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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- Simple mini-games that liven up a party
Entertainment acts for year-end and New Year parties: Group-boosting game ideas (111–120)
Silhouette Quiz
It’s a simple quiz where you show the silhouette of a character or person and have people guess what it is.
You can create questions just by filling in the original photo or illustration with solid black, which makes it easy and convenient.
Start with distinctive shapes to keep it simple, then gradually move on to more challenging questions.
How you give hints is also important, so even those who don’t know the answer can keep trying without giving up.
An arrangement where you use the silhouettes of people present at the venue as questions would likely be a hit too.
Entertainment ideas for year-end and New Year parties: Fun group games (121–130)
THE Karaoke★Battle
Decide the winner among the challengers using a karaoke scoring system.A program concept familiar from televisionLet’s pick a theme—like “nostalgic classics,” “tear-jerking masterpieces,” Western hits, or anime songs—and wage an intense battle!
Analysis Scoring JOYSOUND - Karaoke Scoring & Practice · Karaoke AppCategory: Music Free iOS Universal Rating: 4.12613
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Otona Blue Dance
In their signature song “Otona Blue,” ATARASHII GAKKO! emphasizes sexiness in the choreography to match the mood of the track.
The contrast between the bold, belted-out movements and the members smoothly swaying in the back is another fun point.
The so-called “head-shaking dance” in the chorus is a major highlight: the way they approach with side-to-side head motions and steps even gives off a slightly eerie impression.
Outside of the head-shaking sections, they use large, full-body movements—let’s draw viewers in with that striking contrast.
Mozzarella Cheese Game
Before we knew it, this game had become popular.
The rules are simple: you just take turns saying “mozzarella cheese.” However, you have to gradually raise your excitement level.
Usually, around the second or third turn, there’s someone who cranks their energy up to an absurd level and yells it.
That’s guaranteed to get laughs.
Definitely give it a try!
Pose Matching Game
Pose Matching Game is, as the name suggests, a game where you match poses.
Players form pairs, count down, and if both strike the same pose that matches the prompt, they earn a point.
The team with the most points wins.
If the poses differ, it creates laughter; if they match, you score points.
Appears wearing the Kenji Darvish makeup
Let’s try recreating the makeup of Kenji Darvish, who is active as a member of Golden Bomber.
His makeup is so distinctive that it clearly conveys who you’re imitating, and it’s an easy way to show a different impression from your usual look.
Since turning makeup itself into a performance can be challenging, it’s recommended to incorporate it as part of a costume, including matching outfits.
Even if only one person wears this makeup, it can make a strong impact; and it would likely be even more exciting if a large group appeared with the same makeup and performed together.
Kōhaku Uta Gassen (NHK New Year’s Eve “Red and White Song Battle”)
Divide participants into the Red Team and the White Team.
You can split them by gender or by age—either is fine.
Once the teams are set, take turns having each team sing their best songs using the karaoke’s precision scoring feature.
Full-length performances can be long, so singing up to the chorus might be just right.
The team with the higher total score wins.
Karaoke is a banquet classic, so it’s sure to be a hit.