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 (21–30)
Guess the person game
A recommended guessing game for deepening communication is one where participants get lively conversation going and make new discoveries about each other.
The person posing the question should first choose a very well-known person as the subject.
The respondents ask the questioner about what kind of person it might be while imagining the answer, and the questioner should reply only with “yes” or “no.” If it’s too difficult, it’s also helpful to give simple hints, such as the person’s gender or a basic characteristic.
Set a time limit, and try it as individual or team play, adjusting to the ages of the group.
Don’t make a sound! The Silent Game
The no-noise game, where even the slightest sound means you’re out, is a fun activity for everyone from small children to adults.
You can use anything as the subject, but simple, everyday items like plastic cups make preparation easy and help you enjoy it casually.
Try focusing your attention and being extremely careful to avoid making sounds while getting creative with tasks like stacking paper cups, wrapping with tissues, lining up juice cans, or folding aluminum foil.
Once you get used to the game, it’s also recommended to add a time limit or use paper bags to increase the difficulty.
Simple mini-games that liven up a party (31–40)
No-Katakana Game
Let me introduce a super simple yet exciting game: the “No Katakana Words” game.
The rules are very easy—just like the name says, you’re not allowed to use words written in katakana during the conversation.
In the video, you’ll hear words we often use in daily life, like “pan” (bread), “orenji” (orange), and “geemu” (game), flying around.
But since katakana words are banned, going quiet is not allowed! Like in the video, choose a facilitator to keep things moving—someone who asks guiding questions like “What are you doing now?” or “Which food do you like?” to make it more lively.
Give it a try and use this as a reference!
Majority Game
Here’s an introduction to the “Majority Game.” First, choose a person to present a topic.
The other members close their eyes, raise their hands, and a vote is taken.
The side with the greater number of raised hands—the “majority”—wins.
In the video, the topic is: “When eating ramen, do you start with the soup or the toppings?” In this case, the “toppings” side had the majority, so the toppings side wins.
It could be even more exciting if you start with a large group, eliminate a few people each round, and have the last person remaining be the winner.
Give it a try!
playing rock-paper-scissors after seeing the opponent’s move (i.e., acting with hindsight/cheating)
Let me introduce “Reverse Janken,” which is perfect for large-group entertainment.
It also has a brain-training element, so it’s sure to be a hit! The rules are: after the chant “Reverse janken, janken-pon,” the caller gives an instruction—“win,” “lose,” or “tie”—and everyone plays their move after the caller, aiming to achieve that result.
Doing rock-paper-scissors exactly as instructed, instantly, is surprisingly tricky.
For parties or performances, pick one person to do the janken and give the instructions, and have anyone who fails to follow the instruction drop out.
Running it with elimination like this really amps up the excitement!
Aburi Karubi Game
Tongue twisters are the king of wordplay.
There are many classic tongue twisters that have long been loved, like “nama mugi, nama gome, nama tamago” (raw wheat, raw rice, raw egg) and “Tokyo tokkyo kyoka kyoku” (Tokyo Patent Approval Office).
Among them, the one that’s been getting a lot of attention in recent years on social media and in the media is “aburi karubi” (seared short rib)! It’s tough even to say once without tripping up, but you can make it as hard as you like by increasing the number of repetitions or combining it with other tricky phrases.
At parties, when alcohol is involved, your mouth doesn’t move as smoothly as usual, so it feels even harder.
Be sure to try playing with different patterns!
100-character shiritori
Let me introduce the “100-Character Shiritori.” The rule of this game is to play shiritori according to a chosen theme, and the game ends when the total number of characters exceeds 100.
By the way, the number of characters in the word you say becomes your score, so using longer words gives you an advantage.
As in the classic version, anyone who says a word ending in “n” or a word that doesn’t match the theme is out.
Be sure to decide on someone to count the characters before you start.
With multiple rules, the difficulty goes up and the excitement builds, making it perfect for performances or party entertainment!