This study engages with representations of partying in singleplayer sci-fi games by takingthe Mass Effect 3 (BioWare, 2012a) DLC Citadel (BioWare, 2012b) mission ‘Party’ as its case.Through a theoretical lens based on previous notions of partying and play forms – chiefly thetheory of game rubrics by Roger Caillois (1958/2001) and the three-act structure of dramaby Syd Field (1979/2005) – the structure of the party, and the roles and functions of thecharacters present there, are analysed to understand the possibilities and limitations ofparticipating in partying. The findings are presented as a timestamped graph of the threeacts of the in-game party, along with descriptions of eleven identified festive archetypes. Thestudy concludes that the Cailloisian concepts are apt for analysing parties as narratologicaland gamelike phenomena, and that the complexity of fun preferences should be takenseriously in forthcoming party research.