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!
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Party Games That Liven Up Banquets [2026] (31–40)
Oshibori Roulette
It’s a game that really can’t be explained any more simply: you wring out a wet hand towel in turn, and whoever can’t get any more water out loses! If the first person goes all out, it could be over right away, but to keep the mood lively, a certain kind of cooperative play is called for.
4 booty-shaking games
From BuzzFeed America, here are four party games that are sure to get everyone excited.
They range from one where you tie a tissue box filled with ping-pong balls to your backside and race to be the first to shake them all out, to another where two people move together while holding a balloon between their backsides without dropping it.
These are games that even small children can enjoy.
Carrying ping-pong balls with chopsticks
When I was in elementary school, I once took part in a competition where we sat in a large gymnasium and diligently carried beans.
It was probably on Setsubun.
This is a kind of variation on that: a game where you carry ping-pong balls with chopsticks.
They might even be lighter than beans, so I think it’s quite difficult.
Drawing Telephone Game
It’s a game of telephone where you pass a prompt to the next person to see if it stays accurate to the end, but instead of words, you use drawings.
You get to enjoy the silent back-and-forth of which parts to emphasize so they’re conveyed, and which parts to interpret.
If you set a time limit for drawing, the added pressure might lead to sketches that end up communicating nothing to anyone.
Even if the original prompt doesn’t make it to the end, it’s a game that gets lively thanks to everyone’s drawing style and the amusing ways the prompt goes off track.
Spiral straw glasses speed-drinking showdown
This is a game where you use party “swirly straw glasses” to see who can finish their drink the fastest.
Since there’s some distance before the drink reaches your mouth, your lung power will be tested! There are no complicated rules—anyone can play.
And remember, being an adult means not forcing anyone who doesn’t want to join.
Tug-of-war North, South, East, and West
Tie together as many wet wipes or towels as there are participants around the middle.
In the video, there are three people.
The three participants each hold a towel end and stand on one leg, pulling against each other.
The last person remaining on one leg wins! People with good balance have an advantage.
Perfectly Choo-Choo
It’s a game where you set a line on a glass with a rubber band, then blindfolded players use a straw to drink until they think they’ve reached just up to the line.
The person who gets closest to the line wins.
It seems like it might be surprisingly easy, but I wonder how it actually is.
Intro Quiz
An intro quiz—where you listen only to the beginning of a song and guess the title or artist—is a classic game you often see on TV shows.
Since there’s a chance people only know the chorus of hit songs, it really tests how attentive you are to music in your everyday life.
The era of the songs you choose is also an important point, and using that as a hint to help people think of the right track is a recommended approach.
If it’s a song someone doesn’t know, it can be hard to arrive at the answer, so in that case, just enjoy the sounds and take it as an opportunity to discover new music.
Coin Drop Close Call
Personally, I’m fond of the clever title.
This is a game where you keep putting coins into a glass filled with water to the brink, and the person who makes it overflow loses.
I feel like there must already be a gambling version where you add coins, and everyone except the loser splits the pot.
Slipper relay
All you need is a few pairs of slippers.
Split into teams of five, and pass a slipper—worn on one foot—onto the next person’s foot like a relay.
The strict rule is that you can’t use your hands or drop it on the floor.
Party games like this, which anyone can play, are the best.