Entertainment ideas for year-end and New Year parties: games everyone can enjoy together
Are you struggling to decide on entertainment to liven up your year-end or New Year’s party? Bingo and karaoke are classics, but having games that make everyone smile can really boost the energy of the event.
If the rules are simple, easy to prepare, and anyone can join right away, it keeps things light for everyone.
In this article, we’ve gathered a wealth of ideas—from acts that instantly lift the mood to a wide variety of games that work regardless of group size.
You’ll find everything from show-stopping performances to conversation-sparking mind games and energizing activities that get people moving—plenty of variety to keep everyone engaged!
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Entertainment acts for year-end and New Year parties: Game ideas that everyone can get excited about (151–160)
Easy card magic with an iPhone
It’s a simple card trick where you just guess the card, but it’s a new style that cleverly mixes in iPhone features.MagicIt is.
I couldn’t find the link to the app “Magic Shuffle.”
Well Ghost
@makkei104 Entertainment at the 2023 year-end party. I got to perform my favorite Ido routine again!Year-end partyentertainment#Christmas
♫ Original Song – The Mackay – The Mackay
The Well Ghost is a character that appears in Kazuyuki Sakuma’s comedy skits and also in the drama “The Hero Yoshihiko.” When it comes to wells and ghosts, the classic pattern is a ghost emerging from the well, but here the well itself appears as the ghost.
The striking look—unusual, vivid costume colors and carrying a well—is memorable, and the routine flows like a self-introduction set to lively music.
With its overall comical movements, simply reproducing the original actions straightforwardly should be enough to get laughs.
NG word game
Attach a piece of paper to each participant’s forehead with their own forbidden word written on it, making sure they themselves can’t see it.
Participants look at everyone else’s forbidden words and try to steer the conversation to make others say their words.
Anyone who says their forbidden word during the conversation is eliminated, and the last person remaining wins.
This game tests sharp insight into what others are trying to make you say.
Atama-Oshiri Game
It’s a game where you’re given the first and last letters, and you compete by thinking of a word that fits and has as many letters as possible in between.
The more letters you can put in the middle, the higher your score.
Your knowledge of words is tested by whether you can recall one within 10 seconds.
If it turns into a phrase or compound expression, it doesn’t count, so be careful about that while aiming for long single words.
The prompts are given in hiragana, but trying to think in katakana or using other tricks to bring words to mind can be key to winning.
Toilet paper roll roll
The Toilet Paper Roll-Up Game is charming for its simplicity and fun.
Since all you need is toilet paper, it’s easy to prepare.
Another plus is that people of all ages—from kids to seniors—can enjoy it.
The rules are simple and easy to explain, so organizers can suggest it with confidence.
It also strengthens bonds among friends and helps encourage active communication.
Panty Panty Game
It’s a super lively rhythm game.
The quickest way to get it is to watch the video, but here’s how it works: the chosen person says “Panty panty, panty panty” in time with the hand motions, and the people to their left and right say “No panty, no panty,” also matching the hand motions.
If you say the wrong line or forget to do the hand motion, you lose.
It gets more exciting with a faster tempo.
Handbell performance
When it comes to wintry, Christmas-like instruments, music bells come to mind.
Their “clang-clang” chime brings a soothing sense of calm.
Each bell can produce only a single note, so you need multiple people to perform a song.
Conversely, the more performers you have, the richer and more powerful the sound becomes.
It’s great to tackle classic tunes, but if you can pull off the latest hits, the audience will likely be thrilled.
If possible, a collaboration with piano or a band would also work well.
King’s Game
Make the classic drinking party game even bigger. The rules are simple!
- Each participant draws a lot.
- In response to everyone’s shouts like “Who’s the King?”, the person who drew the King lot steps forward (ideally, there should be exactly one King).
- The king issues “orders” such as “Number ○ does ○ and does ○○” or “Number ○ and Number ○ do ○○.”
- The person who is chosen steps forward to the call of “Who’s number ○?” and carries out the given command.
- At that point, collect the tickets and proceed to the next round.
Simple yet guaranteed to get everyone excited!
Telephone game on the back
This is the perfect game for people who aren’t very close yet to quickly break the ice! The rules are simple: everyone stands in a line, and in order, each person writes the prompt word on the back of the person in front of them.
It sounds easy, but it’s surprisingly tricky.
You’ll definitely get excited during the answer reveal, saying things like, “Where did it change!?” Words and letters are manageable, but when it turns into drawings, the difficulty shoots up! It’ll become a nonstop-laughter kind of activity.
One note of caution: it’s best to play with people who are comfortable with physical touch.
Memory and Drawing Quiz
This is a game you play using an app.
You’re given a prompt, and you draw it from memory.
It tests not only your memory but also your drawing skills, so I think it’ll get everyone really excited! You can also play without the app using a small sketchbook, so give it a try!