10 Unique Nerf Game Ideas for Your Next Nerf War!

Nerf is a suitable game for kids (and adults) of all ages
Most Nerf games can be played in groups of 3 or more players
There are tons of different Nerf game variations to choose from
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The Nerf brand has been around since the late 1960s. With the introduction of the first Nerf gun in the late 1980s Nerf wars and other organized games were quick to follow.

After 30 years of playing the same Nerf games, chances are your Nerf wars are starting to feel a little redundant.

Are your nerf wars getting a little repetitive? No one in the gang wants to keep playing free for all? If yes, then you need to spice up your gang’s next Nerf war with a few of these unique game ideas!

So gather some friends, put on your war paint, and keep reading to learn 10 new Nerf games for your next Nerf war and all the rules you need to play them!

1. Mr. President

Mr. President is a fun game that involves two different teams and can be played in a relatively small area.

In order to play this game, you will need at least 4 or 5 people. One person is designated as the President, and the remaining players are divided into the secret service and the assassins.

There should be at least one secret service member for every assassin.

If the teams are small enough you should not need any team markers; however, if you have more than 8 or 9 people playing you may need to use bandanas or something so no one gets mistaken for a secret service member when they are an assassin.

To add a bit more diversity to the game, arm the assassins with Nerf rifles and pistols. Then give the secret service members Nerf pistols. Make the game a little more interesting by giving the President a single shot Nerf pistol.

In order for the assassins to win they need to eliminate the President. All this requires is that the President is hit by at least one Nerf dart.

It is the role of the secret service members is to protect the President from being hit. Their mission is accomplished when all of the assassins are eliminated.

Another variation you could play, allows the secret service members to win by delivering the President to a specific location known as the safe zone.

If the President arrives safely to the safe zone, the secret service members automatically win. However, if the President does not, then all of the assassins win the round.

Be sure to rotate which team the players are on and who takes on the role of the President in each round.

2. Hostage

Hostage is a fun game originally played without Nerf guns but can be a lot more fun when they are incorporated into gameplay.

In a game of Nerf hostage, all players are divided into two teams. The teams should be divided so that each has an equal amount of players.

There should be enough Nerf guns for all but two players.

Once the teams are divided, the players from one team choose a player from the opposing team to be their hostage (and vice versa). The player chosen by the other team does not receive a Nerf gun and is moved somewhere the other team can not see them.

When both hostages are hidden, gameplay begins. The goal? A team wins only when they have recovered their hostage and returned them to their home base.

If a player is hit with a dart they are either eliminated from the game or must return to a spawn point before they can rejoin gameplay. You will have to decide which version works best for your Nerf war.

If you are playing in a large area it may be harder to find the hidden hostage.

In this case, make the game a little harder by blindfolding your hostages and safely moving them to the place you want to hide them. BE SURE TO MOVE THEM SAFELY!

Because you will be playing over a much larger area you will need to use some form of technology in order to play the game.

When each of the hostages is hidden, they are able to call their respective teams for a maximum of 60 seconds.

They use their 60 seconds to describe to their fellow teammates the area around them. After both hostages have described their locations, the teams set off to find their hostages.

Be sure to leave one or two people behind to protect the hostage!

You can use either cellphones or a pair of walkie talkies in order to communicate between teams.

3. Mafia

Mafia is a beloved party game played by many. With a few small twists, you can make it a fun Nerf game too!

In Nerf mafia, you will have four different roles. These roles are determined randomly by using a deck of cards. Pull out only enough cards for the number of players here and assign a role to each of the cards.

The roles that will need assigning are: Mafia (at least two), Detective (only one), and then villagers (the remaining players). If you have a group larger than 6 people you will need to adjust these numbers.

Each player draws a card and keeps their role concealed (mafia can know who their fellow mafia members are). Players spread out and gameplay begins.

The goal of the game is to eliminate the mafia members! However, the goal of the mafia members is to eliminate all other players. As tensions rise, players will begin to shoot each other with the Nerf guns (pistols with at least 5 darts work best for this game).

When a player is hit, the detective has the ability to ask them what their role was. It is the job of the detective to assist the villagers in eliminating all of the mafia members.

Play this game over a larger area so not everyone can see when someone gets shot. This makes it a little more difficult to decipher who is the mafia members or not.

4. Hunter

The Nerf game hunter takes the game of tag to a bit more intense level.

One player is chosen to be the hunter. Their goal is simply to hit one of the hunted.

When one of the hunted is hit, they become the hunter! However, they do not have to disclose this information!

Want to make the first hunter a secret as well? Build a deck of cards similar to that of the game Mafia. All the number cards are the “hunted” while a face card is a hunter. Only have enough cards for each player to have one and be sure there is just one face card in the deck.

Gameplay can continue for a set limit of time or until the hunter is eliminated.

5. Protect the VIP

Protect the VIP is a game similar in principle to that of Mr. President and Hostages.

In this Nerf war game, you will need to divide all the players into two separate teams. Each team then designates a VIP. The VIP is marked clearly by a specially colored bandana or hat.

The teams take their VIPs and do their best to secure them. The object of the game is to eliminate the other team’s VIP. When a normal player is hit by a dart they are eliminated from the game. When the VIP is eliminated the game ends and the game with their VIP still standing wins!

6. Hitlist

Hitlist is a game similar to the commonly played Nerf game of Assasin. In a game of Nerf Assassin, there is only one target per team. However, in this version, there are no teams and everyone is a target!

Before you get together for a game of Hitlist, you will need to first know the names of all the people who are going to play.

Each player will receive a list of all players participating in the game. Every list should be randomly organized and different from all of the others.

Rather than spending all of your time handwriting each list, save some effort by using an online list generator! Simply type in all the names and print a randomly organized list for each player. Click here to find a random list generator!

When you are ready to start gameplay, give each player one of the randomly assigned hitlists. The goal of the game is to eliminate each of the players off your list, in order.

If a player is already eliminated before you get to their name on your list, simply skip them (this is true for yourself; just skip your name).

The first player to have all the names on their list crossed off wins the round!

Want to play multiple rounds? Simply rotate who gets what list and play another round!

7. Treasure Hunters

Treasure hunters is a game easier to organize for players of younger ages and may require a third party to help set up for each round.

This game is better when played over a larger area with lots of available cover.

Divide into two teams, treasure hunters and guardians! The teams do not need to be even in numbers. If one team is going to be larger than the other make sure it is the guardians’ team.

Before each round, the players assigned to the guardian team set up an obstacle course, booby traps, and hide a treasure somewhere in the course.

The treasure hunters team should know what the hidden treasure looks like before it is hidden.

Once the obstacle course is set up, the guardians hide themselves throughout the course as well and the treasure hunters begin searching for the treasure.

If a player is hit by a Nerf dart they are eliminated from the game and do not return until the next round.

The guardian team’s goal is to eliminate all treasure hunters before they can find the treasure. If the treasure hunters get the hidden treasure back to their home base, then their team wins!

8. Hide and Seek

Everyone has played hide and seek at some point in their life. But how many have played it using Nerf guns?!

Nerf Hide and Seek is a fun variation of the popular child’s game for people of all ages to play!

In this version of Hide and Seek every player is armed with a Nerf gun and then divided into two teams. The teams should be clearly marked from each other.

One team goes and hides, while the other team seeks to eliminate them. Players of the hiding team can only shoot the seeking team once they have been found. It is not necessary for the hiding team to all hide together but it may be beneficial to hide in an area close to each other.

9. Defend the Core

Defend the core is a Nerf game unlike any other, because the object of the game is not to hit other players (although it is incorporated into the game).

Split up all players into two teams and place them at opposite ends of the play area. On each teams’ side of the game area, they will have a bucket.

The goal of Defend the Core is to keep darts out of your team’s bucket! Once a dart goes in the bucket it can not be taken out. Players from opposing teams try to get as many darts into their opponent’s bucket within the allotted amount of time.

If a player is hit by their opponent, they must return to their team’s spawn point before continuing to play.

Remember that players should not “puppy guard” or hover over their team’s bucket making it unfair or impossible for the other team to get darts in the bucket.

10. Super Soakers

Looking for a SUPER unique game to play at your next Nerf battle? Then you are going to need a super unique Nerf gun to play with!

In 2009 Nerf began producing a gun unlike anything else they had made before. It was at this time that Nerf released their Super Soaker!

If you have not already begun incorporating Super Soakers into your Nerf arsenal, start now!

Change up the pace at your next Nerf battle with an all against all water fight! Be sure to bring water balloons or any other water war weapons you may have and to plan it for a warm day!

With a couple of Nerf Super Soakers it is sure to be the most unique Nerf war you have ever participated in!