Looking for something fun and fast-paced so we're not just sitting around on our phones. I prefer games where you don't need to spend half an hour learning the rules, and the actual gameplay is like 40-60 minutes. What's trending right now?
What's trending right now isn't really one specific game, but rather genres - people are either going for quick party games like Imaginarium and Activity, or co-ops like Spirits of the Island and The Battle for Moscow. For your group, I'd recommend something in between: 7 Wonders (takes about an hour, easy to get into, lots of strategy), Carcassonne, or even just Dixit with expansions - that's definitely something that'll keep people from disappearing into their phones.
I'd definitely avoid games with rulebooks that take more than 10 minutes to read - half the questions are gonna come up during play anyway. From what I've tested: Munchkin works great for your group size (fun, people don't get bored, game takes about an hour), or if you want something less random - Carcassonne scales perfectly to 8 people and really keeps everyone engaged, though you gotta play fast so it doesn't drag on. I'd also recommend checking out Artefakt - it's got that party game vibe but with a bit more strategy than, say, Imaginarium.
"Kontrolnaya rabota" is just a lifesaver in situations like this! The moms in my class often get together after school, and I recommended this game to them - everyone laughs, nobody gets bored, and you can explain the rules in literally two minutes. The pace is wild because everyone solves the puzzles and competes at the same time instead of waiting for each other. 45-50 minutes is definitely enough to play a couple of rounds and leave in an amazing mood.
From my experience, reaction and creativity games like Hateful or Charades work great for a group like that - people actually put their phones away and have fun. But here's the catch: if there are shy people in the group or those with hearing problems, they might drop out of the game and just sit there looking sad. That's why I'd recommend going with something more structured instead, where everyone takes turns participating rather than playing on a whim. Munchkin or similar turn-based games are really more reliable in this case, because everyone is forced to stay engaged and react to each other's moves.
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