredom

Road-tripping is our absolute favorite way of traveling. Not only are you able to get off the beaten path to find some hidden treasures, but also have a rewarding time with your travel partner to make ever-lasting memories. Especially when you pass the time with some fun games for road trips for adults.

But even the greatest road trip can have its downside with never-ending drives to the next destination to listening to the same playlist on repeat. Luckily, we are here to help with all of that with a list of road trip games.

On our two cross-country road trips through the USA, we tested so many different ways of being entertained while on the road. Our favorite thing to beat the boredom is playing some fun car games.

Here are our top 31 games for road trips for adults. Some you might already know, some you might find too crazy, some you might need an app for, and some will make you want to continue driving, even though you’re already at your destination. Feel free to change them the way they suit you best!

Before you head out on the road, do you have the right vehicle for your trip? You may want to think about renting a car or getting into an RV.

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Our Other Resources for Road Trips

• 45 Useful Gifts for Road Trips You Didn’t Know You Needed
• 100+ Tested Road Trip Pack List Essentials You Will Not Want to Forget
• 90+ Road Trip Quotes to Excite You to Hit the Road

Helpful Resources for Road Trips

What Road Trip Games Can You Play while Driving?

Road Trip Classics

Who doesn’t enjoy the good, old traditional road trip games? Even though they are around for a while and everyone knows them, they are still a lot of fun and don’t require anything fancy.

Road Trip Trivia

Goal: Learn the history of the area you are visiting.

Why Play this Game: Who doesn’t love a good trivia game? Now, you can design it yourself. Not only will you see and experience the area that you are traveling through, but you can also learn a little about it!

How to Play:

1. Designate one person to host the road trip trivia game.
2. The host will ask the passengers specific questions related to the country, state, area, or city you are road-tripping through. As a host, you can also use wifi to find some tricky questions for your fellow travelers.
3. For every correct answer, the passenger will receive 1 point.
4. The passenger with the most points is the winner for that round.

The Quiet Game

Goal: To stay quiet the longest.

Why Play this Game: If you are looking for some quiet to enjoy your ride, this is the game for you! It is ideal to play when you are traveling with small children or even an annoying road-trip partner who keeps asking, “Are we there yet?”

How to Play:

1. Start a timer and then stay quiet.
   2. If you speak, you are out.
   3. The person who stays the quietest the longest, wins!

The License Plate Game

Goal: To be the first to find as many different state or country license plates as possible.

Why Play this Game: Isn’t it fun finding a new license plate? Especially when it is one you have never seen before. We all do it, so why not make it a game. You can learn the states, maybe even a little geography, and have some fun while on your road trip.

How to Play:

1. Look out for different license plates before someone else finds them.
   2. Check off or mark each license plate that you see.
   3. Award yourself 1 point for each license plate (a point is only awarded to the first person to find the license plate).
   4. Player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Variations:

1. Decide on how long the game will be played.

For example: for the duration of the trip or for a specific time frame.

2. Change the way of scoring points.

For example, Certain license plates, e.g. harder to find license plates can equal 2 points.

3. Work in teams instead of alone.

I Spy

Goal: To be the first person to find the object from the clue.

Why Play this Game: This classic road trip game will keep you and your passengers guessing and guessing what other people can see. You will never get bored because there is always something new and interesting to find along the way. Who will be the I Spy champion?

How to Play:

1. One person has to find an object by looking out the window.
2. Then provide a clue for the other passengers to try and guess the object.
3. The passenger who correctly identifies the object wins.
4. Now it is the winner’s turn to find a new object.

• Save

Categories

Goal: Be the last one left in the game by not missing a category

Why Play this Game: How many different objects of a category can you name? There are endless possibilities for different category topics which makes it a perfect game to play over and over again. All you have to do is choose a new category. Get creative and challenge your road trip partners to a fun car game of categories. Who will be the last one standing?

How to Play:

1. Pick a category (cars, songs, movies, colors, countries, etc).
   2. Each person takes turns naming something in the category. If you are stumped, you are out.
   3. The last one left without being stumped is the winner.

Variations:

1. Players have to name things in alphabetical order.

For example, The category is songs. The first player would have to start by naming a song that starts with “A.” Then B, C, D, and so on.”

2. The next player’s answer has to start with the last letter of the answer from the previous player.

For example, The category is songs. The answer is “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The next player would have to name a song that starts with the letter “S.”

3. Decide on how long a player has to respond before the time is up.

For example, Each player has 10 seconds to give an answer.

Car Bingo

Goal: Be the first person to get BINGO.

Why Play this Game: Turn the classic, old lady game, Bingo into a fun, exciting road trip car games that will entertain and excite everyone. This game needs a little preparation because you have to create a variety of Bingo cards before you start your trip.

How to Play:

1. Give each passenger a Bingo card and something to write with.
2. Each passenger will mark off their card until they have Bingo (5 covered squares in a row).
3. The first-person with Bingo wins.

Variations:

1. Choose a different BINGO pattern in order to win.

For example: Instead of having 5 squares in a row, you have to get a small square, a large square, an X, or even the full card to win.

2. Create different BINGO cards with different topics.

For example, Street signs, types of cards, fast food restaurants, songs, etc.

Price is Right

Goal: Try and guess the gas price to the nearest tenth in the area you are traveling through.

Why Play this Game: One thing that adds up quickly on a road trip is gas. Anytime we are on the road, we try to find the cheapest gas possible to save a little money. So why not make a game of it to pass the time?

How to Play:

1. Each passenger will take a chance at guessing the gas price in the certain area you are traveling through.
2. The person with the guess that is farthest away from the actual price has to pay for the next fill-up or a little treat at the next gas station ;-).

Music Car Games for Road Trips for Adults

Listening to music is the number one activity to be entertained on a road trip. But hearing the same playlist over and over again can get a little boring after a while. Why not try something new and get more involved with the artists and songs. Here are 5 fun games to play in the car with adults that make you enjoy music in a different, fun way.

Name that Song

Goal: Be the first one to name the song that is playing.

Why Play this Game: What is a road trip without great music, right? Now you can have fun testing your musical knowledge against your road trip partner to see who knows more song titles. Try putting on a local radio station to discover new music.

But what happens when no one knows the song? Use the Shazam app to find out the name.

How to Play:

1. Turn on music from the radio, Sirius XM, or a Music App.
   2. Listen to a song.
   3. Guess the name of the song.
   4. The first one to say the correct title, wins.

Variations:

1. Naming song titles is too easy? Try to figure out the artist.

For example, Take It Easy by The Eagles

2. Maybe your music knowledge is so good that you can even name the genre.

For example, Take It Easy by The Eagles – Genre: Rock

Hum that Tune

Goal: Be the first person to correctly guess the tune that is being hummed.

Why Play this Game: Humming a tune may not be as easy as you thought. This car game will definitely have everyone laughing. It is time to put your musical skills to the test on your next road trip adventure.

How to Play:

1. One person starts off the game by humming the beat of a song.
2. The rest of the passengers will try to guess the name of the tune.
3. The first passenger to guess correctly wins the game.
4. Winners then get to hum a tune.

Song Lyric Game

Goal: Guess the name of the song by hearing a lyric of the song.

Why Play this Game: This game is an excellent way to be introduced to new music or reminisce about the good old times with some oldies. Have fun trying to stump your road trip partner with a variety of songs. See how many songs you really know.

How to Play:

1. One passenger will start by saying a lyric from a song.
2. Other passengers will have to try and guess the song from the lyrics.
3. If a passenger guesses correctly, it is now their turn to pick a song lyric.

Radio Roulette

Goal: Find new songs or rediscover the music you haven’t heard in a while, as you shuffle through the radio on your road trip.

Why Play this Game: Sometimes tuning in to the same playlist or radio station can get a little boring. Why not listen to a variety of music? Radio Roulette is a great car game for road trips for adults that will keep the tunes changing and the time passing.

How to Play:

1. Designate a certain time frame (ex: every 30 minutes).
2. After the designated time, hit search on the radio.
3. Whatever radio station it lands on will be your music choice for the next 30 minutes, or whatever time you set.
4. See if you find any new songs, artists, or genres of music that you didn’t know you liked before.

Music Battle

Goal: Pick a song for a specific category and let the judge decide who had the best choice.

Why Play this Game: Do you think your music knowledge is unbeatable? When you have at least 3 road trip passengers of all ages, take on the challenge and find the best songs for a category. This game will have you laughing, smiling, and forgetting about how much longer until you arrive.

How to Play:

1. Designate a music judge.
2. The judge will then have to name a specific category.
3. Participants have to think of a song that goes with that specific category.
4. Once all songs have been entered, the judge will pick the best song for the category.

Word Associated Car Games for Road Trips for Adults

Time to encounter some new words, you have never heard before, with these fantastic word-associated adult car games.

The Alphabet Game

Goal: Find something that starts with every letter in the alphabet.

Why Play this Game: It is a non-competitive game that keeps everyone happy and working together. Since there are 26 letters in the alphabet, it will take up a lot of time when you have a long drive between destinations, especially when you get to the harder letters at the end of the alphabet.

How to Play:

1. The first player has to find something visible that starts with the letter “A”
   2. Next player has to find something visible starting with the letter “B”
   3. Game continues until you reach the end of the alphabet.

The Rhyming Game

Goal: Find as many rhyming words as possible.

Why Play this Game: This is a great game for everyone from couples to families, who love to use their brains and have a good time laughing.

How to Play:

1. One person starts by picking a word. For example, Time
2. Then everyone has to go around in order and say a word that rhymes with the chosen word. For example, dime, crime, climb, etc.
3. If you get stumped or repeat a word, you are out.
4.  Last one left wins.

Don’t Say That

Goal: Refrain from saying designated specific words.

Why Play this Game: Make your next road trip conversation a little more challenging with this fun car game for road trips for adults. Who will be the one who can’t stop saying those “Don’t Say That” words?

How to Play:

1. Pick 5 commonly used words that people use when traveling.
2. Identify the specific consequences for saying the “Don’t Say That” word.
3. Test your memory skills to see who says the most “Don’t Say That” words during the road trip.

Spelling Bee

Goal: Correctly spell the words.

Why Play this Game: A fun way to test out each other’s spelling skills. Now, it is your time to prove you are the master speller!

Note: This car game for road trips for adults may work better with a group.

How to Play:

1. Designate a passenger to be the host of the Spelling Bee.
2. Other passengers will be the Spelling Bee participants.
3. The host will look up challenging words to spell and ask one participant to spell the word.
4. The one with the most words spelled correctly is the winner.

Movie-Based Car Games for Road Trips for Adults

As a real movie fan, Dana’s Hollywood knowledge isn’t bad but these games definitely reached her limit. When you love movies as much as we do, get ready for the challenge. Just be aware that there will be a lot of movies on your to-watch list when you’re done playing.

The Movie Game

Goal: See how many different actors or actresses and movies they have starred in you can name.

Why Play this Game: Ready to boost your movie knowledge? Team up with your road trip partner(s) and see how good your movie, actors, and actress’ memory is. Maybe you will find out that it is time to start watching more movies.

How to Play:

1. One passenger starts the game by naming an actor or actress.
2. Another passenger has to name a movie that the actor or actress has starred in.
3. Then, either another passenger or the starting passenger will have to name another actor or actress that plays in that movie.
4. The next passenger will then name a movie that the newly named actor or actress has starred in.
5. The rotation continues until someone is no longer able to name an actor or actress or a movie.

Guess the Quote

Goal: Correctly guess who said the quote, what movie or show it is from, or what song it is in.

Why Play this Game: Road trips can be long and tiring. When the boredom sets in, pass the time and play Guess the Quote. This game will instantly have you forgetting about the time and how many more miles there are to go.

How to Play:

1. One passenger starts by saying a quote from a movie, tv show, or song.
2. It is the job of the other passengers to try and guess who said it, or where the quote is from.
3. The passenger that guesses correctly, gets to pick the next quote.

Conversational Car Games for Road Trips for Adults

On the road for hours and have nothing left to chat about? Break the silence with these games which will keep you talking and talking. Not only will it give you something great to do, but these fun games in the car will also make sure you will get to know your road trip partners inside and out.

While You Were Sleeping

Goal: Create a story that happened while one road trip passenger was snoozing away.

Why Play this Game: This game only works when a passenger is taking a nap during the road trip. For all the passengers that are awake, it is time to have a little fun. Be creative and stay in character.

How to Play:

1. Work together to create an unforgettable, unbelievable, unimaginable story that occurred while your road trip partner was sleeping.
2. Everyone in the car will need to mesmerize the same story.
3. When your road trip partner wakes up, it is time to start acting. Share the unimaginable series of events that happened while they were sleeping.
4. Do your best without breaking character. See how long it will take for them to find out everything was made up.

Story Time

Goal: Work together to create a personal story.

Why Play this Game: Bring out your creative side on your next family or friends’ road trip. Have you always wanted to be a writer or storyteller? How will your story end?

How to Play:

1. The first person will start the story off by saying a word or a phrase.
2. Taking turns, each road trip passenger will add on one word at a time to complete the sentence.
3. Keep going until your story is complete.

Never Have I Ever

Goal: To eliminate everyone by asking “Never have I ever…” questions.

Why Play this Game: This is a perfect game to get to know more about your road trip partner(s), whether they are friends, family, or your significant other.

How to Play:

1. Everyone starts with 5 points.
2. Take turns saying something you have never done. For example: Never have I ever… been to Canada.
3. If you have done it before, you minus a point. For example: If you have been to Canada, you would be minus a point.
4.  Once you have lost all your points, you are out.
5. The last one with points wins.

Variations:

1. You can use up to 10 points.

2. If only 1 person has done whatever the question was, then it’s storytime. They have to explain how it happened.

Would You Rather?

Goal: Create the craziest questions to stump the other players.

Why Play this Game: Are you sure you really know the other passengers in the car? During this amusing game, you will definitely find out some new facts, or maybe even secrets about the other players…

How to Play:

1. Think of fun questions for the other passengers.
2. Ask the questions by saying, “Would you rather “this” or “that”? For example: Would you rather go relax on a beach or climb a mountain?
3. Everyone can answer which one they would rather do.
4. Players can alternate asking questions.

The Hot Seat

Goal: Find out the hidden secrets of your road trip partner.

Why Play this Game: Want to get to know your road trip partner a little more but have not found the right time to ask the questions? Well, now you have the chance. On your next road trip consider playing the fun car game, The Hot Seat, and ask all those questions people usually do not want to answer.

How to Play:

1. Each road trip passenger takes a chance at being in the Hot Seat.
2. While in the Hot Seat, you will have to answer 5 questions that your road trip partner asks.
3. After 5 questions switch roles.

21 Questions

Goal: You have 21 questions to try and guess what someone is thinking.

Why Play this Game: Test your skills and see how quickly you can guess what your road trip partner is thinking. This game can keep you occupied for a few minutes or even hours, depending on how good you are at guessing and asking questions. It is easily played by anyone because you can make it as hard or as easy as you want.

How to Play:

1. One player thinks of something.
2. Then, the rest of the players in the car start asking questions about this thought.
3.  They only have 21 questions to figure it out.
4. A question cannot be repeated.
5. You can guess the player’s thoughts at any point. If you guess correctly, you get to start the next round. Congratulations on being the best guesser in the car.

Most Likely to Game

Goal: Identify the road trip partner you think is “most likely to” (whatever the topic is).

Why Play this Game: Didn’t win a class superlative back in High School? Now, it is your chance to see what your road trip partners think about you. Have fun laughing and joking, and expect some surprises with these road trip car games.

How to Play:

1. Each player will take a turn and say a statement like, “most likely to be on TV.”
2. All passengers will then point or name the person in the car who they think is the best fit for that statement.
3. Add a twist, and then explain why you think this person best fits the statement.

Road Trip Apps: Car Games for Road Trips for Adults

For most of the games to play in car for adults listed above, at least one of the passengers has to come up with their own ideas. On some days, we are not that creative or simply a little lazy. So why not let someone else do this job?

Lean back and let your phone be the host. There are so many great fun car game apps out there that offer a huge variety of playing experiences and are not even expensive.

NOTE: Just keep in mind, that they require a charged phone and most of the time wifi. When you’re out in the backcountry, you have to play the more conventional car games for road trips for adults.

Drivetime (Drive.fm)

Drivetime is a one-of-a-kind app that uses interactive voice audio to entertain you safely while on the road. Once the app is opened, say play, and you will be able to control everything with your voice, so your hands can stay on the wheel. It is actually the only hands-free app with such an interactive entertainment experience. There is no need to even look at your screen again.

The app features a variety of content, mostly quizzes: from the popular Daily Trivia Show to Superfan Movie questions, and Jeopardy with Alex Trebek. You can also name the songs on Tune Time, or answer laughable questions in Would you Rather.

We used this app on our road trip last year and were overly surprised. Drivetime has a lot of different options for what to play, whereas other apps just concentrate on one topic.

The Drive.fm app is free to download in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Want unlimited access to all of Drivetime entertainment? Purchase a subscription for $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year.

Popcorn Trivia

The Popcorn Trivia app brings the movies to you. Instead of just watching the movies, this app is more interactive and has more than 14,000,000 questions for you to answer. You can put your skills and knowledge to the test by challenging a friend, or a road trip partner, and you can even host your own movie game show.

It is time to brush up on your favorite movies.

The app is free to download in Apple’s App Store or Google Play.

Trivia Crack 2

Are you ready for a little trivia competition? Trivia Crack 2 has thousands of challenging trivia questions to see just how smart you are.

Want to be a trivia expert? Try and answer questions in all 6 categories. (Art, Science, History, Entertainment, Sports, and Geography).

The app is free to download in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Want to play ad-free? Subscriptions start at $4.99 a month, 3 months at $11.99, and $39.99 a year.

Trivia 360

An easy-to-use, free trivia quiz game right on your phone which makes it easy to play anywhere. Start playing on your next road trip and see where you rank on the leaderboards. The entertainment and challenges are never-ending with the variety of categories available in the app.

A cool feature of this app is that you are able to choose up to 12 different languages to play in.

This app is free to download in Apple’s App Store or Google Play.

Jeopardy! World Tour

Love watching Jeopardy on TV? It is even more fun to play it yourself on your phone, anywhere you want. Find out who will be the next Jeopardy World Tour champion on your next road trip by competing in thousands of unique categories.

This app is free to download in Apple’s App Store or Google Play.

Song Pop 2

Road trips are great for listening to music. When you love our music games, take it up a notch by downloading Song Pop 2, the world’s biggest music trivia game. Compete to see who has better music knowledge with more than 100,000 music clips from popular artists.

Need to step up your music game, before you are ready to compete? Start in practice mode and improve your skills.

TOP TIP: If you like this POP game, you might also like TravelPop, a captivating photo trivia game that makes you dream of foreign places.

The app is free to download in Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Monthly VIP subscriptions to remove the ads start at $4.99.

Which car games entertained you the most? Did we forget any of your favorite games for road trips for adults?

Share your experiences with us or drop a question in the comments below!

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