Winter is in full swing, so it’s time to look indoors for fun and mayhem.  Nerf guns are a great way to beat the winter blues and even (gasp!) get some exercise.

Here are 7 indoor games you can  play with your family or group of friends.  If you’re looking for outdoor games click here

The game of “President” puts a VIP in the hands of dedicated body guards

1. President – One person is the president and that person is armed only with a pistol.  The President has two bodyguards with bigger guns.  Their job is to protect the president at all cost, while guiding the president through the house from a  starting point to a finish point.  And they must do this before the assassins  can hit the president.

This game is good if you have a really young person who wants to play but is too young to handle a gun, because you can get them involved by making them the president.

2. Head Shot – This game is fun when space is tight.  Players have five lives and are armed with small pistols.  Hits only count with a shot to the head.  And here’s the twist: players must tie their ankles together (to simulate a massive lower-leg injury I suppose).  In other words, they can only move by crawling, and no standing!  This game works well when you move furniture (bean bags chairs, couches, whatever) to the center of the room and crawl around them.

She’s pregnant, but she’s one shot away from zombiehood

3. Zombie Deathmatch – Two teams are evenly divided, and everyone has the same number of lives.  After a player is hit the final time they’re officially “dead” and must drop their weapon and go to a designated “rebirth chamber.”  where they’ll find a pistol and a box of wigs (we use wigs to designate zombies).  After 30 seconds the player emerges as the living dead (no running – they’re zombies after all!) and must shoot with their opposite hand.

At this point, the remaining players have to deal with the opposition, AND their former teammates coming back to hunt them down.  The only way to kill a zombie is a single shot to the head (Duh!).  The game is over when one team has eliminated the other plus all zombies, or the zombies have taken over the world.

You can vary this game by giving each player one magic bullet – usually a glow in the dark round – that can bring a teammate back to life.  Melee weapons also work for this purpose.  But remember it’s only good with a head shot, and magic bullets cannot be reused.  Note, if a player is revived, they only have 1 life before they go back to zombiehood.

4. Zombies vs. Humans – Divide up your weaponry and place them in different rooms of the house using the same number of  stashes as you have players.  Take zombie wigs and place them with about half the weapons.  Each player draws the name of a room from a hat where they’ll learn if they’re a zombie or a human.

This game has endless variations and works well if you have an adult or referee splitting up the zombies and guns without the other players knowing what is where.  For example: there are only two zombies but they’re heavily armed.

Nate prepares for a game of pistols

5. Pistols – This is the old-school game that we end up playing more often than any other scenario.  Played as every-man-for-themselves or in teams, it simply involves using the smallest cheapest guns you can buy (at least nothing more than a 6 shooter).  Games eliminate the massive firepower that can make indoor games pass too quickly and emphasizes stealth, accuracy, and skill over battery-powered machine guns.  Better yet, these small guns are quick to reload, so the games keep flowing.

6. Protect the Baby – A version of President where one or two players have to protect “The Baby.” Have fun with it – build a mannequin or put a wig on a pillow (in our case we use an actual baby).  Give defenders good  positions with lots of guns and ammo.  Assailants try to capture the baby by eliminating all defenders.  If you accidentally shoot the baby you’re out.

Staring down the barrel of North Korea

7. North Korea/South Korea – Divide the house or playing area in half with a DMZ line.  Players cannot cross this line during the game.  One half of the room has fewer people but better weapons (South Korea).  The other half has smaller weapons but hordes of people (North Korea).  Before the game begins, teams have a short amount of time to build bunkers by moving furniture, hanging blankets, etc.

A few tips on organizing games:

– Mix up the teams frequently so that everybody wins a few games and loses a few games
– Don’t be selfish with the weapons.  Games are more fun when you mix and match, so share what you have, people!
– Some people organize their lives using a 3:15 rule (three lives and you have to sit out 15 seconds after being hit).  We usually play 10 or 15 lives and call out when we’re hit (for example yelling “three” when you’re hit the third time).  Gruesome deaths are highly encouraged.  Once a player is out they can collect ammo and reload for their teammates.  We often use  at least one rebirth area where players have to sit out for a minute or two after half their lives are gone.  Or at five hits and ten hits.  This keeps a player from getting eliminated too quickly if they get into a bad spot.  During this time they can reload their weapons.
– Put limits on games for variety.  For example, you have to shoot with your opposite hand, pistols only, or the person with the least experience gets the best gun.
– Remember, it’s all about having fun.  The best games are the ones that are the most balanced.  You want to handicap the good players and give advantages to young or new players.
– Always wear your safety glasses!

Big man, small gun – give older players small weapons to even the odds.