Games you can play without any equipment are great because you can enjoy them anytime, anywhere—at home or outdoors.
But are you wondering, “What kinds of games are there?” or “Is there something easy for four people to play?” No worries! There are actually plenty of games for four people that get everyone excited even without any tools.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of ways to have fun, including rhythm games, word-association games, and brain games.
Be sure to find your favorite way to play!
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Games for Four with No Equipment! Fun, Lively Activities You’ll Want to Try Right Now (1–10)
Word association game
If you’re looking for a game that doesn’t require any props, how about a word-association game where you guess the prompt from a sound-imitating word? Split into roles: one person prepares the prompt, another thinks up and conveys the onomatopoeic word, and others guess the prompt from it.
Any onomatopoeia is fine, but you can say it only once—no adding or changing sounds midway.
Gestures are also forbidden.
Think carefully and choose the sound that best evokes the prompt.
Points are awarded to those who guess correctly.
You can play individually or make it a team competition for extra fun.
Dosukoi Game
@ve4snxqh♬ original sound – LUMINARY FOR CARS – LUMINARY FOR CARS
Dosukoi is a game that seems like it would get really lively with four players.
Everyone keeps their thumbs down, then one person (the caller) says “Dosukoi [vowel sound/letter]” and a single character.
After that, players randomly raise whichever thumbs they want.
Combining the number of raised thumbs with the first letter the caller said, the first person to quickly say a word that matches that pattern—[word] dosukoi—wins.
Because you have to rhythmically find a word with that number of syllables/characters, it’s a game that uses both your brain and your reflexes.
Some people also use an extra rule that allows players who have already dropped out to give answers.
Beef Tongue Game
All participants form a circle and decide the order with rock-paper-scissors or similar.
Once everyone puts their hands together, the game begins! The basic rhythm is “ushi, tan, ushi, tan, ushi, tan, tan.” The number of “tan” at the very end increases by one each round, so be sure to count carefully and don’t fall behind the rhythm.
If there are four participants, the first person says “ushi,” the second person claps to represent “tan,” the third person says “ushi,” and the fourth person claps.
Then the first person says “ushi” again, and the second and third people clap in turn, and so on.
hand game
Hand games you can play with just everyone’s fingers.
Here are a few hand games that seem doable with four people.
One of them is a stacking-hands game played on a table or the floor: everyone stacks their hands, and the person designated as “it” at the bottom watches for the right moment to pull their hand out and slap the hand on top.
Whoever gets their hand slapped by “it” loses.
You can make it more fun by faking a pull to throw others off, or using other feints.
Since it requires no preparation, you can even play it while traveling on a train or bus.
Gesture Game
@sanwa_system Talking too much? 🤣 If it’s well-received, I’ll do another round!Sanwa System Co., Ltd.GesturetranslationBoss and subordinate#TikTok at workJob change activities
♬ Athletic Meet “Heaven and Hell” (No Introduction) – Shinonome
Games are great for building team spirit, aren’t they? This gesture game is a true classic, but it’s one of those games that gets everyone excited no matter how many times you play.
The outcome can also depend on what prompts you choose.
If you want to keep it simple, you can narrow down the categories for the prompts.
Depending on the situation, it might also be fun to have three people do the gestures and one person guess.
Try different variations and come up with rules that suit your group!
Rhythm Shiritori Game
@ig.andyspinelli There was a genius in the rhythm shiritori game.
♬ original sound – Hannaries – Hannaries
Shiritori is a popular, well-known game, but this version develops it further and makes it more difficult.
On top of playing shiritori, you increase the word length by one character each turn, and you also have to answer to a rhythm, so there isn’t much time to think.
Anyone who misspeaks is out and leaves the answering team, and only those who answered correctly continue.
It’s plenty of fun with just four people, so give it a try.
It seems like a game that can sharpen your reflexes and serve as brain training, too.
Word Wolf
@oasupa_2022.5.20 [Word Wolf] Find the lone werewolf with the “different” word!!#OASPAWord WolfWerewolf#weplayfour-person group#wa-iwa-iTranslation
♪ Original Song – Oasis Spice – Oasis Spice
To put it simply, this game is a word-based version of Werewolf.
You try to find the werewolf—the one person who was given a different word—through several rounds of discussion and a hint segment, then vote.
You don’t even know whether you’re the werewolf yourself, so the discussions can be pretty nerve-wracking.
It’s important to have good communication skills too: listen carefully to everyone and speak strategically in case you turn out to be the werewolf.
There are also tools available online so you can enjoy it over the internet—be sure to check them out!