Have you fallen into a rut with your night out routine? Are the same five overplayed songs, overpriced drinks, and overworn black top and jeans getting old? Here are some side quests to make excellent use of your free will and put the life back into your nightlife.
Let’s be real: Nights out are never memorable because of the alcohol. What makes them truly magical are the shenanigans that you and your friends get up to. They’re simply the perfect opportunity to go a little wild and test just how far you’re willing to venture outside of your comfort zone.
I’m here to provide you with the inspiration for side quests to test out on your next night out on the town. Whether it’s a dress-up theme, funny accent, or fake name, you’ll be sure to wake up (probably with smeared mascara) the next morning richer in friends, memories, and inside jokes.
My friends and I have personally tested some of these ideas, and I can confirm that they’ve made our nights out infinitely more fun. Going out is so much better when you have a bit to commit to.
1) The classic TikTok lock screen prank
If you’re as chronically online as I am, you’ve definitely seen this bit on your For You Page. It’s simple, elegant, and undeniably hilarious.
Snag a sneaky picture of an unsuspecting stranger and set it as your lock screen. Then, go up to them and ask them to take a picture of you. When you hand them your phone, they’ll be shocked to see themselves on your screen!
By now, people will likely know what you’re up to and be less freaked out. When my friends and I tried this one out, people thought we were total weirdos. Even still, our antics spread throughout the bar, and people started doing it back to us.
Honestly, this prank is the best icebreaker I’ve ever used. We met so many new people in a short timespan. I could totally see this bit being used in place of a pickup line!
2) Make up a fake identity
Ever wanted to change your name? Wear a wig? Make yourself completely unrecognizable? Well, now’s your time!
Play secret agent for the night by creating a fake persona for yourself. Introduce yourself to random people and tell them your (totally made-up) life story. The more utterly outrageous it is, the better!
The best part of this side quest is getting people to believe you. I got such a rush from convincing strangers that we went to elementary school together or that Ed Sheeran was my cousin. Drunk people are super gullible, so gaslight to your heart’s content.
The one catch: you CANNOT break character. For the night, this is your new identity!
3) Give a speech
(Image: Parks and Recreation)
As you could probably guess, bars blasting Pitbull at deafening levels aren’t the best settings for this side quest. However, randomly giving speeches is a great activity for group trips and smaller parties.
The rules are pretty simple: everyone must give a speech at some point in the night. What your speech is about is totally up to you! Impersonate a famous politician, rave about the cultural significance of your favorite TV show, or rant about why you hate Labubus. The options are truly endless.
My friends and I play a specific version of this game where we write down funny, randomized topics and then make each other give lectures on them. One of my proudest accomplishments is my defense of why pickles are the most romantic food out there.
4.) Play a (secret) game of sardines
QUICK! HIDE!
If you’ve never played this childhood classic, sardines is the opposite of hide-and-seek: only one person hides while everyone else looks for them. When someone eventually finds the hider, they join them in their hiding spot. This process continues until only one seeker is left.
Go find a good spot and wait for people to figure out where you are! See how long it takes someone to notice that everyone is slowly disappearing.
That being said, be careful with this one! Whether it’s in the bar or at a house party, stay safe and make sure everyone is accounted for at the end of the night. Don’t lose your friends, and don’t confine yourself to small, secluded spaces with strangers.
5) Bingo!
Instead of having numbers on your bingo squares, make your own cards with dares, tasks, and side quests that you must complete by the end of the night.
Compete with your friends to fill out the bingo card the fastest. You can even make things more exciting with a prize for the winner or a punishment for last place.
Some of my favorite bingo spaces are getting someone to buy you a drink, having a stranger post you on their story, and getting someone’s phone number. Whatever challenge you’re up to, put it on there!
6) Give out awards
Write down some superlatives ahead of time and stuff them in your pockets or purse for later. Whenever you see someone who looks deserving of one, hand them their award.
Some great ideas I’ve seen for this are “most drunk,” “main character,” and “biggest flirt.” Get creative with this one!
I’ve done this before with some of my friends and had an absolute ball. People love winning and were so happy to accept our little notes. This is an especially great bit because you can decide how wholesome or controversial you want to be.
7) Send some water shots
Ah yes, one of the oldest tricks in the book. Keep your fellow bar attendees hydrated with some unexpected H2O!
This prank is great because it’s free, wholesome, and good clean fun.
I’ve done this with my friends before, and we’ve met some unforgettable characters. People will either be too far gone to notice that it’s not alcohol, or they’ll think you’re hilarious. It’s a win-win situation.
8) IRL pictionary meets guess who
Don’t worry! No art skills required here. Let your imagination go wild and draw a picture of a random person. A simple stick figure with a few funky features will be perfect.
Now, have your friend scout out the bar to find someone who twins with your illustration. Make sure they bring them back to confirm the match.
Let the stranger keep the picture of their lookalike as a memento. Maybe even give it an autograph for good measure in case you become famous one day.
9) Funny t-shirt exchange
This is another infamous TikTok night out side quest. Whether it’s at a party or an airport, picking out terrible graphic tees for your friends to wear in public is peak comedy.
Go for a grab-bag style lottery or a Secret Santa sort of clothing distribution. Either way, just make sure that no one gets away with anything too cute. The top priority here is getting a good laugh.
This is probably the most fun bit I’ve ever done, and that’s saying a lot considering I’m a “commit to the bit” enthusiast. My team did a similar version of this challenge a few years ago where I had to draw a name out of a bag and buy clothing for that person. They were stuck wearing the horrendous outfit I bought them for a whole day. No other team-bonding activity will ever top spotting my teammates decked out in atrocious gear while braving their walks to class.
10) Conversation challenge
Brainstorm about ten to 20 of the funniest, most embarrassing words and phrases you can think of. Write them down and text them to your friend. Their challenge, if they choose to accept it, is to slip those terms into casual conversation with a stranger without the other person noticing.
Go down the list or skip around as you please. Get creative to make the conversation flow! This compilation of phrases can also be another form of bingo if you’d rather not get into any crazy dares.
I’ve done this with my friend group a few times now. So far, we’ve had great success saying some wildly out-of-pocket things without strangers ever detecting our secret agenda.
Some of our favorite lines to include are “do you have any milk” and “scrub-a-dub-dub.” Surprisingly, I can confirm that we have successfully gotten a glass of milk out of this.
Now have fun and be safe!
I hope these ideas have inspired you to get out of your comfort zone and try something new on your next night out! Most of these side quests are totally free and require little to no planning, making them perfect for almost everyone and every situation.
Remember: always stay safe and don’t force anyone to do something they’re not comfortable with. Don’t stray too far from your friends. Lots of these ideas involve talking to strangers, but just because they’re nice doesn’t mean they’re trustworthy.
Now start making your bingo cards, awards, and funny outfits. The night is always young enough for a good side quest!
