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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Easy yet exciting! Recommended games and activities for year-end parties (11–20)
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.
Self-introduction game
Many people have probably had the experience of being asked to introduce themselves, moving forward without organizing what to say, and having it go poorly.
This game can help those who feel they’re not good at self-introductions: you progress by following prompts written on cards.
After sharing pre-decided items such as your name and favorite food, you flip over the cards dealt to you and continue your self-introduction using the conjunctions written on them—such as “for example” or “therefore.” At first, use just one conjunction to keep it concise; once you get the hang of it, try increasing the number of conjunctions to talk in more depth.
That approach is also recommended.
Go-Back Jump Game
A party-sized challenge! It’s the Go-Back-Jump game.
First, everyone faces the same direction and forms a circle.
Then the first player calls the next player.
If they say “Go,” the baton passes to the player one spot ahead; if they say “Back,” it goes to the player one spot behind; if they say “Jump,” it goes to the player two spots ahead.
The player who receives it does the same and calls the next player.
Repeat this, and if someone makes a mistake, they lose.
It looks simple at first, but it can get surprisingly confusing.
Keep the rhythm in mind and give it a try!
Daigo Daigo Game
A brain-whirring rhythm game: the Daigo Daigo Game.
First, everyone forms a circle.
Then one person points at another player while saying, “I’m DAIGODAIGO, you’re DAIGODAIGO.” At that moment, the two players on either side of the pointed-at person chant, “Wish, wish.” The person who was pointed at then points to a different player, following the same rule.
This repeats, and anyone who messes up the chant is out.
The more people you have, the more exciting it gets.
Remember Shiritori
Perfect for brain training, let me introduce “Memorization Shiritori.” It’s basically the same as regular shiritori, but there’s one difference: you have to remember every word that has been said.
For example, if the previous player connected “ringo” (apple) to “gorira” (gorilla), you must repeat, “ringo, gorira, rappa (trumpet),” and then add your word.
It’s manageable at first, but once it goes beyond 10 turns, it gets pretty tough.
Balloon Battle
I think the drive to compete with those around you and seize victory is a key factor in making a game more exciting.
This is a simple, balloon-based competitive game where you can fully channel that competitive spirit.
Each player attaches an inflated balloon to their ankle, and at the signal to start, you use only your feet to try to pop your opponent’s balloon.
While dodging your opponent’s attacks, you aim for their balloon—mind games amid intense movement are crucial in this game.
You’re only allowed to attack the balloon, so be careful not to step on your opponent’s foot as you play.
Spinach Game
When it comes to year-end parties, the classic has to be the “Spinach Game,” right? Everyone stands in a circle and just matches the hand motions and rhythm, yet somehow it gets super lively.
It’s fun to chant “horenso” (spinach) together, too.
As the tempo speeds up, it gets harder to keep up, and that just makes everyone laugh even more.
It’s simple, but it has a mysterious power to bring everyone’s hearts together.
How about trying the Spinach Game at your year-end gathering? It’ll surely make for wonderful memories.
Marshmallow Challenge
This is a game where teams work together to build a tower using pasta, aiming to place a marshmallow at the highest possible point.
Each team consists of four people, and the time limit is 18 minutes.
Including discussions on how to stabilize the tower, let’s cooperate and proceed together.
There is a limit of 20 pieces of dry pasta, so figuring out how to use them wisely is also a key point.
It’s interesting to see each team’s style emerge—whether they carefully plan everything before executing, or move closer to success through repeated trial and error.
Company quiz game
The question of where our company is headed is something we rarely revisit unless there’s a change in direction.
This game lets us examine the ideal the company is pursuing while expanding our thinking so everyone can reflect on the company in their own way.
Questions without definitive answers—like what our core business will be 100 years from now—are especially important.
Each person envisions a future that could emerge from our current situation from their own perspective.
Let’s also assess presentation skills by looking at why each person arrived at their answer.
Mental arithmetic quiz
Addition is a calculation we often use in everyday life, and it’s a simple skill that everyone knows how to do.
This game uses addition: remember numbers that are shown for only a brief moment, then add them up quickly.
A key point is that you answer after the problem disappears, which also tests your ability to maintain the numbers in memory.
Even if you’re not good at mental math, repeated practice will help you learn the method bit by bit, so as the number of problems increases, you might find opportunities to turn things around.