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)
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!
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!
Blindfold Drink Perfect Chu-Chu!
It’s a game where you drink a predetermined amount of a beverage while blindfolded! Preparation is simple—you just need drinks, rubber bands, straws, and blindfolds.
First, select a few participants and prepare one drink per person.
Put a rubber band around each glass and hand them out to the participants.
Then, with their eyes covered, the participants drink, and the winner is the one whose drink level ends up closest to the rubber band line.
Even if you check beforehand “about this much is the target,” once you’re blindfolded it’s surprisingly hard, and it’s sure to turn into a heated battle!
TT Brothers
How about trying the signature bit “TT Brothers” by Chocolate Planet, the comedy duo that’s everywhere on TV? The TT Brothers are well-known among both kids and adults.
You look around your everyday surroundings, find a “T” anywhere you can, shout “T!”, spread your arms to make a T shape, and march in place while singing.
If you look, you’ll find T’s everywhere—even hidden in your coworkers’ clothing and gestures.
Entertainment ideas for year-end and New Year parties: Fun group games (21–30)
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!