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-pleasing game ideas (71–80)
Makeup Showdown
Split into teams.
Choose a male model! Set a time limit, and everyone will put makeup on the man.
The team that does the best job in the end wins.
Will you go all out to win, or aim for laughs? That depends on the vibe of the room!
true-or-false quiz
It’s a classic quiz.
Divide the venue into a True zone and a False zone, have the host read the question, allow a brief thinking time, then cordon off the True and False zones with a rope or similar and announce the correct answer.
Repeat this process several times for a clear, easy-to-follow flow.
It can be fun to ask questions related to the group and gradually shift toward more revealing, confessional-style questions.
ito
It’s a classic board game where you can’t say numbers out loud, so reading the other players’ intentions is key.
If the theme is “size of living creatures,” you’d describe where your hidden number falls with phrases like “about the size of a rhinoceros” or “about the size of an ant,” matching the theme.
Everyone tries to guess which numbers others drew based on these descriptions and arrange the cards in numerical order.
The closer a number is to the middle, the harder it is to describe, which encourages you to align with others’ thinking—and as you play, the trust among players grows stronger.
Anything Top Ten!
Announce the results of the preliminary survey and unique surveys from magazines, and what...The Best TenIt’s a quiz where you have to guess the answer!
Guess the baby photo
Collect childhood photos from participants in advance, show them on a screen, and have everyone guess who it is.
It’s guaranteed to liven up company parties! Try to borrow the funniest photos or ones that show a big contrast with how they look now.
🙂
Body impression (imitating using one’s whole body)
Comedy trio, Robert.Akiyama[Name]’s “full-body impersonation.” It’s not very difficult, and you can enjoy it with various adaptations tailored to the performer’s body type.
Joiman
They’re a comedy duo made up of Takagi, the boke, and Ikeya, the tsukkomi.
Their charm, above all, lies in their hilarious rap bits delivered with a unique rhythm.
If you copy them perfectly, you’re guaranteed huge laughs! Routines like “Arigatou Origotou” and “Clinton 20 Tons” are already classics in the comedy world.
Personally, my favorite is “Shuu-nana Kinomi Nana” (literally, ‘Nana Kinomi seven days a week’).
Mimic their basic stance: spread both arms like an airplane, bend your knees slightly, and sway side to side.
And don’t forget the partner’s crucial line, “What’s with this guyyy?”—so be sure to find a good partner!
Akira 100%’s nude act
Akira 100%, a comedian who performs with just a single tray, became a huge talking point for his overly daring style.
If you actually try it yourself, there’s no way it won’t get the crowd going.
Just like he does, flip the tray over, let go with your hands—put on an act that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.
However, make sure you’re well prepared in case something goes wrong!
Cornflakes manzai
Milkboy is a comedy duo that has appeared on many variety shows and in commercials since winning the 2019 M-1 Grand Prix.
When you think of their material, it’s their cornflakes routine—also performed at M-1—that comes to mind! A hallmark of their bits is that, by following their signature structure, they can turn virtually any theme into a manzai routine.
It’s easy to create original material that incorporates inside jokes from your workplace or club.
Since they’re a duo with broad name recognition across all ages, you can perform their style of routine with confidence in any setting.
I’ll carry the ping-pong ball with chopsticks.
Prepare about 20 ping-pong balls and two bowls.
At the start signal, use chopsticks to pick up balls from your bowl and drop them into your opponent’s bowl.
Whoever transfers all their balls first wins.
It seems like it would be just the right level of difficulty to liven up a drinking party.
Adding a penalty for the loser could make it even more fun.