10 top iPad and iPhone apps for throwing a kick ass party

Each entry provides photos and descriptions of ideas, and will often include links to Etsy sites and other places you can buy custom decorations and printable patterns.

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9. Conversation Cards

Small talk running on empty? No need with this handy tool

Price: £1.49 / $1.99 USD
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad

All party hosts and guests dread the awkward moment of silence that can occur when polite conversation has run its course. That's where Conversation Cards comes in handy - it's a fun and easy way to start or continue a conversation.

The app offers a number of interesting questions you can ask others at the party, ranging from 'What is the happiest moment of your life?' to 'Would you rather be a ninja or a pirate?' Just tap the screen to flip over a new topic.

Clear typography make the cards easy to read, which means you can unobtrusively load the app up on your iPhone if you don't want to make a show of it. There isn't a way to mark cards as 'read', so you might come across repetition, but the questions steer clear of theology, politics, and the Great Pumpkin, so you don't have to worry about breaking Peanuts' Linus Van Pelt's cardinal rule.

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10. Reverse Charades

A fun twist on the classic party game with customisation options

Price: Free
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad

Generations of party-goers have played Charades, the game where one person stands up and the rest of the team tries to figure out what they're pantomiming. Reverse Charades takes the concept and turns it on its head: Now the entire team acts out the words, and it's up to one person to guess the clue.

Suitable for two to four teams of potentially any size, it takes place in timed 30-, 60- or 90-second rounds. A small number of sample cards have been included, but to really unlock the game's full potential you'll need to buy booster packs through IAP. The packs cost 69p each and feature content for kids, '80s trivia buffs, a 'Girl's Night' and more (six in all).

The original pack sports 500 cards; other add-ons range from 163 to 724 cards. Options let you select which card deck or decks you'll use, how long each round will be, how many rounds there are and how many seconds per turn.

Download from iTunes