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 exciting! Recommended Games and Activities for Year-End Parties (31–40)
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.
Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors
It’s a very simple game that only requires newspapers.
First, hand out newspapers to the participants and have them stand on them.
Next, the person who acts as the leader plays rock-paper-scissors; anyone who loses to the leader folds their newspaper once.
Watching everyone desperately try to keep their balance as their newspapers get smaller and smaller is hilarious.
It’s great fun with both small and large groups, so it’s recommended for any party!
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.
Photo guessing game
This is a game where preparation and cooperation are key! Participants are asked to bring photos from their own childhood or of their children.
The photos are then chosen at random, and everyone guesses, “Whose child is this?” If the person looks very different from how they do now, the quiz gets harder; if they look the same, it’s sure to get a laugh.
It’s bound to be a fun time!
100 Kaki-no-Tane Speed-Eating Contest
You know those bulk-value packs of Kaki no Tane they sell at variety shops? Prepare one of those, line up 100 pieces of Kaki no Tane in a row, and at the start signal, eat them one by one from the end.
Naturally, the person who finishes all 100 the fastest wins.
People who love Kaki no Tane might have an advantage in this game!
Drawing Telephone Game
You know the game of telephone where a prompt is passed along from one end to the other? This is the drawing version of that.
The first person looks at the prompt and turns it into an illustration to show the next person.
The viewer then draws their own interpretation and shows it to the next person, and the last person gives the answer.
It gets harder with longer prompts.
Finding commonalities
Common-ground finding is a fun game that helps you talk with people you’re meeting for the first time and feel closer to them.
There are various ways to play: for example, participants form pairs or groups and, within a time limit, look for things they have in common through conversation; or they present common points they’ve written down in advance—those are standard approaches.
Conversations can stall without a prompt, so set simple topics like “How you spend your days off” or “Favorite foods.” It’s also a good idea to set a target number of commonalities to find beforehand.
Stand-up game
It’s a stand-up game that’s more fun with more people.
You don’t need any items, and it’s super easy to enjoy! Participants take turns calling out a number, trying to guess how many people will stand up.
You can choose any number you like.
If exactly that number of people stands up, the caller wins.
If someone never guesses correctly by the end, they lose.
Since winners drop out as they win, announcing the prizes for early winners in advance might help ramp up the excitement of the game.
Pedometer Game
It’s a game where players compete to see who can shake a pedometer the most.
The location on the body where the pedometer must be attached is specified.
Follow the instructions, put it on, and move your body as much as you can within the time limit to try to rack up more counts than anyone else.
The fun part of this game is that each person wears the pedometer in a different spot, so participants end up moving in all kinds of ways.
Someone with it on their hand will swing their arms, someone with it on their foot will run, and someone with it on their waist might look like they’re dancing.
One-Leg Rope Sumo
First, participants pair up, face each other, and stand on one leg.
Once both ends of the two strings are held—one end in each person’s hand—the game begins! Pull the strings to throw your opponent off balance.
This game may be more about timing than strength.
Watch your opponent closely and move the string accordingly.
Loosening your grip right when your opponent pulls could also be an effective tactic.
Choose a spacious, obstacle-free area and have fun while staying safe.