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 ideas for year-end and New Year parties: group-energizing game ideas (11–20)
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.
Fastest Finger Pie Face Battle
Let me introduce a game that uses a product called “Pie Face Cannon.” First, each player sets their face in the frame.
When the game starts, you rapidly press the button in front of you to push the pie-laden hand toward your opponent.
If you stop pressing or lose the button-mashing battle, the pie will hit your face and you lose.
Since your face gets messy when you lose, it’s a pretty tense game—but that’s exactly why it’s perfect for livening up a party.
Try preparing some wet towels to clean up and enjoy it together with everyone.
Who am I? game
A “Who am I?” quiz where players deduce the answer from hints.
For example, if the hints are “Born in Japan,” “Just add hot water to eat,” and “Comes in many flavors,” then the answer is “cup noodles.” The number and difficulty of hints and the question format are easy to adjust, so it can be enjoyed at any kind of party.
Start with easy questions to get everyone used to it, and finish with a super hard one! Offering prizes to the winners will make it even more exciting.
Create your own original quiz and have a great time!
Umaibō Sommelier
Umaibo has many classic flavors that have been loved for years, but there are actually lots of rare flavors you only see once in a while too! And the flavor reproduction on all of them is pretty spot-on! So how about a party game where you put on a blindfold, taste a Umaibo, and guess the flavor? If you mix both the classics and the unusual ones, it’s sure to be a hit! If your local convenience store or supermarket doesn’t carry many varieties, I recommend buying them online!
Earphone Loud Telephone Game
This game is just like a telephone game: you pass along a prompt in order and see if it reaches the last person intact.
The one difference is that everyone wears earphones and listens to music while playing.
Watching from the outside is hilarious, and by the end the sentence can turn into something totally absurd—guaranteed fun! Just be careful not to turn the music up too loud in your earphones, as it’s not good for your ears.
Came Alone Game
@mimasakadaigaku I came alone game! It’s guaranteed to get everyone hyped, so give it a try! If you watch the video, I think you’ll understand the rules!#Mimasaka UniversityIcebreakerRecreation
Heaven and Hell – Offenbach
When you go to a restaurant, you tell the staff how many people are in your party, right? This game builds on that “how many people” part: the Came Alone game.
Sit in a circle.
First, one person briefly stands up and says, “I came alone.” Next, the two people sitting next to each other stand up and say, “There are two of us,” increasing the number.
Continue like this, gradually increasing the call and the number of people who stand.
Set the maximum to around five people, and once you reach five, go back to one.
You have to constantly pay attention to which group size you’re in, so it’s surprisingly challenging.
But it’s guaranteed to get lively, so give it a try!
Doburokku
Doburock, who won the 2019 King of Conte.
Speaking of Doburock, they’re a male duo with just one acoustic guitar, ridiculously good vocals, and dirty jokes.
Depending on how risqué the material is, if it’s on the lighter side, won’t it get laughs pretty much anywhere, in front of anyone? Haha.
Go ahead and copy the bit perfectly and perform it proudly and full-on!
Fox Dance
This is a dance that drew attention after being performed between innings at Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters games.
It features simple, cute choreography inspired by a fox, and I think it’s easy to learn.
The song used is The Fox by the Norwegian brother duo Ylvis, and its repeated phrases that sound like cries and shouts have a strangely addictive quality.
Another key point is the shared theme: the song is about a fox, and the team’s mascot, Frep, is modeled after the Ezo red fox.
Gesture Game
Form groups and play a team match.
Start on the host’s cue, with the person doing gestures facing the team members.
Behind the members, display prompts such as celebrities or animals.
If the gesturer imitates the prompt and the members guess correctly, the team earns a point.
Repeat this, and the team with the most correct guesses within the time limit wins!
Illusion Dance
When it comes to entertainment that gets people going at year-end and New Year parties, dance is the classic choice! But dancing can be hard, there’s never enough time to practice, and with the latest idol-style routines, not everyone gets into it.
However, with this illusion dance, once you match the costumes, all you have to do is lift your legs! It’s easy and fun for all generations, so I highly recommend it!