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!
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Simple yet a blast! Recommended games and activities for year-end parties (1–10)
Two truths and a lie
Two Truths and a Lie is a conversation game that offers a great chance to get to know each other.
Participants take turns sharing three stories, with only one being a lie, and the others try to figure out which one it is.
It’s also a fun idea to include your best anecdotes when you play at a year-end party.
The game gets lively as you watch each other’s expressions and speaking styles, ask questions, and try to expose the lie.
To avoid being found out, you’ll need to blend truth into your delivery and speak naturally.
It’s especially engaging with close friends, since you may discover unexpected sides of each other and the conversation really takes off.
It’s a game that tests your sharp insight in spotting what’s true.
Yamanote Line game where only one person doesn’t know the theme
The Yamanote Line Game is a game that’s often played at parties, but how about trying a variation called “The Yamanote Line Game Where Only One Person Doesn’t Know the Topic”? In this version, one person on the team isn’t told the topic, and they have to try to join in based on the answers given by the people before them.
The others should play as a team by giving answers that make the topic easy for the uninformed player to guess, indirectly conveying the theme to them.
It might be difficult if there aren’t many participants.
Super Mario game
How about the trending rhythm game, Super Mario Game? In this game, players take turns saying phrases in time with the rhythm.
If the first person says “Super,” the next person says “Mario.” You keep repeating the phrase “Super Mario” like that, and the person who makes a mistake loses.
There are a few other rules as well, so try checking YouTube or the official website for details.
If you’re playing with a large group, it’s a good idea to practice together once beforehand.
Easy yet exciting! Recommended games and activities for year-end parties (11–20)
Mansion Game
Do you know the classic recreation game called “Mansion Game”? First, assign a room number to each player—something like “101,” “102,” and so on.
Then, in rhythm, a player calls out, “From 101 to 102,” selecting another player.
The chosen player then passes it on by saying, “From 102 to 103,” and names someone else.
The rule is that the player who makes four mistakes loses.
There are also variant versions, so if you’re interested, look them up.
Prefecture Quiz
Even if you understand the prefecture where you currently live or where you’re from, there are probably many things you don’t know about other places.
Here is a quiz about Japan’s prefectures from a variety of angles that can spark interest in regions across the country.
By thinking about a wide range of questions—from those about names, such as how they’re written in kanji, to those about location, such as whether they border the sea—you can build solid knowledge of the prefectures.
Learning about each area’s environment and landmarks alongside this may also boost your desire to visit those places.
Quiz: Let’s Aim for the Sweet Spot!
The buzzworthy board game “Good to go! Quiz SHOW!” features quiz questions that are all answered with numbers—and nobody actually knows the correct answers.
The rules are simple: players take turns tackling a question and write down the number they think is correct on a board or card.
The person closest to the correct answer earns points, and after multiple rounds, the total scores determine the winner.
Since all the questions are ones you don’t really know the answers to, the thrill of making a guess and the excitement it creates are the highlights.
Playing with family or friends sparks conversation and laughter, making for a great time.
It’s a quiz game anyone can jump into with ease.
Word Wolf
Do you know the game Word Wolf? One person is the Wolf and everyone else is a Citizen, and only the Wolf receives a different prompt.
Since the Citizens all start talking about a shared topic, the person playing the Wolf has to keep talking while pretending to follow that topic.
At the end, everyone points to who they think the Wolf is; if they’re wrong, the Wolf has a chance to earn a high score.
Even if someone points to the Wolf, the Wolf can still earn a high score by correctly guessing the Citizens’ prompt.