Simple yet exciting! Recommended games and activities for year-end parties
Many of you probably attend several year-end parties—at work, with friends, and in your neighborhood—every year, right?
Looking back on the past year and chatting with colleagues and friends makes for a great time.
And the entertainment games—like bingo and quizzes—might be part of the fun, too.
But when you’re in charge of the entertainment, it can be hard to decide what games to play.
Ideally, you want something simple that everyone can enjoy and get excited about.
In this article, we’ll introduce classic games that meet those needs!
Once you’ve decided on the games for this year’s year-end party, don’t forget to prepare the prizes!
Simple yet a blast! Recommended games and activities for year-end parties (1–10)
Atama-Oshiri Game
The fresh, TV-famous rhythm game “Atama-Oshiri Game”! In time with the music, you answer by connecting the first and last letters of the word presented.
You have 10 seconds, and the key to winning is whether you can come up with longer words or more letters.
It tests both speed and creativity, so everyone can have fun cranking their brains together.
On the show, Banana Man and Sandwich Man take on the challenge, with unexpected answers being a highlight.
Enjoy laughs and edge-of-your-seat moments.
It’s a recommended game that gets families and friends pumped up while training rhythm and quick thinking at the same time.
Umaibō Sommelier
Since its debut in 1979, Umaibo has long been loved for its low price and great taste.
Focusing on one of Umaibo’s key charms—its variety of flavors—this is a game where you guess the flavor relying only on your sense of taste.
The rule is to wear a blindfold and pinch your nose, putting your taste alone to the test.
Because the flavor lineup is so broad, it’s recommended to choose prompts from the classic flavors that most people have tried.
First Impressions Game
The First Impressions Game is perfect as a year-end party classic.
It’s easy to prepare and you can start right away—that’s the key.
Just throw out prompts like “Who looks the most athletic?” and you’re good to go.
As participants share their impressions of each other, unexpected sides come to light and laughter flows.
If it’s a gathering of acquaintances, it’ll bring everyone closer in no time.
It’s a great way to share each other’s image in a fun way and deepen connections.
Why not include it in this year’s year-end party?
Number guessing game
For those who want to play in a small space without using any tools, a number-guessing game is also recommended.
There’s just one rule: you win if you guess the number.
First, gather multiple players and form a circle.
Then, each player says one number on their turn.
At the same time, the other players choose whether to stand or sit.
If the stated number matches the number of people who are sitting, you win.
It’s fun as is, but preparing a small penalty for the loser could make it even more exciting.
true-or-false quiz
The game host asks quiz questions like, “Is it true or false that ~ is ~?” Participants answer by choosing either true (circle) or false (cross).
The quiz can be fun with trendy topics, and it’s sure to be a hit with in-jokes that people at your company or among friends will understand!
Sing-along game
Let me introduce a simple yet exciting singing game.
First, a player points to another player and says the name of an artist.
The chosen player then sings the chorus of a song by that artist, and after that, they name an artist for the next player.
It’s a bit like karaoke-style fun.
It could be even more entertaining if you stick to shared interests, like anime songs or sports-related tracks.
The rule is that if you can’t sing, you lose—but rather than picking obscure artists, it’s probably more fun to choose artists people are likely to be able to sing.
Pose Matching Game
Even with simple words, the scenes or movements people imagine can vary from person to person.
This is a game that looks at those differences in how we visualize things—whether the poses you picture will match.
Teams are pairs of two.
Both players simultaneously show a pose they thought of from the prompt, and if the poses match, they earn points.
Since it can be hard to match if each person thinks of a pose freely, you can adjust your approach—like one person aligning with the other—to improve your chances as you go.