Party-Pumping Games and Party Games for Banquets [2026]
At year-end and New Year parties and other banquets, you don’t just want to eat and drink—you want to liven things up with fun games too.
But when it’s time to actually play, it’s easy to wonder, “What games are good?” or “Which games can everyone enjoy together?”
So in this article, we’ll introduce fun games that will get any party going.
We’ve gathered a variety of options, from simple games you can start right away to popular board games.
Let’s have a great time together, regardless of age!
- Party games collection that get everyone excited in a big group
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Party Games That Liven Up Banquets and Parties [2026] (1–10)
High & Low
If you want to liven up a party, the card game High & Low is a great choice.
The rules are simple: just guess whether the next card will be higher or lower.
Anyone can jump in right away, so it’s fun for all ages.
It’s guaranteed to be a hit with both large and small groups! The unpredictable twists will keep everyone on the edge of their seats.
Since it’s all about luck, both seasoned gamers and beginners can enjoy it equally.
Spice up your party with High & Low and get everyone smiling!
No-English game
How about trying the “No English Game” to spice up your party? The rules are simple: just have a conversation without using any English words or loanwords written in katakana.
But it’s surprisingly hard! When you try to avoid the English you use without thinking, the conversation takes unexpected turns.
Watching everyone struggle to rephrase things will have the whole group roaring with laughter.
It’s also a great way to deepen communication.
Add a small penalty for rule breakers, and it’ll get even more exciting.
It’s a highly recommended party game that works in any setting!
After-the-fact rock-paper-scissors game
It’s a game where the host gives instructions like “lose,” “draw,” or “win,” and you play rock-paper-scissors with the host according to those instructions.
While matching your hand to the prompts, the last person remaining wins.
It’s less about winning or quick reflexes and more about the ability to pause and think—almost like a brain-training activity.
Party Games That Liven Up a Banquet [2026] (11–20)
Nanjamonja
“Nanjamonja” is a perfect board game for livening up parties.
The key is to spontaneously give names to the uniquely designed character cards.
When a card appears for the first time, you can name it whatever you like, and when the same card appears again, you quickly call out the name you decided.
The person who says it first wins the card, so your memory and reaction speed are put to the test.
The names people come up with show their personalities, so even with simple rules, it gets really exciting.
It’s great for all kinds of parties like New Year’s gatherings or farewell parties—give it a try!
Where is this? Quiz
Let’s try a “Where is this?” quiz using photos.
It’s a game where you guess the location from pictures alone, but even if you’ve been there before, the name doesn’t always come to mind, so it can be surprisingly hard to answer.
If you’re doing it at a graduation party or thank-you banquet, it’s a great idea to pick places and photos that everyone shares memories of, like field trip spots or school trip destinations.
Just projecting funny photos with classmates on a screen will liven things up, and having prizes ready for the quiz winners will make it even more fun.
Pedometer Game
It’s a game where you attach a pedometer somewhere on your body and move around, and the person with the highest count within the time limit wins.
Pedometers normally count the number of steps you take, but since you can’t actually walk in the game, you’ll need to march in place or move your body to rack up more counts.
How you move will change depending on where you attach the pedometer, so if everyone places it in different spots, each person’s movements will have their own flair—and that should make it more entertaining for the spectators, too.
Memory game
The memory game is similar to a memory-based shiritori.
Participants take turns naming one sheet of construction paper from those set on the table, each a different color.
However, when responding, they must recite all previously named colors starting from the first one.
In other words, if the first player names “blue,” the second player points to the blue sheet before naming another color.
As the game progresses, the list of colors grows, putting everyone’s memory to the test.
Anyone who gets the order wrong is out, and the person who continues without making a mistake until the end wins.
You can enjoy this game with items other than construction paper as well—try using mementos or photos of the participants.