Simple mini-games that liven up a party
Are you looking for mini-games you can enjoy at a party without any special preparation? In this article, we’ll introduce simple mini-games that everyone can enjoy and that are easy to fit into your schedule.
No elaborate setup or complicated explanations needed! We’ll focus on games that both drinkers and non-drinkers can enjoy together.
We’ve gathered a variety of games, including ones that work with both small and large groups, and ones you can play in teams.
Try customizing them to match the number of participants and have fun!
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Simple mini-games that liven up a party (11–20)
Communication game
A communication game where the questions change depending on the number of participants.
Haven’t you seen something like it on TV quiz shows? If there are three contestants, you pose a question whose answer consists of three letters.
That said, there are multiple possible answers, and each person gives one letter; the challenge is whether their letters combine into a proper answer.
For example, with the question “What’s a yellow food?” how would you answer? There are options like lemon, banana, and corn, but unless everyone’s answers line up, you end up with a “What is that?” kind of result.
Checking the answers is part of the fun, too.
Pedometer Game
An idea for turning a familiar health gadget—the pedometer—into a game.
Attach a pedometer to any part of your body you like, such as your hand, foot, or waist, and move like crazy for one minute! Rack up as many steps as you can! The person with the highest step count wins, of course.
The numbers will probably vary depending on where you attach it, right? You could also spice it up by giving a penalty to the person with the lowest step count.
If you don’t have enough pedometers, another option is to install a pedometer app on a smartphone and hold it in your hand while you move around.
Gesture Game
A gesture game where you guess what someone is doing using only movement, without words.
Given a prompt, one person performs actions related to it, and the others—who don’t know the answer—guess what the prompt is.
For example, if the prompt is “rabbit,” you might make ears with your hands or hop to convey what you are.
Splitting into teams and competing to see which team gets more correct answers is also recommended! It’s even more fun if you mix in some trickier prompts along with easy ones that are simple to guess.
Finger Smash
Finger Suma is a game where you raise your thumbs and shout something like “Ready, set, go!” The name varies by region, but many people probably played it as kids.
You don’t need any equipment and can start right away, so it’s great for filling a small gap of time.
After saying “Ready, set, go,” someone calls out a number between 0 and twice the number of players.
If the called number matches the number of thumbs that are raised, the caller can lower one hand.
The same flow repeats, and the first person to lower both hands wins.
Any number of people can play, but it’s best with up to about five.
Bring back some nostalgia and have fun!
The Perfect Match Game
A perfectly-on-target game where you communicate while aiming for a set number.
This game is played by splitting into teams.
For example, let’s say the target number is set to 100.
Aiming for that 100, the teams take turns asking each other questions.
The questions should have numerical answers, such as “How old are you?” or “How many times have you been confessed to?” You add up the numbers you receive from the answers, and the team that hits the target of 100 exactly, or comes closest, wins.
Depending on how large the target value is, the range of possible questions expands and the difficulty increases.
It’s also a great way to get to know the person you’re asking, so give it a try when you want to deepen your connection!
Pin Pon Pan Game
The “Ping-Pong-Pan Game” is simple but surprisingly confusing.
Participants form a circle facing inward and decide who goes first.
Once everyone says the starting chant together, the game begins.
Starting from the first person and going clockwise, each person says “Pin,” “Pon,” “Pan” in order.
The person who says “Pan” points to nominate the next person.
The nominated person then continues from there, again going clockwise with “Pin,” “Pon,” “Pan.” Even though the rules are simple, people often end up pointing on something other than “Pan”…!
Simple mini-games that liven up a party (21–30)
Kappa Plate Ball-Carrying Race
It’s also great to use paper plates at the party venue for an obstacle-course-style game! If you’ve got a large space, the excitement doubles.
Balance a paper plate on your head, hold it in place with your hands, and put a ping-pong ball on top.
The winner is the person who finishes with the most ping-pong balls still on their plate after clearing all the obstacles.
Simple obstacles made from tables and chairs are plenty.
Even just doing one lap around the venue along the walls works well.
You can customize the obstacles in many ways—like greeting the department head or playing rock-paper-scissors with a junior colleague.
Don’t forget to prepare classic sports day-style background music to play during the game!